Chapitre 96: Chapter 96: Final Exams
William took out a notebook filled with notes he'd jotted down from memory on spell theory and magical applications.
Fred took one look at the pages and winced, tossing the notebook over to Cedric, who was much more interested.
"So, you think you could set up this tracking spell yourself?"
"The Homonculous Charm is a complex spell," William admitted, shrugging. "Right now, I don't have enough magical power to cast it."
He could manage it on a smaller scale, but casting a spell that blanketed all of Hogwarts would exhaust him after covering even a third of the grounds.
"So that means we're out of business for next term?" George groaned, crestfallen.
William patted him on the shoulder with a grin. "It's not that bad. The Marauders already cast the Homonculous Charm over Hogwarts, and the core object is the Marauder's Map. All I'd have to do is set up a backdoor so that other maps can connect to it."
Once William had identified the spell at the heart of the Marauder's Map, the rest would be a breeze.
His plan was to turn the Marauder's Map into a sort of magical Wi-Fi, with the rest of their maps connecting to it as networked devices.
This approach had other perks too, the biggest one being simplicity. It would also allow them to centrally manage all the maps they sold, making it easy to detect any attempts to tamper with or decode them.
Of course, their version of the maps would have reduced functionality: such as the names and locations of other people and certainly no secret passageways.
"What should we do in the meantime?" asked Cho.
"Well, Cedric is a good artist. I'd say you should redesign the map layout, make it look less, uh, crude," William suggested.
The Marauders' design was unmistakably hand-drawn and rough, so Cedric's skills would definitely be an improvement.
Cedric had been learning from Ollivander for a while, and crafting wands required solid artistic ability, making him a perfect fit.
"As for you three…" William turned to the others. "You can go around to all the Houses and do some advertising. Let people know our shop is about to open."
"What kind of business exactly are we talking about?"
"Hogwarts maps, homework references, potions, Honeydukes deliveries from Hogsmeade, prank supplies… If anyone still doesn't understand the full range of our services," William said, standing up and gazing over the Black Lake with a grin.
"Just tell them, 'If the school rules allow it, we'll sell it; if they don't, we'll sell it even more. Buy now, ask later—payment on delivery.' is that clear enough?"
"Crystal!" they all shouted back.
…
While the five of them discussed their plans to avoid detection by professors, the wizarding world felt the impact of Tywin's arrest like a seismic wave.
As William had predicted, the Ministry kept quiet about the Time-Turner theft, instead allowing Tywin to be labeled as a rogue Death Eater who had attacked the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
The word "Death Eater" appeared in the papers again for the first time in a decade, sparking widespread fear.
To shift public attention, the Daily Prophet also ran an extensive story on Tywin's capture, hailing William as a hero.
The front page was headlined: "Young Wizard Catches Death Eater Single-Handedly—William Stark, Savior of Hogwarts!"
According to the reports, William was likely to receive a Second-Class Order of Merlin. It wasn't an exaggeration, given Tywin's crimes.
Not only had he attacked the Ministry, but as a Death Eater, he posed a serious threat to Hogwarts and its young witches and wizards.
If William did receive the Order of Merlin, he would become the youngest honoree by a decade—a record that would be hard to beat.
His name spread through every wizarding household in Britain.
Back home, however, he received a letter from his mother, Lyanna, scolding him and blaming Hogwarts for letting a child face such dangers.
She even insisted he drop out of the school.
Professor Dumbledore was busier than ever, attending Tywin's trial and even stopping by to reassure William's family.
William had a feeling Dumbledore's visit was as much to see Annie as it was to calm his parents.
The trial was over quickly.
With the evidence stacked against him, Tywin was sentenced to life in Azkaban.
The Ministry seemed supremely confident in the security of Azkaban, believing no wizard could ever escape from it, so they rarely handed out death sentences.
With Tywin's removal, Defense Against the Dark Arts was temporarily cancelled, leaving the students disappointed. A skilled, engaging professor was hard to come by in that subject, and replacing Tywin was now Dumbledore's problem to solve.
Final exams came faster than anyone expected.
On the day of their exams, the weather was unbearably hot, especially in the large, crowded exam hall.
Everyone had to use the special quills provided, each enchanted to prevent any attempts at cheating.
The practical exams were as challenging as ever. Professor Flitwick called them in one by one and had them make a doll dance across the table in a ballet.
For William, the challenge was no issue; he'd long known the test content.
He turned a nearby chair into a phonograph that played Swan Lake as background music. With that, he had four dolls perform the Dance of the Little Swans. Professor Flitwick was so impressed he gave him full marks.
Then it was Professor McGonagall's turn. She had them transform a bamboo rat into a snuffbox, and the prettier the box, the higher the score. Any lingering whiskers on the snuffbox meant lost points.
William charmed his snuffbox with a detailed model of Hogwarts castle and an interior view of Hogsmeade. This detail, though it gave away his trips to Hogsmeade, still earned him a perfect score.
For Potions, they had to recall the ingredients for the Draught of Living Death. Professor Snape prowled behind them, close enough to feel his breath down the backs of their necks.
William even dared to add a French lily seed, ensuring anyone who took the potion would have pleasant dreams. Snape glared but surprisingly did not object to his improvisation.
The last exam was History of Magic. One hour of regurgitating facts about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct and recounting the history of the Goblin Rebellions, and they would finally be free—free to relax for a whole week until their results were posted.
When Professor Binns finally told them to lay down their quills and roll up their scrolls, a cheer erupted through the hall.
The term was nearly over at last.
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