Chapter 271 Homework and Trials
After some friendly consultation, Levi finally negotiated the conditions for serving as a Professor with Headmaster Dumbledore.
The two left the Headmaster's Office and attended the welcome-back banquet in the Great Hall together.
"My dear children!"
Headmaster Dumbledore cast Sonorus on himself and announced loudly:
"Before the welcome-back banquet begins, I have two things to announce first!
First, our Defense Against the Dark Arts class Professor, Mr. Gellert von Vitez, has temporarily left his post due to personal matters!"
The Great Hall was silent; the young wizards were not surprised by Headmaster Dumbledore's news.
Because at the teachers' table during the banquet, they hadn't seen Professor Vitez.
Coupled with the Curse on this position and the frequent personnel changes regarding it over the past year and a half,
they were already used to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class Professor always changing to some new faces!
"Secondly, the Professor position cannot remain vacant. After discussion, we specially invite student Levi Keynes to serve as the Defense Against the Dark Arts classProfessor. Everyone, please give him a round of applause in welcome!"
Dumbledore took a deep breath, announced the appointment of Levi, and looked worriedly at the young wizards of the four houses below the podium.
He was truly worried that appointing Levi as a Professorwould be hard to convince the public, making Leviunwelcome among everyone.
But to his surprise, as soon as the news he announced was spoken, the young wizards from the first to third years across all four houses all simultaneously broke into applause!
The majority of the people applauded (there were over a hundred in the first year), and even if some young wizards from the fourth to seventh years found Levi unpleasing to the eye, they had no choice but to follow along and applaud.
Wonderful, Levi was indeed welcomed by everyone!
Headmaster Dumbledore excitedly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his fingers, and his hanging heart finally relaxed!
"Thank you, thank you everyone for your support. I will definitely be a good Defense Against the Dark Arts classProfessor and earnestly teach everyone magic!"
Levi also stood up at the right time, facing everyone's applause, slightly bowed to express his gratitude.
His two roommates beside him clapped the hardest. After Levi sat down, they asked Levi with full anticipation on their faces:
"Levi, tell us, are the two of us your good roommates?"
Levi looked suspiciously at the two clowns Michael and Anthony, not knowing what these two guys wanted to say, but still reluctantly nodded:
"Consider them so, if you ignore the fact that the two of you always oversleep, snore, talk in your sleep..."
"Stop!" Hearing this, Michael and Anthony blushed and hurriedly stopped Levi. If he kept going, they wouldn't even be able to remain friends!
Levi was just joking anyway. With bed curtains existing, they actually didn't disturb each other.
"Then after you become the Defense Against the Dark Arts class Professor," Michael rubbed his hands together like a fly, wearing a flattering smile on his face.
"Can you...?" Anthony started to speak but stopped, a trace of embarrassment hanging on his face.
"Not leave us with any after-school homework!"
Michael finally revealed his true intentions, his eyes shining brightly as he voiced his idea of taking the backdoor!
"Don't want after-school homework?"
Hearing this, Levi raised an eyebrow and looked around, finding that other young wizards were also pricking up their ears to listen to the conversation between him and his two roommates.
"You can, no problem!"
"However, capital punishment can be avoided, but living punishment is inescapable. If you two want to skip after-school homework, you must pass my trial!"
He was just worrying about how to launch his unique magic teaching, and his two roommates' requests could be said to have handed him a ladder. He immediately said loudly to the two of them, and even to the surrounding people:
"Not just you two, I have always treated everyone equally. No matter which grade or which house young wizards belong to, as long as they pass my trial, they don't have to do after-school homework!"
Hearing Levi's words, the surrounding young wizards were instantly shocked!
No after-school homework—such a thing was something they simply wouldn't dare to imagine!
"Levi, is what you said true?"
"Don't have you use the Head of Houses and others to pressure us when we pass the trial!"
The Weasley Twins chimed in one after another, purposely questioning him. They could certainly tell that Levi said it so loudly on purpose just to promote his teaching methods.
"Of course, I have already obtained Headmaster Dumbledore's consent, and my teaching will not be interfered with by anyone!"
"Pass my trial, and you won't have to write my after-school homework!"
With the Weasley Twins acting as his straight men, Leviquickly acknowledged it formally.
Not doing after-school homework—how could that be possible?
He had already stood in the rain, did others still want to hold an umbrella?!
If they wanted to easily pass his trial, wouldn't all those magic puppets he refined before have been refined in vain?
The young wizards of this school had no idea about the bad ideas Levi was holding back in his heart.
Hearing Levi's personal acknowledgment, they instantly thought they could easily pass the trial and wouldn't have to do homework in the future, cheering immediately:
"That's wonderful, Levi, you are the best Defense Against the Dark Arts class Professor!"
"Levi, you are truly our own people!"
At the teachers' table in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and watched the cheering young wizards of the four houses below the podium with a stern face.
She couldn't help but say to Headmaster Dumbledore with deep concern:
"Albus, is there really no problem with Levi doing this?"
"If the students don't do after-school homework, how should the knowledge learned in class be consolidated? Is doing this..."
"Minerva, you must trust Levi," Headmaster Dumbledorelooked at the rowdy young wizards below the podium with a face full of smiles:
"I know you have the students' best interests at heart, but Levi is ultimately the Defense Against the Dark Arts classProfessor after all. I shouldn't interfere with his teaching methods!"
"Besides, do you think Levi will let this group of children easily pass his trial?"
Saying this, Headmaster Dumbledore playfully winked at Professor McGonagall.
Receiving the hint, Professor McGonagall suddenly came to a realization:
That's right, given Levi's mischievousness and magical attainments, how could anyone easily pass the trials he set up?
When they failed to pass the trial, the young wizards would still have to write the after-school homework assigned by Levi.
Moreover, through the tempering of the trial, the young wizards could instead be tempered and practice their level of casting magic. In this way, it turned out to be a good thing serving multiple purposes at once!
Thinking of this, Professor McGonagall suddenly felt that Headmaster Dumbledore appointing Levi as the Defense Against the Dark Arts class Professor was truly a wise move!
Professor McGonagall no longer voiced opposition, but Professor Snape had something to say.
But before he could sarcastically mock them, Headmaster Dumbledore spoke again in a consultative tone to the Professors at the teachers' table:
"Actually, I have one more matter here to discuss with you all, and I hope you won't mind too much!"
Chapter 272 Tower Spirit No. 2
Headmaster, if you don't say what the matter is, how can we mind?"
Professor Snape's tone was full of sarcasm.
He had coveted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor for a long time, but he hadn't expected Dumbledore to prefer handing this position to a young wizard rather than letting him take it on concurrently.
"It's like this," faced with Professor Snape's sarcasm, Headmaster Dumbledore's old face showed a trace of helplessness as he had to state the conditions he had agreed upon with Levi:
"Everything else is negotiable, but we need to coordinate a lot more with you regarding the schedule."
"Aside from adjusting the class schedule, Levi hopes that you won't assign him any more homework after class, otherwise, he won't even have time to prepare his lessons!"
Yet unexpectedly, after hearing Headmaster Dumbledore's words, Professor Snape sneered repeatedly:
"He hasn't even become a Professor yet, and he's already starting to negotiate conditions!"
"I increasingly feel that letting Levi, a young wizard, a child, become the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, is not a good idea!"
"You can't put it that way," Professor Flitwick hurriedly backed his good student, defending Levi:
"Those of us who are Professors also know how deep Levi's proficiency in magic is now; he basically no longer needs homework to consolidate his knowledge!"
"Since completing homework is wasting Levi's time, I declare here that Levi no longer needs to complete my homework!"
Professor Flitwick's words made complete sense, and he was the first to make his stance clear.
"Filius is right. With Levi's proficiency in Transfiguration, he truly doesn't need to complete my homework!"
Professor McGonagall, who favored Levi, also expressed agreement, and couldn't help sighing:
How much time had passed? The little boy who used to be picked on at the orphanage had now become a Professor!
The Head of Houses of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor agreed. The gentle Professor Sprout, as the Head of House of Hufflepuff, naturally also expressed agreement, and Professors of other subjects followed suit.
Since everyone agreed, Headmaster Dumbledore could only helplessly cast his gaze toward Professor Snape, who had not yet expressed his stance.
"Why are you all looking at me?
If Levi doesn't hand in his homework, what else can I do to him?
He's already a Professor now!"
Professor Snape said ungraciously.
Can this Hogwarts ever be good?
Why is it full of connections, backdoors, favoritism, and workplace ostracism!
I, Severus Snape, a dignified Potion Professor, trembling with anger all day long, when on earth will I be able to stand tall?!
Amidst the lively cheers of everyone celebrating for Levi, the second-year return-to-school banquet thus came to an end.
The night was deep, and Hogwarts Castle was silent. Leviwalked out of the Ravenclaw tower and walked towards an old classroom without any concealment of his figure.
He was different from the past now; he was a Professornow!
Back when he was a student, when Levi went night-walking in Hogwarts Castle, he had to hide here and there to avoid the sight of castle caretaker Filch.
Now that he was a Professor, if he still needed to avoid Filch, wouldn't his position as a Professor be for nothing?
Therefore, Levi not only walked brazenly in the castle, but also deliberately used the Dancing Lights spell to summon a ball of light to illuminate himself.
That blatant appearance, wishing he could glow all over, could simply be described in two words — courting death!
