Herman then wrote a second line above, " Probationary Wizard ".
For fourth and fifth graders, and for many, this is the end of the road before graduation.
With a high success rate in casting spells, including common incantations and basic Transfiguration, one can complete most of the spells needed for daily use without repeated attempts.
Working as a low-level clerk in the Ministry of Magic, selling wands in a shop, or serving customers in a pub would be enough to support myself.
Further up, the pen tip paused. " Full Wizard."
To achieve true mastery in a particular field, and to do what ordinary wizards cannot.
Auror who can stand on their own are mostly at this level, capable of handling most unexpected situations and completing highly difficult tasks.
Mad-Eye Moody Auror's peak was probably at the very top of this level; he was experienced, quick-witted, and skillful.
Then comes the fourth level: " Master ".
Being recognized as an authority in one's field, one's colleagues will unconsciously lower their tone when mentioning them.
Professor McGonagall's mastery of Transfiguration and Flitwick's achievements in Charms are both at this level.
They are not only proficient in a subject, but also capable of writing groundbreaking theories or producing results that even Full Wizard find difficult to replicate.
Snape's skill in Potions was similar; he could improve formulas and invent new Potions on his own, far exceeding the comprehension of ordinary wizards.
Finally, at the very top of the ladder diagram, he drew a large question mark, with only a line of small text next to it. " Legend."
Dumbledore, Grindelwald, Voldemort —these are beings who transcend the boundaries of any discipline. Ordinary wizards can't even imagine how powerful they truly are; they only know one thing: don't mess with them.
Herman put down his pen and stared at the diagram for a long time. He noticed that this ladder could be used not only to assess a wizard's overall level, but also to assess each specific subject.
Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and so on can all find their place within this framework.
He put a note in parentheses next to the name of the Transfiguration course: " Quasi-High Apprentice Stage ".
This means that his Transfiguration skills are currently at the apprentice level. He can turn a match into a silver needle in one go, which shows that he has good talent, but his theoretical knowledge is insufficient and he needs to supplement it a lot.
Once you've mastered the necessary knowledge, you'll naturally become High Apprentice Stage, or even, if all goes well, skip the apprentice stage altogether and reach the very edge of becoming a trainee.
At that time, with a casual wave of the hand, without much thought, feathers will turn into needles, and needles into feathers, steadily and surely, without needing to go back to check or correct them.
As for Charms, Herman thought for a moment and labeled himself as Quasi-High Apprentice Stage ".
The Levitation Charm can be performed, but the emphasis and wrist curvature need to be adjusted. The success rate is about 60% to 70%, which is still some distance from being "stable and reliable".
Similarly, my theoretical knowledge is insufficient and I need to catch up.
All I can say is that my talent is quite good. Thinking this, Herman's lips unconsciously curled into a smile.
He hadn't taken Potions Class yet, and hadn't really looked at the textbook, so he hadn't given himself a grade yet.
As for Herbology, he barely put in any effort in that subject, and if he were to be assessed, he probably wouldn't even qualify for the Early Apprentice Stage.
However, this is the norm for first-year students; students who are not doing well may not do much better in the third or fourth grade.
He then roughly applied this framework to the situations of several people around him.
Harry's practical experience and on-the-spot reactions were significantly better than her classroom performance.
Her consistency and casting speed in Charms were better Herman's, but the girl was used to hiding her true abilities; if she really got serious, she could directly Transfiguration the silver needles.
Judging from her classroom performance alone, she is probably at the High Apprentice Stage, close to the edge of becoming a trainee.
But if you take practical experience into account, she may have already reached the threshold of becoming Full Wizard. After all, she was honed in the extreme environment of Sirius. Her methods were a bit unorthodox, but they worked.
Draco probably in the lower Middle Apprentice Stage. She needs repeated practice to stabilize her Levitation Charm. The halo at the tip of her staff is noticeably brighter when casting spells, indicating a relatively high rate of magic power loss.
However, she adapts quickly and is very enthusiastic about learning, so she should be able to catch up to the upper-middle level of the Middle Apprentice Stage by the end of the semester.
Neville's classroom performance is roughly at the Middle Apprentice Stage; he has a foundation in Transfiguration and Charms, but his consistency is lacking.
However, being the Son of the Champion, he still has to believe in fate and Prophecy to some extent in the world of Harry Potter.
Hugo has the most solid theoretical foundation. Her spellcasting movements in the Charms are as standard as textbook illustrations, and she is highly stable, probably in the upper-middle level of the Middle Apprentice Stage.
However, Hugo seems to lack the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Her mind works quickly, but her hands and feet can't keep up. When faced with an emergency, she might switch to science popularization mode first.
Ron is still struggling in the Early Apprentice Stage, but he's progressing quite quickly. If he follows Neville's methods, he should be able to maintain his early stage status by the end of the semester.
After Herman finished writing the analysis, he read it again, and the question in his mind, "Where am I now?" became much clearer.
Transfiguration Quasi-High Apprentice Stage), Charms Quasi-High Apprentice Stage ), no combat rating, mainly because I haven't encountered any combat situations. Last time I fought Vampire, the opponent was clearly overpowered, and I'm used to solving problems with firearms, so I haven't finished yet.
Although this positioning is only the starting point of the wizard's path overall, at least he knows where the starting point is.
The next step is simply climbing up step by step.
During his lunch break, Herman lay down with a sense of unease.
He tucked himself into the four-poster bed, stared at the slowly flowing lake above him, and silently prepared himself mentally.
So dreams can be fulfilling and wonderful, but if you dream too much, even if you're young, your body won't be able to handle it. It would be too shameful to die young before you've even started climbing the ladder.
Thankfully, I slept exceptionally soundly. There was no warmth, no touch, and no image of golden hair falling across my collarbone.
When Herman woke up, the lake on the ceiling had changed to afternoon light; the emerald green ripples were brighter than at midday, and a blurry glimpse of the sky could be seen through the water.
He lay in bed for a few seconds, making sure he hadn't had any dreams, then let out a long sigh of relief and got out of bed.
Perhaps I've finally gotten used to the beds at Hogwarts, and my body is no longer so sensitive.
When he finished putting on his school uniform, he even hummed a couple of off-key lines in a good mood. However, he would occasionally pause, a thought popping into his mind: it's good that I didn't dream, but thinking about it carefully, it seems a little regrettable.
The afternoon class was Defence Against the Dark Arts.
The class wasn't held in a classroom. When Herman, Draco, and Harry walked through the side gate of the castle to the playground, many other students had already arrived.
The playground was empty, with no podium or desks, only a patch of grass trampled flat and the dark canopy of trees at the edge of the Forbidden Forest in the distance.
Professor Quirrell stood in the center of the playground, his blond hair gleaming softly in the afternoon sunlight, a wand in his hand, calmly waiting for the students to take their places.