Hogwarts: Don't call me Wandmaker

Chapter 266 Divination Exam
Emerging from the ancient runic examination hall, the tense exam week is finally coming to an end.

Xilun glanced at the exam schedule; the last exam was divination, scheduled for 1 p.m.

After lunch, he and Harry and the others walked up the marble stairs to the spiral staircase leading to the Divination classroom.

Many people are flipping through "Seeing the Future Through the Fog," hoping to cram at the last minute.

“She’ll meet with us one by one according to the list; we can just wait here,” Neville said.

He looked at Xilun, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

"What's wrong?" Siren asked, guessing that Neville was probably waiting for him because he was standing on the outside.

“It’s this…” Neville opened the chapter on crystal balls in “Seeing the Future Through the Fog.” “I want to know, how can I see things inside a crystal ball?”

“It depends on the situation,” Siren said. “If you want to predict the future, you need to have a talent for prophecy.”

“No, no…” Neville shook his head repeatedly, “I just want to pass this exam.”

“That makes things much simpler.” Xiren smiled. “You just need to recall your experience from the first day of third grade.”

"What?" Neville was taken aback, not quite understanding what Xiren meant.

He wanted to see the crystal ball. Why did he want to recall the experience of the first day of school? Professor Trelawney hadn't mentioned such a request... Well... maybe she had, but he forgot. He often forgets all sorts of important things.

“This is related to the characteristics of the crystal ball.” Xiren looked at the students around him and said in a low voice, “If you can see the contents of the crystal ball, then only you can see it. Even if a real prophet is standing next to you, he will not be able to see anything. Of course, that includes Professor Trelawney.”

Neville still didn't understand.

"In other words, as long as you say you saw images in the crystal ball, Professor Trelawney has no choice but to believe you."

Upon hearing Xiren's words, Neville was stunned. He stared at him blankly, wanting to say something but not knowing how to start, and soon his face turned bright red.

After a long pause, he stammered, "But isn't this...isn't this cheating?"

“That’s why you need a plausible prophecy that Professor Trelawney likes to hear,” Celen said. “Do you know what Professor Trelawney likes?”

“She likes to predict other people’s misfortunes,” Ron muttered to himself, and Neville nodded subconsciously.

He has had a terrible year, living in constant fear, and all of this is thanks to Professor Trelawney.

Every time she attended a divination class, she would try different ways to scare herself, such as seeing a python representing an attack in a teacup or blood and sharp blades in a crystal ball.

Many people are now avoiding him, as if afraid of being affected. But only Neville knows that he has never seen a real python in his entire life, not even once.

“That’s right.” Celen smiled. “So you have to say something Professor Trelawney likes to hear. As long as she’s happy, you’ll pass the exam smoothly.”

"say what?"

“Your experience on the first day of school,” Celen said.

“But I’ve forgotten most of it…” Neville said. “I only remember forgetting my homework when I went out that day, then forgetting my schoolbag at home, and almost missing my train… I couldn’t find Rafer before going to bed that night, so I went out to look for him, and then I forgot the password to enter the common room. I stayed in the corridor until the early hours of the next morning, and Professor McGonagall found me when she was patrolling the castle at night…”

“Enough, Neville, enough…” Siren clicked his tongue.

He had imagined Neville's day might be interesting, but he hadn't expected it to be this interesting, especially since it was only an experience Neville had forgotten most of. "You could put this experience in fourth grade," Celen said. "Professor Trelawney would probably give you an O right then and there."

"I can't... I mean, isn't this cheating?"

“In a sense, this really doesn’t count as cheating.” Siren gave Neville a serious look.

One can imagine that on the first day of fourth grade, he must have had a new story. Maybe he was locked in the hallway again, or maybe he forgot to bring his potions homework.

If Neville could really see the scene in the crystal ball, it would be just as amazing as that day in third grade.

While they were chatting, the line gradually shortened. When it was Nawi's turn, he was still hesitating and slowly climbing the rope ladder.

“What do you think Neville will do?” Harry asked.

“Who knows?” Ron said casually, while flipping through the book Neville had left behind.

“Siron, what kind of prophecy do you think I should make up? How about getting hit on the toe by a goblin? There are a lot of goblins in our garden.”

“I suggest you replace the goblins with dragons,” Siren said. “You can also bring your brother Charlie along; I remember he works at the dragon sanctuary in Romania, right?”

“Yes.” Ron nodded. “But Siron, isn’t a fire dragon a bit too much? Professor Trelawney definitely won’t believe it.”

"Just say that your brother messed up at work, causing a dragon to run out and step on your foot. As a result, he was expelled from the protected area and lost his job. You also had to drop out of Hogwarts and go to St. Mungo's to recover from your injuries."

“That sounds really bad,” Harry said, pursing his lips.

Ron couldn't help but hug his arms tightly and said, "It's okay, she likes to hear this. Thanks, Charlie, I feel like I'll get an O on this exam."

“I guess Charlie might not really like that kind of thanks,” Harry said.

He knew Charlie Weasley; before he enrolled, Charlie had been Gryffindor's Seeker.

After graduating, he went to Romania and worked in the Dragon Sanctuary, becoming one of the most prominent figures at Hogwarts.

If only Ron was unlucky, Professor Trelawney might not care too much, but if Charlie, an outstanding graduate, is included, it's a different story; she'll definitely be pleased.

“Similarly, you could replace Charlie with Bill Weasley,” Celen continued.

"She'll definitely remember him as the former president of the Hogwarts student council, and that will make things even better."

“Then what should I say?” Ron blinked. “Say he let the mummy escape?”

Bill Weasley works as a curse-breaker in Gringotts, Egypt, and it seems like the only things he deals with are mummies.

“You could say something else,” Celen said casually. “For example, he was accidentally bitten by a werewolf while breaking the curse, and then he ran all the way back to England and bit you.”

“Professor Trelawney will scream with excitement,” Harry said with a laugh.

……

(End of this chapter)