In a short while, accompanied by a heavy panting sound, Filch, carrying a kerosene lamp, tracked down the light and reprimanded Levi with a furious face:
"Levi, you young wizard are too bold! How dare you night-walk so blatantly! Do you still have any regard for the school rules? Let's go! Come with me to see Professor McGonagall!"
"Hey! Hey! Wait a minute! Take a good look at who I am?!"
Levi stood in place with a punch-me face, motionless, deliberately placing the ball of light in front of him to illuminate his face so Filch could see more clearly:
"I, Levi Keynes, am now the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor! The double-flower red pole of Hogwarts!"
"Mr. Filch, the school rules in your mouth probably can't apply to me anymore!"
Filch's complexion was extremely ugly, although this fellow didn't look very good-looking to begin with.
He certainly didn't understand what the "double-flower red pole" in Levi's mouth meant, but he also understood that Levi Keynes, as a Professor, was indeed no longer bound by the school rules and could "legally" night-walk!
"Humph!"
He could only snort coldly, ignoring Levi, walking past Levias if he didn't see him, while muttering softly:
"Making a student a Professor, what absolute nonsense!"
Levi naturally heard Filch's soft muttering, but he didn't mind it in the least, skipping straight towards his goal.
The abandoned classroom he was going to was actually right next door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classclassroom.
Pushing his wand, he undid the magic hiding the classroom. Levi walked in and used a cleaning spell to clean the entire abandoned classroom once.
Looking around the abandoned classroom, Levi nodded with satisfaction, summoned "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", opened the Compendium Space, and released a magic puppet.
"Master, Tower Spirit Two at your service!"
Tower Spirit Two, made from Voldemort's soul crystal, bowed and saluted to Levi.
"Mm," Levi looked over the robot-like Tower Spirit Two, nodding with satisfaction.
During the Christmas holiday, Levi had left Tower Spirit One in the manor castle, controlling the magic puppets, responsible for protecting the manor and the unfinished wizard tower.
Although through the communication technology of the hero king game, he could communicate with Tower Spirit One in real-time.
However, without a Tower Spirit assisting by his side, there were inevitably many inconveniences.
Moreover, adding another Tower Spirit could double the computing power and deductive capability, so Levi had turned the soul crystal of Voldemort's lingering soul into Tower Spirit Two to carry with him.
"I want to set up a trial ground. You will cooperate with me to complete it, and thereafter preside over the trials inside!"
Levi said to Tower Spirit Two, pointing his wand at his temple, drawing out a silver thread of memory, stuffing it into Tower Spirit Two, and conveying his complete idea to the Tower Spirit.
"Mission received. Designing the layout plan for the trial ground. Please, Master, cast the Undetectable Extension Charm to expand the venue!"
Tower Spirit Two accepted Levi's idea. After calculation and deduction, it first asked Levi to expand the abandoned classroom somewhat.
"You're actually starting to boss me around," Levi couldn't help cursing with a smile. Between the waving of his wand, one Undetectable Extension Charm after another fell into the abandoned classroom...
Chapter 273: Reborn as a Professor at Hogwarts
Levi suddenly felt that if his second-year experiences were a Harry Potter fanfiction, it could simply be titled:
"Reborn as a Professor at Hogwarts"
According to the curriculum schedule, his very first class as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor was to teach the seventh-grade young wizards of the four Houses.
Time was so tight, and the task was so heavy!
So much so that before class, Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall came together to cram at the last minute, imparting some insights on being a Professor to Levi, fearing that Levi wouldn't be able to hold down the fort.
"I'm not worried about the children from the other Houses," Professor Flitwick said to Levi with a worried expression after sharing his experience:
"I'm just afraid that over in Slytherin, Severus won't give a heads-up, but instead go even further to let them..."
"Filius," Professor McGonagall stopped Professor Flitwick's words, telling him not to speak words that undermine unity, and then turned to comfort Levi:
"Levi, you don't need to worry too much; just perform as usual! I believe that even seventh-grade students are inferior to you in their mastery of magic!"
Hearing this, Levi smiled, nodded slightly to the two Professors with a grateful look, and said with full confidence:
"Of course, Professor McGonagall, just wait and see!"
"Professor Flitwick, thank you for your help as well. Mere Slytherin is nothing more than my defeated opponent from my first year!"
"The enemies defeated by my hands are never regarded as rivals by me. I give them time to catch up, until they can no longer see me in the distance."
"Now, I am merely imparting some experience to the pursuers behind me!"
After finishing these words, Levi, standing straight with his chest puffed out and his hands behind his back in front of the two Professors, could be said to be radiating supreme arrogance!
"Yes, exactly like that!"
Hearing Levi's words, Professor Flitwick was extremely thrilled. His small stature was filled with strength as he waved his fists to cheer Levi on!
Professor McGonagall also nodded with a smile, looking at Levi admiringly, feeling that she could rest easy.
"Two Professors, I am going to start my class!"
Levi bade farewell to the two Professors, and before pushing open the door to enter the classroom, he didn't forget to turn back and flash them one last confident smile.
Walking into the classroom, it was completely quiet, with only the rustling sound of turning pages and pen tips friction.
Stepping onto the podium, Levi looked down from above, taking in every student's action and everyone's expression:
Hufflepuff Wizards were burying their heads in self-study. The teaching quality of Hogwarts's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was worrying, and since the seventh grade had to face the N.E.W.T.s, they could only study hard on their own.
The senior students from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were looking up at him with great interest, their faces showing encouraging expressions.
Obviously, the seventh-grade young wizards of these three Houses had received advance greetings from their respective Head of Houses and were welcoming Levi with their own attitudes.
On the contrary, Slytherin's attitude showed a trend of polarization.
One group of people had been brutally beaten by Levibecause of Malfoy's incident last semester, and still had shadows in their hearts, sitting obediently in their seats.
There was another group of people who, because Professor Snape had given a heads-up, were racking their brains to find ways to make things difficult for Levi.
The seventh-grade young wizards of the four Houses gathered together, numbering only about thirty people in this classroom. Seeing every single person clearly was of zero pressure to Levi.
"I know what you are all thinking?"
Levi spoke in a calm voice, his clear tone exceptionally distinct in the quiet classroom:
"You're all wondering why a second-year young wizard like me is qualified to teach senior students like you who are about to graduate in the seventh grade, right?"
"I'm not going to lecture you on grand principles like learning has no age, and specialization has its own mastery."
"I'll show you a trick; if any of you feel you can achieve it, you completely don't have to come to my class!"
"Snap!"
Levi snapped his fingers, and a large mass of water materialized out of thin air, rolling endlessly above everyone's heads. The boundless magic contained within it, along with this wandless and nonverbal spellcasting stunt, truly shocked everyone in the classroom!
However, what made their jaws drop even further was yet to come:
They saw that water flow winding and rolling in the air, and accompanied by a desolate dragon roar, it turned into a frost giant dragon, surrounding them in the center!
Those lifelike scales and texture, along with the naturally emanating ice mist and dragon might...
Truly made everyone suspect whether Levi had really conjured up a kind of ice dragon that had never appeared in the entire world, demonstrating his strength and authority to everyone!
"Snap!"
With another snap, everyone watched in astonishment as the frost dragon slowly vanished like a Mew illusion!
"The space in the classroom is limited, so I won't demonstrate the power of this frost dragon to you!"
"How about it? Is there any senior student who feels they can do this?"
Levi asked with a smiling face and expectant eyes toward beneath the podium.
But down below, there was dead silence, especially those Wizards from Slytherin who had previously shown provocative expressions; now they all obediently lowered their heads, afraid that Levi would notice them.
"It seems there isn't?"
Levi's smile remained, and changing his tune, he said formally:
"Then starting from now, I am everyone's Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor! Now class officially begins!"
"You are all seventh-grade students at Hogwarts, facing the seventh-grade N.E.W.T.s."
"However, due to some well-known reasons that cannot be spoken of, the teaching quality of our Hogwarts's Defense Against the Dark Arts class has always been shockingly poor!"
"Hehe~" When Levi reached this point, a burst of laughter came from below.
One Professor a year was inevitably uneven, especially in the last two years, they were practically coming and going like revolving doors!
Where was the teaching quality of Hogwarts's Defense Against the Dark Arts class shockingly poor?
It clearly had no quality at all!
Levi didn't mind the students' laughter. With a wave of his hand, he conjured a stack of test papers, distributed them with a wave, and said:
"Therefore, in order to understand everyone's learning situation, I have prepared a set of test papers. Please answer them attentively."
"Later, based on everyone's score feedback, I will teach students in accordance with their aptitude and formulate a specialized teaching plan. Now please start answering the questions!"
After the test papers were distributed, everyone began to answer patiently. However, a Gryffindor Wizard raised his hand and asked Levi:
"Professor Li Wei Keens, didn't you say before that as long as one passes your test, they don't have to do homework after class?"
Levi nodded, and then asked with great surprise:
"That's right, but this isn't homework, it's an in-class quiz, and you haven't passed the test yet!"
Hearing this, the smile on that Gryffindor Wizard's face stiffened, but he still continued to ask curiously:
"Professor, what is your test? Can you tell us?"
The conversation between the two instantly attracted those who were answering the questions. They also raised their heads and looked at Levi with curious eyes.
"What are you all looking at me for? Look at the questions!"
Levi reprimanded everyone with annoyance, and further said to the Gryffindor Wizard:
"The testing venue is right in the next-door classroom. Push open the door and go in to participate in the test, but right now, hurry up and answer the questions for me!"
