ALL NOVEL Chapter 77: Fifth Year Classroom
It was rumored that shortly after Tver left the hospital, Dumbledore also visited, spending time chatting with the trio. However, that wasn't Tver's concern anymore as the news of his succession to Quirrell's position had spread throughout the castle. Percy, utilizing his prefect connections, had informed all the upperclassmen in just one evening!
In the morning, students headed to class with eyes full of 'wisdom,' their faces constantly adorned with smiles. Tver could even see a hint of tears in their eyes...
So when he entered the classroom, it was naturally packed with exceptionally excited fifth-year students. This was their first time in this bright and clean classroom filled with a faint scent of lemon—a stark contrast to the pungent garlic odor of the fourth-floor classroom where upperclassmen usually studied. The comparison made the students feel as if they had been hit by an Obliviate charm, instantly forgetting the name of their previous professor.
"I assume you already know that I'll be responsible for the second half of the school year," Tver announced as he entered with a large bundle of papers, "I must say, I'm delighted to see such enthusiasm."
The students sat up straight, their heads held high with pride. This was the professor's first class, and they didn't want to be looked down upon by the lower years!
"Professor, what about next year's courses?" Percy, emboldened by his familiarity, asked.
"That will depend on the school's arrangement, but I hope another professor will join me to share the teaching burden. After all, teaching you is quite taxing, and I have to be careful not to have my lesson plans stolen, right?"
The classroom burst into laughter. After two days of discussion and some truths spilled by Ron, everyone realized that the stolen lesson plan story was rather far-fetched.
"However," Tver raised his voice to cover their laughter, "I believe you're aware that as fifth-year students, your biggest task this year is the O.W.L.s! Given my predecessor's... less than stellar performance, I will be focusing the next few months on revising for the exams. Time is short, and the task is heavy. I hope you all can stay spirited because I'd like to see you in next year's sixth-year advanced class, okay?"
"Yes!" The students roared back with vigor.
Though they might prefer an easy-going half-year without much study, when they did the math, it didn't seem worth it. Better to work hard this half-year and continue with two more years of the professor's classes!
The choice was clear when compared.
'Do you really think we're like those little foolish lions (eagles), who only cause chaos (bury their heads in books)?'
Students from the two houses exchanged glances, both sporting smug smiles.
Tver was pleased with the cooperation from the students and, with a grand gesture, announced, "Very well, since that's the case, everyone stow your wands and let's start with the test papers!"
The thick stack of papers he had brought flew onto the students' desks.
"Two and a half hours, do as much as you can, give up quickly on what you don't know, and fill in as much as you can with what you know!"
Unlike the exams for lower grades, their paper covered all content from the past five years. Of course, the focus was still on the O.W.L. exam content, primarily to gauge the students' grasp of the material.
In reality, this was also Tver's way of summarizing the questions while he prepared the fifth-grade curriculum. Although he had taken similar exams himself, he hadn't specifically prepared for them. After all, exams aren't something you can pass just because you have hands, right?
Oh, Quirrell no longer had hands, no wonder his students performed so poorly!
After two and a half hours, Tver glanced over the first set of papers and immediately spotted numerous mistakes. And these were just from the lower-grade content!
"In the O.W.L.s, both the theoretical and practical exams for each subject take up a morning and an afternoon, respectively. Who can tell me what this implies?" Percy raised his hand this time. "Professor, it means that the theoretical and practical exams are equally important."
"Exactly, equally important," Tver waved his wand, and a wisp of white mist floated from its tip, vaguely forming a plump shape. "This is a Patronus Charm, which can help you score extra points in practical exams. However, if your theoretical exam scores are poor, these extra points become meaningless! From what I've observed, everyone scores similarly in practical exams; the real differences are made in the theoretical exams, so you must take them seriously!"
The initially hopeful expressions on the students' faces deflated after the recent test, which had been a significant blow to their confidence. The exam wasn't particularly hard, but it was comprehensive, leaving few able to complete it entirely—those who did likely guessed at many answers.
"Don't be discouraged. There are still about four months until the exam, and I will use classroom time as efficiently as possible to help you achieve good grades without neglecting other subjects," Tver reassured them.
"It doesn't matter if it takes time, as long as we can join the professor's advanced class!" one boy shouted. The students cheered, looking joyfully at Tver, making him blush for half a second.
"Cough, let's not let other professors hear that." Once the students quieted down, he continued: "From now on, we'll spend one hour on quizzes, and one hour discussing theoretical knowledge for the exams. The remaining hour will be dedicated to practicing practical skills. Now, what spells do we need to practice for the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical section?"
This time, a bespectacled boy raised his hand.
"Please, Mr. Midge."
"Based on my summary of past exam content, we need to focus on curse-breaking spells, defensive spells, and protective spells against magical creatures. Of course, there are also the bonus spells you mentioned, which depend on the examiner's personal preference."
"Well summarized, five points to Ravenclaw," he said, surprised at their initiative. "What are you waiting for? Write this down in your notebooks!"
After some rustling sounds, Tver continued: "The spells vary in difficulty; the easiest is the Shield Charm. If you can cast it, you'll score high. If not, spells like Protego Totalum or Salvio Hexia are also good for picking up some points. The only challenging parts are the other two, so we'll spend about a month and a half, roughly six classes, revising the Care of Magical Creatures course."
"Prepare for this in advance, but don't forget to keep up with your theory revision!"
Just then, the bell rang, and the students breathed a sigh of relief. They had expected an intense duel or spell-casting session, but it turned out to be a theory class. Although it was Professor Fawley's class, there was still a bit of a letdown.
"Hold on, everyone come and get a set of test papers before you leave!"
Tver pulled out an even larger stack of papers from his bag.
The students: "..."