Among the crowd waiting for the exam outside, a woman with square-framed glasses covered her mouth and chuckled, "They actually put this young couple in the same group. Is the school deliberately trying to break them up?"
The round-faced man chimed in, "Yeah, that's a bit too cruel."
How do you know they can't make it?
"That's what Zara, the Black woman, is asking," she countered.
The bearded man analyzed:
"There have already been four groups ahead of us. Apart from Ella giving up voluntarily, it's been one person eliminated and one person advancing in each group."
Do you think those two can perform the same as a regular group?
The black woman's words surprised the group.
Yes, the two of them were different from others.
A glimmer of hope appeared in the burly man's eyes:
"That's good. If they can break this curse, then those of us who come after them will have more hope."
The woman shook her head. "Our hopes are ultimately slim. In my opinion, these two were specially selected, and this interview is probably just a formality for them."
The woman with glasses agreed, "Yeah, maybe the outcome was already decided, and this trial is just for show."
At this moment, Draco and Hermione were preparing for their interviews. There were two doors inside, presumably corresponding to one door for each candidate to be eliminated.
The female teacher led Draco and Hermione into a room on the right. Before they entered, Draco said to Hermione, "I knew it! How could they possibly eliminate one of us?"
Don't be careless, take it seriously.
The two carefully entered the examination room, and upon entering, they saw five examiners sitting in front of them. In the middle sat Director Henry, with two professors on each side of him, three women and two men.
Behind them hung a huge circular Divination wheel with black and yellow radiating patterns, which looked very magical and ritualistic.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows, but the room still appeared somewhat dim, so large brass floor lamps were placed in the four corners, and dark table runners bearing the college emblem hung down from both sides of the long table.
The other examiners looked at the two curiously. It was the first time they had seen Draco and Hermione. These two children, who looked like they were still minors, had actually made it this far.
Next, the examiners began asking brief questions...
Outside, the atmosphere was strangely divided into two factions. Those who knew and talked with Draco and the other two naturally hoped that they could pass the level smoothly, while most of the others were there to watch the show.
Someone gloated, "Finally, it's the two kids' turn. The tests inside are no joke."
Someone nearby suddenly became excited. "I bet they won't last. Even adults would faint, let alone two children."
Others, harboring resentment and unable to tolerate the youthful composure of the two, now had the opportunity to vent their pent-up frustrations and said coldly:
"I found it strange at the time. They were so young, just middle school students, what gave them this exceptional interview opportunity? In my opinion, they didn't deserve to be here. They should both fail and be sent back to the world to learn their place."
"That's absolutely right," someone nodded in agreement. "If both of them fail to be selected and their memories are erased and they're sent home, that would be perfect. This isn't a place for children anyway; the Wizarding World doesn't need hothouse flowers."
"It might collapse within minutes of going in, unable to summon even a trace of magic; that would be truly laughable."
Some people seemed to already envision the comical scene.
Many people gloated, but others couldn't stand their attitude and retorted, "Are you jealous that someone can become a magician at such a young age?"
The gloating person retorted:
"What could I possibly be upset about? I'm just telling the truth."
The man retorted without hesitation, "You're being honest again? You're already acting like a know-it-all before you've even tested anyone."
"Exactly," someone chimed in, "When the two of you come out unscathed, be careful you don't get your faces swollen from being slapped."
"We'll talk about that when we get out."
This immediately sparked a conversation. "So you know to wait until you're out in public to say this? Then why are you making these sarcastic remarks?"
"What's wrong? I'll say whatever I want. You can't shut me up, can you?" This didn't provoke the person who had been mocking him. He then challenged, "Are you looking for trouble? Go ahead and hit me if you dare, see if you get disqualified."
"I'd rather not get my hands dirty than hit you." The man scoffed, giving the mocking man a disdainful look, and retorted, "Looking at your pathetic face, you might get eliminated in a second..."
The man's face was already pockmarked, and the attack only fueled his anger. However, as he himself said, anyone who laid a hand on him would fail the exam. So he had no choice but to swallow his anger.
The same two groups of people started arguing again.
Those who were gloating fell silent and could only wait for the results, while those who were speaking up for Draco and his companion became more active.
"Actually, I found it strange from the beginning, so I've been observing them. They didn't show the panic one would expect from someone encountering magic for the first time; instead, they were incredibly calm. I think they have a very good chance of succeeding."
"You know what," someone guessed, following the train of thought, "Maybe it's a disciple sent here by some magical family for training."
"That makes sense," one person nodded repeatedly, "This also explains why they were admitted to the school despite their young age."
Someone glanced at the gloating person and deliberately raised their voice, saying, "That means someone's in trouble. They've offended a member of the magical world and could be expelled from school in a heartbeat."
Many of the gloating people were startled by this, and immediately became alarmed, abandoning their previous arrogant expressions and keeping silent about what had just happened, for fear of being resented.
The person being targeted, though feeling guilty, still stubbornly insisted, "I was just guessing. You guys are all the same... Besides, I didn't do anything, I just said a few words..."
"Are you scared?" the man bluntly called him out. "Keep a low profile when you're out and about, and don't mess with the people you shouldn't."
The man was provoked and became even angrier:
"I can't afford to mess with those two, and who do you think you are... wanting to be their lackey? Take a good look at yourself in the mirror."
He remained sharp-tongued, but inwardly he acknowledged that Draco might be someone of considerable influence, and reminded himself to be careful in the future, lest he offend Draco and Hermione.
"Now that you mention it, I've had that thought too." The person being mocked nodded insincerely. "You'd better not mess with me either. The day I get a powerful patron, you'll be the first one I deal with."
"He's already abusing his power before he's even become a dog."
The speaker scoffed.
The man wanted to argue with him, but someone nearby stopped him, saying, "It's not worth it with this kind of person. Let him keep yelling."
The man took the opportunity to step down, snorted, and ignored the other person. The other person didn't press their advantage. Apart from these two groups, most of the others were just observing coldly, preferring to remain silent. After all, who knew what would happen behind that door, or who knew the background of those two children?