Chapter 274: Trial Classroom
"Alright, class is almost over. Collect the papers!"
After exchanging a few words about the trial, Levi watched everyone finish answering the test papers until class ended:
"After class, I hope everyone will review their seven-year learning journey and patch up any deficiencies.
Think about what Dark Arts, what dark magical creatures and plants, or other aspects you lack an understanding of and lack countermeasures for."
"Before the next class, write an essay at least one foot long and hand it in to me!"
With that, Levi waved his wand, and the test papers on everyone's desks flew toward Levi like swallows returning to their nests.
Hearing that they had to submit homework after class, the seventh-year Wizards immediately became restless, especially the Gryffindor Wizard from before, who hurriedly asked:
"Professor, can we take the trial now?"
Seeing the expectant looks everyone cast at him, Leviknew what these people were up to.
Of course he had no objection. Setting up this trial in the first place was to enhance the practical combat abilities of the young wizards, so he nodded immediately:
"That's right, follow me now!"
"My promise remains valid; as long as you pass the trial, you can be excused from the after-class assignment!"
Upon hearing this, the people in the classroom instantly broke into smiles, and the Gryffindor Wizard even shouted, "Fantastic!"
The crowd swarmed out of the classroom with Levi, arriving at the door of the abandoned classroom next door.
The entrance to the classroom had been completely renovated by Levi, and a sign was hung above it, with the two words "Trial Classroom" written on it.
Levi opened the classroom door, and what appeared before everyone was not a decorated classroom, but a whirlpool-like misty entrance, full of a vibe that set one's imagination running wild, resembling a portal to another world.
"This…"
The Wizards from the four houses couldn't help looking at each other in dismay, feeling a bit apprehensive inside. Just looking at this entrance, they could tell that ProfessorKeens's trial seemed a bit extraordinary!
"Who's going first?"
Levi wore a smile, with a mysterious expression, looking expectantly at the crowd, and didn't forget to remind them:
"Rest assured, although the trial grounds I set up are a bit dangerous, protective measures are definitely in place. At most, you will get a little injured, and you will definitely not die!"
That didn't sound safe at all!
Everyone couldn't help complaining internally, but among the Wizards of the four houses, there was never a lack of brave souls, especially that Gryffindor Wizard from before, who was already a bit impatient!
"Professor, I'll go! I want to take the trial first!"
Raising his hand, he squeezed out of the crowd and walked up to Levi, his face full of eagerness and excitement for the upcoming adventure.
"OK!" Levi stepped away from the door of the Trial Classroom, and while watching the Gryffindor Wizard go in, he reminded him:
"This trial can be exited halfway. You just need to shout exit, or jump into the water in the scenario, and the magicset in the classroom will pull you out!"
To achieve this return effect, Levi specially used the special Floo Powder from the Spatial MOD, scattering it throughout the Trial Classroom.
As long as one of the above two special conditions was met, this special Floo Powder would be triggered, teleporting them back to the classroom door.
"Don't worry, Professor, I will never give up! There are no cowards in Gryffindor!"
Hearing Levi's reminder and associating it with the reason for such a reminder, the Wizard couldn't help shivering, but still loudly shouted his challenge declaration!
"Commendable courage," Levi nodded with a smile, exerted force with his hand, and fiercely pushed the Wizard into the classroom!
The whirlpool-like misty entrance rushed toward him. By the time the Wizard came to his senses, he found that he was already standing on the bank of a river bend.
What's going on?
Didn't I enter the Trial Classroom set up by Levi?
Gideon Worsley stood bewildered in place, looking around. Behind him was a wide and impassable river, and in front of him was a dense jungle.
He was standing at a river bend, with a path in front of him leading straight into the depths of the jungle. However, the surroundings were sunny, filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers, and the soft light unconsciously relaxed his mood.
"So, this really is a trial set up by Professor Keens, and not a botched Apparition that teleported me somewhere?"
Worsley found it hard to believe and deeply suspicious, testing the waters as he walked along the path deeper into the jungle.
After all, the large river behind him was simply too turbulent; just looking at it, one could tell it was an inaccessible place.
Having stayed in the Hogwarts castle for a long time, especially with the gloomy and rainy climate of the British Isles, it inevitably made people feel depressed and unhappy.
Now walking on the path through the forest filled with birdsong, fragrant flowers, and bright sunshine, Worsley even happily hummed a wizarding world ballad!
"If this is the trial Levi spoke of, it's not very difficult at all!
Could the so-called trial be to make me find the way back to Hogwarts?"
Worsley thought to himself as he hummed his tune. As he walked, he suddenly noticed that someone seemed to be lying face down on the grass beside the path ahead.
"Hmm?"
Worsley couldn't help slowing his pace, guessing inwardly, could it be a fainted traveler?
He gripped his wand tightly, approached, leaned down, and checked the person's condition, but before he had time to reach out, his face flushed slightly.
That beautiful figure lay face down among the grass by the side of the road, surrounded by a fragrance that was hard to tell whether it was of flowers or grass.
Her long jet-black hair was scattered over the green grass. Because she was only wearing short sleeves and shorts, her snow-white, slender arms and long legs were all brightly exposed to Worsley's eyes.
Accompanied by that fragrant aura, it made Worsley, an eighteen-year-old youth, let his imagination run wild and generate fantasies!
"Miss, wake up, are you alright?"
Although Worsley couldn't help imagining the plot of a hero saving a beauty, he still hadn't forgotten about saving people.
He was about to wave his wand to cast the Levitation Charm to rescue the fainted beautiful girl from the ground, but stopped his action because he remembered the existence of the Statute of Secrecy.
"The Statute of Secrecy! What a hassle!"
"Transfigure swiftly, Aguamenti!"
Worsley couldn't help complaining, and then waved his wand, turning a blade of grass into a cup, and summoned water to fill it.
Putting his wand away, he brewed up some emotion and reached out, wanting to pick up the beautiful girl and hold her in his arms.
At this moment, Worsley completely forgot that he was very likely in the trial set by Levi, and his heart was full of fantasies about the good deed of a hero saving a beauty.
He bent down, reached out to carefully support the girl's shoulders, forcefully turned her body over, and half-hugged her into his arms, intending to check her injuries.
But at the very moment her face turned over, Worsley's self-perceived sunny smile froze instantly!
This was by no means any fainted beautiful girl!
It was clearly a terrifying Inferi with a horrifying face!
Pale flesh swollen, rotting and everted, with fat maggots writhing in the rotting flesh!
Muddy, blackened pus slowly dripped down her cracked jaw!
Her lips had long since rotted into ragged pieces, revealing a row of jagged teeth and a decayed skull!
Her hair was full of mud and putrid liquid, and a cold, decaying stench rushed over her face, drilling straight into Worsley's nasal cavity!
The Inferi's eyelids were ulcerated and everted, and its two grayish-white, muddy eyeballs protruded outward, staring right at him!
"Ah!!!"
Worsley was scared out of his wits. His body's instinct had already taken over, pushing the Inferi in his arms away!
Under the immense fear, his hair stood on end, his scalp went numb, and he was already frozen in place!
The pushed-away Inferi crashed heavily onto the grass, its rotting skin making squishing sounds, but it got up, waved its two dark-green arms, and lunged at Worsley who was stunned in place!
"Ah!!!"
Worsley let out another soul-shaken scream, retreating flustered and clumsily, but tripped over something unknown, and fell heavily to the ground!
Yet he couldn't feel any pain at all, only caring about scrambling up with hands and feet in utter panic, extremely disheveled, and turning to run!
He ran, it chased, he had no wings to fly!
Fleeing for his life, Worsley completely forgot the possibility that he was in a trial, and even forgot that he was a Wizard who could draw his wand to fight back!
His mind was a blank slate, and in his ears there was only the dragging footsteps of the Inferi behind him and that ubiquitous stench of decay!
The Inferi chased Worsley all the way to the bank of the large river.
The turbulent river blocked Worsley's way forward, and also reflected his sweaty, utterly despairing face!
"Don't! Don't come over! I-I-I…"
Worsley watched in terror as the terrifying Inferi closed in step by step.
Fear threw his brain into total chaos; whatever hero saving a beauty, whatever trial, whatever rules about exiting and jumping into the river to leave, at this moment, were all completely forgotten by Worsley.
Fortunately, at the very last moment, the utterly despairing Worsley finally remembered that he was a Wizard and he still had a wand!
Worsley flusteredly fumbled around in his robe pocket, and just managed to grip his wand when the rotting, stinking Inferi had already rushed to a spot not far in front of him!
"Ex-... Expelliarmus!"
With his teeth chattering, Worsley managed to wave his wand with difficulty and shouted the spell.
But the intense emotion of fear could not mobilize his magic power at all, and his shivering body also caused his wand movement to become distorted.
It's over!
Worsley's heart sank into total despair, and he couldn't help regretting participating in whatever trial Levi had.
But looking at the approaching Inferi, Worsley was definitely unwilling to die under this kind of Dark Artscreation.
Gritting his teeth, holding onto a last shred of hope, with a plop, he turned and jumped into the river behind him!
Chapter 275 Lessons Learned
The river water lashed against his ears with a splashing sound, and after choking on a few mouthfuls of water, Volz struggled to swim toward the distance.
But before he could even swing his arms, the surrounding current began to spin rapidly, making his head swim in a dizzying whirl!
