Exams Before Leaving School

Two more days later, Ivan was finally allowed out of the hospital wing, having spent so much time there that he was beginning to rust.

He had had enough of lying in a hospital bed and having to drink medicine every day.

Yvonne would have been released from the hospital if Madam Pomfrey had not insisted that the consequences of giving up her education were severe.

However, life did not go as planned, as it was not long before the end-of-term exams.

On his first day out of bed, Hermione presented him with a thick stack of books.

History of Ancient Magic, Standard Spells, Beginner's Spells, Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, Encyclopedia of Basic Magic…

"With exams in a week, I think you need to make up for all the time you've wasted…" Hermione suggested as she sat down next to Ivan.

"I remember these books. We've read them before, haven't we?" Yvonne said blankly.

"How is that the same? We have to memorize all these books if we're going to have a perfect exam!" Hermione vowed, speaking again before Ivan could retort.

"I've memorized them all. Also, the professor has given many new lectures in your absence. I'll tell you everything later."

Ivan felt a headache coming on as he looked at the pile of books, which were half his height. He had no interest in revisiting what he had already understood.

Ivan turned to look at Harry and Ron, who were watching the proceedings with interest.

Noticing Ivan's gaze, Harry quickly stood up the book in his hand, and Ron even held it upside down, but pretended to study hard.

They didn't want to attract Hermione's attention. They wouldn't be able to memorize all these books even next year…

Yvonne gestured with her mouth, indicating that Hermione should mind her own business about these two rubberneckers.

"Because they're hopeless!" Hermione stammered.

Harry and Ron are left speechless with their heads buried in their books…

A week later, Harry and Ron found out that their knowledge was not as poor as Hermione claimed.

Because the other young wizards performed worse, they did well, and Ron was confident he would get an E in both Charms and Herbology.

Ron did not have the confidence to do so during his Potions exams, as Snape's frequent hovering around them made Harry and Ron nervous.

However, this pressure was nothing to Ivan. He did not get his fourth-level Potions for nothing. The potions he concocted far exceeded the students' standards, and he had no problem selling them.

When he was finished, Snape stayed where he was, scribbling, which Ivan could see was supposed to be a large O.

Harry's performance was also so steady that Snape was unable to find an opening for his tongue.

For the Transfiguration exam, Professor McGonagall asked the students to come in one by one and turn a small round piece of wood into buttons.

As long as one could successfully transform, they would pass. If someone could create a button of the right size and add exquisite patterns on it, they would receive the highest evaluation!

Ivan observed for a while that Hermione was probably the only first year Gryffindor student other than himself who could do this, as the little witch came out very happy with her lips curled up.

"Ivan Hals!"

Professor McGonagall's voice came out of the classroom.

Ivan pulled himself together and went in. The classroom was empty except for a long table. Professor McGonagall was not looking at him, but was staring at the exquisite buttons on the table.

Apparently, they were Hermione's exam papers.

"Professor McGonagall, may I begin?" Ivan asked eagerly, taking his wand from his sleeve.

"Of course, but I don't think these quiz tests will be difficult for you." Professor McGonagall looked up at Ivan with satisfaction in her eyes. She even drew a large O on her report card in front of Ivan.

Whether it was the Grimace she had seen on the fourth floor or the stretcher Ivan had transfigured in front of her a few days ago, Professor McGonagall knew that Ivan's Transfiguration skills far exceeded those of his peers.

To put it bluntly, the exam was meant to let the professors know if their students were up to standard, and it was clear that the exam would not test Ivan's true abilities.

"So, I don't have to take the exam?" Yvonne wondered.

"No, I have another subject for you. How about trying to make objects come alive? You can change into anything." Professor McGonagall took a new piece of wood out of her drawer and promised that whether Ivan succeeded or not, it would not affect his exam results.

It's just an extra test…

Ivan nodded, wanting to test the limits of his Transfiguration.

Thus, Ivan visualised a transfigured creature in his mind, and chose an owl as his pet, inspired by Dumbledore's earlier attempts to recreate the transfiguration.

A true biological transformation, of the irreversible kind!

Professor McGonagall watched quietly, wondering why Ivan wasn't making a move. Suddenly, he waved his wand, and the tip touched the round wood…

This time the transformation was very slow,

Transforming a ten-centimeter piece of wood into a living creature the size of an owl is extremely difficult…

Ivan tried to remember the moment when his magic burst forth in the Room of Requirement, trying to force his magic into the wood to analyse its structure and change its form and even its nature!

Due to his previous experience, Ivan was able to proceed smoothly, but had trouble with the shapeshifters, as he did not understand the structure of flesh and blood cells…

Perhaps it was because of this that the "phoenix" he had painstakingly created exploded instantly after being injected with magic!

"Wait…flesh cells?" Ivan said, suddenly realising that his own body was one of them.

All he had to do was use magic to analyze his body.

With this in mind, Ivan immediately went into action, gathering his magic around his pinky and experimenting with it.

However, under normal circumstances, Ivan could not allow his magic to penetrate deep into his cells, and was only able to give a rough idea of what was going on.

Even so, it was enough. The round pieces of wood on the table kept being pulled towards the shape Ivan had in mind…