At This Moment, the Curtain Rises

In the Easter Holiday assignment, Professor Flitwick mentioned a problem related to making fruit dance.

Loren, looking for amusement, argued endlessly with Hermione about what dance would be suitable for grapes. Earlier in the exam hall, as soon as Hermione heard the exam questions, her mind was filled with Loren argument.

She was so nervous that she unconsciously made Pineapple start dancing ballet, and only realized she was dancing it wrong halfway through.

"Pfft." Loren couldn't help but laugh out loud after learning what had happened. But seeing Hermione's murderous glare, he suppressed his laughter.

"Hermione, haha—stop laughing, don't mind it, there are other exams to come." He tried his best to control his smile, his facial muscles stiffening from the effort.

Hermione was furious when she saw that the guy was still laughing. She clenched her fist and punched him in the arm, feeling much better afterward.

After Harry and Ron finished their exams, the group headed to the restaurant together.

Loren's arm was occasionally struck by the girl's angry punch, and he tried his best to look like he was in great pain.

"My Charms grades must have been terrible," Hermione, her eyes brimming with tears, repeatedly recounting her mistakes during the exam. "I bombed the written test too. I only answered 7 points about the properties of the Levitation Charm, and I didn't write that the Levitation Charm cannot be directly applied to the human body..."

Harry and Ron trembled as they listened from behind.

"You know what? Before this, I thought I did pretty well. Even if I didn't get an O, it should have been an E," Harry muttered.

Ron nodded stiffly. "I only wrote three points about the Levitation Charm. I thought I could get full marks on that question."

The exams were conducted amidst the young wizards' struggles and relief.

Perhaps considering this was the first exam for first-year wizards, the professor prepared a beginner's Fawley for them. The exam questions were basically chosen from the homework done Easter Holiday.

As long as you are careful when copying homework, you can get a good score.

For the practical exam in Transfiguration Class, Professor McGonagall used the same method as Professor Flitwick. She had the young wizards come to her one by one to demonstrate their Transfiguration, and Professor McGonagall graded them based on their performance.

Students who finished the exam were instructed not to disclose the exam content. But actually, it wouldn't matter if they did; it was a practical exam, you either knew it or you didn't.

You listen to other young wizards talk about the key points of spellcasting, and your brain thinks you've got it, but then your hands and wand tell you, "You know nothing!"

While waiting, Hermione's fingers moved restlessly, mimicking the trajectory of a wand swing, while she muttered various Transfiguration.

Loren stood behind her, not daring to utter a sound, afraid of being beaten.

"Hermione Granger," Professor McGonagall's voice came from inside.

Hermione took a deep breath and walked straight into the classroom.

A few minutes later, she emerged with a smile on her face and a relaxed expression. She seemed quite satisfied with the result.

"Loren Morgan."

When Loren entered, Professor McGonagall was putting a Snuffbox into a small box, seemingly intending to keep it as a treasure.

The front of the Snuffbox features the Hogwarts crest, while the other sides depict the symbolic animals of each house—the lion, the eagle, the badger, and the snake.

The watercolors are vibrant and lifelike, with delicate openwork patterns on them.

Professor McGonagall poured a white mouse out of another box. "Turn the mouse into Snuffbox. The more exquisite the box, the higher the score."

If there were still mouse whiskers or sharp teeth on the box, points would be deducted. But Professor McGonagall felt there was no need to emphasize this to Loren; she knew Loren's skill level.

Recalling the exquisite, intricate, and multicolored Snuffbox he had just seen, Loren's breath hitched. "Hermione, what kind of ultimate scroll queen are you?"

With mixed feelings, Loren waved his wand. His Snuffbox was basically a copy of Hermione's idea, except that he replaced the animals with swords, Golden Cup, Diadem, and lockets.

Professor McGonagall frowned. This child was clearly skilled in Transfiguration, so why did he always try to cheat?

She pursed her lips and remained silent for a moment before saying, "From Transfiguration perspective, it's perfect. But I can't give you the same score as Miss Granger. You can transmute another Snuffbox."

Loren waved his hand; he had no intention of putting effort into designing the Snuffbox. "Professor McGonagall. That's fine as long as it's passable."

What are you saying? What are you saying? What do you mean by "just passing is fine"? Loren's words made the usually very composed Professor McGonagall laugh in exasperation.

She watched Loren walk out of the classroom, thinking about how he usually behaved.

She is exceptionally talented, always among the first to finish new material in each Transfiguration Class, but she is always complacent and lazy. Her assignments are always excellent, but she never actively answers questions in class.

Kind-hearted, yet always fond of playing pranks, especially on poor Miss Granger.

She made up her mind that she would pay special attention to this "problem student" next school year.

The Potions Master practical exam is conducted by academy, with young wizards simultaneously brewing Potions.

The test given to first-year Gryffindor students was to prepare Forgetfulness Potion all by themselves from start to finish.

This wasn't difficult, but Snape deliberately made it harder. While brewing the Potions, he stood behind each student for five minutes, watching them closely.

If you have experience brewing Potions or taking any exam, you'll understand the pressure of having a proctor standing behind you for an extended period.

