A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 297: Homework

As Hermione emerged from the office, her mind was still spinning.

Though the professors hadn't explicitly said so, the implication was clearSirius Black was innocent. Or at least, for Harry, he was harmless.

She wasn't sure if she should tell Harry, but not knowing the truth, sharing it would only cause more worries, and she had enough of those already. With the Easter holidays approaching, the professors had all coincidentally piled on the assignments, keeping Hermione as busy as a spinning top.

She had pushed the Time-Turner to its limits, but even so, she still inevitably missed some classes.

Hermione was somewhat relieved that the Dueling Club had been temporarily canceled. Harry's complete focus was on Quidditch training every day, and in the moments in between, he had to discuss various strategies with Wood. Homework could only be squeezed into fragmented time.

This resulted in a steady decline in the quality of the essays Harry turned in, but at least he wasn't the only one receiving reprimands.

Harry and Draco Malfoy were summoned to the Transfiguration professor's office. "Gentlemen, I understand you're preparing for the Quidditch finals, but that's no excuse for letting your homework become a mess," Professor McGonagall said sternly.

Yes, the Quidditch finals. Harry thought with a distant look. Tomorrow marked the first day of the Easter holiday, and the first Saturday after the end of the holiday was the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match.

He snapped back to reality, staring at Draco Malfoy. Draco's pale face was marked by obvious dark circles under his eyes, giving off a challenging look. This tension between the two houses and the two teams was just a microcosm of the recent conflicts between Lions and Snakes.

A hint of gloom passed through Draco's eyes. He was under immense pressure in the team, seen as a hindrance to Potter's speed of attack. He had been indignant about it for a while, but when he considered the speed of the Firebolt, his irritation faded away.

He had written to his family to inquire about the price of the Firebolt, but his father unusually refused him. The thing cost more than seven Nimbus 2001 brooms combined for his entire team. He was incredulousjust who had given Potter this thing?

It couldn't be one of Potter's dim-witted admirers, could it?

"...Never before have we had this situationtwo students still in the hospital, ears sprouting leeks, seven students in detention..." Professor McGonagall's voice seemed to serve as the backdrop to a tense exchange between the two, and it was clear that Professor McGonagall had noticed this.

She said angrily, "Off you go. I'll only say this once, but if you don't shape up..." Her face turned red, and after a moment's hesitation, she persisted, "I'll put you in detention, yes, before the finals! I'll talk to Flitwick about it."

Harry hastily assured Professor McGonagall, and Draco's expression softened too. He managed a smile at Harry, who refrained from making any sarcastic remarks and instead shook his hand.

Exiting the Transfiguration classroom, the two who had been standing close together separated from each other. Draco snorted contemptuously and turned away. Harry returned to the common room and just happened to hear Seamus shout, "And they call this a holiday? Exams are still far off!"

Approaching the commotion, he discovered them tallying up the assignments from various subjects.

Dean Thomas, counting on his fingers, had been at it for a good while. "...History of Magic, three two-foot-long essays; Potions, three essays, one of them is three feet longSnape's brain must be addled! The title islet me seeAn Analysis of Wolfsbane Potion Enhancement Formula..."

Dean muttered a curse under his breath, protesting, "We're not even being tested on this for the final! Why make us write this stuff?" He grumbled, "Understanding the latest developments in the field of potions...he just wants to show off his research."

Harry couldn't agree more. Dean continued, "Transfiguration, two essays, plus animate to inanimate transfiguration practice; Astronomy, twelve star charts..."

He heard a retching sound nearby and turned his head to find Neville, who said with a pale face, "Sorry, feeling a bit queasy..."

The twins leaned over, asking, "Want some Peppermint Elixir?"

Harry looked puzzled. "Isn't that for curing colds?"

Invigoration Draught was Madam Pomfrey's specialty, having an immediate effect on colds and flu. The only downside was that after drinking the potion, smoke would continuously emit from one's ears for the next few hours.

"We've made some improvements to it, making it live up to its name," Fred said with a grin. "Let me show you." He pulled out a sweet and popped it into his mouth. "We've turned it into a solid form, making it easy to carry, so you can take it even in class. Well, it's a bit nasty, George, take note, we can make it taste like fruit..."

"Got it, mate," George said, taking over the explanation and addressing the young wizards around them. "For the next few hours, you'll be bursting with energy, with just a tiny side effect..."

"Woo-hoo!"

Fred seemed to have been hit by something. Smoke poured out of his ears, accompanied by a loud whistle from his mouth. He declared spiritedly, "See that? Instant fatigue relief, a worry-free pill, seven Sickles a pop."

Dean was quite intrigued, and Harry looked at the stack of homework on the table, feeling a bit tempted. By now, quite a few young wizards had gathered around, pushing him to the outer edge. After waiting in line for five minutes, he realized that every two minutes, Fred would emit a train whistle sound, as if he were imitating a locomotive.

After considering it for a while, he backed out and found Ron and Hermione in a corner. Hermione's eyes were a bit red, and she was yawning in small, frequent bursts. He thought that Hermione needed the Invigoration Draught, or rather, the Invigoration Sweets.

She was scribbling and drawing on a piece of parchment. Harry took a quick look and realized it was a study plan for the final exams.

After a while, Hermione finally finished her immediate tasks. Biting on her quill, she said, "We should make full use of the Easter holiday. I've already completed the assignments for History of Magic and Astronomy."

Ron was puzzled. "Don't you usually finish Ancient Runes first?"

"The professor exempted me from that assignment, said it wasn't worth the time," Hermione explained.

Ron let out a wail. "How could they... I was counting on using your essay as reference!"

"In fact," Hermione said with a serious expression, "in the top ten of the parchment leaderboard, everyone's been excused from their assignments."

Ron's gaze turned to Harry, full of anticipation. Harry shrugged, "Most of my holiday will be spent training. We have an advantage, but there's still a chance of a reversal. It's the worst scenarioWood's gone mad."

"Alright, I'll write it for you, and once it's done, I'll lend it to you," Ron sighed.

Hermione snorted but didn't say anything, just getting up and leaving the common room. After a while, she returned with a yawn, looking even more fatigued.

Harry continued the previous conversation. "Speaking of which, it's a bit strange. Professor McGonagall isn't stopping me from going out anymore..."

Hermione jerked upright, suddenly alert.

"What's up, Hermione?" Harry looked at her strangely. "Do you know the reason?"

"Not yet, it's another matter. I can't be sure," Hermione hesitated. "I'll talk to you after the Quidditch match."

...

The next morning.

Felix Harp, well-dressed, attended the award ceremony.

The plot of the third year was drawing to a close, and it was progressing a bit slowly. I'm not sure if I can finish the third update today, so you might have to wait until tomorrow to read several chapters.

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