Soon, Hogwarts welcomed the final exams of the academic year. On the morning of the first test, Alan and the Slytherin students gathered in the common room. Alan stood on the familiar stone platform, looking down at the neatly dressed and solemn young wizards.
"Today is the moment to test our achievements. A final exam may not measure a person's total ability, but it serves as the most intuitive witness to your progress and the results of your hard work. This is the goal Slytherin has strived for together for an entire year. Now is the time to see the results. From today on, you will use your grades and abilities to show the glory of Slytherin to everyone. Victory above all!" Alan declared, his voice filled with power.
"Victory above all! Glory belongs to Slytherin!"
Every young wizard in the stone hall shouted in unison. The sound waves converged into echoes that reverberated through the dungeon. Their expressions were not as wild as one might imagine; instead, they remained calm with a hint of quiet determination, as if they were stating a foregone conclusion rather than chasing an ideal.
"Depart," Alan said.
Starting from the senior students, everyone lined up in neat queues and walked out of the House. Soon, the columns merged into a dark green stream of people. Other students on the way to the examination halls looked at this procession; they had grown accustomed to the Slytherin queues over the months. This habit had lasted so long that it had even influenced the other Houses, who now unconsciously formed lines when walking through the corridors. However, the Slytherin queue today brought a particularly solemn atmosphere. Just by looking at them, one could feel a chilling focus.
The final exams unfolded over four days. Because of the many subjects involved, one was tested in the morning and two in the afternoon. Alan also took the O.W.L. exams this year, but he chose only four subjects: Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures. He had little desire for a mountain of certificates; passing too many subjects would only mean a heavier course load in his sixth year. He wanted to ensure he had more free time over the next two years.
As the exams progressed, the Slytherin students began to experience the accuracy of the Academy Committee's predictions. Most of the questions for each grade had been guessed correctly, and many of the standard answers were identical to those in the review handbooks provided by the subject representatives. This gave them the impression that the Hogwarts exams were much simpler than expected—not even as difficult as their own monthly House exams. The fifth-year examinees, thanks to Alan's special attention, found that nearly all the O.W.L. content had been summarized for them, bolstering their confidence.
As the tests concluded, the results were quickly graded. Except for the fifth and seventh-year exams handled by the Wizarding Examinations Authority, the Professors could see the scores for the other years immediately. In the Hogwarts faculty lounge, the Slytherin transcripts caused a sensation.
"E, E, O, E, O, O... Merlin's beard, what has happened to the Slytherin students this year? Forget failing, I haven't seen a single student even drop to a 'Pass' grade," Professor Sinistra of Astronomy remarked, staring at a transcript with an incredulous expression.
"Yes, Slytherin is truly amazing this year. I was already surprised to see them become so disciplined, but I didn't expect their exam results to be so astonishing," Professor McGonagall added. As the Head of Gryffindor, she always appreciated motivated students, and her impression of Slytherin had changed significantly.
"Minerva, are their grades in Transfiguration also...?" Professor Sinistra asked.
"Indeed. Everyone scored an 'E' or above, and many achieved an 'O'. From their usual performance, I could see they were making rapid progress, but the final results are still impressive." Professor McGonagall nodded with a smile.
"Merlin's beard, did Professor Snape feed them a unified intelligence-boosting potion this year?" Professor Sinistra joked.
"Cough! Cough!" Professor Flitwick suddenly coughed twice, gesturing toward the door.
Professor Sinistra turned and saw Snape standing at the entrance, looking at her with downcast eyes and a calm expression. Caught in the act, she gave an awkward smile, and Flitwick moved to smooth things over.
"Congratulations, Severus. Your young wizards' results are truly remarkable this year. In the Charms exam, almost everyone perfectly completed the spellcasting. I heard the average score for several subjects is above 'E'. For many years, I haven't seen such a feat even from Ravenclaw. Do you have a secret?"
Snape remained calm as he walked over and sat down, looking at Flitwick indifferently. "Nothing of the sort. This merely shows their natural standard. Fortunately, they didn't disgrace the House." He then glanced at Sinistra. "As for a secret, it is certainly not a 'messy potion.' No matter what one drinks, it is impossible to cast spells so smoothly for days on end."
The surrounding professors gave awkward laughs. Professor Sinistra rolled her eyes, while Flitwick grimaced in amusement. *Didn't you see how your House was acting a few years ago?* Flitwick thought. *How are you putting on airs now? You're pretending not to care, but your mouth is nearly twitching with pride. We all know this is Alan's doing. If you weren't lucky enough to have such a student, your House would still be eating dirt.*
Indeed, Snape's expression was quite contorted. His eyes were filled with triumph and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he forced it back, causing his cheeks to twitch uncontrollably.
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