17. Ordinary Days and Exam Notice

It was an ordinary Saturday afternoon, not long after the start of the school term.

"She is very gifted."

Snape was grading Harley's homework, marking a large 'O' on the page, standing for Outstanding.

He Shenyan sat to the side, grading papers as well—though his were Snape's.

He was far more ruthless: "Indeed. And she works harder than you. Mr. Snape, I wonder if you have checked this essay of yours. When discussing the differences between portals and Apparition, you reversed the arguments for both. This is a very amateurish mistake."

Snape fell silent for a moment before saying, "My deepest apologies, Professor."

He recalled the vanilla ice cream Harley had brought him after dinner that night; the taste had been truly excellent. In that brief moment of distraction, his mind had wandered again.

It's alright, Harley, you only need to wait a little longer.

Snape sat up straight and returned to his work.

He Shenyan set his papers aside and picked up Dumbledore's to review. At Hogwarts, it wasn't just the students who had to study; the teachers did as well.

They taught students from Monday to Friday and had to attend He Shenyan's lectures on Saturdays and Sundays. They were diligent, though no one had any complaints. If life is fulfilling, there is little room for grumbling.

Compared to Snape, Harley's life was much easier.

After class, she would either bury herself in the library with Hermione or run wild on the grounds with Ron.

Older students played Quidditch, but the first-years didn't have the opportunity to take Quidditch lessons this year. Sometimes, they would just stand by, watching the older students play with longing eyes.

Ron's twin brothers had initially mocked him quite a bit over this—until they saw Harley with him.

The look on their faces in that moment made Ron laugh for three whole days.

He would laugh whenever he thought about it, often bursting out during meals, leading many to believe he had lost his mind. Ron simply explained, "You didn't see their expressions. The shock, the frustration, the envy all mixed together—the way they wanted to come over and join in but didn't dare to—it was just too funny!"

Then, he was pranked by his two brothers for an entire week.

Harley was very famous within Hogwarts—not just for her bizarre title, "The Girl Who Lived," but also for her striking appearance.

Harley herself seemed oblivious to this. Hogwarts had no dress code now. She often wandered around in custom-made black suits or casual jackets, her red hair as dazzling as a flame.

It was said that someone had written her a love letter and intended to read it aloud in public. That fellow was punished by Snape, who arrived on the scene, to scrub the abandoned Potions classroom for two full weeks. The wailing sounds made passing students think some ghost was haunting the place.

Dumbledore was much more leisurely compared to the other staff.

The Board of Governors no longer caused trouble. He rarely taught classes, and even when he did, it was only as a substitute. Most of his time was spent delving into the Compendium of Basic Spells that He Shenyan had given him. The book was absurdly thick, and although the title suggested it was basic, the content, in Dumbledore's view, had nothing to do with basics at all.

He had filled three leather-bound notebooks and ran to He Shenyan's office four or five times a day, usually late at night. Yet, no matter when he arrived, He Shenyan would answer his questions with patience.

Furthermore, Dumbledore had never seen him sleep.

Aside from his studies, he had to set aside one day each week to visit Voldemort in Azkaban, who was now little more than skin and bones.

Dumbledore was unwilling to go into detail about his condition.

However, his mood was visibly improving every day—Snape had asked in private, and the annoying old man had simply replied with a cheerful smile: "Oh, don't worry. My dear Severus, you only need to supervise Miss Potter and ensure she continues to study hard; there is no need for you to worry about other matters."

He had winked playfully as he said this, and every time Snape thought of it, his teeth would itch with annoyance.

When a person is deeply focused on something, time usually passes very quickly. The hour-and-a-half lecture flew by in a blink. Harley chewed on her pen, not choosing to stretch even after the class ended.

She was frowning at a passage on the blackboard, while Malfoy, sitting behind her, stared at the back of her head with a vacant expression, completely unaware that he looked like an idiot.

Hermione was frantically copying notes next to Harley, her speed so fast that Ron almost thought she had cast a spell on her quill. Ron looked at his own notebook; after an entire class, he had barely managed to write three sentences.

The boy wailed internally, though his face remained calm. He tried to follow Harley's lead and looked up at the blackboard; he recognized every word, but when put together, they made no sense to him.

Twenty minutes later, he saw the young professor walk into the classroom, tapping the podium with his finger, his face expressionless.

The sound wasn't loud, but all the noise vanished.

He Shenyan said: "I believe it is necessary to inform you all that the Christmas holidays are approaching. On the eve of the break, I will conduct a test. If you have been attentive in class, this test will be quite simple. For those who are not confident, you may take this time to ask me, or ask other classmates you believe are doing well."

He paused, satisfied to see the exact look of terror he had been hoping for.

He smiled and said: "Those who pass the test will receive a small gift from me. And if you do not pass, there is no need to be too nervous. We will simply see each other again in January."

Ron could no longer hear the professor's voice; the word "test" echoed in his mind. From his left brain to his right, a chill rose from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He hadn't heard a single thing in this class either.

"...Ron! Ron!"

Ron walked toward the Great Hall, clutching his books and notebook in a daze; he looked like a walking corpse. Harley called his name twice, but he didn't react.

Harley had to step forward and tap his shoulder. Ron turned around with a deathly pale face, a look so ghastly that Hermione, standing beside Harley, let out a scream. The scream startled Ron, causing his notebook to fall to the ground. It happened to land open, revealing pages that were practically as blank as fresh paper.

"I know why you have that expression now," Harley said, looking at him and nodding slowly.

Ron picked up his notebook. His mind was filled with images of himself failing the exam. Fred and George would certainly find out, and they would definitely tell their mother; for all he knew, Ginny would find out too.

God, I'm such an idiot. If those two know, doesn't that mean everyone knows?! I'll be the only Weasley to fail his first exam.

However, for some reason, he seemed to fear disappointing Professor He even more than the images playing in his mind.

Ron walked away alone. Harley and Hermione stood where they were. The bushy-haired girl said worriedly, "He looks terrible, Harley."

"Yeah, but it seems we can't help him. Since the start of the term, the professor has reminded us to be diligent before every class. If he doesn't want to learn, there's nothing to be done. The most I can do is lend him my notes, but I don't know if he'd even want to look at them."

Harley brushed a lock of red hair behind her ear, looking troubled. Malfoy snuck past her, his two inseparable lackeys long gone.

"Does he really think we don't notice him following you everywhere?" Hermione asked Harley, frowning as she watched the boy disappear down the corridor.

The red-haired girl just shrugged indifferently, then pulled Hermione toward the library.