"Huh?"
Kayson left, quietly taking the credit for it all. As for why he had only symbolically deducted forty points...
Well, they had already been mentally prepared. Deducting just that little was enough to make a point. It was not as though they would change even if he deducted more.
Back in his office, he took out the Philosopher's Stone. Its glow seemed just a little dimmer than when Dumbledore had first given it to him, though only slightly.
"If this keeps up, won't the Philosopher's Stone turn to dust in my hands? Will Nicolas Flamel hunt me down?"
With a sigh, he slipped the Philosopher's Stone into his pocket, took out another stack of parchment, and began writing the questions for the final exams.
Time flew by. As the holidays approached, the whole of Hogwarts was gripped by a contradictory mood.
The young wizards looked forward to the holidays while also dreading their final exams.
But when it came to final exams, their fear was not all that severe.
At worst, they would fail a class and retake the exam next term. Though people said failing would mean being held back, Hogwarts had not had anyone properly repeat a year in ages. It was merely a frightening legend whispered among first-year students.
For the seventh-years, however, their hearts were filled with nothing but nervousness.
These young wizards, about to leave the ivory tower and begin working, had no anticipation for the holidays at all. A small number of them were even a little afraid.
After all, once these final exams were over, no one knew when they would next return to Hogwarts.
The carefree young wizards in the ivory tower were about to become boring adults. The little old selves they were now would become cynical old selves who