New Studies, New Rules
The course schedule was quickly distributed to everyone, and as Sean expected, the students groaned in despair after just one glance.
"No way? The first class in the morning starts at eight o'clock? And it doesn't end until noon?"
"Not only that, look, the afternoon classes start at 1:30 and don't end until 5:30."
"They must be crazy... Not only during class time, but they also have Physical Training Class? Damn it... Aren't we wizards?"
The Common Room quickly became a mess, and everyone was somewhat dissatisfied with the class schedule.
At Hogwarts, classes for lower-year students were from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, while classes for upper-year students were shorter, generally from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Special courses, such as Flying Class and Astronomy Class, were held during fixed time slots.
Newmontgard's curriculum has not only increased the length of each class, but also the number of classes for each subject. In addition, physical training courses have been added.
On the way back, Sean carefully reviewed the class schedule, and the students' reactions were exactly what he expected. The academic pressure at Newmontgard was clearly greater than at Hogwarts.
Of course, some people showed expressions of pleasure, such as Percy and Hermione. This is the world of academic geniuses; try to understand.
The Prefect started urging the students to go to bed. It was already late after the dinner, and if they continued chatting, many of them might not be able to get up tomorrow.
However, Newmontgard did a good job in terms of hardware. After washing up, Sean climbed into the soft bed and carefully read through the dozen or so spells that Grindelwald had given him, using the Wand-Lighting Charm.
As the other party said, it was very difficult. Even though Sean's Spell Talent had caught up after reading it only once, the name and proficiency of the spell still did not appear on his system panel.
I still have to practice, and besides, you can learn a lot more from watching others use it... Sean muttered to himself, put away the parchment, and went to sleep.
I have to go to class at 8 o'clock tomorrow, and I wonder what the teachers at Newmontgard are like.
The next morning at seven o'clock, Sean woke up on time, and to his surprise, none of his roommates were still in bed. Keep in mind, back at Hogwarts, when classes started at nine, they didn't get up until eight-thirty.
It seems that the punishment reported back by the student representative yesterday has put everyone on edge.
After washing up, when the Hogwarts students arrived at the Great Hall in a grand procession, the Newmontgard had already begun their meal.
"They're up really early... But what are they doing?" a Hogwarts student remarked from the side.
Sean looked in the direction of the sound.
The Great Hall doors were wide open, and many students from Newmontgard stood in pairs at the entrance, waiting for the vertical line representing the Elder Wand in the middle to tilt.
At this moment, the person the tip of the staff points to will have a resentful or gloomy expression, while the person the handle of the staff points to will have a smug smile.
The two people would enter the gate from opposite ends of the vertical line, with the one on the tip of the staff sitting at the right table and the one on the handle sitting at the left long table.
Some people who didn't wait for the Elder Wand to tilt would sit directly at the table on the right.
"That looks like some kind of testing method?" Hermione seemed quite energetic, said from the side. "Sean, did the professors in Newmontgard tell you about it yesterday?"
"No, it's not mentioned in the timetable or school rules." Sean shook his head; he didn't know what it was either.
However, the vertical line is the symbol of the Elder Wand from the Deathly Hallows, and judging from the expressions of those people, the person being pointed at by the tip of the wand is clearly not in a good mood.
Perhaps this is some kind of way to test capabilities?
A voice answered their question.
"In Newmontgard, students are accustomed to competition. The doors of the Great Hall are enchanted. When two people stand on either side of each other, the enchantment will activate. Whichever way the vertical line leans indicates that the person on that side is weaker than the other. The length of time it takes to make a judgment based on the vertical line can also indicate the size of the difference in strength between the two people."
Sean turned around and saw a tall, thin boy with a buzz cut and an iron-gray haircut. He held a short wand about eight inches long in his right hand, which was sliding back and forth between his palm and sleeve.
The boy laughed in a rough manner, and his accent was a bit strange, with a hint of Russian.
Seeing the gazes of the Hogwarts students, he grinned and said, "Let me introduce myself. I am Jackie Mahabeth, a fourth-year student from Newmontgard."
