Professor Topherdy hadn't expected a paper completed in such a short time to earn a good score. That was precisely why he had offered his kind warning: what if the girl performed poorly, and Tom Riddle, displeased, "suspected" them of having "insider information?" Where would they even begin to seek redress if they were punished?
Clearly, Professor Topherdy didn't understand Tom Riddle at all. Tom Riddle might not concern himself with the superficial appearance of fairness, but he certainly wouldn't be bothered by such trivial matters.
Cassandra handed in her paper, stood, and departed with an air of finality. The remaining examinees watched her leave the hall, each lost in their own thoughts.
Then Malfoy, struck by a sudden "brilliant" idea, slapped his thigh and exclaimed with manufactured restraint, "Too damn easy!"
…
Here we go again…
Predictably, events unfolded as Malfoy had foreseen. Of course, Malfoy, too, was merely putting on a brave face; his purpose…
Harry, rattled by Malfoy's antics but unwilling to be outdone, joined in the boasting. "I saw this yesterday… I saw this yesterday too! Every point I memorized! A guaranteed pass!"
Hmm?
Malfoy's ears perked up subtly. Is Scarhead really that good?!
Each unaware of the other's bluff, they continued trading boasts, attempting to outdo one another.
The result, of course, was predictable: the Malfoy-Harry duo were "expelled from the examination room for disturbing exam discipline and had their exam scores canceled."
After all, the proctor was the scrupulously ethical Professor Topherdy. And they were not Cassandra; Professor Topherdy's tolerance for them was naturally far lower.
"…"
Standing awkwardly outside the now empty examination hall, Harry and Malfoy glared at each other.
"What now?"
"What do you think? We prepare for the next exam. But you can't beat me!"
"I'll return that to you verbatim!"
...
The theoretical part completed, the practical exam began.
The Charms practical involved the Vanishing Charm, a question Professor Flitwick had foreshadowed. After much practice, the students' performance this time was relatively strong: most displayed correct wand movements and standard incantations.
However, the actual results were somewhat lacking. Only a handful of students managed to vanish items like parchment or quills completely. The majority could only manage to make smaller objects disappear, and some couldn't even cast the spell at all.
Cassandra's standard incantation, precise wand movement, and ability to vanish a desk set her apart from the other candidates. Professor Topherdy was particularly impressed, knowing that many adult wizards couldn't achieve the level the girl had just demonstrated.
The Dark Lord's student?
Professor Topherdy silently marked an "O" on her score sheet. This was not an attempt to curry favor with Tom Riddle; the girl genuinely met, or even exceeded, the standard for an "Outstanding."
...
The O.W.L. exams continued as scheduled. Throughout the period, Cassandra proved her worth as the "most powerful wizard's disciple of the era."
The second day's Defense Against the Dark Arts exam consisted of a theoretical section analyzing types of dark magic, defensive principles, and the characteristics and countermeasures against common dark magic creatures. The practical element involved the Protego (Shield Charm).
These posed no great difficulty for Cassandra, especially the Protego (Shield Charm), which she cast with ease, even demonstrating the silent spellcasting technique.
Undoubtedly, O! Full marks!
The evening's Astronomy exam saw her effortlessly reciting star charts and astronomical phenomena, identifying designated celestial bodies, and drawing star charts using a telescope.
Again, O! Full marks!
In the Potions exam, she fluently recited potion recipes, ingredient properties, and concoction taboos, ultimately brewing a perfect "anti-swelling potion" within the allotted time.
Still O! Full marks!
Herbalism involved identifying herb types and preparing herbal formulas on the spot; Transfiguration involved describing the principles of Transformation and turning a cup into a mouse and back again…
While grading the papers, the professors from the Ministry of Magic's Wizarding Examination Authority were truly perplexed.
Cassandra's answers did not precisely match the standard answers. Some of the knowledge she displayed was beyond even the proctoring professors, leaving them utterly dumbfounded. Is that even possible?
However, these were not ordinary wizards; being members of the Wizarding Examination Authority meant they possessed a fairly deep understanding of their respective fields. And so, even though they were baffled by answers they "didn't understand," a little consideration revealed their logic, and they could be reasonably certain they were, in fact, correct!
In such cases, they naturally couldn't mark the answers as wrong; they could only mark one "O" after another on her grade sheet.
Seeing Cassandra's grade sheet filled with "Os," Professor Topherdy, sitting in his temporary office, felt a surge of emotion.
Who was the last person to achieve this level? The most recent one was decades ago—someone named Tang…
Shaking his head, Professor Topherdy, not daring to dwell on the thought, set Cassandra's report card aside and picked up another.
Even though the answers on this one were laughably wrong, he was surprisingly pleased. Only when faced with ordinary students like this did he feel like a professor.
Unlike those monsters, if you're going to be a student, just be a student! How can you possibly know more than me, a professor?
Professor Topherdy smiled, shook his head, and marked a "T" on the report card of the student named "Ron Weasley."
…
A few days after the O.W.L. exams.
The fifth-year students at Hogwarts received their report cards.
Inside the Great Hall.
Cassandra enjoyed her lunch while gazing with satisfaction at her perfectly achieved report card.
Charms: O (Outstanding)
Transfiguration: O (Outstanding)
Potions: O (Outstanding)
Herbalism: O (Outstanding)
Divination: O (Outstanding)
History of Magic: O (Outstanding)
Astronomy: O (Outstanding)
Runes: O (Outstanding)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O (Outstanding)
Perfectly achieved the "All Perfect Scores" task. Go find Tom Riddle for your reward!
While Cassandra smugly pondered whether she might employ some "tricks" during her upcoming unicorn hunt with Tom Riddle…
Harry and Malfoy were locked in a fierce stare-down, their four eyes creating a palpable tension.
"Hmph! Scarhead, why don't you just admit defeat now? You'll only humiliate yourself later."
"Enough talk! Do you dare to open it?!"
"I'll open it!"
The two gritted their teeth and flipped over their covered report cards!
---
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