The next day brought the long-awaited Charms class, held in the spell classroom on the fourth floor.
Professor Flitwick's exam was relatively simple, evident from the relieved smiles on the students' faces.
The task was both amusing and entertaining: making a pineapple tap dance across a desk.
Most students managed the spell with ease—even Neville succeeded without any mishaps.
Hermione, as expected, went above and beyond.
Not only did her pineapple dance, but it performed an intricate gymnastics routine, flipping and twirling in mid-air.
Her exceptional control earned an enthusiastic round of applause from both Professor Flitwick and the class.
Then came Ted's turn. Instead of merely animating the pineapple, he conjured limbs for it, turning the fruit into a tiny stickman-like figure.
With a dramatic flourish of his wand, he had the pineapple enthusiastically samba its way across the desk.
As a finishing touch, he added a bit of magical soundtracking, making it an unforgettable performance.
The pineapple, now wearing a miniature top hat and bowtie, blazed with magical energy, grooving like a champion.
The classroom erupted into laughter.
Professor Flitwick, clapping his hands in delight, declared, "Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!"
Then, with a pointed look, he added, "Ahem, let's not push the boundaries too far next time, Mr. Ted."
Next up was the Herbology exam, held in the greenhouse.
The task involved harvesting and properly preparing dittany, a powerful medicinal plant known for its healing properties.
Even some magical creatures instinctively used it to treat their own wounds.
In the hands of wizards, dittany had evolved into a key ingredient in numerous potions, with dittany essence being one of the most effective treatments for injuries.
Herbology was a challenging but crucial subject—magic could only do so much without the right ingredients.
Hufflepuffs excelled in this class, with many achieving top marks.
Ravenclaw had three standout students: Ted, Hermione, and their friend Michael Corner.
Over in Gryffindor, Neville was the only one to earn an outstanding grade.
Most of his housemates found plants far less thrilling than dueling or Quidditch.
Then came the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Under Professor Quirrell, this subject had become almost entirely theoretical, meaning there was no practical portion—just a written test.
The exam focused on werewolf bite treatments. In the wizarding world, both werewolves and vampires existed, but their situations were vastly different.
Vampires, knowing how to keep a low profile, generally avoided trouble.
Werewolves, however, suffered from harsh discrimination, largely due to the uncontrollable nature of their transformations during full moons.
The stigma against werewolves led to a vicious cycle: those rejected by society often turned to darker paths, reinforcing the prejudice against them.
To make matters worse, some radical werewolves deliberately attacked wizards and Muggles, further damaging their already tarnished reputation.
Even first-years were expected to learn basic werewolf prevention and treatment techniques.
If bitten by a werewolf outside of its transformed state, the effects were minimal—perhaps an increase in body hair, irritability, or a craving for meat.
However, being bitten by a fully transformed werewolf almost always resulted in full lycanthropy.
While there were potions to ease the symptoms, there was no known cure once the transformation occurred.
Many werewolves lived in isolation, locking themselves away during full moons to avoid harming others.
Despite Professor Quirrell's uninspired teaching style, the exam itself was fairly easy.
Ted, aiming for top marks, wrote additional notes on advanced protective measures and emergency remedies.
Later that night, the Astronomy exam took place atop the Astronomy Tower, a dizzying height of more than ten floors above the ground.
Ted found this subject particularly frustrating—his secondhand telescope was barely functional.
He had to rely on borrowing his friends' equipment to complete the exam, which involved charting the positions of Jupiter's moons.
"I can't wait to hit third year and drop this class," he muttered, squinting through the blurry lens.
The final exam was History of Magic.
Dull as ever, the subject was taught by the ghostly Professor Binns, whose monotonous voice could put even the most enthusiastic student to sleep.
Instead of engaging with history's deeper lessons, the exam was a tedious exercise in rote memorization—dates, names, and events, with little room for interpretation.
