Chapter 72: Final Exam (1)
In truth, the entrance of the trio into the Great Hall caused quite a stir. However, the commotion wasn't due to the rare sight of a Slytherin and a Gryffindor walking in together, seemingly close.
It was because of Phineas Black's return.
By now, most of the wizarding world knew that Phineas had been kidnapped. The very notion that he was back, alive and well, created a ripple of shock. A Daily Prophet reporter had even declared him dead, claiming that the truth had been deliberately suppressed.
The Quibbler, in its usual eccentric fashion, insisted Phineas hadn't been kidnapped at all—that he had vanished intentionally to carry out a secret operation against the Ministry of Magic.
In any case, no one had expected him to return so effortlessly—especially when tensions between wizards and vampires were so volatile.
The vampire rebellion was no longer a rumor—it was a storm waiting to break. All it lacked was a spark. And Phineas Black, heir of the Black family and its temporary steward, was the perfect spark.
If Phineas were to die, the Ministry would have a solid pretext to crush the vampires, while the vampires would gain righteous fury to justify their uprising.
Neither side had yet made the first move. Both awaited a reason they could brand as justifiable to rally other magical races to their cause.
The more politically aware Ravenclaws had already made this deduction.
The cunning Slytherins understood it as well—and many had even hoped Phineas wouldn't return. His death would not only remove an unwanted presence from their midst but also avoid drawing scandalous attention to the pure-bloods for allegedly sacrificing family members for gain.
Among the Gryffindors, however, attitudes had shifted. After Phineas had protected the Weasley twins before being taken, even the loudest skeptics had started to change their views. His return was met with applause.
As for the Hufflepuffs—they were busy studying and working as usual. Phineas's return didn't cause much disruption for them.
Despite all this, Hogwarts carried on. No great fanfare followed Phineas's return. Life returned to normal, or at least what passed for normal at the school.
However, a few new faces started to pop up in Phineas's orbit.
The Weasley twins, notorious for their mischief, along with their roommate Lee Jordan—a chatty black boy with a love for Quidditch—now often hung around him.
Some Hufflepuff students who had previously been indifferent began showing signs of friendliness.
Loyalty was a key Hufflepuff trait, and Phineas's defense of the twins fit squarely with their values.
Thus, amid classes and a packed schedule, Phineas's days passed.
At the same time, he continued studying the legacy of ancient magic texts from Rowena Ravenclaw. Clues to the lineages of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, however, remained elusive.
Since Easter, all the professors had begun to increase the students' workload in preparation for the end-of-year exams.
Even Phineas, despite his skill and knowledge, felt the pressure from the mounting assignments. The Animagus transformation he had been working on remained incomplete.
He had always assumed the Weasley twins' grades would be poor given their constant pranking.
But during their study sessions, he was surprised to find that their marks were quite similar to his own.
By the beginning of June, final exams were underway.
The exams would last an entire week.
The written portion began on Monday morning at 9:30 a.m., starting with Charms taught by Professor Flitwick. Students were seated according to their assigned numbers.
Interestingly, Hogwarts used a standardized written format not unlike Muggle exams. Professor McGonagall was the invigilator.
Her stern expression and hawk-like gaze doubled the tension in the hall. Most students wilted under the pressure, but not Phineas. His System had gifted him not just spellcasting proficiency, but deep theoretical knowledge—even concepts not formally taught at school.
For him, the first-year exams were no more difficult than a pop quiz.
To prevent cheating, Hogwarts provided special quills, ink bottles, and parchment. All were charmed to block cheating attempts—including trick items like automatic-answering quills.
Before the exam began, Professor McGonagall used a magical scanner to check for potion use, especially enhancers like Buffy's Brain Refresher.
It was clear that the professors spared no effort to ensure fairness.
That said, magic-based cheating was still possible. But anyone capable of pulling that off likely didn't need to cheat in the first place.
When Professor McGonagall turned the large hourglass on the table, the exam officially began.
What kind of spell is "Reparo"?
A. Levitation Charm
B. Unlocking Charm
C. Mending Charm
D. Fire-Making Charm
Write the incantation for the Fire-Making Spell and briefly describe the wand movement.
The entire paper was composed of such questions. Any student who had paid attention in class and grasped the basic principles of spellcasting could do well.
The test lasted an hour, but Phineas, who had mastered spellcasting fundamentals, finished long before that.
Most students, however, struggled. Ravenclaws had the easiest time, their quills scribbling steadily.
Hufflepuffs came next.
Slytherin and Gryffindor lagged behind. Many in both Houses appeared frustrated, frequently scratching out answers, chewing quills, and frowning in deep concentration.
The written exam would be followed by a practical test in the afternoon—focused on actually casting spells.
Compared to the written theory, the hands-on portion was far less intimidating.