"Splash!"
Large amounts of river water, along with Volz, were transported by special Floo Powder to the entrance of the classroom.
It looked as if Volz had been tossed out of the classroom's portal by someone.
"Pfft!"
Volz spat out a mouthful of river water, wiped his face, and looked blankly at Levi, who was smiling at the corner of his mouth before him, as well as the surrounding classmates with complex expressions on their faces.
"I... I'm back?!"
He asked tremblingly, his voice filled with the ecstatic joy and disbelief of surviving a catastrophe!
"Actually, you just needed to shout 'Exit', there was no need to jump into the river," Levi said with a smiling, sarcastic tone on the side, reminding Volz of what he had experienced before.
"In that case, everything I experienced before was a test?"
Volz was no fool; upon hearing Levi's words, he realized that he had been undergoing a test all along and had never left Hogwarts at all!
It was just that the test was simply too terrifying!
"Levi Keynes, how dare you create Inferi! Are you insane?!"
"I'm going to tell Professor McGonagall!!!"
After snapping back to his senses and reviewing his previous experience, his face turned pale, followed by an angry roar.
"Relax, relax," hearing this, Levi quickly waved his hand and hurriedly explained:
"Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"Daring to create Inferi, and still daring to brazenly show it off in the test?"
"That was just a golem I created, even though it was indeed a bit scary!"
"More than just a bit, Professor!"
The people around listened to Levi's explanation and thought with pale faces.
Just as Gideon Volz entered the test classroom, that fellow Professor Keens had smiled and asked them whether they wanted to watch the process of Volz undergoing the test.
Such an interesting matter; the Wizards, who were all trolls at heart, naturally wouldn't disagree.
They could immediately see Levi wave his hand, turning the wall beside the classroom into a large screen, allowing them to clearly see the process of Volz undergoing the test.
Because of this, they had also experienced the same terrifying encounter as Volz, watching with their own eyes as the fainted beautiful girl turned into rotting Inferi with exposed bones!
Although they were standing outside the classroom, this large screen summoned by Levi—heaven knows how—had specifically captured close-ups of the Inferi's face!
After the terrifying visage of the Inferi was magnified by the screen, several Witches almost fainted on the spot from fright!
After the panic subsided, some among them, like Volz, questioned Levi, and the answer they got was identical.
"Professor, even if this is a golem, it's just too terrifying!"
"Having to face Inferi head-on right in the first stage of the test, isn't that a bit too difficult?"
At this moment, Volz finally cast a Spell to dry himself off, and questioned Levi with a wry smile.
"With your strength, facing a single Inferi, casually using the Lumos Spell or a Flame Spell would be able to drive it away or destroy it, how is that difficult?"
"And I also remember someone stating very heroically before entering the test classroom that there are no cowards in Gryffindor."
Levi tilted his head and looked at Volz with a surprised expression. Even though he made the fellow's old face flush slightly, he had no intention of letting him off, taking the initiative to analyze for him:
"Clearly, it was your mentality that collapsed. Faced with the terrifying Inferi golem, you were left with only fear, which caused you to panic, fail to cast any Spell, and have no choice but to jump into the river, ultimately leading to failure!"
As he spoke, Levi also had the surrounding seventh-year Wizards gather closer, and adopting the posture of a Professor, he said:
"Since classmate Volz has raised doubts against me, then as a Professor, I shall analyze for you the reasons for classmate Volz's failure:"
"First, right from the beginning, he forgot that Apparition is forbidden in the Hogwarts castle, and thought he wasn't in the test, thus letting down his guard in the warm, sunny environment."
"Second, out of consideration for the Statute of Secrecy, after finishing casting the magic, he hid his wand, completely forgetting that the Inferi golem was in a comatose state; even if he cast a Levitation Charm, he wouldn't be discovered by the golem."
"Finally, it was the mental imbalance caused by fear. Lacking practical combat experience and practice with magic, under extreme fear, he was completely unable to counterattack, leaving him no choice but to jump in the river to escape."
"Classmate Volz, do you have anything else to add?"
"No more," Volz said with a wry smile and a shake of his head, but in a flash, as if he had sensed something, he asked Levi:
"Professor, that sunny environment with the birds singing and flowers blooming at the very beginning wasn't quite right either, was it?"
"That manifestation of excessive confidence, extreme optimism, and even unconsciously humming a tune felt just like having drunk a Euphoria Elixir!"
To think you could taste it out, you're quite the foodie!
Hearing Volz's words, a look of surprise appeared on Levi's face.
That's right, he had indeed brewed a large amount of Euphoria Elixir and, inspired by his conversation with Professor McGonagall last school year, aerosolized the Euphoria Elixir into the air!
Anyone who has watched horror movies knows that a jump scare is a classic filming and fear-display technique.
But if you precede a jump scare with a beautiful, unconsciously relaxing scene, it will amplify the horror effect tenfold, a hundredfold!
Levi doesn't study magic, he studies military strategy; this was how he designed the stage in the first level of the test classroom.
However, he certainly wouldn't straightforwardly admit to Volz's words, instead smiling mysteriously:
"Since it's a test, then aside from helping you review and summarize your experience, you won't get a single bit of help from me here!"
"And besides, who said the first level of the test is Inferi? I can only say that passing the first level is actually extremely simple!"
"In everything, think more!"
Looking at the sinister smile on Levi's cute little face and listening to Levi's thought-provoking and horrifying words, the seventh-year Wizards who had already unconsciously retreated to the side all shuddered involuntarily.
"Pro... Professor, you must be joking?"
Volz hadn't managed to retreat that far, and could only force a smile, hoping Levi was just joking with them.
"Who's joking with you?" Levi looked serious instead, gazing with full anticipation at the surrounding seventh-year Wizards:
"Volz's test failed, who else among you wants to proceed?"
Hearing Levi's death invitation, the seventh-year Wizards of Hogwarts's four houses reached a unanimous consensus at this moment:
All of them shook their heads in unison and took a step back!
Chapter 276 Class Representative
Since no one wants to take the test, let's all disperse!"
Everyone's reaction was also within Levi's expectations, all retreating in the face of difficulties:
"Could such a tiny test stump you? That would be too disappointing to me!"
As Levi spoke, he looked at the seventh-year Wizard in front of him with expectant eyes, but not a single person signed up.
In order to obtain higher Academic Credits through the professor mod, he had no choice but to add a reward:
"Alright! To encourage you, in addition to not having to write homework upon passing the test, the first three Wizards to pass the test can also receive a Firebolt, or a golem, and can also make a reasonable request to me."
Hearing that Levi added another reward, and that the rewards for the first three completions were so generous, the seventh-year Wizards immediately became restless.
Generally speaking, the young wizard of the seven grades at Hogwarts were naturally stronger grade by grade.
If they excluded the overpowered existence of Levi, their seventh-year Wizards were all confident that the first three people to clear the test would definitely be them.
That is to say, they could sweep the top three and obtain all the rewards!
However, Walsh's tragic failure was still vivid in their minds; the seventh-year Wizards were not fools, so they decided to discuss it, formulate a strategy, and then take the test.
"Professor, can I still take the test? I mean: if I take the test again, and if I clear it, will the reward also include a share for me?"
Seeing others jubilantly discussing the methods to clear the level, Walsh couldn't help feeling a burst of anxiety.
He could ignore other rewards; as a Quidditch fan and flying enthusiast, a Firebolt was no less than a top-tier sports car in his eyes, and he was definitely unwilling to lose this opportunity.
"Of course you can," Levi nodded indifferently, letting Walsh take the test again.
This was originally his purpose: to enhance the practical combat capabilities of the Hogwarts Wizard through multiple tests.
What's more, how could passing his test be so simple? Everything Walsh had just experienced was merely the first act of the very first stage of the entire test.
The entire test was no less than a large-scale game; Walsh hadn't even beaten the first mob he encountered yet!
Hearing Levi's words, Walsh's face immediately beamed with joy, and he hurriedly joined the discussion of Gryffindor House, conceiving various methods to clear the level based on his own experience.
Seeing that their discussion was extremely lively, Levi did not disturb them, but instead said:
"This test classroom will be open at all times. As long as you pass the test, there will be a record on the wall at the door. By then, everyone's level-clearing progress and who has passed the test will be crystal clear."
"You guys discuss slowly, I still have to go to class!"
With that, without waiting for the seventh-year Wizards to react, Levi went to teach his own class.
However, Levi, who was teaching class, did not know that the test he arranged, after being discussed by the seventh-year Wizards, spread throughout the entire Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the blink of an eye.
"Have you heard? The first stage of the test arranged by Professor Keins is to face Inferi!"
"Ah? Let us face Inferi!"
"No, it's a puppet golem that simulates Inferi!"
"That's too difficult, who can pass this test?"
"I heard that after passing the test, not only can you skip after-school homework, but you can also receive rewards from Professor Keins, including a Firebolt..."
"What is a Firebolt?"
"You don't even know what a Firebolt is? It's the kind used by the Ravenclaw team!"
The difficult test and generous rewards made the young wizard of Hogwarts chatter endlessly, and many people wanted to try Levi's test to see what it was really like inside.
And Levi, who caused all this, had already finished Professor Sprout's Herbology, and together with the young wizard of Ravenclaw, headed to the next Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
"Levi, is your test to defeat the Inferi golem?"
Walking by Levi's side, holding thick books in her arms, Hermione Granger inevitably asked Levi out of curiosity.
