Ron frowned, still confused.
"But we're just students, not patients. Why do we need a physical exam? And why has Uncle Wilson become so strange since he became a professor? I always thought he was kind."
Neville, standing nearby, smiled warmly.
"Uncle Wilson is strict when he's serious, but he's usually very nice, and his cooking is great."
Harry, curious, wondered if Neville actually knew the professor well.
"Do you spend a lot of time with him?" he asked.
Neville nodded.
"Yeah! Uncle Wilson is friends with my parents. When I visit his house, he gives me some training to build a good foundation."
Ron's eyes lit up.
"Really? Have you learned a lot of magic from him? Ever made clouds disappear? That sounds awesome!"
Neville shook his head shyly.
"No, Uncle Wilson says it's best not to cast spells before you have your own wand. It's dangerous and you could hurt yourself. Usually, he just has me running, swimming, and practicing swordplay."
Hermione looked puzzled.
"Sword practice? You're a wizard, why use a sword? Doesn't that seem a bit old-fashioned?"
Neville shrugged.
"I don't know, maybe it's just to build my physical strength. Either way, I'm always exhausted after training."
The conversation ended there as the group prepared to move on.
"After hearing what you said, I can already picture how miserable our lives are going to be," Ron sighed dramatically.
"Stop complaining, we're here!"
The seventh-year prefect leading the group announced after the meeting, "Next, the boys will head to medical examination room number [-] up front, and the girls will go to physical examination room number. Hurry up, everyone!
This part is almost done, then we have to move on."
With that, the male and female seventh-year prefects began organizing the students into lines.
They carefully guided the younger wizards inside in an orderly fashion while those waiting continued to line up outside.
Meanwhile, two sixth-year prefects waited by the other exit of the classroom, ready to escort the students out to the next room once inspections were complete.
These procedures had been practiced the night before, so everything ran smoothly without seeming awkward.
The first physical exam room could accommodate five people at once, and the pace was fairly quick.
Soon, it was Harry's dorm's turn.
After a few first-years stepped inside, they noticed the room had probably been converted from a classroom.
Several desks were stacked to one side, and a row of strange equipment lined the front.
He recognized one device. It looked a lot like the scales he'd seen in the Muggle world.
"Brother David! I didn't expect you to be the one inspecting us! Shouldn't you be at the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica?" Ron called out excitedly upon seeing the figure seated inside.
"Ah... Ron, Neville," David smiled warmly as they entered. "The shop won't be that busy once school starts, so Alex asked Vivian to watch over Diagon Alley. I was called here to give you all your medical exams."
He stood and pointed to the scale-like device beside him.
"Everyone, take off your shirts and shoes and stand here. I'll record your height and weight, then perform the physical exam."
"Brother David, since when did you switch careers to become a doctor? You're even doing physicals now?" Ron asked, clearly surprised.
David chuckled as he patted the device.
"I don't have any special abilities with this," he said. "These machines are designed to check your physical health. My job is just to record the results."
David then pointed to the equipment nearby and explained, "This scale-like machine measures your height, weight, and body fat. The one next to it requires you to look up, it tests your eyesight.
Behind that, there's a device with a hole on top where you put your hand; it checks your lumen and blood type. Finally, you stand inside this cabinet-like machine, which gives a full health exam to make sure you're fit.
Based on your results, Alex will decide how intense your training should be. Although it sounds simple, his training is actually very tough!"
"Wow, that sounds amazing!" Ron said, clearly impressed.
Even though he didn't fully understand the technical details, the flashing lights and high-tech look of the machines made it obvious these were advanced tools.
Harry stepped forward next, curious.
"You said these machines can measure our magic power? Is that really possible?"
He looked at Eevee, thinking about what Alex had explained before.
Naturally, he was very interested in how the magical creatures' three main elements could be measured.
David smiled warmly.
"You kids are really lucky. When Alex first created the 'Magic Meter,' he had to draw blood from people, that was pretty scary back then. Now, it's all done with non-invasive tests, so it's much easier and even kind of fun."
Harry, Ron, Neville, and the others exchanged surprised looks.
So this technology wasn't brand new, but it still felt cutting-edge.
One by one, the young wizards took their turns with the tests.
The whole process was quick and simple. Just standing there for a moment, it almost felt unreal how casually their health was being checked.
After recording everyone's information, David didn't linger.
Without much small talk, he led them out through a back door.
Outside, the sixth-year male prefect was already waiting.
After giving some directions, he let the group carry on on their own.
The second project's inspection point wasn't far from where they were standing, and the long line outside the inspection room was hard to miss.
This new checkpoint took much longer than the previous one, but luckily, Harry and the others didn't have to wait too long before they were called in one by one.
The room itself was clearly much bigger than the last classroom they'd been in, and it was filled with quite a bit of equipment.
At the front was a table holding something that looked like a crystal ball, and beside it was a machine that resembled a treadmill.
There was also a balance beam about ten meters long and a meter high, and a complex setup with several dumbbells linked together.
Surprisingly, the person overseeing the physical examination was none other than the familiar dog Fang.
He was even wearing a white coat, tail and all, and greeted them with a friendly smile.
"So, it's Ron and Neville, and this lucky little brother," Fang chuckled when he saw them.
But then his expression quickly changed as he slammed his paws on the table.
"Stand there! Why aren't you coming over here quickly?"
Ron immediately got upset.
"Fang, you trickster! You're the one who lied to us about getting a good blind box with some transfer ritual, right?"
Fang waved his paws dismissively.
"Well, maybe you're just too gullible to believe such things. Besides, that's between me and your brothers, why are you involved?"
Then Fang seemed to realize something.
"Wait, those two boys told you what I said? Actually, George and Fred were the ones who lied to you. Why are you mad at me? Are you trying to challenge me?"
He stretched out a paw with a sly grin, adopting a fierce look.
Ron, realizing he couldn't out-argue the dog, just stomped his
He stomped his feet in frustration.
"Enough talking! Get over here for your check-up. Time's precious, Mr. Fang," he said proudly, pointing at Harry.
"You're up next, come on!"
"Me? Oh, alright!" Harry replied, stepping forward.
Harry walked forward in a daze until he reached the other side, as Fang had signaled.
He stared blankly at the dog in front of him.
"Stretch out your hands and hold the big ball in front of you. Yes, just keep it like that," Fang instructed.
Harry did as told, and Fang, holding a clipboard, carefully watched the changes in the crystal ball, jotting down notes.
After about ten seconds of holding the ball, Harry looked at Fang, puzzled.
"What are you checking? Do I just keep doing this?"
"Hey, since you're the more attractive one here, Master Fang will explain," the dog replied.
"I'm giving you a magic sensitivity rating."
After a pause, Fang narrowed his eyes and said proudly, "It's not as simple as you think. The earlier physical exam was routine, anyone with eyes and the ability to record data can do that.
But here, the inspector needs sharp insight and experience to judge the strengths and weaknesses of your various qualities."
Honestly, at that moment, Harry wasn't sure if Fang was telling the truth or just bragging.
Either way, the dog's smug expression was as irritating as ever.