Chapter 53: Is the Homework for Me?
Bang!
Douglas slammed the stack of parchment onto the desk.
"What are you all whispering about?" he snapped. "Why don't you come up here and explain it to me while I sit down there and listen?"
He turned sharply.
"Miss Shirley—clear everything off their desks."
Students who were good at reading expressions instantly realized something was wrong.
But a few who hadn't caught the change in mood excitedly whispered to their neighbors:
"Wait—does that mean the professor is signing every book?"
"Oh Merlin! If I'd known that, I would've brought more!"
Meanwhile, Shirley had already stood up. With an expressionless face, she began collecting every book from her classmates.
Douglas cleared his throat.
"Don't even think about getting these books back before the O.W.L. exams."
He folded his arms.
"Starting this week, we will have weekly placement tests until the O.W.L. examinations."
"What? You're unhappy about that?"
He shrugged.
"If you fail your O.W.L.s, what does that have to do with me?"
"I won't be short of Galleons either way."
"So why do you think I'm standing here trying so hard to convince you to study?"
By this point Shirley had returned to the podium, struggling slightly under the weight of a large pile of confiscated books.
"Professor," she said calmly, placing them on the desk, "I've collected them all."
Douglas nodded, then added firmly,
"Remember this from now on—you're witches and wizards. Surely you know how to perform a simple Levitation Charm."
"And you—listen carefully."
"During my class, apart from doing written assignments, I fully encourage you to practice with your wands."
"Practice makes perfect."
"It will help tremendously when you take the practical O.W.L. exams."
He paused, noticing the miserable expressions across the classroom.
"Don't look like you're marching to your execution."
"I promise this: anyone who earns Outstanding ten times in a row in the weekly tests will get their book back."
"And I'll sign it."
A ripple of interest ran through the room.
"And if anyone achieves an Outstanding in the O.W.L. exam…"
Douglas allowed himself a small smile.
"I'll reserve a role for them in my next book."
The classroom exploded.
"Long live the professor!"
"I'll definitely get an Outstanding!"
"Professor, you have to keep your word!"
Under Douglas's cold gaze, the students gradually suppressed their excitement and sat down again.
Reviewing the Test
Douglas began distributing the parchment sheets.
"For the first twenty minutes, we'll discuss the test paper," he said. "Then we'll move on to new material."
He began walking slowly through the classroom.
"Question one…"
He barely glanced at it.
"This one is obvious. Anyone who got it wrong will copy the correct answer ten times."
A student leaning against the wall silently lowered his head deeper into his paper.
"Question two."
Douglas studied it for a moment.
"Option A is clearly wrong. B and C are even worse."
"So the giant chooses E—which means the correct answer is D."
"Question three is so simple that it doesn't require explanation."
"Question four—does anyone not understand it?"
He stopped suddenly.
Most of the students looked completely bewildered.
Douglas's voice rose sharply.
"What?"
"Did you expect me to explain every question in detail?"
"Or do you think the exam last week meant everything was finished?"
"I gave you an entire week."
"Did none of you think about looking up the answers yourselves?"
"You are studying for your future, not for me."
The classroom trembled under his tone.
Douglas jabbed a finger at one of the questions.
"Look at this!"
"The Stinging Hex—a spell that causes burning pain and swelling on the victim's skin."
"The question simply asked whether the statement about it was correct or incorrect."
"How many of you answered correctly?"
He glared around the room.
"How did you pass fourth year?"
"Can't you tell the difference between a hex and a curse?"
He flipped the page.
"The next question asked what type of spell the Ear-Shrivelling Curse is and what it does."
"How many of you wrote hex again?"
"It's a curse!"
"Curse you, students!"
"Can you not tell the difference between curses and hexes?"
He shook his head.
"These are free points on the O.W.L. exam."
"Don't underestimate them."
"One single point can be the difference between Acceptable and Outstanding."
Douglas grew more irritated as he continued speaking.
To him, these were basic concepts.
He couldn't understand how such mistakes had appeared.
He silently wondered what Professor Quirrell had been doing the previous year.
Even if someone came to Hogwarts with hidden motives, surely they could at least manage to teach the basics.
Minutes crawled by.
To the students, it felt as though every second lasted an entire year.
When Douglas finally finished reviewing the last question, the entire class let out a collective sigh of relief.
For a moment they had felt as if they were trapped inside Professor Snape's Potions classroom.
The only difference—
Professor Holmes's words were not nearly as venomous.
And yet somehow they stung even more.
New Lesson: The Shield Charm
"After class," Douglas said, "you will locate the relevant passages for each question in your textbooks and write the page numbers beside them."
"Next lesson I will randomly select questions."
"Anyone who cannot answer will copy the question and the textbook explanation ten times."
A groan rose from the class.
Douglas returned to the podium and opened his textbook.
"What are you staring at me for?"
"Is there something on my face?"
"Take out your books."
"Today we're studying the Shield Charm."
Once everyone had turned to the correct page, he began.
"Based on my observations of past O.W.L. exams…"
"Students who can successfully cast the Shield Charm usually receive higher marks."
"So this will be one of our key spells going forward."
"The Shield Charm creates a magical barrier capable of deflecting many spells and physical attacks."
"It protects both objects and areas."
He scanned the classroom.
"Who can explain its effects?"
"And which spells it cannot defend against?"
By this point the students had become far more alert.
Douglas noticed that even the student who had failed the test raised his hand.
Douglas pointed to him.
"Go ahead."
The student answered carefully.
Douglas nodded.
"Good."
"It seems you prepared."
"Five points to Ravenclaw."
The class spent another ten minutes discussing the theory behind the Shield Charm.
Then Douglas closed the textbook.
"Now we move to practical training."
"Who would like to volunteer to move the desks aside?"
"All it takes is a simple Vanishing Charm."
Practical Practice
Unfortunately, the Shield Charm proved difficult.
By the end of the lesson, only three students—the class representative and two prefects—had managed to cast a weak version.
Even those were effortlessly broken by Douglas with a silent, wandless jinx.
The three students looked deeply frustrated.
Douglas encouraged them.
"Very good."
"Fifteen points to Ravenclaw."
"Even if the spell isn't perfect yet, it's a good start."
"Keep practicing."
"You'll succeed eventually."
He looked around the classroom.
"The rest of you shouldn't feel discouraged either."
"If you don't understand something—ask your classmates."
"And remember the O.W.L. exam."
"You'll manage."
Then he added calmly,
"For homework, besides marking the answers on your test papers…"
"Each of you will write a twenty-inch essay about the Shield Charm."
The class erupted in groans.
Douglas smiled kindly.
"Think of it this way."
"Is this homework really for me?"
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