"To be precise, that is not an Inferi golem, but a special puppet golem! Inferi is just one of the forms it displays."
Thinking of the first stage he designed, a trace of mischievous smile appeared on Levi's face; people are never tired when doing bad things.
For just the first act of the first stage, he spent a lot of effort, and even spent Academic Credits to purchase a special material in the Shop MOD as the core of the special golem.
After hearing this, Hermione pondered for a moment, her face suddenly dawned with realization, and after glancing around vigilantly, she leaned close to Levi and whispered:
"So, Levi, the monster you set up for the first stage is..."
Hermione said the final words very quietly, but after hearing them, Levi gave an incomparably appreciative glance to the little witch beside him, praising her with a full face of smiles:
"Hermione, Lady Ravenclaw once said that superior intelligence is humanity's most precious wealth!"
"But on you, intelligence is not only wealth, but also your most charming trait!"
"No way," Hermione felt embarrassed by Levi's praise; looking at the bright and sweet smile on her face, one knew she was feeling wonderful inside!
The two stepped into the classroom of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but their identities transformed into Professor and student the moment they crossed the threshold.
Oh no, wouldn't this become a teacher-student romance?!
Taboo thoughts arose in Levi's heart as he looked at the little witch under the podium, only feeling that it was a bit too exciting!
"Alright, class starts now!"
Suppressing the messy thoughts in his heart, Levi waved his hand, likewise conjuring a stack of test papers, and waved his wand to distribute the papers.
He slightly modified what he had said to the seventh-year Wizards, said it again, thought for a moment, and then proposed:
"I plan to appoint a class representative for each grade."
"The duty of the class representative is to be responsible for communication between the Professor and students, collecting and distributing homework, and managing matters of the test classroom."
"The benefit of being a class representative is that you can learn some obscure Spells from me, or get some small rewards."
"How about it? Is there anyone among you who wants to be this class representative?"
As soon as Levi's words came out, the second-year young wizard present suddenly became interested.
The young wizard of Hogwarts were never willing to miss such interesting things; they rushed to raise their hands, and for a moment, beneath the podium, voices shouting "Me" were everywhere!
Among those who signed up were Harley, Ron, Levi's two roommates, and even Draco Malfoy and others raised their hands—who knew what Draco Malfoy was thinking.
"Alright," Levi pressed his palm down, signaling everyone to quiet down and said:
"Since it's a class representative, then I'll pick the one with the best grades!"
"Miss Granger, you will serve as the class representative for the second year, and help me collect the test papers after class!"
"Okay, Professor Keins," Hermione's expression was solemn and serious, and like a little Minerva McGonagall, she stood up to indicate she understood.
Chapter 277 Test Papers
The young wizards were writing their test papers under the podium, while Levi sat on the podium grading them.
He only looked at the subjective answers on the seventh-year Wizards' test papers; as for the multiple-choice and true-or-false questions, they had fixed answers and could be handed over to tower spirit no. 2 for grading later.
After he appointed the seventh-year class representative, he wouldn't even need to bother tower spirit no. 2; he could just hand the answers to the class representative and let them do the grading.
That was right. To make up for the extremely poor teaching quality of previous years, Levi prepared to introduce the Chinese tactic of endless practice questions, using cramming education to make up for the childhoods of the Hogwarts young wizards and enrich their knowledge accumulation.
After all, whether it was the Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations (O.W.L.s) or the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests (N.E.W.T.s), both ultimately required two tests: a written exam and practical operation.
As for the practical issues, Levi could only pin his hopes on the postgraduate entrance exam classroom and actual combat.
But for the written part, Levi could completely make up for it and improve it through the tactic of endless practice questions and cramming education.
Looking at the young wizards doing the questions below the podium, Levi sighed in his heart like a cat crying over a mouse:
"Sigh, forgive me, young wizards. Exam-oriented education is just this cruel!"
The test questions set by Levi were so hard!
Beneath the podium, the young wizards taking the test thought complainingly.
Although before the test papers were handed out, Levi had explained to them that this set of papers was specially made to test their learning level from the previous school year, it still stumped them!
Besides, in the previous school year, didn't you, Levi, take classes with us?
What on earth did we learn? Could it be that you, Levi, still don't know?
Pondering deeply, unable to think of the answers, and failing to answer the questions, the young wizards couldn't help complaining about Levi in their hearts.
Headmaster Dumbledore, come and take a look at what kind of questions the Professor you personally selected has given us!
Question 1: If you see a pair of floating large eyes in the castle corridor late at night with no teacher around, what should you do? (3)
A. Step forward and greet them friendly
B. Turn around, walk away quickly, and immediately go find a Professor/caretaker
C. Take out snacks to feed them
D. Follow behind to find out what's going on
What the heck is a pair of big eyes floating in the air?
Is this really not some Black classmate wandering at night?
However, what terrifying thing could there be in the castle? Do you take me for a fool? Choosing B to find a Professoror Filch, wouldn't that be walking right into a trap?!
Choose ACD, first say a friendly hello to him, then take out snacks to feed him, and finally become friends and go play at his house together.
Hehe~ I really am a clever ghost!
Question 2: Peeves throws a Dungbomb at you, what should you do? (3)
A. Use Impedimenta and Wasi Disi
B. Shout loudly and go find Filch
C. Throw books to smash him
D. Swear back at Peeves
Impedimenta had been heard of, but what kind of spell was Wasi Disi?
Forget it, finding Filch, that old good-for-nothing, was completely useless!
Choose C and D, first throw the books over, and then curse back at Peeves!
This young master is just this direct in gratitude and revenge, and can't stand even a tiny bit of grievance!
Answering a lousy question, and still letting Peeves bully me?!
Li Changsheng on the podium didn't know yet that the young wizards below had turned his single-choice questions into multiple-choice questions, and successfully avoided all the correct answers.
He finished reading the seventh-year Wizards' subjective answers, and on the whole, he was quite satisfied.
Because Harry Potter had only enrolled last year, before that, although the Defense Against the Dark Arts classProfessor changed every year, the Professors that Old Dumbledore painstakingly invited were still quite reliable.
Until the previous school year when Voldemort made a comeback, the teaching quality of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class at Hogwarts plummeted sharply.
The seventh-year Wizards were less poisoned, and coupled with diligent self-study, so the subjective answers they gave were very correct, reasonable, and well-grounded, basically having no problems.
"In this way, for the fifth-year and seventh-year students who need to take the Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations, I won't need to expend much effort!"
"I just need to complete the practical combat experience and then carry out the tactic of endless practice questions!"
Levi thought with satisfaction in his heart that among the young wizards in the seven grades of Hogwarts, the most crucial ones were the fifth and seventh grades.
These two grades had to face two exams, which were related to their grades after graduation and even more to their future employment and the positions they could take up.
Even though Levi had only been a Professor for a day, he paid special attention to these two grades.
After grading the test papers, Levi opened the professor mod again. Wasn't he going through all this hard work just to earn Academic Credits through this mod?!
As a result, it didn't live down his busyness; three thousand Academic Credits were indeed added to his credit balance.
Such a huge growth last happened when the secret society was first held. Because of the excellent teaching results and many people learning the Shield Charm, he got the same three thousand Academic Credits.
"My choice was indeed not wrong. To get a large amount of Academic Credits with the professor mod, one must become a Professor!"
Levi contentedly waved away the fantasy smoke, completely forgetting his initial thought of refusing to be a Professor even if beaten to death.
One could only say that three thousand Academic Creditswere truly wonderful!
"Alright, time is up. Class representative, collect the test papers!"
Raising his head to glance at the mechanical clock hanging on the classroom wall, Levi issued a voice that was almost like a death sentence to the young wizards.
"No! Wait a minute, I'm almost done writing!"
"How do you do the last question?"
"Merlin's Wizard hat, the questions Levi set are too hard! I don't know how!"
As Hermione stood up to collect the test papers, the second-year young wizards under the podium instantly wailed in grief.
"Shut up, all of you! Collecting test papers, where is all this nonsense coming from?!"
Listening to the commotion below, Levi was instantly filled with the joy of tearing an umbrella, but he didn't forget to add a classic quote from his past life.
The area beneath the podium instantly quieted down. Every young wizard who felt they hadn't performed well could only watch helplessly as Hermione collected their test papers like a grim reaper harvesting lives.
"Professor Keens, all the test papers are here!"
Little McGonagall's earnest face carried a trace of excitement; clearly, acting as a class representative and helping Levi do things made her feel exceptionally novel and satisfied.
"Mhm, thank you for your hard work, class representative. Go back!"
Levi nodded gently at Hermione with a warm smile, took the test papers, and placed them on the podium.
After Hermione sat back in her seat, Levi spoke up:
"Although this set of test papers I set is to test everyone's learning effect on the Defense Against the Dark Arts in the past year and a half..."
"...it is also a very good summary, summarizing whether everyone has been attentive in learning magic knowledge over the past year and a half."
"I suppose you have all seen that behind each question, there is a number marked. That's right, this number represents the score that can be obtained after answering this question correctly."
"Afterwards, I will grade these test papers, evaluate everyone's score, and conduct internal grade rankings."
"The ranking list will be posted in the Great Hall, and it will rank all students from the four houses together, oh!"
"Everyone, if you don't want to bring shame to your house, you'd better study the Defense Against the Dark Artssubject well!"