One of the questions read: "Which eccentric old wizard invented the self-stirring cauldron?" The answer: Gaspard Shingleton.
How did this question even come about?
What exactly is the historical significance of the invention of the self-stirring cauldron?
Did it mark the dawn of an era where wizards no longer needed to stir their own potions manually?
If there was one professor who frustrated Ted the most, it had to be Professor Binns.
His lectures were nothing more than droning nonsense, and yet, they seemed destined to continue indefinitely—almost like a cursed loop of monotony.
After four consecutive days of grueling exams, even Ted felt a wave of relief when it was all over.
The intensity of the exams was borderline cruel, pushing students into a trial-by-fire experience that seemed designed to prepare them for the future stress of adulthood.
For the first-year students, it was an entirely new and exhausting ordeal.
They emerged from it feeling both mentally drained and emotionally fried—like a well-roasted marshmallow, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
The older students found it hilarious, watching the first-years stumble through their exhaustion.
They had gone through the same suffering in the past, and now, seeing the cycle repeat itself, they understood why the upperclassmen always looked so amused.
Truly, a rite of passage.
After the four-day marathon of exams, Ted had finally completed his trials, securing outstanding grades in all subjects and claiming the top spot in his year.
In the Ravenclaw common room, he lounged on the sofa with his eyes closed, seemingly resting—but in truth, he was browsing through his well-earned rewards.
He had gained 350 experience points, a decent haul for a blue-tier quest.
Then there were the three reward cards. As he mentally flipped through them, he examined each one closely.
The first card depicted a beautiful quill with a faint golden glow, hovering over a piece of parchment. It was ticking a box marked "Yes" while a "No" remained unchecked.
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[Divination Quill (Blue)]
Item Card
Consumes a significant amount of magic. Ask a question, and this quill will write either "Yes" or "No" on parchment.
Cooldown: 10 hours.
Note: The quill cannot answer questions that are too complex or involve highly classified information.
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Ted frowned. The description was frustratingly vague. What exactly counted as "too complex" or "classified"? The limitations seemed arbitrary.
For a blue-tier item, it didn't seem all that useful. He'd be better off flipping a coin for answers.
The second card displayed a stunning amethyst with intricate dark red veins running through it.
Its natural facets shimmered with a deep, magical glow, and the entire gem was about the size of a fist.
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[Magic-Pattern Amethyst (Blue)]
Material Card
Magic amethysts symbolize spirituality, wisdom, and heightened intelligence. They aid in concentration, enhance memory, and boost mental clarity. This particular amethyst, naturally infused with magical patterns, was born in an extremely rare and powerful magical environment. Such treasures are nearly impossible to find.
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Ted's interest was immediately piqued.
Then he flipped to the third card. At first glance, it seemed to be an ordinary red candy. However, swirling mist-like energy surrounded it, forming the shape of an imposing spectral guardian wielding a sword in one hand and casting a mysterious incantation with the other. Its expression was one of righteous fury.
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[Spirit Guardian Candy]
Consumable Card
A candy created by an ancient magical monastery that grants the "Spirit Guardian's Protection."
Upon consumption, the user is granted temporary spiritual and physical fortification for 3 minutes.
Uses remaining: 3/3.
Note: Summoning a spectral guardian to inhabit your body is a dangerous act. To avoid potential harm, the candy must be crushed before use.
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Ted raised an eyebrow.
"A spirit inhabiting my body? That sounds… risky."
The boost in power sounded useful, but the potential side effects worried him. He wasn't eager to let some otherworldly entity interfere with his mind and body.
However, when his gaze returned to the second card, something clicked—
As a Psion, he had the ability to create a psicrystal, a sentient magical crystal attuned to his mind.
The only reason he hadn't done so yet was because he hadn't found a suitable gem.
And now, staring at the rare Magic-Pattern Amethyst, he realized he had finally found the perfect material.
"Well, that settles it."
[Magic-Pattern Amethyst (Blue)] it was!
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Word count: 1521
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