Lucius Hidden Son

Chapter 18: I want an E in each subject!

As he kept an eye on Harry’s work, Severus took the Draco’s potion to test. As with every other time, he found nothing wrong with it and awarded an O, hoping to do the same with Harry’s, if he wanted to work.

Twenty minutes later, Harry came to his favorite potions professor’s office, without incident’s in the making of his potion, presenting his vial for inspection. Without commenting, Severus inspected the potion thoroughly, completing an entire battery of tests before concluding, nonchalantly, it was as perfect as Draco’s. Obviously, everything was perfect! Severus therefore gave him a perfect grade as he had done for Draco.

He returned to reviewing once again, with continual recommendations and warnings, from the beginning so Lucius couldn’t fire him for what was left out of his class. Finally, he stopped to go to the Great Hall where dinner would be served in less than five minutes.

Barely out of the potions room, Harry and Draco rushed to their dormitory to put away their bags before heading to the Great Hall so as not to miss dinner. They were not pressed for time though, since they still had to wait five minutes. While both were seated at the Slytherin table and were waiting impatiently for dinner to be served, as usual, the Headmaster rose from the head table.

"My children, I must inform you that a new reform on the grading system has been implemented in our school. It affects you directly, which is why I must speak of it. Starting today, when you finish your homework, tutoring, or after an exercise is graded, you will not be allowed to know of your results. Teachers no longer have the right to communicate them. It seems that the Board of Directors believes that some students, when their results are not what they wanted, will see the teacher to correct them. This will no longer be possible. You, therefore, will find your grades in your Christmas Marks.

“Another novelty is that you will receive three letters containing your grades each year instead of two. A Christmas one as usual, on in late March, and another in late May in which you will know if you will be promoted or not to exceeding years since these grades will tell more, but, ultimately, it falls within the board of directors who will decide it - even if you have the capacity or not to go to year higher. Seeing this, I wish you a good meal!" Finished the Headmaster, before he sat down and began his meal.

At each table, discussions between students were contentious. Merlin, was this reform stupid! How could they improve their results between two classes if they didn’t know their grades from the previous homework?

Upon hearing this news, Hermione was furious! She swore to work twice as hard to be certain to pass to seventh year! And she swore to do the same with Harry and Ron, they would make it too! For Harry, she wasn’t too worried, Draco would already be working with him, especially with his father behind him! She would handle Ron’s case and put him seriously to work! She could be very convincing when she really wanted it!

As for Harry and Draco, morale was not very high at all! They would have to pull out all the stops, triple if need be, to succeed since they could share their results! Fortunately, Severus had given their potions grade before dinner, they therefore had no need to worry too much about its subject matter, but they could not easily say the same for others!

The only positive point is that from now, the Professors would not surprise them with more work, so everyone could prepare and work when they set a date for the homework to be turned in. They would have two classes in each subject for each grade card, i.e. the need to at least pass one perfectly to compensate for the other in case of accident.

“What’s the big idea of making an average from the two classes!” growled Draco on returning to the dormitory with Harry. The news had destroyed their appetite!

They had three classes to prepare for the following week. The teachers had agreed to ensure that students have no more than three assignments each week so that they can revise for all three subjects. They would therefore have no homework to be done in other subjects, they would just focus on the three subjects of the week! Draco wondered vaguely if their father was aware of this so-called reform. He knew surely, that is why he came the same day to put them pressure! He was certain that his father had voted for the proposal to the Board! He would put his hand on fire! Lucius had certainly thought that this would motivate them to work! Clearly, more Slytherin than Lucius Malfoy, it did not exist! In addition, he was careful not to tell them about this "reform"!

Draco was furious! He was mad with everyone: his father for having said nothing, his godfather because the potion they had to redo would interfere with the average, it should be redone and two other especially after teachers who chose the three worst materials to begin their classes: Care of Magical Creatures (Draco’s personal nightmare) fortunately Harry was quite talented, therefore, he would help his brother (Draco prayed he would anyway), History of Magic (the nightmare of all students because they all fall asleep during the course except Hermione…), and Divination the second pet peeve of most students.

That new perspective wasn’t favorable!

At least what teachers had given them for homework subjects was practical: Hippogriffs for Care of Magical Creatures, The Goblins’ Revolt for History of Magic, and symbols and meanings in reading tea leaves in Divination.

Knowing the subjects was one thing, passing the class was another!

Harry and Draco decided to share the work: Draco would go to the library looking for a book of Divination with all the symbols and interpretations, they would have to copy them and learn them by heart. Harry would try to find something for History of Magic. Finally, for Care of Magical Creatures, all they had to learn was the chapter on Hippogriffs and the work was done! Draco begged internally to Merlin, Salazar and all other great beings that there would be no practical tests with that crazy giant!

Although Severus had promised to help, he could not learn in their place, he therefore didn’t help with these three pieces of homework, but he could be very useful for others!

Mumbling after his father, who was probably behind all this “education reform,” Draco went to the library to look for his Divination book. Waiting until his brother had left his company, Harry also left to regain his “savior staff”: Hermione. It was essential that she gave him her notes or they would both be sunk!

Stopping just beside one of the bookshelves, Harry saw Hermione sitting at a table, nose in a book as usual. He went to her, and stopped immediately when he saw who was with her: Ron! This was going to be trouble! How could he ask her for notes with Ron next her?

Suddenly inspired, Harry hid behind the row of books behind her best friend and tried to call her quietly without arousing suspicion. Unfortunately for him, she didn’t seem to hear him. He could not yell across the library to attract her attention, especially that Draco was now browsing the shelves himself.

"Hermione! Pstt, Hermione!” He called her desperately behind his books.

Unfortunately, nothing seemed to disrupt her."Is she deaf or something?" Harry swore between his teeth.

Getting mad, Harry took out a piece of parchment from his pocket, rolled it into a ball and threw it at his best friend’s head, who turned, looking to see where the paper had come from. Rising quietly and seeing Harry, she joined him.

Unfortunately for Harry, the Divination section was right behind him and Draco, who still sought his book, had seen the scene…


TO BE CONTINUED…


I’m back! Did you love this chapter? Thanks, Eriko