"Selma, every year it saves a large number of people from drowning. If you're still thinking about targeting it, don't you think that's a little unfair?"
William decided to give her one last chance; if it was just talk, he could educate her. Punishing someone without attempting to teach them first felt excessive.
"I know. Otherwise, I'd have acted long ago. Although I probably wouldn't go through with it in the end, it's still good to have dreams. Who knows? Maybe one day, I can convince it to willingly give me a tentacle."
Is your idea of 'convincing' using a wand? Why would it voluntarily give you a tentacle?!
As William debated whether to deduct points or assign detention, Selma had already portioned out the steamed bass and handed him his share.
***
Diary,
[Eighth Day at Hogwarts; Sunny]
[Flying broomsticks are amazing! Although there were some mishaps during the test flight, they didn't diminish the charm of this aerial sport. When I returned the broom to Madam Hooch, she cheerfully told me that I'm welcome to borrow the school's brooms anytime. "They may be older models, but I guarantee they're just as good as new."
She truly is a generous person.
I should seriously consider purchasing my own broom. It's even more practical than I imagined and, in certain situations, far more convenient than Apparition. It seems I'll also need to brush up on my old cooking skills.
Oh, and I let a particularly bold fourth-year Hufflepuff off the hook today. Though her ambitions are a bit skewed, they're still commendable. Mostly because she vanished so quickly.
By the way, the bass was delicious. I asked Bart about it, but he said the house-elves in the kitchen don't usually make that dish. However, they're willing to give it a try.]
***
"New week, new beginnings. Long time no see, everyone."
On Tuesday morning, William stood at the podium and greeted his students with a genuine smile.
Though not as dazzling as Lockhart's award-winning grin, his smile radiated confidence and a zest for life, capable of pulling anyone from the brink of despair.
Unfortunately, none of the students in the classroom paid attention to his expression. Instead, their gazes were fixed on the massive, almost mountain-like stack of papers in the thick bag resting on the podium.
"Gulp!"
The sound of someone swallowing echoed audibly in the classroom, making Nancy wish she could immediately lower her head and hide herself.
Thankfully, everyone's attention was entirely consumed by the intimidating bag on the podium, so no one noticed her embarrassment.
More exam questions, and they're just as difficult as before?
Although, for the past week, students like her in the fifth year had been desperately cramming, the fear from the exam questions a week ago hadn't easily faded.
"Alright, I think you've all guessed what we're going to do—Yes, that's right, an exam. But this time, the content is very simple. I can guarantee that everyone here will pass easily, after all, this is a first-year test."
As William's words fell, the classroom was filled with a collective sigh of relief.
One by one, the papers were handed out to the students. Nancy didn't rush to start the test but opened the paper and began quickly reviewing the questions.
And, as expected, it was a first-year exam, and not even all of the first-year content. This was ridiculously easy for fifth-year students. This was a theoretical exam, but if it had been a practical one, it could almost be considered no challenge at all.
Did the professor think the last exam was too hard, so this time he's giving us an easier one to boost our confidence?
"Speed, speed, students! This is a first-year exam. You wouldn't expect me to generously give you half an hour or even more to finish, would you? If you're planning on that, I suggest you go take a first-year course. Though the school doesn't have such a precedent, I think Professor McGonagall would approve if I reported it to her." The professor's voice, cheerful and teasing, urged them on from the podium.
However, Nancy didn't find anything wrong with it. Was he really going to let the fifth years and first years take the same amount of time?
As for transferring to the first year, that was a joke. Wouldn't the first-years laugh their heads off?
Pulling herself back from her thoughts, Nancy picked up her quill and started writing quickly. The professor's voice continued from the podium.
"Twenty minutes. Do as much as you can. If you take too long on a first-year's questions, what do you think the first-year students will say about this exam?"
Professor, please be quiet!
Nancy muttered to herself as she quickly sketched answers with her quill; twenty minutes didn't feel like that little time. The test didn't require long essays; there were multiple-choice questions where she only needed to choose answers, a few fill-in-the-blanks, and a few short answers.
****
If I had started them off with a first-year exam, they definitely wouldn't have been so obedient. But now, they're all happily working through the first-year questions. Although they're using magic, they're still students—besides, it's just casting spells, and I can do that too.
William smiled as he opened his textbook. He had to cover the first-year material, but he wasn't about to abandon the fifth-year curriculum either.
The more they filled in, the better. These kids were finally starting to not hate knowledge so much. Anyway, after the exam, they'd double their study time, so there was no need to worry about their ability to handle the material.
After all, the test was simple at the beginning, but the more interesting parts came later.
He had heard it before, 'The rebels fired three shots, marking the beginning of the Uprising.' Now, how many multiple-choice history questions do you think could come from that sentence?
However, this time he controlled the difficulty of the exam. Unless someone had been slacking off and was close to failing since first year, they would at least manage a passing grade. But if anyone wanted a high score—well, if they managed it, William would genuinely grant them the privilege of not having to come to the classroom for self-study.
Twenty minutes quickly passed, and William received the exam papers.
"Read twenty pages from the self-study book, then we'll go over the test and review the first-year content. After that, we'll continue with the new lessons."
William tapped the thick stack of exam papers in his hand, giving instructions to the quiet students.
The classroom was completely silent, only the sound of pages turning could be heard. There wasn't even a whisper. Some students were still questioning why, on the same exam paper, the earlier questions seemed like a free pass while the later ones felt as though they had never learned them before.
This time, the grading of the exam wasn't difficult. William finished it with ease in less than half an hour.
"I've got a good news and a bad news. What do you want to hear first?" William placed the exam papers on the desk and lightly tapped them with his knuckles.
"No one's speaking? Alright, let me say it."
"Everyone passed, there's no one who failed. Compared to the last exam, that's a good thing. But there were only three E's, the rest were all A's, but these were first-year questions!"
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