Loren doubted himself at several points, and when he paused, Snape would make a snickering sound of disdain.

Ultimately, those who didn't make any mistakes while being watched were O (perfect) and E (exceeded expectations), those who successfully brewed the Potions were A (pass), and those who were scared to tears were P (fail), D (terrible), and T (troll).

The scoring criteria had a slight problem with Neville. He was terrified by Snape, but managed to concoct Forgetfulness Potion.

Snape disliked Neville's darker-colored Forgetfulness Potion, which contained tears and snot.

Loren secretly wondered if Snape, as Potions Master, should try out the Potions his students brewed before grading them.

The last exam was on the A History of Magic, and the last question was to answer which strange old wizards invented the Self-Stirring Cauldron.

When Professor Binns told everyone to put down their quills and roll up their answer sheets, everyone cheered. They could easily play for a whole week until the exam results were announced.

All the exams were over, and the bright, hot summer had truly arrived.

The group followed the crowd onto the sun-drenched grass, chasing butterflies and tugging at the flowers. Before long, Harry and Ron had vanished without a trace.

Loren and Hermione ran for a while in the bright sunlight, enjoying the scent of grass.

Hermione seemed to have shed a heavy burden, her steps light. "It was much easier than I thought. Actually, I didn't need to memorize the ' 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct ' or the details of the House-Elf Rebellion."

Loren complained, "There's also a whole textbook on the A History of Magic."

He was slightly sweating, so he opened his shirt to let the wind blow more comfortably.

The white shirt seemed to glow in the sunlight, highlighting the boy's fair face and the striking Red Mole between his brows, making him particularly eye-catching. The girls on the grass greeted Loren warmly.

Loren also noticed that the mole was too eye-catching, so he shaved a strand of hair out of his bangs to cover his brow.

Hermione, for some ulterior motive, pulled Loren away from the crowd.

They went down the slope to the lake and plopped down under a tree. Hermione curled up her legs and rested her head on her knees, while Loren lay down directly.

Over there, a Giant Squid was sunbathing in the warm, shallow water, while the Weasley twins, Ron and Lee Jordan, and a group of people gathered around to watch Rolf gently stroke its tentacles.

Loren saw the lake and wanted to fish, but remembering the unruly fish and Grindylow, and the need to prepare the fish food, he gave up. He quietly watched them tease the Giant Squid.

Loren didn't want to talk, and neither did Hermione; the weather made everyone unconsciously lazy.

The two didn't need to put in any effort to find topics to talk about; they simply sat together under the tree, feeling the gentle breeze blowing from the lake, relaxed and at ease.

Over there, the Weasley Twins were eager to try, and they reached out to poke at the Giant Squid's tentacles. Perhaps they were too rough, startling the Giant Squid, whose tentacles shot up and slapped against the water's surface, splashing up a spray.

The group of people who were splashed with lake water were even happier, cheering loudly, thinking it was a very fun game.

Loren and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

Under the azure sky, an owl flew by, its snow-white feathers shining beautifully in the sunlight.

A moment later, Harry came running up, panting, and squatted down next to the two of them. "Hagrid knows we've finished our exams and told us to come to the cabin tonight. He's prepared the first batch of pea pods for us."

As he spoke, he saw a group of people happily splashing around with the Giant Squid. His eyes lit up, and before the two could reply, he sprinted over.

And so, Loren and Hermione leisurely watched as a group of people got beaten up and soaked to the bone, still grinning from ear to ear. With the wind blowing, Loren drifted off to sleep sometime during the night.

The sunset glow, like flames, burned across the entire sky, its warm light enveloping the Castle and the forest.

The Giant Squid slowly sank to the bottom of the water, and Harry and Ron walked towards them. Their clothes had already been dried by George and Fred using magic.

"Let's go have dinner at Hagrid's," Harry said cheerfully.

Hermione smoothed her wind-blown hair and bent down to wake the sleeping Loren.

The four set off towards the Forbidden Forest, where they encountered Fang at the edge of the woods. Its tail was wagging so fast that it was invisible as it circled around the young wizards.

Hagrid sat on a chair outside the cabin, his trousers rolled up high, busy shelling peas in front of a large bowl.

"Hey! Exams over?" Hagrid greeted cheerfully. "You've made it in time! Come and see the first pea pods of the year."

The four of them surrounded him and helped him deal with it.

The last rays of the sun sank below the horizon, and night took over the sky.

Inside the cabin, Hagrid served fragrant pea soup to the group, along with a side of boiled pea pods.

The soup is made by simmering pea pods, onions, and chicken together. The boiled pea pods are seasoned only with salt and olive oil. It's a simple and straightforward method, yet the ingredients make it extraordinary.

The young wizards enjoyed their meal immensely; all the dishes, except for Hagrid's signature Rock Cake, were devoured.

Hagrid tidied up the tableware, took a large wad of pure white Unicorn Hair from the wooden box, and handed it to Loren. "This is a gift of thanks from the Unicorn Tribe. They believe that if it weren't for us, the Dark Lord would have hunted even more Unicorn."

