days at Hogwarts

May, early summer.

The bright sunshine penetrates the Black Lake and falls into the dim underground classroom through the skylight, creating a hazy and dreamy beauty.

One of the meanings of the number five in the runes is that it symbolizes "ether", the fifth element besides earth, fire, water and wind. According to the classical alchemical school, this is the medium that carries light.

This medium is infinitely small, between fantasy and reality, infinite in number, omnipresent, and spread throughout the universe. Scholars in many other fields were influenced by the ether theory and accidentally invented many wonderful magics. Later, it was proved that this medium did not exist, and potions before the 17th century were one of them.

"…by comparing the properties of similar potions, disproving the theory of ether is an important part of the Ultimate Wizarding Level Examination."

Professor Snape's deep voice echoed in the dungeon.

Loren sat in the second row by the window in the classroom, with Hermione beside him, who was listening attentively. This was the first Potions class after May, and also the beginning of the final review.

This class is reviewing the advanced theory of Potions. Professor Snape basically doesn't pay attention to the textbook in class. The notes on the blackboard are the condensed knowledge points of his class. By explaining the preparation process of several simple potions, he analyzes the principles contained therein in a simple and profound way.

After thousands of years of development, magic theory remains an obscure and mysterious mystery at both the macro and micro levels, and no wizard has yet come up with a complete and comprehensive theory that can accommodate and summarize all magic. However, through the unremitting efforts of wizards of all generations, different doctrines have been developed in certain disciplines to explain the underlying principles of magic.

Over the past hundred years, the theories in the field of potions have been dominated by the Libasho Pollach school. They believe that potions are made by pharmacists through the processing and preparation of different materials, and the unique magic inside them fuses and reacts with each other to give birth to new magic. The brewing method is only a process, and the result mainly depends on the materials.

Professor Snape is outside the mainstream. He believes that the principles of potions are connected with those of alchemy, spells and other disciplines. He breaks away from the shackles of materials and analyzes them from a basic perspective. He believes that all three achieve results through specific rituals. The brewing techniques are equivalent to the casting gestures of spells and alchemical circles, and are more important than medicinal materials.

Similar theories were proposed by wizards hundreds of years ago, but they have never been taken seriously by the magic world and have been regarded as fringe conjectures in the academic world. They have long been used as reading material in the appendix of textbooks.

It was not until recently that Snape compiled and published it in an academic journal in the field of potions.

Generally speaking, this kind of ordinary theoretical narrative is basically not taken seriously by the academic community, but Snape openly refuted the contents of many books written by Libasho Pollach in his paper, some of which were even introductory textbooks in the field of alchemy, including "Forty Thousand Ways of Processing Common Medicinal Materials", "The Origin of Potions: An Apprentice's Attempts at a Pharmacy", "Advanced Potion Making" and other eleven books.

"Forty thousand ways of processing look more like poetry than alchemy. Libasho Pollach's forty thousand ways can be completely categorized and combined. If he can't process them in a simpler way, then he hasn't learned how to truly utilize medicinal materials. The following is my summary of the common methods of processing medicinal materials:..."

"Libasiu Pollach proposed that alchemy originated from European pharmacies. I can't describe my feelings about this weird statement. It's not even wrong. It has no factual basis and no logic. I have visited primitive tribes on the African continent and saw completely different applications of potions there. In addition, the ancient Eastern pharmacy is even more mysterious..."

"The brewing method recorded in the advanced magic potion production is indeed desirable, but the cumbersome steps do not equal the correct theory. The following are my optimization and improvements to various potions: ..."

The way of argumentation is appalling, it's just short of pointing at someone's nose and scolding them.

The result was that the monthly issue was sold out immediately.

When Professor Snape's paper was first published, many wizards were angry and expressed doubts in public magazines or in letters, thinking that his theory was sensational. However, as more and more potion makers were able to easily brew potions that had previously had a very high failure rate using the methods he published, more and more wizards gradually turned to this improved theory.

Severus Snape became famous.

Potions magazines were being sold at double the price at the newsagents in Diagon Alley.

Loren ordered several issues in a row and enjoyed reading them very much.

The war of words is so interesting.

Unfortunately, with the verification of experiments, this theory has gradually been popularized. Now there are only one or two wizards who are still stubborn, and they are the kind of hundred-year-old wizards who can't even understand what they are saying.

