Chapter 36: Professor McGonagall's Quiz

Chapter 36: Professor McGonagall's Quiz

The next morning, Chu Yang grabbed his toiletries and stepped out of the dormitory, heading toward the washroom. As he passed through the common room, he saw his roommates still sound asleep on the floor.

Goyle and Crabbe hadn't woken up yet, their snoring almost loud enough to shake the ceiling, but even so, the others lying on the floor hadn't stirred.

They were all in a deep, peaceful sleep.

"Good luck to you all; it's the first day of school—don't be late. Though... that might be difficult," Chu Yang muttered mockingly.

Unfortunately, no one was awake to hear his sarcasm.

After a quick wash and dressing up, Chu Yang grabbed his textbooks and left the dormitory.

Shortly after his departure, senior students began trickling out of their rooms, some yawning, only to be startled by the sight of the first-year students sprawled across the common room floor like toppled bowling pins.

"Wow, seems like the freshmen had a wild night!"

"I envy them—being carefree first-years."

"Did they forget they have classes today?"

"Looks like they're still on vacation mode."

"Does anyone know what their first class is?"

"Probably Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class?"

"And the second?"

"Professor Snape's Potions class…"

"We need to wake them up! Damn it, we'll lose points for our house on the first day!"

The seniors, especially the prefect, panicked. The thought of facing the terrifying Professor Snape if things went wrong sent a chill down their spines.

What a way to start the school year!

Anxious and frustrated, the seniors resorted to forcibly shaking the freshmen awake.

Poor Goyle, still dreaming of delicious food, was slapped awake by a burly senior.

"Ouch!" Goyle woke with a start, clutching his reddened cheek in confusion, drool still dripping from his mouth.

"Hurry up, grab your books, and get to class!" The senior scolded angrily. With so many freshmen asleep, who knew how many points Slytherin would lose?

But soon, the seniors were filled with despair—besides Goyle and Crabbe, all the freshmen who had slept in the common room had caught a cold.

Forget going to class—they didn't even have the strength to stand.

The Slytherin common room was in complete chaos. Meanwhile, Chu Yang, the instigator of this mess, had already descended the staircase to the ground floor. After a leisurely breakfast in the Great Hall, he made his way to the classroom.

The room was empty; Chu Yang was the first student to arrive. He walked straight to the podium and greeted the tabby cat sitting on the desk, "Good morning, Professor McGonagall."

The tabby cat's expression showed a hint of human-like surprise before it leapt into the air and transformed back into Professor McGonagall.

Dressed in her dark green robes, Professor McGonagall approached Chu Yang and asked, "How did you know it was me?"

Chu Yang smiled and held up his textbook. "We have Transfiguration today, don't we?"

"You're a clever boy—excellent insight and logical thinking. A wizard who's good at thinking will become a good wizard," Professor McGonagall praised without hesitation. She had already received plenty of information about Chu Yang from Dumbledore, along with the headmaster's high hopes for him.

Taking advantage of the free time before the other students arrived, Professor McGonagall began discussing the contents of the textbook with Chu Yang. To her astonishment, she found that Chu Yang had already memorized A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by heart.

Though impressed by Chu Yang's performance, Professor McGonagall still reminded him, "I'm glad you've mastered this book, but before anything else, you should understand the theory of magic. Jumping straight into Transfiguration can be very dangerous."

Chu Yang understood the importance of a solid foundation. As Professor McGonagall said, he had first memorized The Theory of Magic before diving into A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.

"Thank you for the advice." Chu Yang gratefully accepted Professor McGonagall's kind reminder with a smile. "If you're referring to Mr. Adalbert Waffling's book, I've already thoroughly studied it."

Professor McGonagall thought she had misheard and asked in surprise, "That's not a short book, Mr. Chu Yang. Are you sure you've 'thoroughly studied' it? If that's the case, then I should give you a proper test!"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall." Chu Yang wouldn't miss any chance to showcase his abilities. After all, this would determine whether he could access the knowledge Dumbledore deemed "dangerous."

That knowledge could greatly enhance Chu Yang's abilities, helping his other selves across different worlds.

With a hint of anticipation, Professor McGonagall began testing Chu Yang's foundational knowledge.

In the empty classroom, they engaged in a back-and-forth question-and-answer session.

Soon, another first-year prodigy, Hermione, appeared at the classroom door. She didn't interrupt the test but stood quietly, listening intently.

Chu Yang, like a machine running at full speed, answered every one of Professor McGonagall's questions without hesitation, without needing extra time to think.

As time passed, the sounds of students chatting began to fill the hallway outside the classroom. Professor McGonagall concluded the test and remarked, "Your memory is truly impressive, but more importantly, you've not only remembered the information but fully understood it."

"You are certainly deserving of Dumbledore's high regard. But remember, never let pride or arrogance cloud your judgment. Overconfidence is a wizard's greatest enemy. Humility will carry you further."

"I heard you've requested Dumbledore to grant you access to more sections of the library, seeking even more knowledge. Decades ago, there was another talented young man just like you, but he took a darker path."

Chu Yang calmly responded, "Thank you for your advice, Professor McGonagall. But just like there are no two identical flowers in the world, no two people are exactly alike. Even seemingly similar individuals can have completely different outcomes because of their unique growth paths."

"I hope so," Professor McGonagall replied thoughtfully, then waved her hand. "Class is about to start. Go take your seat."

Chu Yang nodded and returned to his seat. The next moment, Hermione entered the classroom, looking rather solemn.

She had originally thought that the gap between herself and Chu Yang could be closed with time and effort.

But during the test, her mind had been in a fog from the third question onward, not to mention the ones that followed, which she didn't even understand.

Chu Yang greeted Hermione, but she buried her head in her book, clearly frustrated.

As more students trickled into the classroom, it became clear that many were still missing, most of them first-year Slytherins.