"Since you wanted this, I got some for you."

These long, white furs are smooth, thick, and glossy, not just the tail fur, but also the mane. They are full of Magic Power and free of impurities.

But Loren hesitated, "This can't be like last time..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hagrid understood what he meant, and Hermione quickly withdrew her hand.

Could it be the fur from the two Unicorn corpses last time? Although Loren needed fresh Unicorn Hair, he hadn't considered plucking fur from the corpses after seeing the Unicorn' miserable state last time.

"Don't worry, Unicorn won't desecrate the corpses of their own kind," Hagrid said cheerfully. "This was combed off a living Unicorn."

Loren suppressed his joy and carefully put away the Unicorn Hair.

Ron remarked, "Since the lockdown, everything has been good. It's like all my wishes have come true."

Harry touched his scar upon hearing this. No, he wasn't alright; he'd been having nightmares ever since returning from the Forbidden Forest.

Upon hearing "wishes come true," something flashed through his mind, and he hurriedly asked Hagrid, "Hagrid, haven't you wanted a Fire Dragon for a long time?"

Even though Norbert has passed away, Hagrid is still happy when he talks about Norbert. "Yes, this has always been my wish."

"How could things possibly come true just because you wish for them!" Harry said anxiously. "Do you remember what the person who lost to you looked like the night you won the Fire Dragon Egg in the card game?"

"What did he look like?" Hagrid recalled the scene. "I didn't see what he looked like."

Aside from Loren, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all wore expressions of astonishment. Imagine winning Fire Dragon Egg worth hundreds or thousands of Galleon after a drinking contest, only to find out what it looks like!

Hagrid said, "What's so strange about that? There are plenty of weirdos like that in the Hog's Head. He's wearing a hood and won't take off his cloak."

Harry stood frozen in place, motionless.

Hermione also realized that something was wrong. How could someone bring an illegal Fire Dragon Egg to a bar and then easily lose to someone else?

Loren marveled at Quirrell's genuine honesty.

Hogwarts professors' salaries aren't low, but most of their wealth comes from side jobs. How many years' worth of salary would Quirrell, who previously taught Muggle Studies, have to spend to buy a genuine Fire Dragon Egg from the black market?

He simply gave it to Hagrid.

Do Death Eater have some kind of brain-degrading buff?

You guys are the villains!

What about Veritaserum?

What about the Imperius Curse?

Let's use some villainous tactics.

If Quirrell's Imperius Curse doesn't work, then Voldemort's won't work either?

Although Hagrid has high magic resistance, Voldemort's mastery of Dark Arts means that even a Pure-blood Half-Giant, let alone a half-giant, wouldn't be able to withstand him.

Voldemort looks to be in very poor condition; he can't even use the Imperius Curse.

No wonder Dumbledore was finally comfortable letting Harry solo him.

Under Hermione and Harry's persistent questioning, Hagrid recalled that when he talked to the man about Fire Dragon, the man mentioned that he could even handle Three-headed Dog, let alone Fire Dragon.

"I bragged to him that playing some music for Three-headed Dog would put it to sleep," Hagrid said, then quickly covered his mouth. "I shouldn't have told you all that!"

Upon hearing this, Harry grabbed Ron and ran towards the Castle, with Hermione quickly pulling Loren along behind.

"Hey, where are you going?" That was Hagrid's voice.

"You shouldn't do strenuous exercise after meals." That was Loren's voice.

What they had in common was that nobody paid any attention to them.

Harry ran while stating his conjecture.

Hagrid told a stranger about the method he used through Fluffy, and that person was definitely connected to Voldemort. They had to get this information to Headmaster Dumbledore as soon as possible.

Harry ran into the Entrance Hall, exhausted but not daring to relax. He looked at Loren and asked, "How do I get to Dumbledore's office?"

"You want to see Dumbledore? Why?" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out from the other end of the Entrance Hall as she approached carrying a stack of books.

Harry swallowed hard, unsure of what to say.

Others dared not speak, but Loren spoke quickly, declaring righteously, "We suspect someone is trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone and want to inform the headmaster."

Professor McGonagall was so startled by the mention of the Sorcerer's Stone that she dropped the book she was holding, but she didn't pick it up. "I don't know how you found out about the Sorcerer's Stone, but it is under tight protection and absolutely safe."

Her eyes were filled with pressure. "Now, you should go back to your dorms and rest. The end of the exam doesn't mean you can break school rules, unless you want to be confined again."

With that, she waved her hand, and the book that had fallen to the ground flew back into her hand. Professor McGonagall turned and left.

"Professor McGonagall!" Hermione called out.

"Headmaster Dumbledore received a letter and has gone to London to handle urgent matters. He won't be back until tomorrow," Professor McGonagall's voice drifted over from afar.

Loren didn't know if Professor McGonagall knew about Dumbledore's plan, but he felt that Professor McGonagall's acting was a bit stiff when she dropped the book on the ground.

"Tonight!" Harry was even more convinced of his idea. "When Dumbledore was at school, Snape didn't dare to do anything, but he will tonight."

"Even this letter might be a forgery by Snape."