Perhaps it was simply that time seemed to fly when people were busy. For fifth-year students and above, burdened with heavy coursework and exam pressure, a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Soon, Halloween arrived.
The Great Hall was lively beyond measure that evening. Thousands of live bats fluttered around the ceiling and walls like a shifting black curtain. Low-hanging clouds drifted above the tables, crackling occasionally with harmless lightning.
Most eye-catching of all were the giant pumpkins grown by Hagrid and carved into lanterns. Candlelight flickered inside them, filling the hall with festive cheer.
At the staff table, goblets clinked and conversation flowed freely. Professor McGonagall seemed to have had a little too much to drink; her tall witch's hat was tilted as she laughed with Professor Sprout about something amusing.
William chatted with Professor Flitwick about amusing stories from past duelling competitions while observing the students below with interest.
At the four house tables, most students were happily immersed in the feast, stuffing themselves with festive food while chatting excitedly.
In contrast, some fifth-years looked distracted. They cut their food mechanically, staring blankly ahead, occasionally muttering spell theory under their breath.
Clearly, they were anxious about the upcoming mock exams after the holiday.
This was hardly surprising. Younger students still had another month before their tests, so enjoying the festivities was only natural. As for sixth- and seventh-years, many had already survived the ordeal of the O.W.L.s and knew that worrying wouldn't change anything. Others, like the top students William had noticed, were confident in their abilities.
A routine school exam wasn't enough to shake them.
Soon, even the anxious fifth-years were drawn into the evening's grand finale.
After the feast, just as everyone assumed the banquet was ending, Dumbledore snapped his fingers—and the school ghosts unveiled their surprise.
Led by Nearly Headless Nick and the Fat Friar, the Hogwarts ghosts burst from the walls and ceiling. Forming elaborate patterns, they performed an aerial dance and wall-gliding display above the hall.
It was clearly well rehearsed. Their synchronised movements drew thunderous applause and cheers, pushing the celebration to its peak.
Rumour had it the ghosts had even held a serious meeting beforehand. They had decided that the Bloody Baron of Slytherin would lock Peeves away before the feast to prevent him from ruining the performance.
Given that Peeves hadn't appeared at all that evening, the rumour was likely true.
---
When the Halloween celebrations ended, the older students finally faced their day of reckoning—the mock exams.
Unlike the easier monthly tests for younger students, this was the real thing. Every professor contributed, and the difficulty matched the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s.
Even the sixth-years, who had only studied Alchemy for two months, were not spared.
Besides textbook theory, William included practical tasks involving traditional enchantment methods and basic runic circuits, helping them acclimate to the level of the wizarding examinations they would face the following year.
After two days of exams, the older students felt as though they had shed a layer of skin.
The pressure then shifted to the professors.
They had to grade the exams while maintaining normal teaching schedules—especially William, who had both Defence Against the Dark Arts and Alchemy papers to mark.
Because the exams were official mock tests, involving confidentiality and fairness, he couldn't delegate grading to student assistants as he sometimes did with homework. He could only work late into the night in his office.
Fortunately, the results did not disappoint him.
The overall pass rate for Defence Against the Dark Arts was impressive. Those who failed were mostly fifth-years—unsurprising, since they had not yet gone through the filtering effect of the O.W.L.s and many lacked solid foundations.
Sixth- and seventh-years, however, benefited from their prior knowledge and William's targeted teaching. Most delivered satisfactory results.
Alchemy pleased him even more.
The subject achieved a perfect 100% pass rate. In a class of barely more than a dozen students, William awarded four of them an "Outstanding."
This success reflected both the high entry threshold for the elective and William's focused teaching based on the Wizarding Examinations Authority syllabus, along with his constant encouragement to challenge themselves with runic circuits.
...
As the mock exams concluded, November arrived with cold and damp weather.
The baton of pressure now passed firmly to first- through fourth-year students.
Their first monthly exam was less than a month away.
The Hogwarts library became noticeably crowded. Long tables that were once empty were now filled with students buried in books or frantically catching up on homework.
Madam Pince's workload increased dramatically; she patrolled the aisles like a protective hawk, stopping anxious students from scribbling in library books. Normally, she only saw such scenes before final exams in June—yet this year it had come six months early.
Meanwhile, the common rooms grew quieter. Even the sounds of Gobstones and Wizard's Chess became rare.
Still, life offered hope.
The looming monthly exams were not the only thing occupying students' minds.
Another major event, one capable of setting the entire school ablaze with excitement—was drawing closer.
On the notice boards, the glaring exam announcement was finally covered by a brightly coloured poster.
The first Quidditch match of the school year was approaching.
Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.
The clash of rivals.
===================
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