The light projected from the glass skylight swayed gently with the flow of water, and the pendulum in the clock on the wall swayed left and right. When Snape closed the lesson plan, there were still ten minutes before the get out of class ended.

"The exam is in a month."

Snape glanced around at the podium and spoke in a flat tone without any emotion: "You can choose to complete the assigned homework. If you have a solid foundation and think that the homework will not help you much, I suggest you give it up and save time to read the relevant recommended materials."

"Okay, Professor."

The students in the classroom were not surprised, as almost all the professors made the same suggestion.

Snape glanced at the hands of the clock. Perhaps considering his duties as the vice-headmaster, he did not end the get out of class early, but continued to speak:

"During dinner yesterday, the professors talked about the problem of exam stress. Professor Flitwick mentioned a female Hufflepuff student who was suffering from severe anxiety. She stayed up late into the night, had no appetite for meals, and became so nervous that she vomited when she saw other students reviewing in the Great Hall."

When talking about topics unrelated to the class, the students immediately became active and chattered.

"I know. It's Eloise from Hufflepuff."

"Isn't it Susan Bones?"

"Then I won't read in the auditorium anymore."

"Have you ever thought that maybe it's not because of the books?"

"What do you mean!"

"..."

Snape somewhat understood why Minerva became strict after becoming the deputy headmistress. If he was a little gentler, this group of students would even forget the deterrence accumulated over the past few years and become unscrupulous.

He tapped the desk with his fingers to suppress the noise in the classroom:

"I have no intention of saying that the Ultimate Wizarding Exam is not important to comfort people. For many wizards who want to stay in the wizarding world after graduation, the exam certificate is a stepping stone. It can help you reach a higher threshold, save a lot of unnecessary time, and make your work and life in the next ten years smoother...

"But I also want to remind you that wizards have a longer lifespan than expected. This exam is really nothing in the context of a long life. There is only the last month left, and you should have a rough assessment of your results. If you have already realized that you cannot achieve the ideal results in the exam, remember this feeling of regret and self-loathing, but don't indulge in it too much. Don't let yourself fall into this situation again in the future...

The classroom was silent, with only the light and shadow cast by the glass skylight rippling slightly.

These words came out of Professor Snape's mouth, and many students were a little dazed.

"You are only 17 years old. Who can predict what will happen in the future?"

The bell for the end of get out of class rang at this time.

……

In the second week of June, the final wizarding level examination officially began.

Loren sat in the back row of the examination room, lowering his head and writing quietly. The examination process was similar to OWLs, and even the invigilator was a familiar face from the last exam. Today's exam was "Transfiguration".

The question setter obviously referred to Professor McGonagall's papers in the past two years. Apart from the basic knowledge that is included every year, the main contents of the essay questions are very familiar:

Please briefly explain the Animagus Principle;

Please briefly explain the connection between human body deformation and astrology, and choose one of the solar or lunar phases, and analyze the relevant connection in detail and analyze the reasons;

Compare the traditional Animagus training method with the animal experience training method, display the similarities and differences between the two methods, and analyze the reasons for the differences.

For students who have participated in the Animagus teaching class, the theoretical test in the morning is a bit too simple, and the practical test in the afternoon is even more excessive. The invigilator prefers students who have mastered Animagus. As long as they can change into an animal and then change back on the spot, they will immediately be given extra points in the practical test.

The examination room almost turned into a zoo, with chickens and dogs jumping around and all kinds of animals screaming.

One exam, two favoritisms.

Loren even suspected that the person who set the questions and the examiner were bribed by Professor McGonagall.

NEWT lasts for two weeks in total.

In the following week, there were exams in Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures. There were two exams each, a theoretical written test in the morning and a practical test in the afternoon.

The difficulty level is moderate, there are basically no obstacles, and an excellent certificate can be booked.

The final certificate of achievement is the weighted comprehensive result of the two exams. Since the certificate of achievement only contains the final grade assessment result, namely:

O (Excellent)

E (Exceeds Expectations)

A (pass)

P (Fail)

D (terrible)

T (Troll)

Therefore, even though the examinations organized by the Education Department have been going on for hundreds of years, students are still unclear about the specific weighting calculation method. Some students revealed that theory accounts for 60% and practice accounts for 40%, while others said it is the other way around. Others believe that it changes every year according to the difficulty of the test questions.

