The next morning, Chu Yang took his toiletries and stepped out of the dormitory, heading toward the washroom. As he passed through the common room, he saw his roommates snoring loudly on the floor.
Crabbe and Goyle still hadn't woken up. Their thunderous snoring sounded as if it might bring the ceiling down—yet even so, none of the others sleeping on the floor stirred in the slightest.
They were all sleeping soundly.
"Good luck to you all. It's the first day of term—don't be late. Hmm… that might be a bit difficult."
Unfortunately, no one could hear Chu Yang's mockery.
After a quick wash and getting dressed, he grabbed his textbooks and left the dormitory.
Not long after Chu Yang departed, the upper-year students began filing out of their rooms. Some were yawning, but their eyes were instantly drawn to the scene in the common room.
The first-years lay scattered across the floor like toppled bowling pins.
"Wow, looks like the first-years had a wild night," one of them remarked.
"Ah, to be young and carefree again."
"But… don't they remember there are classes on the first day?"
"Seems like they're still stuck in holiday mode."
"Anyone know what their first lesson is?"
"Probably Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall?"
"And the second?"
"Professor Snape's Potions class…"
"Then hurry up and wake them! Damn it—Slytherin's going to lose points on the very first day!"
The upper-year students suddenly snapped to attention. The prefects, in particular, felt their hearts sink. If something went wrong, they'd have to face the terrifying Severus Snape.
What kind of disaster was this for the first day of term?!
Panicking, the stronger upper-years resorted to force to rouse the first-years sleeping on the floor.
Poor Gregory Goyle had been dreaming of eating a feast when a burly older student slapped him awake.
"Ow!" Goyle jolted upright, clutching his reddened cheek and staring ahead in confusion, drool dripping from his mouth.
"Grab your books and get to class, now!" the older student bellowed. With so many first-years sprawled out here, who knew how many points Slytherin would lose?
But their hope quickly turned to despair.
Aside from Crabbe and Goyle, every single first-year who had slept in the common room the previous night had caught a cold.
Forget attending class—they barely had the strength to stand.
The Slytherin common room instantly descended into chaos.
Meanwhile, the culprit behind it all—Chu Yang—had already made his way down to the first floor, eaten breakfast in the Great Hall, and arrived leisurely at the classroom.
The room was completely empty. Chu Yang was the first to arrive.
He walked straight up to the lectern and greeted the tabby cat sitting atop it. "Good morning, Professor McGonagall."
The tabby cat's face showed a distinctly human flicker of surprise. The next moment, it leapt into the air and transformed back into human form.
Dressed in emerald-green robes, Minerva McGonagall stepped toward Chu Yang and asked, "How did you know it was me?"
Chu Yang smiled and lifted the textbook in his hand. "We have Transfiguration today, don't we?"
"What a clever child," McGonagall said approvingly. "Your powers of observation and logical reasoning are exceptional. A wizard who thinks well is a good wizard."
She did not stint on her praise—she had already received more than enough information about Chu Yang from Albus Dumbledore, including the high expectations he held for the boy.
While the other students hadn't arrived yet, McGonagall chatted with Chu Yang about the textbook. Soon, she discovered—much to her surprise—that he had already memorized A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration word for word.
Delighted though she was, she still cautioned him, "I'm pleased that you've read this book thoroughly, but before that, you should first understand magical theory. Rushing into Transfiguration is extremely dangerous."
Chu Yang naturally understood the importance of foundations. Just as McGonagall said, he had fully memorized Magical Theory before ever opening A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.
"Thank you for the advice," Chu Yang said with a smile. "If you're referring to Mr. Adalbert Waffling's work, then yes—I've already studied it thoroughly."
McGonagall thought she must have misheard. "That book isn't short, Mr. Chu Yang. Are you certain you mean thoroughly? If that's the case, then I'll have to test you properly."
"Yes, Professor," Chu Yang replied.
He would never miss an opportunity to demonstrate himself—especially when it concerned gaining earlier access to the knowledge Dumbledore considered "dangerous."
That knowledge could greatly enhance his abilities and, in turn, help his counterparts in other worlds.
With a hint of anticipation, McGonagall began testing Chu Yang's grasp of fundamental theory.
In the empty classroom, the two exchanged questions and answers.
Before long, another first-year prodigy—Hermione Granger—appeared at the doorway. She didn't interrupt McGonagall's test, instead standing quietly and listening.
Chu Yang was like a high-speed machine. For every question McGonagall asked, he answered instantly, without the slightest pause for thought.
As time passed, the chatter of students outside gradually grew louder. McGonagall finally stopped and said in admiration, "Your memory is truly impressive. More importantly, you haven't just memorized the knowledge—you understand it completely."
"You more than deserve Dumbledore's special attention. But remember this: never become arrogant. Arrogance is a fatal flaw for a wizard. Only humility will allow you to go far."
"I've heard that you asked Headmaster Dumbledore to open more areas of the library to you. Decades ago, there was a young man just as gifted as you—yet he ultimately chose a very dark path."
Chu Yang replied calmly, "Thank you for the warning, Professor McGonagall. But no two flowers in the world are exactly alike—and neither are people. Two individuals who seem similar can end up with completely different outcomes because of the paths they take."
"I hope that proves true," McGonagall said thoughtfully. Then she waved her hand. "Class is about to begin. Go and take your seat."
Chu Yang returned to his seat. The very next moment, Hermione entered the classroom, her expression unusually grave.
She had once believed that the gap between herself and Chu Yang could be closed with time and effort.
But after witnessing that test, her mind had already gone blank by the third question—let alone the ones she couldn't even understand afterward.
Chu Yang greeted her proactively, but Hermione stared at her book, clearly dejected.
Students gradually filled the classroom. As the lesson time approached, many seats were still empty—most of them belonging to first-years from Slytherin.
(End of Chapter)