To maximize the effect of exam-oriented education, Levidecisively brought out the two ultimate weapons: scores and rankings.
This wasn't like the rankings in Hogwarts before, which only displayed a few people with the best academic performance.
The rankings of the whole school and the whole grade, everyone's score and standing were clearly visible.
It concerned the honor and disgrace of the house and personal face. Levi didn't believe that under such circumstances, they still wouldn't study hard!
After he finished speaking, he looked down toward the podium. Sure enough, the young wizards of the four houses had varied expressions after hearing this, but everyone's face revealed a look of earnestness.
Chapter 278: Fear Golem
After class, Levi kept class representative Hermione Granger behind.
"Hermione, these are the answers for the multiple-choice and true-or-false questions. Compare them with the answers and grade the papers!"
Levi handed the slip of paper with the answers recorded on it to Hermione.
"Okay, Professor Keens~"
Hermione took the slip of paper with a smile in her eyes, intentionally drawing out her tone when addressing Levi, with a hint of playfulness in her voice.
Being alone together in the classroom, the little witch's mindset couldn't help but relax a lot.
"Mm," Levi also very cooperatively straightened his face, doing a Mimic of Professor McGonagall's appearance, pursing his lips, nodding, and saying,
"It's good that you know! You don't need to worry about the subjective questions on the test paper; leave them for this Professor to grade!"
"little witch, work well for this Professor, and this Professor will not shortchange you on the benefits!"
"Haha, you aren't even afraid of Professor McGonagallseeing you," Hermione burst into laughter as soon as she saw Levi putting on airs.
The two walked out of the classroom talking and laughing, only to find the second-year young wizards of the four houses gathering at the entrance of the trial classroom.
"What? Are you going to take the trial now?"
Seeing this, Levi asked the second-year young wizards of the four houses.
Letting these young wizards venture into the trial classroom more often was also a good thing.
Through the baptism of actual combat, it could not only enhance their magic level, but also raise his evaluation in the professor mod.
Harley and the others shook their heads for a while. What a joke; these people still had self-awareness. Trials that seventh-year seniors couldn't pass gave them even less hope.
"Levi, is the trial you set up really something that second-year Wizards like us can pass?"
Michael spoke out everyone's inner thoughts. He hadn't expected that wanting to avoid homework would require passing such a rigorous trial.
"Of course you can," but to Michael's surprise, Levi denied his words, stating that they could also pass the trial:
"The trial I set up has many levels, and each level has many monsters, although the later opponents are somewhat too powerful for you."
"However, with everyone's magic level, I can guarantee that defeating the monsters of the first act in the first level is a very easy thing!"
"Everyone shouldn't be misled by the seventh-year seniors failing to clear the trials.
Clearing the levels I set up doesn't necessarily require powerful strength.
Extraordinary wisdom, a calm mind, and proficient Spells can also help you clear the levels and pass the trial!"
After Levi finished saying these words, many people showed contemplative expressions.
Seeing this, Levi and Hermione—who had guessed what the monster in the first act was—could already foresee that the time for the first act of the first level to be cleared was not far away.
After the two left, someone broke into the trial classroom once again, but it was neither Harley nor Ron, nor any of the second-year young wizards.
The fourth-year Weasley Twins truly lived up to their reputation as Hogwarts prank kings, entering the trial classroom one after another.
And on the wall at the entrance of the classroom, the process of the two clearing the trials was displayed in a timely manner.
The river beach permeated with the Euphoria Elixir caused the two of them to fall into the trap one after another, their faces involuntarily showing overly confident, extremely joyful smiles, and making the two of them unconsciously hum tunes.
However, happy was happy; the Weasley Twins who entered the trial one after another still had this bit of alertness.
Both of them maintained a nervous and cautious attitude, clutching their wands tightly as they came to the legendary place where Inferi would be encountered.
However, the Inferi disguised as a fainted beautiful girl in imagination did not exist; instead, it turned out to be the most terrifying thing in the Weasley Twins' hearts!
The terror of such monsters and terrifying things rushing right at their faces, under the contrast caused by the Euphoria Elixir, was simply too thrilling!
Even though the two of them had built up psychological preparation beforehand, they were still greatly startled and instinctively shouted to exit.
"Scared me to death, my little heart!"
"Scared me to death, my little darling!"
The Weasley Twins awkwardly hugged each other, and the lingering fear on their faces—it was hard to tell whether it was faked or real!
Fortunately, although the two of them failed, they also tested out many things for everyone:
First, as soon as the two entered the trial classroom, their facial expressions looked completely abnormal.
That kind of extremely joyful, extremely confident, and even humming tunes demeanor was as if they had been hit by a certain Spell or drunk a certain Potion.
Regarding this point, Wols had raised doubts initially, and now it could basically be confirmed that that sunny, birdsong-and-fragrant-flowers environment was a beautiful trap!
Secondly, it was the first monster in the trial. Judging from the retelling by Wols and the Weasley Twins, what they encountered was all the things they feared the most.
If the monsters in the trial hadn't been swapped, then this monster would definitely change its form, displaying the most terrifying posture in people's hearts!
To verify this point, other people also tried to enter the trial classroom and indeed encountered the things they feared the most.
Such distinct characteristics instantly allowed the Wizards to judge what kind of thing the monster set in the first act of the trial actually was!
"Hermione, when do you think they will be able to guess that the monster in the first level is a Boggart?"
Rare sunlight shone into the deep, quiet forest corridor as Levi and Hermione walked side by side, slightly turning his head to ask the little witch beside him.
"Isn't this not hard to guess?"
The little witch hugged her textbooks and test papers, pondered slightly, and reviewed the process by which she had guessed:
"The golem you crafted, Levi, can perfectly simulate Boggart's magic, displaying the most terrifying form in everyone's heart!"
"With such distinct characteristics, everyone will discover the clues after trying a few times. By then, dealing with a Boggart will just require a Riddikulus!"
"However, compared to when everyone will be able to break through the first act, I am even more curious, Levi, how on earth did you manage to do it?"
"To actually allow an artificially crafted alchemical golem to be like a true non-existent Boggart, capable of reflecting the fear in one's heart and transforming into it!"
As Hermione spoke, she couldn't help looking at Levi with admiring eyes, while sighing in her heart:
The speed at which Levi enhanced his magic level was simply too fast!
Those magic puppets he had crafted previously, like the Gardener Crab, octopus bricklayer, and smashing pumpkin, could only do some simple, repetitive work.
The only ones possessing extraordinary intelligence and feeling similar to real people were those two peculiar tower spirits.
Now the golem crafted by Levi was already no different from a real Boggart!
"Hermione, you've misunderstood," Levi wore a wry smile on his face; how could he have the craftsmanship to simulate a Boggart purely through the art of alchemy:
"I named the monster of the first act the Fear Golem. During crafting, I used a special material called a 'boggart core', which achieved the effect of being no different from a real Boggart."
"If there were no boggart core, even if I had received guidance from Teacher Nicolas Flamel, I wouldn't have been able to craft such a miraculous golem."
"However, although the Fear Golem can completely simulate a Boggart, in my heart, it still cannot be considered perfect."
"If the form transformed by the Fear Golem could cast the magic that can only be displayed in that form, that would be the most perfect Fear Golem in my heart!"
After hearing Levi's explanation, Hermione nodded knowingly and couldn't help speaking:
"So that's how it is, but Levi, aren't your requirements too harsh?!"
"If the Fear Golem you crafted could reach the level you mentioned, then who could possibly defeat it?!"
She couldn't help recalling the Boggart she encountered in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class during the previous academic year.
If Levi's Fear Golem really turned into Professor McGonagall holding a report card—which she feared—and could even cast the Spells mastered by Professor McGonagall!
Even if she was a Gryffindor, she wouldn't have a shred of courage left to resist!
By that time, the Fear Golem would truly become the fear in everyone's heart!
Chapter 279 Passing Levels Consecutively
Levi and Hermione chatted and laughed all the way as they returned to the Great Hall.
Shortly after they sat down, news came from outside the Great Hall that someone had defeated the fear golem.
But no one ever expected that the first person to defeat the fear golem was neither the seventh-grade senior students nor the famous the Boy Who Lived Harry Potter.
Nor was it the mischievous and incredibly funny Weasley Twins.
Instead, it was Cedric Diggory, who had always kept a low profile but was deeply beloved in Hufflepuff!
After gathering various information, he immediately deduced that the monster in the first level was actually not scary at all, but merely a Boggart.
Although he didn't understand how Levi managed to create such a magical golem?
This didn't hinder Cedric's decisive action at all, making him the first person to defeat the fear golem!
When Cedric waved his wand and shouted loudly "Riddikulus", the "Grim Reaper" draped in black robes holding a scythe to harvest life, which terrified him immensely, was hit by the Spell and instantly turned into a funny clown, riding a unicycle and falling awkwardly and comically into the forest by the roadside.
"Fantastic! Cedric is the first one to defeat the fear monster!"
"Riddikulus?! So this monster is a Boggart!"
This scene was clearly broadcasted on the large screen next to the doorway outside the trial classroom.
All the Hufflepuff young wizards who witnessed this scene watched excitedly as a sentence appeared next to the large screen:
Hufflepuff fifth-year student Cedric Diggory, Level 1, Act 1.
On the large screen, Cedric Diggory, who had defeated the fear golem, continued his level-clearing journey.
He walked forward along the forest trail, clutching his wand tightly, his eyes scanning his surroundings vigilantly.