This was the first time Sean had seen such a friendly Newmontgard student. He glanced around and, seeing that no one seemed to be greeting him, said, "Thank you for your explanation, Mahabeth. Sean Wallerup, a second-year student at Hogwarts."
He shook hands with the other man and found that Mahabasi's hand was quite strong, completely disproportionate to his physique.
Mahabeth didn't care about the coldness from others. He licked his lips and casually said, "This is one of the rules of Newmontgard. As a result, there are some differences in treatment. For example, the food on the long table on the left side of the Great Hall is much more plentiful than that on the right. Of course, you can choose not to be tested, but then you'll have to obediently sit on the right side."
Upon hearing this, Sean turned his gaze to the Great Hall. Sure enough, as Mahabez had said, the food on the left table had a significantly wider variety, while the food on the right table, though plentiful, was noticeably less abundant.
"You're exchange students, so you don't need to follow the rules. Just go to your seats. Of course," Mahabez grinned, "You can try it yourselves too."
After saying that, he quickly walked into the Great Hall and sat down at the long table on the left.
"Didn't he say that if there was no test, we could only sit on the right? Why did he go to the left himself?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"Perhaps he has already been tested, or perhaps he doesn't need to be tested; his abilities are enough to sit on the left without anyone questioning him," Hermione said thoughtfully.
The competitive atmosphere is really intense... Sean shook his head and prepared to walk straight inside.
"Hey, Sean, let's give it a try!" Harry grabbed him, looking eager to give it a shot.
"Are you sure?" Sean didn't seem to care, and besides, it was hard to say whether this testing method was reliable or not. After all, a wizard's strength couldn't be measured solely by academic performance. For example, Harry's grades weren't top-notch, but his combat skills were quite good, while Hermione, as the top student in her grade, was incredibly nervous during actual combat.
"Of course, although I know you're strong, I'm not weak either!" Harry looked very competitive.
"Let's give it a try." Sean shrugged.
The two stood on either side of the vertical line, and the others looked over curiously.
"Is there even a need to compare? Sean wins by a landslide!"
"Not necessarily. Harry's parents are both very good wizards, and you should have seen how he performs on the dueling ring. Look at that Expelliarmus, wow, so fast and accurate."
The students discussed it quietly and excitedly. At Hogwarts, there had never been such a direct form of competition, or rather, it was rare to see such a blatant display of the difference in strength.
Only the Little White Flower Daisy stood in the crowd, twirling her fingers in a dilemma. One was the boy she admired, and the other was her respected older brother. Who should she pray for to win?
Soon, the Elder Wand provided the answer.
Unlike the previous pair of wizards who waited for a moment, the vertical line fell directly towards Harry as soon as Sean and Harry stood still.
"Whoa~~~" The Hogwarts students cheered.
"This, this is too fast..." Harry was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected the gap between himself and Sean to be so big.
"Looks like I'm in luck today, buddy." Sean smiled and put his arm around Harry's shoulder.
George and Fred came over, each of them putting their arms around Sean and Harry on either side.
"Sean, that's really infuriating."
"Exactly, excessive modesty is just arrogance. Dude, you look really annoying right now, don't you, Harry?"
Harry rolled his eyes at the two of them, looking annoyed, and said dejectedly, "Ignore them, Sean."
Sean shrugged. "Did anyone speak to us just now?"
"Oh, oh," George said sarcastically, "Our little genius Wallerup is also very talented at insulting people."
Fred joined in. "A once-in-a-century genius at Hogwarts! He's brilliant, he's arrogant, but—he's blind."
Should I say thank you for the compliment?
"Of course, don't be shy!" the two replied in unison, and then pushed Sean and Harry into the Great Hall.
"It's our turn!"
Fred and George also stood on either side of the vertical line.
This time, the vertical line hesitated for a long time, and finally, after the people behind it had become a little impatient, the vertical line leaned towards Fred.
"Damn it, is this thing playing a joke on me?!" Fred shouted in frustration.
George beamed, "This is the first time I've liked Newmontgard so much, Fred. Remember to call me brother from now on."
