Facing the fifth and seventh-year students, Professor Harp displayed a different side of himself.
He waved his wand, distributing the test papers to the students—these were the test papers from their previous class.
Felix Harp stood at the front of the room, not saying a word, yet an air of tension had already enveloped the young wizards and witches.
They were all seventh-year students who had shared three years of camaraderie with this professor, especially Felix, who was in his fifth year when they first entered Hogwarts.
What did he do in his fifth year?
Well, he merely issued a duel invitation to someone from the Shafiq family. However, for these students, it was not just a duel invitation; it was like a notice of impending death! Or more like a whole family coming to deliver it together.
Felix toyed with his wand, sensing that the atmosphere had reached its apex. Finally, he spoke, "These are the results of your test from the last class. Honestly, I am somewhat disappointed, quite disappointed indeed..."
"Marcus!"
Marcus Flint trembled as he stood up. "Prof... Professor." Felix might not remember him, but he remembered Felix very clearly, as the 'Shafiq' was sitting right next to him.
Both being pure-bloods, Marcus' father had even asked that senior student to look out for him. But just as school started, he was hit by a big lightning bolt.
He could never forget the sight of that confident senior lying on the ground.
Felix walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "Your grades have slipped a bit. Do better in the future, I have high hopes for you."
"Yes... Professor."
Marcus couldn't say much else; he would have to study like mad from now on!
Felix was quite pleased with this Slytherin's attitude. After all, it was his own house, and they were really giving their all.
"Let's begin the lesson. Today's content is a bit extensive, so I'll move quickly. When you go back, make sure to complete these three sets of papers."
"After all, your NEWTs exams are coming up this year..."
...
Saturday, Gryffindor Common Room.
Percy looked exhausted, having just finished a twelve-inch essay on the History of Cauldron Development and Innovation. But he still had assignments from six more subjects to tackle—his course load was simply too heavy.
Damn it, at this rate, I won't even have time for a date!
Hermione emerged from the girls' dormitories, carrying a hefty tome. She saw Harry and Ron huddled around a table, with several other young wizards nearby, all watching something interesting.
Walking over, she noticed the Weasley twins were present as well. In fact, they were using their wands to make two magical puppets dance.
She recognized these two puppets—these were the ones Professor Harp had used in his public lecture.
Accompanied by silent music (there actually was no music), a pair of miniature figures, about half a foot tall, twirled around on the table, locked in a graceful dance. This was their dance floor.
Lee Jordan was narrating the "plot": "And thus, the Fire Lad and the Ice Maiden fell in love, becoming the envy of everyone. But their happiness was short-lived, as their ideologies clashed severely, leading them to engage in a fierce battle!"
Fred and George complemented his commentary. Fred swung his wand first, and the Ice Maiden landed a kick on the Fire Lad's face.
"Oh! The Ice Maiden takes the initiative, delivering a powerful kick that sends her once-beloved soaring about two feet! Has the solemn vow of mountains and oceans vanished like this?" Lee Jordan exclaimed with sorrow, his voice echoing.
George wouldn't be outdone. He skillfully waved his wand, and the Fire Lad leapt up, landing a powerful punch on the Ice Maiden's stomach before kicking her away.
"Finally, the Fire Lad, no longer shackled by love, realizes that it's not worth the ideological conflict! He has to take action, he's moving, he's moving... and he finally uses his foot! Splendid!"
A young witch among the spectators scoffed.
Hermione stood there in astonishment. You guys really know how to have fun, complete with a plot.
A few more minutes passed, and after a flurry of punches that gave the Fire Lad the upper hand, he suddenly stumbled in mid-air.
Then, the Ice Maiden also froze in place.
"Out of Power! Out of Power!" Dean Thomas, who grew up in the Muggle world, exclaimed, using unfamiliar terms.
Fred and George picked up the puppets and hurried to a corner, starting to re-inscribe ancient magical symbols.
"Professor Harp is really wicked. Supplementing the runes only gives them half an hour of activity," many young wizards complained about a certain professor.
As the crowd dispersed, Hermione, Harry, and Ron found a seat again.
Hermione glanced at the twins in the distance. "They've reached this level already?"
"It's nothing. Many wizards have spent a lot of time on this," Ron explained. "Fred said that Cedric from Hufflepuff, he often wakes up in the middle of the night to secretly practice. He aims to win the exam before Halloween and get the mysterious prize."
"There are many witches too, holding magical puppets all day."
Hermione nodded; this week, scenes of young wizards holding magical puppets were everywhere. "But, Fred's puppets are not like this, are they?"
Ron commented casually, "He borrowed them from Angelina. It's to recreate the classic battle in the Great Hall. But in my opinion, they still have a ways to go. I mean, they just finished learning the first set of runes, and they need to master four sets. It's like collecting Chocolate Frog cards, putting all the skills together to form a set..."
"Harry, aren't you practicing today?"
Harry wore a distressed expression. "Practice is in the afternoon." Even though it had only been two weeks, he was already feeling worn out.
Ron suddenly chuckled. He glanced at Harry and Hermione, then whispered, "I heard Wood has been struggling with his Ancient Runes homework. Thanks to Professor Harp, Harry is able to have a relaxing day."
"Is the homework difficult?" Hermione guessed.
"Nah," Ron suppressed a laugh. "But this professor's sixth-year assignment isn't about translating; it's to write a thousand-word essay about 'My Summer Vacation.'"
Hermione felt a strange familiarity.
This style seemed quite common when she was in primary school...
Professor Harp was a Muggle-born after all, and he certainly had a wealth of life experience, Hermione thought.
As they chatted, Percy suddenly stood up, quickly packed his belongings, and left without looking back, his backpack on his shoulders.
It's time for his date!
Watching Percy's departure, Harry pondered, "He seems a bit agitated."
Ron shrugged. "Percy has taken too many courses. He passed 12 OWL exams and still wants to take 12 courses this year. However, Professor McGonagall managed to talk him out of some of them."
The two of them sighed in understanding and then turned their gaze to Hermione. Could this be Hermione's future?
Ignoring the two, Hermione sat on the side reading a book.
Harry looked at the book in Hermione's hands, "Ancient Runes History Exam," and couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you pass the test? Why are you still reading this book?"
Hermione turned a page, "Professor Harp left a bunch of notes on my paper—things I need to pay attention to. Besides, I've found that Ancient Runes are quite fascinating."
"Fascinating..."
The two academic underachievers exchanged looks. Every time they discussed academic matters with Hermione, they felt like there were pumpkins planted on their necks by Hagrid.
So, they started playing Wizard's Chess on their own.
In the afternoon, Wood led the team out of the common room. Harry thought about asking him how to handle his Ancient Runes assignment, but considering that not even the end of the world could deter Wood's enthusiasm for training, he eventually kept his mouth shut.
On the way, he bumped into Colin Creevey, the clingy enthusiast, who greeted him enthusiastically, "Hi, Harry!" Harry replied wearily, "Hi, Colin."
He had anticipated that the upcoming training session would undoubtedly be accompanied by countless flashes and shutter sounds.
Inside the castle, Ron was a bit bored, stuck with his homework.
Staring at the blank parchment, he daydreamed for a while, then eventually folded it into a paper plane. Unfortunately, the paper plane hit Neville's nose, causing him to let out a yelp.
In the evening, after dinner, Hermione headed to Felix Harp's office for her report.
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