Harry spent the rest of his Hogwarts life in the hospital wing until the exams.
His deeds had long since quieted down, and the Little Wizards' attention shifted quickly, with Quidditch matches, final exams, and other things constantly dividing everyone's focus.
The exams didn't worry Harry too much. While he couldn't guarantee a perfect score on the written portion, he was confident he had earned the approval of all his teachers in the practical sections.
For some reason, Harry even felt that Snape was no longer targeting him.
He just sneered in a low voice when he finally checked the Forgetfulness Potion sample Harry submitted: "It seems that foolish act didn't cost you too much, but I still hope you remember the lesson!"
Could this be interpreted as reverse concern?
Harry was also a bit confused.
As for the charm to make a pineapple tap dance, and the Transfiguration to turn a mouse into a snuffbox, those were even simpler.
But he wasn't confident in all subjects.
For example—Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
After finishing the last History of Magic exam, the first-year Little Wizards arrived in front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
"Draco, do you know what the exam questions are?" Crabbe asked nervously.
They were the last first-years to take the exam, but for some unknown reason, Professor Jones used some method so that no one who had taken the exam revealed the questions.
It was said that ninety-nine percent of people couldn't pass.
"How would I know!" Draco glared at him irritably, then looked at Harry: "Harry, do you know what the exam questions are?"
"I don't know either," Harry shook his head helplessly.
As he thought, the classroom door in front of them suddenly opened, revealing that the classroom had been cleaned out, with all the desks, chairs, and benches gone.
"Come in," Howl sat at the very back, looking at the crowd outside the door. Dozens of students from the entire year had gathered together.
Howl took out the roll call, called out the names, and then looked at the nervous students whispering below.
"What is the purpose of learning Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Howl asked.
Hermione, as expected, raised her hand.
"Miss Granger," Howl nodded.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts aims to help Wizards learn the correct methods of self-defense when encountering dark creatures, including the likes and dislikes of different dark creatures, and specific spells!"
"A passage from the preface of 'Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection,' truly admirable. Gryffindor gets three points," Howl praised.
The usual standard answer... but, it's enough!
"Yes, self-defense! Learning Defense Against the Dark Arts is naturally for protecting oneself, and protecting family and friends," Howl slowly said.
"However, mere talk means nothing.
I want to ask, how many of you have stood up to protect yourselves or your families? How many of you have truly stepped forward when facing a threat!"
As he spoke, he looked around at the Little Wizards below.
Harry was the first to raise his hand; his conscience was clear. After him, several other children raised their hands one after another.
"Then the rest..."
"I haven't encountered any threatening situations," Draco said indifferently, "No one dares to mess with me!"
Harry glanced at him in surprise...
Draco's words immediately drew imitation from a group of Little Wizards.
"Of course, I haven't encountered it, otherwise I would definitely step forward."
"It's just that I haven't had the chance to show what I can do."
"Oh, of course!" Howl nodded in agreement, then said lightly.
"May~be~"
??
Immediately, the entire group of Little Wizards became agitated. What did he mean by that? Was he looking down on them?!
Howl took out a small wand from his hand and pointed it at the ground.
"Prove it to me." The next moment, the entire classroom split open with a huge abyss, spanning between the Little Wizards and Howl.
The children retreated repeatedly, while Howl stood still. The distance between them gradually widened to several meters.
Draco stepped on the edge of the abyss, and a small stone fell down. The abyss was pitch black, like a gaping maw ready to devour people.
"Prove your courage to me!" Howl's tone held a smile as he stood on one side of the abyss, looking at them from afar.
"What exactly... what exactly is this?!" Neville grabbed Seamus's sleeve and kept pushing into the crowd, as if that would give him a sense of security.
"These are all illusions," Howl's voice echoed in everyone's ears.
"Illu... illusions?" Ron grabbed the edge and tentatively stretched his foot out, but it didn't touch the floor at all.
"This is real!" he muttered repeatedly, then squeezed back into the crowd.
"If you think it's real, then you will naturally fall down," Howl said calmly.
"Walk to my side and prove your courage! That's the content of this exam.
Oh, and a reminder! The first one to walk over gets twenty house points."
However, despite such a huge temptation, no one was moved. They looked at Howl on the other side of the abyss with pale faces.
"Courage... then shouldn't you be looking for Gryffindor?!" someone in the Slytherin crowd said.
Harry turned his head to look and saw that the speaker was Field, who had previously had a conflict with him.
At this moment, he was already pressed against the wall, saying with a bluster: "What does it have to do with me? This kind of exam is too ridiculous."
