Students Beset by Complaints

Lin Du and Chao Feng had truly spent a fulfilling weekend.

Meanwhile, the students of Hogwarts had been swept up in a "homework storm."

Over the weekend, Hogwarts Library was packed to capacity.

"Merlin's beard! How could anyone possibly finish all this?" Ron Weasley wailed at the mountain of parchment before him. "We have to copy out Analysis of Common Dark Creature Characteristics three times, and we still have to write three inches on our practical insights into the Freezing Charm..."

Harry Potter rubbed his temples wearily. "I started as soon as I got back from Quidditch practice, and I'm only halfway done. Hermione, have you finished?"

Hermione Granger raised her head from a pile of books, faint dark circles beneath her eyes. "I only have one final essay left. But I have to say, although Professor Lin Du assigned a lot of homework, every task is very targeted..."

"You're still defending him?" Ron interrupted in disbelief. "We're practically being driven mad by all this homework!"

"If you didn't always leave everything until the last minute, you wouldn't be in such a mess now!"

Hermione snapped back without mercy, her sharp gaze sweeping over the stack of parchment in front of Ron that was barely touched.

In fact, the student body of Hogwarts was quietly splitting into factions.

The "good student faction," represented by Hermione and the Pettigrew sisters of Ravenclaw, had prepared well in advance.

They had begun dividing up the work on Friday night and checking one another's answers. Their progress was slow, but steady.

"At least you can actually learn something from this homework," Hermione told a despairing Neville Longbottom in the library. "It's far better than Quirrell's stammering textbook readings."

Meanwhile, the "desperate measures faction," led by Ron, chose a shortcut.

"Watch closely. You just cast an Auto-writing Charm on the quill..." On Saturday night, Ron demonstrated it to several Gryffindor first-years in the Common Room. "The handwriting might be a little stiff, but it's still better than writing until your hand cramps!"

"But Ron," Harry said worriedly, "won't Professor Lin Du notice?"

"Who cares?!" Ron waved his wand. "Do you want to learn or not?"

The worst off were the "stubborn resistance faction."

Caught between the two extremes, Harry was neither as efficient as Hermione nor bold enough to cheat as openly as Ron.

He turned down every activity outside Quidditch practice and even politely declined Hagrid's invitation for tea.

"I swear, when I close my eyes now, I can see dark creatures dancing in front of me."

At Monday breakfast, Harry complained to Seamus Finnigan, two heavy dark circles hanging beneath his eyes.

Professor Lin Du's reputation took a sharp turn for the worse over the weekend.

"He's even scarier than Snape!" a Hufflepuff fifth-year sobbed in the corridor. "At least you can get someone else to write your Potions Class homework. You have to memorize these assignments yourself!"

"I'd rather deal with Cornish Pixies again," another Ravenclaw student agreed.

Monday's Defense Against the Dark Arts class arrived like the final day of judgment, amid the students' anxious dread.

"Good morning, everyone."

Lin Du walked into the classroom. His tone was calm, but his gaze remained as sharp as ever.

"Good morning, Professor." Amid the scattered responses, Cedric's voice was especially clear.

Lin Du gave a slight nod and flicked his wand. The students' homework flew back into their hands like snowflakes.

"First, we'll quickly review the key points and common mistakes from last week's homework. Then we'll do practical training."

As soon as he finished speaking, the wall instantly transformed into a massive whiteboard. An Auto-scribe Quill floated beside it, rapidly writing as he explained.

"Most of you have mastered the casting essentials. Copying it out should have helped reinforce the muscle memory. The problems are concentrated in the situations where 'Immobilus' is used..."

Five minutes later, the explanation ended.

"Now, I'll call on three people to recite the characteristics of dark creatures."

The classroom instantly fell so quiet that a quill dropping to the floor could have been heard.

Lin Du's gaze slowly swept across the room before finally settling on a green-haired Ravenclaw boy.

"You. Stand up and recite it."

The boy remained perfectly composed and recited every word without a mistake.

"Not bad. One point to Ravenclaw."

Next came Cedric, equally flawless.

"One point to Hufflepuff."

The third boy called on stumbled a little, but barely passed.

Lin Du nodded and said nothing more.

Lin Du understood. The older students' foundations were still fairly solid. Though they had endured a year of unreliable Quirrell, the groundwork they had laid before remained.

They might not have adapted to the sudden strict teaching style, but at least they could keep up with the pace.

But when the second-year Gryffindor and Slytherin class arrived that afternoon, the atmosphere was far less relaxed—

The moment Lin Du stepped into the classroom, he felt an air of near despair.

The room was steeped in the dead silence of my life is over. Even the usually liveliest Gryffindors hung their heads in dejection.

Most surprising of all, Malfoy was not squaring off against Harry as usual. Instead, he flipped through his textbook with a pale face, his lips silently moving as he desperately crammed at the last moment.

"That concludes the homework portion." Lin Du put away the Auto-scribe Quill and swept his gaze over the students below.

Don't call on me, don't call on me, don't call on me...

Nearly every student prayed frantically in their heart.

"Professor!" Ron suddenly raised his hand, his voice loud and clear. "Shouldn't we start the practical exercises?"

At that moment, a mocking voice that only Lin Du could hear sounded by his ear. "Heh, this kid is trying to muddle through."

Lin Du's gaze shifted slightly as he replied in a way only Chao Feng could perceive, "I won't let them get away with it."

Lin Du gave him a faintly amused glance.

Ron forced himself to remain calm, but cold sweat had already seeped down his back.

"Since you're all so eager for practical training, let's do a quiz first. You have three minutes."

Test papers fluttered down, and the little lions of Gryffindor silently applauded Ron's "heroism."

Even the Slytherin side let out nearly inaudible sighs of relief—

For once, Draco Malfoy cast a brief but sincere grateful look in Ron's direction. Though the look vanished in an instant, quickly replaced by his usual arrogant expression.

"Ron, you're amazing!" Harry praised under his breath.

Hermione sat in the front row, her brows tightly furrowed as if she wanted to say something but held herself back.

She knew this new professor's style too well. Things would never end so simply.

Three minutes later, the test papers were collected.

The students rose, ready to line up, when Lin Du spoke leisurely.

"Wait. Haven't we still not spot-checked the memorization homework?"

A chorus of wails immediately rang out through the classroom.

"So... there's still no escaping it..." Ron clutched his head in both hands, his face full of despair.

Lin Du's gaze locked precisely onto him.

"Ron Weasley, you're first."

At that moment, Hermione was certain—the professor at the podium had a gleeful smile curling at the corner of his lips.