After chatting for a while about the goblin strike at Gringotts, the atmosphere at the table gradually relaxed again.
Professor McGonagall picked up a silver spoon and gently stirred the violet water in front of her. Watching the pale purple liquid swirl in the cup, she seemed to carefully choose her words before speaking.
"William, there's something I must mention. Recently, I've heard quite a number of students... actually, many students from different year groups—complaining that Defence Against the Dark Arts has become too stressful."
She looked at him through her square glasses, her tone measured.
"Being stricter is a good thing. After all, the quality of teaching in this subject hasn't been ideal in recent years, and the students' foundations are indeed weak."
"However, as Deputy Headmistress, I believe student feedback must be taken into account. At present, perhaps the pace of the course is a little too intense?"
William took a sip of hot mead, feeling the warmth slide down his throat.
He didn't argue. Instead, he nodded thoughtfully.
"You're right. Questioning them every lesson does seem a bit frequent for today's children."
Seeing him respond so readily, McGonagall visibly relaxed.
"Exactly. So I suggest reducing the frequency slightly—give them some breathing room."
William tapped the table lightly with his fingers as he considered.
"Then… once a month," he murmured.
"Once a month?" Flitwick and McGonagall exchanged surprised glances.
The jump from "every lesson" to "once a month" seemed extreme.
Just as McGonagall was about to suggest a compromise, perhaps weekly or biweekly—William suddenly straightened.
"I've made my decision," he said seriously. "We will conduct a formal test once every month."
Before the two Heads of House could relax, he added something that stunned everyone at the table:
"However, if possible… I don't want this limited to Defence Against the Dark Arts."
The air froze for a few seconds. Flitwick and McGonagall exchanged another look—this time puzzled.
Snape, who had been silent, set down his empty glass and turned toward William, clearly intrigued.
"William, if you have an idea, please share it," Flitwick encouraged warmly. "We're colleagues... close colleagues. Speak freely."
"Thank you, Filius."
William leaned forward, fingers interlaced on the table.
"The reason I introduced questioning every lesson was simple: I wanted to create pressure."
He looked around at the professors.
"Right now, Hogwarts has an overly simple assessment system—one final exam at the end of the year. That means most students spend an entire year without feeling any academic urgency."
"For most of them, life is simple: after class, they play. In the common room, by the Black Lake, flying around the Quidditch pitch."
"As for homework? Copy a few paragraphs from a book, stitch together an essay, and hand it in."
He chuckled softly.
"They don't even listen carefully in class, because they know they won't be tested anytime soon. All they need to do is cram during the week before finals."
"That's why even during O.W.L. year, many students appear to study desperately all year, pulling their hair out and yet still achieve poor results."
He spread his hands.
"Because the foundation built over the previous four years is weak. It's like building a castle on sand."
"Trying to cram five years of knowledge into one year? Even Merlin couldn't save them."
William's tone softened slightly.
"They're teenagers. Of course they love to play. Expecting pure self-discipline without strong external pressure is unrealistic."
"But—"
He paused.
"Hogwarts is a full-time boarding school. It isolates students from outside distractions—but also from parental supervision. In that case, the school should take on greater responsibility for their education."
He stopped and watched their reactions.
These were veteran professors. He knew they must have noticed these problems long ago.
McGonagall pursed her lips, frowning slightly. After a moment, she nodded.
"I must admit, William—you make a compelling point."
"So when you said 'not limited to Defence Against the Dark Arts'… what exactly do you propose?"
William took another sip of mead.
"I propose establishing a full monthly examination system."
"For Years One to Four, there will be a comprehensive monthly exam covering major subjects. The scope won't be limited to that month's material—it will include everything learned so far that year. This will encourage constant revision and strengthen foundations."
"Magic learning is like building with blocks. If students don't master basics early, they'll only coast through later years."
He smiled slightly, as if already seeing the future.
"And the results… this is crucial. Report cards will be sent directly to guardians by owl—just like final exam results."
"Parents will see their child's performance every month. That should prevent students from drifting through the year only to shock their families at the end."
"As for Years Five to Seven," he continued, "they already face major exams and are more self-motivated. Instead, I suggest full mock O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams after the Halloween, Christmas, and Easter holidays."
"The goal is to familiarise them with the exam format and timing, so they adapt to the real exam environment in advance."
He leaned back, waiting.
"Students currently lack motivation or pressure. A monthly assessment is frequent enough to be effective, yet not excessive."
He looked around the table.
"What do you think?"
Silence followed.
The first to speak was Snape.
"I think it's excellent."
His voice remained cold, but the slight curve of his lips betrayed his mood.
"Hogwarts has no shortage of foolish and lazy students. If they refuse to use their rusting brains voluntarily, I have no objection to applying pressure."
Clearly, the ideas of "making students suffer" and "sending reports to parents" pleased him immensely.
Flitwick thought for a moment, eyes gleaming.
"It will increase our workload… but in the long run, it will strengthen students' foundations. William, I support this plan."
All eyes turned to McGonagall.
She looked around, then smiled approvingly.
"If we are all in agreement, I believe most professors who truly care about student achievement will support it as well."
She paused.
"However, this is a major change. It involves curriculum adjustments, exam design, and communication with parents. Ultimately, we must have Dumbledore's approval."
"Of course."
William smiled calmly and poured himself another drink.
"He'll agree."
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