This is to ensure that the students who obtain the certificate are not nerds who only study theory, nor are they fools who have no understanding of the principles of magic and can only cast spells based on their natural intuition. Only such transcripts can become professional technical certificates for the entire magical community.

Loren estimated that he would not need these certificates in the future, but he did not underestimate the examination. Instead, he regarded it as a summary of his seven years at Hogwarts, or even a summary of his coming to this world.

Compared to the achievements and reputations he had gained in the International Confederation of Wizards and the Wizengamot, he valued these test scores more. This was Loren Morgan’s student days.

A leisurely, beautiful and slightly busy period.

……

There are no exams on the weekend, so you can have two days of rest.

In the evening, the setting sun dyed the astronomical tower red.

Loren took Hermione to get two dinners from the hall and sat on the platform at the top of the tower to eat. At the same time, they could enjoy the evening breeze and appreciate the sunset. However, the dinner was a little cold and was not as delicious as in the hall.

After dinner, the sun was almost setting.

Loren had no intention of returning to the Great Hall or the common room for the time being. He cleaned up the dishes and put them into the pendant, then hugged Hermione and waited for the moon to rise.

"How did you feel about the test?"

"During the exam, ask about your feelings and check your answers..."

Hermione tilted her head in curiosity and blinked: "What's wrong with Mr. Morgan? Hasn't he always been against this kind of thing?"

"Is it useful to oppose?" Loren asked.

So Hermione smiled faintly: "I feel like I did very well in the exam. I should be able to get all the certificates."

"I thought you were going to complain about an incomplete answer to a question. You only wrote ten out of a dozen methods or reasons, and the remaining ones could not be written due to paper restrictions. Or, your casting movements during the practical exam were not standard enough and did not follow the textbook completely."

"So that someone can exaggerate my mistakes and enjoy my nervous expression?"

Lauren hugged her shoulders tightly and said, "My dear Hermione, you really understand me."

"..."

Hermione snorted twice and didn't answer. She just watched the distant sky darken completely and turn a clear blue.

After a few minutes of silence, only the sound of the evening breeze blowing across the top of the tower could be heard. Loren put his arm around her shoulders and shook her slightly, saying with some emotion:

"Graduated."

Hermione's eyes were full of stars, and she whispered softly, "Yes, we are graduated."

……

The last day of the final wizarding level exam.

The subjects with practical content have been examined. The remaining subjects this week are all written examinations. Today I have two subjects in a row, Ancient Runes and History of Magic.

Rune signed up with Hermione. The examination room was in the classroom on the fifth floor. Professor Babel accompanied the invigilator to patrol the examination room.

The professor smiled oddly when he saw Loren, and whispered something to the invigilator. Then the two of them stood behind him and peeked at his test paper with a clear conscience, not caring whether this would affect the candidate's mentality.

Loren silently made up his mind to write a letter to complain about them after the exam.

The rune test paper prepared by the Ministry of Magic's Education Department based on the basic textbooks was basically not difficult for Loren. In the two and a half hour exam, he only took half an hour to finish the first objective questions.

The two people behind were enjoying the show and smiled at each other from time to time.

"..."

Loren continued to look back.

The last few questions were translation questions. The translation documents were all inscriptions from thousands of years ago. After years of erosion and sandstorms, the original texts were blurred, not to mention being printed on the test paper. The old scholars in the Education Department had not deciphered it, and the test setters only set a few clear places as scoring points.

Loren even suspected that some researchers were just trying their luck. If a student happened to translate it, it would be a major breakthrough in the academic community. Even if there was no gain, it would not affect the exam work.

As Loren turned to the last page of the test paper, the two rune experts behind him radiated a real gaze in their eyes.

Loren:…

Such as a thorn back.

Like sitting on pins and needles.

After translating a few obvious scoring points, Loren paused his pen for a moment, bent down to block the sight of the two people, wrote a series of words in the blank space in a concealed manner, and then quickly turned the parchment over to cover it.

"Wow..."

The two people at the back could only hear the sound of turning pages of the test paper, while Loren sat upright with his arms folded on the test paper and could not see anything.

"..."

Babel and the invigilator looked at each other with uncomfortable expressions.