"Exactly!"
"Go find Gryffindor!"
The children of Hogwarts were never easy to deal with, but Howl didn't care at all. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Harry turn around.
Before, he had never retreated backward, simply standing at the edge of the abyss.
"Enough!"
Harry looked coldly, head held high, at Field and the clamoring Slytherins.
"What do you mean courage has to be found in Gryffindor?! Just because you're sorted into Slytherin, does that mean you become a coward?!"
He surveyed the people around him: "Or are you all cowards because you're not Gryffindor?!"
"You talk a good game, you go then!" a Hufflepuff person curled up in the crowd said.
Harry glanced at him. At this moment, the person's face was pale, and his fearful, cowering posture was evident at a glance.
However, Harry had no intention of arguing.
He turned around and looked at Howl on the opposite side.
Then, he strode forward! Stepping into the abyss!
"Ah!!" A Little witch shrieked, covering her eyes.
However, Harry did not fall. He looked straight ahead, completely unafraid.
At the same time, the wind blowing upwards from the abyss made his robes flap wildly.
Yet, he walked as if on level ground, like walking in the sky.
In one go, until he stood next to Howl.
When he looked back again, he was stunned.
There was no abyss, no strong wind blowing from below.
There was only a vast, flat stone floor.
That was all.
"Well done," Howl nodded.
But Harry unexpectedly shook his head and said seriously: "No... it's actually not that impressive.
I just trusted your words enough, Uncle Howl. It's understandable that they couldn't do it.
I just dislike those who belittle their own group and then act smug about it!"
Howl nodded: "It seems someone followed you."
He only saw Draco on the other side, looking at Harry who had already crossed the abyss, with a serious expression.
Then, he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, stepped forward quickly, and stomped heavily into the abyss!
He didn't... he didn't fall down!
Although his feet hurt a bit from the heavy stomp, he still turned his head and sneered: "I'm not a spineless waste, and neither is Slytherin. Of course, some people might be!
Courage never belongs to a single house, nor to a single person.
Courage belongs to all Wizards!!"
With that, Draco turned and stepped forward!
Then he suddenly realized that while he was turning around to act cool and say his lines, Hermione Granger of Gryffindor had already surpassed him and was almost on the other side!
...
With more successful precedents, people gradually began to try crossing the abyss.
Some walked halfway, genuinely unable to bear such pressure, their minds collapsed, and they fell into the abyss.
Upon opening their eyes again, they found themselves simply standing in the classroom.
After more than ten minutes, even the initially most reluctant Slytherins and Hufflepuffs had tried to cross the abyss, and the first assessment was declared over.
"It's over! I only made it halfway before falling out. I'm definitely going to fail."
Neville's face was flushed, seemingly very sad.
Howl clapped his hands.
"Ladies and gentlemen, look at me! Look at me!"
Howl gathered all eyes on himself, then slowly began to speak.
"First, Potter was the first to complete the assessment. Because of him, Slytherin gets twenty points.
Next is the second, Miss Granger from Gryffindor. Because of her bravery, Gryffindor gets ten points."
As he spoke, Howl's gaze fell on Draco.
Draco looked at those vertical pupils, and for some reason, he felt a bit afraid.
However, he didn't expect that hand to be placed on his shoulder.
"Mr. Malfoy, your brave performance also earned Slytherin five points!"
"Twenty-five points?! Potter, Malfoy, excellent!!" Slytherin clapped.
After announcing the scores, Howl looked up at everyone.
"I think you don't need to wait seven days for the results," Howl looked at them.
"Everyone, all of you are—O!!"
"What?!"
"Wait, I didn't mishear, did I?"
"Really?"
Howl glanced at Neville, who was looking at him with a flushed, expectant face, then slowly nodded under the gaze of the Little Wizards.
"Daring to take the first step is enough to prove your courage," Howl said.
Then, he walked out of the classroom amidst the cheers of the Little Wizards.
Harry also breathed a sigh of relief. His biggest worry before was the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, and now it was finally over.
Suddenly, his back was patted twice. He turned around and saw a Slytherin classmate.
"Harry, well done!" he said, passing Harry.
"I think what you said was very true," another person said, patting his shoulder as they walked past.
"Potter, you've got guts, being the first to walk across."
Several waves of Slytherin people passed by him, and he didn't expect almost all of them to greet him.
At the very least, they would smile and nod in acknowledgment.
Harry looked at Hermione in confusion, but Hermione just shook her head and pouted.
I don't know either...
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