"What are the conditions? Just say it!" The young wizards, including Joey, excitedly asked one after another.
"I don't teach those who lack self-discipline. Only those who rank in the top three in their individual scores during the monthly review meeting can choose to accept my system of training."
"Violating discipline, breaking school rules, or having House points deducted will not only reduce your grade score but also leave a personal mark on your record with me. Earning points for the House, observing discipline, and achieving excellent monthly exam results can all improve your personal score." Seeing everyone's high spirits, Alan decided to include participation in the training as part of the monthly rewards.
After hearing Alan's words, many people fell silent. To receive the Chief's unique guidance, one had to ensure no violations, maintain excellent grades, and actively earn points for the House? Joey's heart sank. He had already violated discipline once this month, and his grades weren't stellar, but the desire to become stronger still drove him.
"Understood, Chief. I will definitely work hard!" Joey gritted his teeth and firmly promised.
"Good. Work hard." Alan nodded, then put away the humanoid target and floated away.
The people left behind felt a fire ignite within them. To qualify, besides staying out of trouble, they needed outstanding performance. The simplest and most direct method was to improve their grades. Many turned their attention to the other subject representatives. Since their foundations were not solid, they had to spend more time making up for it.
"Vivian." Joey was the first to stop Vivian as she was about to return to her dormitory to rest. "My History of Magic is too poor. Can you help me? Please, I beg you."
"Now?" Vivian looked at him speechlessly. Tutoring had clearly already ended for the night.
"Please, even a little bit of time helps." Joey wore a humble expression, looking at Vivian pitifully. Finally, worn down by his persistence, Vivian stayed in the common room for over an hour to tutor him again.
Joey was not the only one with this idea; others in the stone hall were also taking action—either begging subject representatives for extra help or taking out their textbooks and returning to the common room to study. Unexpectedly, tonight's simple practical session had ignited a passion for learning. Many stayed up studying until midnight.
However, their sudden enthusiasm came at a cost. Several people were caught by Hog for being late to class the next day due to oversleeping. Even so, the number of young wizards acting this way only increased. Although official self-study time was only two hours, many voluntarily stayed behind afterward to attend study group sessions. Many still remained in the common room afterward, pulling subject representatives aside to tutor them.
This even angered several subject representatives. After they collectively resisted, they managed to get rid of the lingering students, but those people simply stayed up late studying on their own.
To give everyone more opportunities for practical spellcasting, Alan cleared out a dungeon and installed a humanoid target there. He allowed anyone who wanted to practice to do so, but fearing long-term monopolization, he stipulated that each person could cast a maximum of ten spells per session to prevent any one person from hogging the target. He planned to make a few more soon; for now, they would use this one. It was also a good opportunity to test the target's durability.
Outside the House, the young wizards also showed almost frantic classroom enthusiasm. No matter the grade or the class, whenever a Professor asked a question, the Slytherins were always the first to raise their hands—something Ravenclaw usually enjoyed doing. This change surprised the Professors and puzzled students from other Houses.
Moreover, this behavior escalated. To gain points and avoid mistakes, these young wizards began to compete fiercely. They compared who earned the most points, who studied latest, and who polished their shoes the brightest. Eventually, it became an obsession. To avoid losing points, they ate in silence and rushed to read or queue for spellcasting practice as soon as they finished.
Soon, a month had passed. In the weekly meetings, Alan maintained his strict attitude, punishing students who violated the rules; the push-up count for offenders had increased to fifty. These periodic warnings helped most people maintain good habits.
Even so, not everyone could maintain such vigor. Some, due to laziness or years of inertia, would still inadvertently violate discipline. A few were unable to fully integrate into the group; seeing the competition as hopeless and lacking a strong sense of honor, they began to give up. Their grade leaders were helpless. Because these students committed minor mistakes every week and had to do fifty to a hundred push-ups, their physical fitness actually improved. Now, that level of punishment no longer pressured them. They had adapted to the rules, but not out of respect; they would follow them generally, but if caught due to oversight, they felt no guilt. They had become seasoned veterans of the system.
For these unyielding individuals, Alan decided to find an opportunity to deal with them properly, but the most urgent matter was the first monthly exam.
The exam was scheduled for the last Saturday of the month. Due to the tight schedule, Alan split the students into written and practical components. The morning was dedicated to written exams. Every subject had a written part, though the proportion decreased in higher grades. Alan allocated different times based on the number of subjects and year.
First and second years had seven subjects, with forty minutes for each. Their focus remained on writing, so their sessions were longer. Third to fifth years had nine subjects, with thirty minutes each. Sixth to seventh years only took exams for the subjects they had passed at O.W.L. level, also with thirty-minute sessions. Alan wanted the written portion finished early so the remaining time in the morning and afternoon could be used for practical assessments.