If I Became a Professor...

Manus was going to be awarded an Order of Merlin Medal, yet Severus seemed even happier than he was.

"An Order of Merlin Medal... I wonder if I'll ever have a chance to receive one?"

Lily joined the discussion as well, her words full of envy and anticipation.

"A Third-Class medal probably isn't that difficult. If you publish a valuable book, you can basically get one. If you work harder and publish a few more books, you can get a Second-Class one too. It just depends on whether anyone helps you apply for it."

Manus explained,

"Unless you want a First-Class medal, there isn't really any meaningful threshold for 'contributions'..."

Although the Order of Merlin Medals ranged from Third-Class to First-Class, from low to high, the distinction between them was not so clear-cut.

They were supposedly awarded in recognition of a wizard's contributions, but contributions were difficult to measure in the first place.

For the same contribution, it was possible to receive a Second-Class Merlin Medal, a Third-Class Merlin Medal, or no Merlin Medal at all. The only difference was who helped submit the nomination.

For example, someone might write an especially valuable book on a certain subject, have it adopted as a textbook, and allow many wizards to better learn the relevant knowledge.

Among the authors of Hogwarts textbooks, there were recipients of Second-Class Merlin Medals, recipients of Third-Class Merlin Medals, and people who had never received a Merlin Medal at all.

As for contributions worthy of a First-Class Merlin Medal, they were generally the sort that the public considered deserving of recognition. It was worth mentioning that if a wizard sacrificed their life while doing good deeds, they were also likely to be awarded a First-Class Merlin Medal.

For the living, however, the measure of contribution was even