The curve of Douglas's lips deepened.
His smile held a measure of Hufflepuff-like honesty and a trace of barely perceptible cunning.
"This isn't a test, Harry."
"It's training."
"I call it the Adaptive Knowledge-Sorting Array."
"It dynamically adjusts the questions that follow based on the gaps in your knowledge and the questions you get wrong."
"Its purpose isn't to give you a score, but to help you build a complete body of knowledge about defense against the Dark Arts that's yours alone."
"You've already experienced the sort of chaos we saw at the Quidditch World Cup firsthand."
"Knowing a few spells is nowhere near enough."
"What you need is tactical thinking, the ability to adapt on the spot, and a mind that can keep thinking through fear."
Harry stared blankly at the test paper in his hands.
That faint scent of mint seemed to burrow straight into his brain.
The despair in his eyes gave way to shock.
Then an indescribable feeling, mingling gratitude with a sense of being deeply moved, welled up from the bottom of his heart.
This was no longer a torturous piece of extra homework.
It was a weapon tailored to him, the most precious one of all.
As Douglas prepared to leave, Mr. Weasley pulled him aside.
The usually cheerful Ministry of Magic employee now had worry written all over his face.
"Douglas, there's something I have to tell you."
He kept his voice very low, his wary gaze sweeping around them.
"The Ministry has recently been conducting a secret loyalty review."
"It targets every employee who was present at the World Cup riot."
"Things are very tense."
He paused, a father's worry flashing through his eyes.
"Percy... he's right at the center of this storm."
"Percy was promoted by Mr. Crouch."
Mr. Weasley's voice