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The recruitment results were announced on the notice board in the auditorium just before dinner. Excited students promptly gathered in the auditorium, eager to hear the outcome.
Upon discovering that two of their fellow students had been selected as assistants, the crowd expressed surprise. While the senior students remained confident in Ravenclaw Prefect Penelope Clearwater's success, Hermione Granger's victory sparked lively discussions. The senior students, unable to believe that a second-year witch could outshine them, gathered in front of the notice board for further deliberation.
Ravenclaw students erupted in collective cheers, expressing genuine joy for their prefect's success. Those seated near Penelope exchanged greetings, and the prefect, blushing with excitement, raised her glass. Penelope repeatedly acknowledged the enthusiastic praise from classmates, taking her seat with evident delight.
Both Harry and Ron were astonished to see Hermione selected as Professor Ethan's assistant in the seals. The Gryffindor students, especially the senior ones who had written theses together, regarded Hermione as a rare species. They were well aware of the intense competition in the selection process. While everyone knew Gryffindor's Miss Smarty-pants was eager to learn, no one had anticipated the depth of Hermione's knowledge. Nonetheless, the Gryffindor lions celebrated uproariously, cheering loudly and slamming the table.
At the start of the school year, Gryffindor had suffered a daunting 500 point deduction due to Ron and Harry's mishap, dashing hopes for the Academy Cup. The revised goal for Gryffindor was to avoid finishing in last place. Through the collective efforts of the Gryffindor students and the 30 additional house points Hermione earned, they saw a glimmer of hope in surpassing Hufflepuff before the semester's end.
Percy, Gryffindor's male prefect with the second-to-last plan, had already devised a strategy: "As long as Gryffindor wins Quidditch, everything will be fine."
In contrast, Slytherin's students were discontented with Hermione's selection. They believed that a second-year Muggle witch surpassing numerous students in their own house must have cheated.
Hufflepuff's little badgers, on the other hand, behaved modestly and calmly. They were accustomed to such events. Hufflepuff, known for its tolerance and kindness, may not shine as brightly as Gryffindor, but its moral values are commendable. They believe in judging a person's strength by their character. In a world where maintaining an unwavering moral compass is challenging, Hufflepuff students choose honesty over opportunism, making it their most cherished quality, a virtue Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor often struggle to uphold.
The celebratory atmosphere in the auditorium reached its peak with the Weasley twins engaging in a playful tug-of-war. Percy exerted all his strength to retrieve the remaining fireworks, fearing the consequences. Suddenly, the professors walked into the auditorium.
Taking advantage of Fred's delay of Percy, George gleefully set off two fireworks. Unfortunately, one of them exploded right in front of Professor McGonagall, leaving the fireworks cleverly imprinted on her surprised expression.
For a moment, the auditorium fell silent. The Weasleys and Gryffindors stared at Professor McGonagall in horror, while the Slytherins wore smirks, hoping for Gryffindor to lose points.
Professor McGonagall kept her mouth tightly shut, fixing her stern gaze on the uneasy Weasley twins. As expected, Gryffindor lost ten points, and the Weasley twins were each confined for half a month. Percy returned to his seat in annoyance, unable to shake off the embarrassment of Gryffindor's loss while he was a prefect. He knew the Slytherins would mock Gryffindor for a long time.
When Ethan and Professor Flitwick entered the auditorium, they drew the attention of all the students. Ethan held a thick stack of papers, the ones students had handed in over the past two days. Professor Flitwick waved his hand and called Penelope and Hermione forward, indicating that he had something to share.
Standing on the professor's chair, Ethan cleared his throat, signaling he was about to speak. All the students turned their focus to the rostrum as Ethan began.
"I believe this time has been both challenging and rewarding for everyone. Let's first congratulate Miss Penelope Clearwater and Miss Hermione Granger, who emerged successfully from the fierce competition"
Subsequently, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff joined in the warm applause, while the kind-hearted Hufflepuffs genuinely congratulated Penelope and Hermione. Slytherin, however, offered only scattered applause, as the little snakes remained dissatisfied with Hermione's selection.
Hermione and Penelope found themselves in the spotlight. Blushing, they stood up and gave a modest bow.
After the applause subsided, Ethan continued, "Secondly, I've thoroughly assessed your learning levels through your papers." As he spoke, Ethan tapped the thick stack of papers with his wand, causing them to soar into the air and fly toward the hands of the students who had submitted them.
The auditorium buzzed with excitement as senior students discovered their papers covered in comments, corrections, and feedback from the professors. Simultaneously, each paper bore a grade similar to homework assignments: Outstanding (O), Exceeded Expectations (E), Acceptable (A), Poor (P), Dreadful (D), Troll (T). The hardworking students found joy in seeing O and E grades, while those who copied from the books and sought shortcuts received A grades.
A few students, who wrote carelessly or treated the paper as a personal diary, were left embarrassed with grades of P, D, and even T. Their shame was further magnified when their papers were exposed to the scrutiny of their classmates.
Ethan coughed twice to quiet down the students who were sharing and discussing their grades. He then announced the news that garnered cheers from many students: those who received E and O grades on their papers would earn extra points in the final exams of the spell class and the close combat class. The auditorium transformed into a sea of joy once again, with diligent students celebrating the recognition of their efforts.
Ethan went on to reveal his plan to create a journal featuring outstanding papers from Hogwarts students. Two issues of the journal would be published each semester. Hermione and Penelope's papers would be the first to be showcased. In the future, students with papers featured in the journal will receive additional points in their respective subjects at the end of the term. Furthermore, their respective houses would be awarded 20 bonus points and 10 gold Galleons for each published paper.
This initiative had been discussed with other professors and received unanimous agreement, including the approval of Dumbledore. Even Snape found it to be a commendable approach to enhance students' academic performance and enthusiasm.