Chapter 249: The Written Examination
A spacious, well-lit classroom at Beauxbatons had been temporarily arranged as an examination hall.
Leonardo sat by the window, quill moving swiftly across the parchment.
The inter-school Alchemy exchange tournament was divided into two major sections: written examination and practical, each of which contained two parts.
The current session was the first part of the written examination, focused primarily on the fundamentals of Alchemy: the properties of magical materials and the interpretation of ancient runic inscriptions.
Tomorrow's second part would cover more advanced alchemical principles and design.
The practical section, which was the main event, required each competitor to complete two alchemical items within a set time limit. The first was a professor-assigned piece, scored on completion and quality. The second was a free creation. Competitors could produce whatever they chose within the allotted time, and a panel of judges would evaluate it across multiple criteria, including completion, difficulty, and practical value. The panel consisted of the Alchemy professors from all three schools, along with specially invited expert alchemists.
The questions on the paper were not particularly challenging for Leonardo. More than anything, they tested breadth of knowledge and accuracy of recall.
The volume was considerable, ranging from the correct processing temperature for African tree-serpent skin to common variations of the rune Ansuz in energy-directing arrays.
Leonardo worked through it without pausing, finishing the entire paper in under an hour. He did a quick check, then lowered his eyes — appearing to rest, but actually running through several optimisation approaches for the magical mobile phone. With the elemental inscriptions accelerating the work, the main structure had long since been completed. Only fine adjustments remained.
All three schools' Alchemy professors were invigilating. Professor Shafiq spotted Leonardo's state and drifted over to glance at his answer sheet.
She nodded to herself, reassured. If she brought back the exchange tournament champion, she might be able to use that as leverage to ask Headmaster Dumbledore for a week or two off — maintaining appearances in a foreign school was genuinely exhausting.
When the two-and-a-half-hour examination period ended, all the answer scrolls lifted automatically from the desks, duplicated themselves three times in mid-air, and flew to the three invigilating professors at the front.
The atmosphere in the hall relaxed at once. The rustle of things being packed away and quiet murmuring filled the room.
Reiman immediately moved to Leonardo's side.
"Leonardo — that last materials question: 'Describe the role of unicorn tail hair in a calming amulet and explain why the mane hair cannot be substituted'… Did you include the part about 'stabilising the core magical channel and preventing dream intrusion'? I feel like my answer wasn't complete."
"I did," Leonardo said. "The key point is the 'pure protection' property in the tail hair — it resonates with the moonstone powder in the amulet and amplifies the calming effect. Mane hair comes from the same source but carries more of a 'physical warding' quality. Substituting it causes a sharp drop in effectiveness and can sometimes even induce drowsiness."
Reiman: "And that one — 'At which of the following temperatures should African tree-serpent skin be soaked to best preserve its resilient magical properties?' The four options were close. I went with 'constant 50 degrees Celsius,' but I had a feeling I'd seen 'gradually raised to 60 degrees' somewhere too…"
Leonardo thought back over the paper. "Constant 50 degrees is correct. Serpent skin is sensitive to sudden heat. The gradual rise to 60 degrees is the method for processing rhinoceros-horn powder — easy to mix up."
"Good." Reiman exhaled, visibly relieved. "More or less what I thought. The fundamentals section should be fine."
At that moment, a clear and pleasant voice came from just behind and to their left.
"Then — for an amulet designed to serve both 'protection against hostile surveillance' and 'preserving clarity of thought in the wearer,' which rune would pair better with Algiz? Sowilo or Kenaz?"
Reiman turned. A Beauxbatons girl surrounded by that faint silver glow. He noted that her vivid blue eyes were directed at Leonardo, not at him.
Leonardo answered without hesitation.
"Sowilo is the better fit. It represents the sun, victory, and vitality — oriented toward light and positive protection, with the added effect of bolstering mental energy. Kenaz is also associated with knowledge and light, but it leans more toward fire, transformation, and active creation. It's not the most direct choice for protective work, and its energy can sometimes be too active, which might actually interfere with steady mental clarity."
Fleur nodded thoughtfully, a small smile touching her lips. "A clear explanation. The 'fundamentals' section of this examination really was just a warm-up for you."
She had clearly noticed how early he had set down his quill.
The two of them fell into a natural back-and-forth, easy and unhurried, like a conversation over afternoon tea.
Reiman glanced between Leonardo and the remarkably beautiful girl beside him, and the corner of his mouth curved upward without his permission. He cleared his throat — not quite quietly enough — and asked in a lowered voice that was still perfectly audible:
"Hey, Leonardo — speaking of which, what are your plans for Valentine's Day? That's what, a bit over a fortnight away?"
Leonardo looked up at him. Plans? Spending it planning everyone else's Valentine's Day, most likely.
The Advanced Earth Elemental Inscription loan had been repaid with the fountain improvement, but the fire element loan was still outstanding. The system's requirement — "use magical means to enrich the Valentine's Day atmosphere" — was even vaguer and more abstract than the fountain task.
Once he was back at Hogwarts, he could reproduce the Fountain of Beauty. Perhaps having one there would give people who were trying to work up the courage to confess a small boost of confidence.
Whether it was a boy or a girl, being a little more attractive probably did improve one's chances on Valentine's Day. In theory.
He hadn't yet settled on what to say when Reiman was already waving him off and backing away.
"Right, you two carry on — I still haven't gathered everything I need for the free creation segment. Have to write home and get them to send it over by the fastest owl they have…"
The final component of the practical section was an open free creation, where competitors were required to prepare their own materials. Gathering materials was itself considered part of the test.
Everyone had brought supplies when they arrived, of course. But new ideas often called for new materials, and things got used up during experimentation — last-minute replenishment was routine.
Reiman was already moving away quickly, but turned back to call out with a slightly boastful air:
"Oh — if you need any advice on Valentine's Day dates, come find me! I've got plenty of experience in that department!"
Before the words had fully landed, he had neatly turned a corner around a column decorated with ice-crystal roses and vanished into the palace complex.
Leonardo watched him go, mildly speechless.
Though Reiman's comment had given him an idea. Perhaps a small informal survey back at Hogwarts would be useful — asking some of the older students with dating experience what people generally hoped for from a Valentine's Day. Or more directly, an anonymous questionnaire distributed to the whole school.
Only once Reiman's figure had disappeared entirely did Fleur blink, those curious blue eyes turning toward Leonardo.
"Leonardo — do you already have plans for Valentine's Day?"
In her mind, someone as talented as Leonardo having a girlfriend was entirely unremarkable, particularly given how he looked. Even by Fleur's rather exacting standards, his appearance and bearing were genuinely exceptional.
Leonardo nodded, with a faint smile.
"I'm this year's event planner."