"Get lost, you bastard! This thing is completely inaccurate, and I was always born half a minute earlier than you."
"Isn't the difference in strength enough to be erased in half a minute?"
Watching the twins arguing, Sean shook his head with a chuckle; these two clowns were the same wherever they went.
Then, many Hogwarts students also tried it in pairs. Obviously, after the test, some were happy and some were sad. Many people ate two extra grilled sausages at breakfast, while others ate a few bites of sandwich in frustration.
As the top student in her grade, naturally no one approached Hermione. The girl, sipping Pumpkin Juice, frowned and said, "Isn't Newmontgard being a bit... too..."
She seemed to be looking for a milder word, but she couldn't find one.
Sean chimed in, "Too pragmatic? It seems the students are divided into two levels?"
"Yes, that's what I meant..." Hermione muttered, "They're just students, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"It's probably a difference in teaching philosophy," Sean said, taking a sip of Nepalese Milk Tea. He had come to like the hot drink after trying it last night. "Newmontgard values strength, and the atmosphere here is more inclined towards competition than cooperation."
"I understand, they are indeed very strong... but this atmosphere is too pragmatic, I don't really like it," Hermione said softly.
"I thought the top student in the grade would prefer a clear division of students into different tiers?" Sean joked.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "I just don't like falling behind in my studies, but I don't like dividing people into different classes!"
"Alright, just kidding. We don't need to worry about Newmontgard. Let's think about the new professor's class instead."
"Ah, right! I still have two points to memorize!" Hermione exclaimed, quickly spreading a book out on the long table.
Sean shrugged and continued enjoying his breakfast.
After breakfast, they went to the Transfiguration classroom on the second floor. This was the first class of the day, just like at Hogwarts, with Newmontgard and them attending class together.
The second-year students from both schools sat quietly in their seats. At 7:59, a decisive figure walked straight into the classroom.
It is Vita Rosier, the Vice Principal of Newmontgard.
Professor Rosier seems just as difficult to get along with as Professor McGonagall Professor McGonagall, but she appears even more aloof.
"Turn to page 123." She didn't call on anyone and began the lesson directly.
As soon as the class started, Sean immediately sensed the difference. Professor Rosier teaching much more material at once, and the learning pace at Newmontgard was much faster than at Hogwarts.
For example, everyone is practicing turning a rabbit into a plush hat right now.
Professor Rosier's requirements were even stricter than Professor McGonagall's. She not only required that the plush hats everyone conjured could not be the same color as the original rabbit, but also that the material of the plush hats must not be similar to the rabbit's own fur.
At the same time, rabbit features are not allowed to appear on the Transfiguration plush hat.
When Transfiguration, some people will take a shortcut, such as keeping the rabbit's short tail, after all, it makes sense for a fluffy hat to have a little pom-pom on it.
But Professor Rosier would not allow such shortcuts.
Although they are all furry, this kind of Transfiguration is quite difficult. Hogwarts students even have a hard time transforming into slippers, let alone this.
The students of Newmontgard were clearly much better than the guests, and before long, many of their rabbits had been transformed into plush hats that met the requirements.
However, just as a few second-year students looked over with a smug expression, wanting to show off, Professor Rosier's voice rang out.
"Amazing... Well done, Mr. Wallop, add twenty to your individual score."
The brown rabbit that used to be on Sean's desk is gone. A gray plush hat sits quietly on the desk, with a Christmas tree on its surface and white snowflakes falling silently.
Hermione, standing to the side, also did a good job. Although she couldn't make the snowflakes fall like Sean, she did better than everyone else present and earned five bonus points.
Unlike Hogwarts, Newmontgard doesn't have House Cup; individual points can be used to offset deductions.
Yes, you can keep breaking school rules as long as you perform well enough in class—but very few people do that because personal points can be used to redeem things at school during the holidays, such as extra tutoring from a professor or a book that is definitely in the Restricted Section at Hogwarts.
Sean was very satisfied with his performance today, with only a few Newmontgard students making sour comments.
"Christmas is over... what's there to brag about..."