In order to successfully pass Levi's trial and be the first to obtain Levi's reward, Cedric even wore the Mage Armoramulet that Levi had sold previously on his chest.
And this alchemical amulet certainly lived up to the high price Levi sold it for back then.
Before Cedric could react, the amulet had already automatically activated Mage Armor, blocking the Cornish Pixies pouncing and snapping from mid-air.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Waving his wand and casting a patch of magical aura, Cedric directly used Petrificus Totalus to petrify and control dozens of Cornish Pixies.
But as soon as he controlled the enemies in the air, the Mage Armor around his body suddenly shattered.
More than a dozen ugly Red Caps wearing bright red hats and resembling short goblins came pouncing over with grimaces, waving blood-stained iron bars!
"Impedimenta!"
Without the protection of Mage Armor, Cedric hurriedly used Impedimenta to block the surrounding Red Caps and fled in a panic.
But when he turned back, he found that those Red Caps were moving their short little legs, bypassing the magicobstacles, and actually catching up to him, while the iron bars in their hands were swung with a fierce whooshing sound!
"If I had known earlier, I should have brought a broomstickinside!"
"Besides, this trial by Levi is way too exaggerated?!"
"How could normal Red Caps run this fast, and even use iron bars as weapons!"
Seeing that the Red Caps behind him were getting closer and closer, the strong wind stirred up by the iron bars was almost about to hit his legs!
"Even more exaggerated, apart from the petrified Cornish Pixies, there were other pixies screaming and pouncing down!"
A helpless Cedric Diggory had no choice but to shout loudly: "Exit!"
"Just like that, Cedric was teleported back to the doorway of the classroom!"
Gryffindor's famous bard, the Champion winner of the first Hero King Game Championship, Ron Weasley concluded the match broadcast with an excited face.
Having talked until his mouth was dry, as soon as he stopped speaking, he hurriedly drank a large cup of pumpkin juice.
"Merlin, what a pity, it would have been great if he had run a bit faster!"
"Cedric, truly the most outstanding Wizard in the fifth year of Hufflepuff! To think he actually rushed straight into the second act of the first level!"
"Pardon me, Professor Levi Keynes, isn't your trial a bit too difficult? Dozens of Red Caps running extremely fast and brandishing iron bars—which young wizard could possibly defeat them?"
Beside the Gryffindor long table, after listening to Ron's match broadcast, someone couldn't help but question the difficulty of the trial set by Levi.
If it was a trial that no one could pass, wouldn't the so-called reward become an illusion, and wouldn't everyone be played by Levi?
Hearing the doubts, everyone couldn't help but look at Levi, who was sitting with Hermione at the Gryffindor long table, waiting for this young wizard who had become a Professor to explain.
"Levi?"
Hearing this, Hermione couldn't help but worry that Leviwouldn't be able to explain clearly, or that there had been a mistake when setting up the trial initially.
"Don't worry," hearing this, Levi gently patted Hermione's small hand, glanced at her, and signaled that she didn't need to worry.
He stood up, stood in the center of the Great Hall, and said to the surrounding people:
"I know that you all have doubts about my taking on the role of Professor, and also suspect whether my trial is too difficult."
"But I can tell everyone that the difficulty of my trial is completely normal, and a trial that can be easily passed cannot be called a trial!"
"When designing Act 2 of Level 1, I already considered that the young wizards of our Hogwarts are in different grades, with varying strengths, and it's impossible to test them with the same difficulty."
"Therefore, when designing the levels, I set up an adjustment mechanism. Senior Wizards who are stronger and master more Spells will have to face a greater number of monster golems when undergoing the trial!"
"On the contrary, young wizards in the first and second years will face fewer monster golems when clearing levels."
"Setting different trial difficulties for Wizards of different grades—I think this kind of trial can be considered truly fair!"
After Levi finished speaking, the Great Hall instantly fell pin-drop silent.
None of them had expected that the trial set by Levi, a young wizard, would have taken so much thought and effort.
"Sorry, Professor Keens, I shouldn't have questioned you!"
The Gryffindor Wizard who raised the question flushed after hearing Levi's words and hurriedly apologized.
"It's fine. If you really feel sorry, go challenge the trial classroom more often to improve your practical combat skills."
Levi shook his head and said indifferently.
He had actually also thought about whether to start up the Duelling Club.
But thinking of the messy scene in the original work, he felt that the fun-filled trial classroom was even better at enhancing the practical combat and response capabilities of Wizards.
Once the hero king game console upgrades into a mobile phone in the future, he might even be able to replicate the trial classroom into a game, letting Wizards experience what a play the role of RPG game is like.
While everyone was discussing the trial classroom, good news suddenly came from outside the Great Hall:
Someone had actually consecutively broken through three checkpoints, passed the first level, and directly reached the second level!
Chapter 280: A Brief Discussion on Horcruxes
"Ginny actually made it to the second stage?!"
Upon hearing the news, Harry Potter had a look of complete disbelief on his face.
He could hardly believe that the cute little girl, who sometimes hid behind the crowd to peek at him and blushed bright red when caught, had actually passed a stage no one else had cleared!
"Yeah, I didn't expect it either. The the Weasleys truly produces impressive talent!"
Levi hadn't expected the first young wizard to reach the second stage to be that little girl, Ginny Weasley, either.
Although part of the reason was that first-year young wizards encountered the fewest monsters while clearing the first stage.
But to face the Fear Golem, muster up courage, gather enough happiness, and cast the Riddikulus Spell was still an extremely rare accomplishment!
"Ginny really is my sister! She's absolutely amazing!"
Hearing this news, Ron couldn't help showing a triumphant smile, wishing he could put his hands on his hips and boast for a while!
"Levi, the first stage requires facing Fear Golems and facing attacks from monsters, testing Wizards' combat abilities."
"So for the second stage, what kind of trial did you set up, and what abilities are you planning to test us on?"
Hermione was focused on whether Ginny could clear the second stage set by Levi. Theoretically, each trial stage should be harder than the last.
But Levi had also said that the trials he set up weren't just about raw power; one could also pass with a cool head and ample wisdom.
Right now, she wanted to know if the second stage Levi set would be a trial like that.
But to Hermione's disappointment, Levi shook his head, not feeling optimistic about Ginny clearing the second stage:
"The first stage tests courage and the ability to respond to sudden combat."
"But in the second stage, there are three sub-trials that test a Wizard's ability to gather ingredients, brew Potions, and heal injuries caused by Dark Arts."
"How to handle and clear out common pests and dark Magical Creatures in daily life."
"And finally, facing sudden attacks from a Werewolf or a Banshee, how to protect oneself and others."
"These three sub-trials are manageable for Wizards in third year and above, offering a chance to clear them on the first try."
"For a first-year young wizard like Ginny, clearing these trials is extremely tough!
At the very least, clearing them on the first try is impossible. Targeted study and training are required."
Levi explained to Hermione why Ginny Weasley couldn't pass on her first try.
He made no effort to conceal information about the trials; after all, the young wizards could gather these details through repeated attempts anyway.
To pass his trial, what really tested the Wizards was their knowledge, Spells, and whether they paid attention in Potions Class.
Hearing Levi's description, Hermione couldn't help finding it tricky as well, even though she had been influenced by Levi and personally taught by Professor McGonagall and other teachers.
But with the magic and knowledge she currently possessed, she could only clear the first two sub-trials. Facing dark Magical Creatures as terrifying as a Werewolfor a Banshee, even she felt out of her depth!
If even a second-year Wizard like her felt this way, how much more so for a little witch like Ginny Weasley, who had only been in school for half a year?!
The people around who overheard the information Levileaked also felt a sense of foreboding.
Sure enough, before long, news arrived from outside the Great Hall that Ginny Weasley had been teleported out of the trial room.
Although Ginny Weasley failed, it was a glorious defeat. As a first-year young wizard, making it to the second stage truly inspired many people in Hogwarts, making them eager to try!
As a result, a steady stream of Wizards flocked to the trial room to attempt it, and the Wizards even instinctively summarized game-like walkthrough guides on their own.
"Setting up trials to hone Wizards' practical combat skills—what a wonderfully inventive method of education!"
After dinner, Levi received an invitation from Headmaster Dumbledore. As soon as he sat down, he heard the Headmaster's praise:
"Truth be told, an old man like me was worried about whether you could handle the Professor position, but now it seems I was worrying needlessly."
Headmaster Dumbledore looked deeply gratified and couldn't help sighing:
"Times are always changing, and the new generation surpasses the old. An old man like me is merely a remnant of an old era, while a new age is charging right toward us!"
Levi sat across from the Headmaster's desk, looking at Headmaster Dumbledore with a slightly odd expression.
He half-feared this white-bearded old Headmaster would suddenly blurt out: "Become my son!"
"Professor, you didn't call me over just to compliment me, did you?"
Of course he knew Headmaster Dumbledore cared about every young wizard in the school.
But surely he couldn't have called him over privately just to praise his work as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?!
"Why couldn't I?"
Hearing Levi's words, Headmaster Dumbledore's playful, old-childish face showed a look of surprise, and he spoke as if it were only natural:
"As the Headmaster of this school, caring for students and praising teachers for their excellent work—isn't that exactly what I ought to do?"
But Levi was in no mood to watch Headmaster Dumbledore put on an act. He stood up, turned around to leave, and said testily:
"Well, I've received the praise. Can I leave now?!"
