This way, students in the sixth and seventh years could finish all their exams early in the morning, as there were fewer of them and their grades were generally good.
After they finished their exams, they could help serve as examiners for the practical exams of the lower and middle years in the afternoon. Since the subjects were varied and could not all be squeezed into the common room, Alan borrowed several empty classrooms from the professors. In the afternoon, these upperclassmen would take the younger students to the corresponding test sites to complete their practical tests, much like a rotating physical examination. After finishing one subject, they would move to the next classroom for the next. Alan even borrowed the Potions classroom and examination materials from Snape.
Snape had previously promised Alan that he would cooperate fully, and he agreed readily. After all, he had seen the changes in Slytherin. He barely understood his own House anymore and now felt hesitant even to enter the common room. Whenever he appeared in the stone hall, everyone would stand at attention and greet him with a focus that felt unnerving. Sometimes he wondered if Alan had gone too far, but since he had promised not to interfere, he stayed out of it. This led to Snape's gaze toward Alan becoming increasingly strange, which in turn made Alan feel very uncomfortable.
The end of the first month finally arrived, and the House was prepared. All the young wizards were nervously bracing for the exams, knowing that the year group and individual with the highest overall scores would receive the Chief's reward. The monthly exam scores accounted for a significant portion of the final ranking, so whether they were year leaders or individuals, everyone was determined to give their all.
On the last Saturday of the month, every young wizard rose at 7 o'clock, dressed neatly, had breakfast together in the Great Hall, and gathered in the common room by 7:30. Although Slytherin often acted collectively, such a large, early formation alarmed several students and professors from other Houses. Inside the dungeon stone hall, the young wizards were divided into three large groups sitting in designated areas. At Alan's announcement, the monthly exam officially began.
This exam was very different from the diagnostic test at the beginning of the term, and its significance was unique. The atmosphere in the dungeon was solemn; not a single sound could be heard except for the scratching of quills on parchment. The older students felt relatively less pressure, as their grades were already stable and they would not participate in the primary competition. Alan had given them corresponding benefits and permissions, treating these exams more as a review for their N.E.W.T.s.
Nearly an hour later, some of the older students finished. These were the ones taking only a few subjects. Once they handed in their papers, Alan led them to the empty classrooms prepared for the spellcasting practicals. Other high-grade students followed as they finished. By staggering the times, all upperclassmen could finish their assessments in one morning.
But what about the young wizards left in the common room? Was no one afraid of cheating? That depended on their self-control; it was a small test left by Alan. The entire common room was under Hog's omnidirectional surveillance. If anyone actually dared to make a move, Alan would be secretly pleased, as he was looking for an opportunity to further refine the House's atmosphere.
The morning's exams proceeded steadily, and the high-grade tests were wrapping up on schedule. Just as Alan was about to assess the last few sixth-year students, he suddenly froze, as if sensing a disturbance.
"William, please help me complete the Transfiguration test for these last three people. Just follow the standards I set. I have something to attend to. After the exam, you can go directly back to the common room," Alan said, narrowing his eyes as he turned to William.
"Ah? Oh, okay." William didn't know what was wrong, but he habitually agreed.
After Alan walked out of the classroom, he immediately cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and snuck back to the common room. He had reacted because he received a message from Hog: someone had tried to cheat after he left. Moreover, according to Hog, the student had cheated in more than one subject. It was practically suicidal.
Upon returning to the common room, Alan followed Hog's instructions and found the offender. It was Hader Chris from the third year, whose academic performance was average and who had violated discipline multiple times before. He was known for being a bit too cunning for his own good.
His cheating method was simple yet clever; he had brought in a cheat sheet hidden as an ordinary piece of parchment. When he encountered a question he couldn't answer, he would secretly channel magic into the parchment, causing the answer to appear. It was clearly a magical item. If he hadn't consulted it so frequently, Hog might not have caught him. Alan did not expose him on the spot. He simply watched the boy cheat and then calmly withdrew.
Throughout the afternoon practicals, Alan remained composed, acting as if he hadn't noticed a thing. He proceeded with the lower and middle-grade exams as planned until the day was over. The young wizard, Hader, seemed to think his ploy had been flawless and was chatting and joking with his classmates quite casually.
The next day, the monthly meeting was scheduled for the afternoon, with the morning reserved for the subject representatives to grade the papers. By noon, Alan had the final results.
In the afternoon, the young wizards sat upright in the hall, awaiting the start of the meeting. At the appointed time, Alan appeared on the high platform, looking at them with a calm expression and a slight smile.
"The September monthly meeting is now officially beginning. The agenda is as follows: First, I will announce the exam results and year group rankings. Second, I will announce the year with the highest overall score, as well as the top three individuals, and award the prizes. Third, I will report on those who violated discipline this week and impose penalties."
Hearing Alan mention the rewards they anticipated most, the young wizards widened their eyes and focused intently on the platform.