"Ah! Wait! Wait!"
Seeing that Levi was actually going to walk out, Headmaster Dumbledore immediately broke character and quickly called out to him, saying with a helpless expression:
"You child, why aren't you cute at all?"
"I was just making a joke with you, and you're already in a rush to leave. Don't go, don't go, I have something to ask you!"
Headmaster Dumbledore felt utterly helpless. Usually he was the one making jokes that left others exasperated, yet somehow, whenever he was in front of Levi, he always ended up frustrated.
Why didn't this young fellow Levi respect his elders at all, completely disregarding him as the Headmaster!
However, Headmaster Dumbledore didn't mind Levi's rudeness either.
This way of interacting with Levi actually gave Dumbledore the feeling of meeting an old friend, making him feel particularly relaxed, so much so that he felt much younger himself.
"What is it? Keep it short. I have to prepare lessons tonight, and I have work tomorrow!"
What was the point of putting on an act?!
Knowing that Headmaster Dumbledore liked playing riddles, Levi impatiently asked him to get straight to the point; his time was genuinely valuable.
"Alright," Old Dumbledore gave a helpless, bitter smile and took out tom riddles diary from the drawer of the Headmaster's desk—the very diary Levi had handed over to him back then.
Compared to the ordinary-looking diary from before, the diary was now bound in a cross shape with a silver chain, and dark wisps of smoke would spew out from time to time.
Whenever this happened, the silver chain would glow with magic, suppressing the dark wisps rising from the diary.
"Professor, have you figured out what this diary actually is?"
Levi feigned ignorance about Horcruxes and examined tom riddles diary with curiosity.
He had voluntarily handed this thing over to Dumbledorelast term precisely to expose the existence of Horcruxes to Headmaster Dumbledore.
Looking at it now, his actions had yielded very good results!
Grindelwald had left the school at Christmas, likely having accepted Dumbledore's commission to go out into the wizarding world to search for Horcruxes!
"I followed the clues and investigated for a long time," Headmaster Dumbledore did not answer Levi's question directly.
Dumbledore had always kept silent and secretive about Horcruxes, unwilling to easily reveal details to anyone else.
For he knew how easily the temptation of immortality could ruin an extraordinarily capable and ambitious Wizard!
Levi, of course, was well aware of this, but listened with anticipation as Dumbledore recounted his investigation findings:
"I questioned Harley, Mr. Ron Weasley, Dobby the House-elf, Wormtail Peter Pettigrew, and even Lucius Malfoy!"
"The conclusion I ultimately reached is that this is an extremely evil Dark Arts item. It drains the owner's life force and controls them to commit evil deeds."
AI Model: gemini-3.5-flash-lite
Headmaster Dumbledore ultimately did not mention the Horcrux to Levi. Instead, following his conversation with Gellert Grindelwald, he asked Levi:
"Levi, it was you who searched this diary out of Harley and Ron's dormitory back then."
"I called you over to ask if you know anything about this diary or other similar items? Do you have any clues?"
"Headmaster, do you mean there is more than one similar Dark magic item?"
A look of astonishment appeared on Levi's face, but in his heart, he was blooming with joy:
Hehe~ Voldemort, the fact that you have more than one Horcrux is already known by Old Dumbledore!
If I give Old Dumbledore a help, I can find all your Horcruxes in the future without Harry Potter. You are truly blessed in this life!
Hearing Levi's words and seeing his astonished expression, Headmaster Dumbledore couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. He doesn't know?
Come to think of it, even with Levi's extraordinary talent, he wouldn't have channels to understand such a terrifying and cutting-edge Dark magic creation as a Horcrux.
The words he said earlier that sounded very suggestive, now thinking about it, should be all the ideas he could provide!
Severing the root of Voldemort's immortality is immensely important, and finding the Horcruxes is even more critical.
Even though Headmaster Dumbledore knew it was impossible for Levi to have information on the whereabouts of other Horcruxes, he still asked unwillingly:
"That's right, Dark magic items similar to this diary are extremely evil and terrifying. I need to find and destroy them. Do you, Levi, have any ideas or clues for searching?"
The existence of Horcruxes must absolutely not be known by more Wizards, so Dumbledore could only be vague.
"No," Levi shook his head decisively. If he weren't a Transmigrator, even with a system on him, it would be impossible to know where the Horcruxes are or what they are!
However, who made him a cheating Transmigrator from another world? Levi frowned, feigned deep thought for a moment, and hinted:
"However, this diary was searched out from Harley and Ron's dormitory, so it must be related to Wormtail Peter Pettigrew."
"And Peter Pettigrew's strength is limited. With his attainments in Dark Arts, it is simply impossible to create such an evil Dark magic item. In other words, this thing must belong to his master, Voldemort!"
"Headmaster, you used to be Voldemort's teacher and even his headmaster. You could say you watched Voldemort grow up with your own eyes!"
"Voldemort was also personally cultivated by you, so you must understand his personality very well. Given his personality, what kind of things do you think he would use to make similar Dark magic items?"
Levi wildly stabbed daggers into Dumbledore's chest. Every sentence he spoke made Dumbledore's heart twitch with pain.
"Alright, alright, stop talking, stop talking!"
Dumbledore almost couldn't maintain the expression on his face. What made him feel fortunate was that Levi's analysis was on the same train of thought as what he had said to Gellert back then.
Voldemort would definitely not use sand, water droplets, or Voyager 2 to make his Horcruxes.
Given Voldemort's personality, the items he chose to make into Horcruxes must be highly representative, matching his personality of considering himself the Dark Lord while being sinister and vicious!
"Then how do you think we should search for these Dark magic items?"
Two heads are better than one, and Dumbledore intended to listen to Levi's advice.
"Headmaster, you also said this Dark magic item is extremely evil, and it must be very difficult to make. If Voldemort really made many similar Dark magic items, it is impossible for him to have made many pieces all at once."
Levi feigned analysis. Sometimes he really wanted to tell Dumbledore directly where all the Horcruxes were.
But he could not explain the reason why he knew this information. Things like Horcruxes cannot be known even through prophecy and divination.
If he obtained information about the Horcruxes out of thin air, that would be too bizarre and unmagical!
"I think you, Headmaster, can conduct an investigation starting from Voldemort's life and trajectory of actions."
"After Voldemort made these dark magic items, he couldn't have discarded them casually; he would definitely have handed them over to his Death Eaters for safekeeping!"
"Or rather, as Voldemort's disciples, the Death Eaters must know more or less news about these Dark magic items."
"Headmaster, if you follow the clues and visit the people of those years, you should be able to find these dark items!"
Levi repeated what Headmaster Dumbledore did in the original work. Without waiting for Dumbledore to react, he immediately proposed:
"I have a proposal: since these Dark magic items are so harmful, and you, Headmaster, insist on destroying them, can I travel along with you, Headmaster?"
"I can also help you search for these Dark magic items. After all, one person always has blind spots and places they fail to consider!"
"With me following along, I can just help you plug the gaps and thoroughly destroy these Dark magic items!"
With that, Levi looked at Headmaster Dumbledore with a very calm gaze.
This is something Levi had wanted to do for a long time. With him following along, he could definitely easily clean up all the Horcruxes except Harry Potter and Nagini.
Even Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't have to be injured and poisoned because of the Horcruxes, paying a heavy price for it.
In fact, even if Headmaster Dumbledore didn't agree, it wouldn't matter. Judging from the arrangement of the original plot, Headmaster Dumbledore had always been searching for the whereabouts of the Horcruxes.
But it wasn't until Harry Potter's sixth year that he destroyed the first Horcrux other than the diary.
Harry Potter is only in the second grade now. With such a long time, even if Levi acted alone, he could destroy all the Horcruxes.
By then, Voldemort might have completely kicked the bucket, Levi thought indifferently in his heart.
Headmaster Dumbledore listened intently to Levi's analysis at first, feeling that it made a lot of sense. Following Voldemort's trajectory of actions and inquiring about the people and things he contacted back then, they would definitely be able to find clues to the Horcruxes.
However, should he take Levi along with him?
Hearing Levi's final proposal, a rare trace of hesitation appeared in Dumbledore's heart.
He could foresee that with Levi's magical attainments and knowledge level, on the way to destroying the Horcruxes, he would definitely figure out what those so-called Dark magic items really were!
What if Levi is tempted by the false "immortality" brought by the Horcruxes?
But Dumbledore immediately thought of GellertGrindelwald's two prophetic dreams, a future full of terror and despair, yet carrying a glimmer of hope.
Levi was clearly the beam of light illuminating the dark future, leading the Wizarding World to reform in the future!
The reason for having Levi serve as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor was to cultivate Levi and enhance his influence among the wizarding community.
Now that Levi requested to go with him to destroy the Horcruxes, he should perhaps agree to Levi's request, secretly observe Levi's view on Horcruxes, and teach Levinot to be deceived by false immortality, nor to indulge in dark powers!
Thinking this way, Dumbledore unconsciously remembered that he had once warned Gellert Grindelwald not to influence Levi in secret.
But now, he was planning to influence Levi's views on Horcruxes and dark magic.
Perhaps this is what Gellert referred to as double standards!
Headmaster Dumbledore smiled bitterly in his heart, but a welcoming smile appeared on his face as he nodded in agreement:
"You are welcome to travel with me, Levi; this old man was just feeling bored!"
"With a lively young wizard like you accompanying me, our journey will definitely become much more interesting!"