Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 316 Recognition from the Ministry of Magic

Just as Cullen and his team were immersed in the awe and challenges brought by the Slytherin Laboratory, an unexpected letter broke the somewhat heavy academic atmosphere in the Eagle's Nest.

It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon, and the owl-postmen were pouring into Hogwarts Great Hall. A spirited, meticulously groomed brown owl flew straight to the Ravenclaw table and tossed a thick parchment envelope bearing the prominent emblem of the Department of Physical Education and Sports of the Ministry of Magic in front of Cullen.

The surrounding Ravenclaw students cast curious glances at him. Karen paused slightly, putting down his pumpkin juice. Since entrusting the Hawkeye system entirely to Professor Flitwick, he hadn't received any mail from the Ministry of Magic's Department of Physical Education and Sports for some time. He tore open the wax-sealed envelope.

The handwriting inside was done in a bright blue ink, which seemed enthusiastic, but the wording conveyed a sincere sense of gratitude and warmth.

To Mr. Karen Hawthorne, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ravenclaw House: Dear Mr. Hawthorne

Please allow me to write this letter to you with immense joy and excitement! I hope that when this letter reaches you, you will be enjoying your wonderful learning experience at Hogwarts. Of course, I am confident that with your intelligence, your studies are equally brilliant!

Getting back to the point, I'm writing this letter to formally inform you that your ingenious invention, which we internally called "Quidditch Hawkeye," has achieved unprecedented success after rigorous testing and evaluation by the International Quidditch Federation, previous pre-testing efforts, and practical application in several professional leagues this season!

Karen could picture the beaming expression on the face of the Director of Keitel Sun as he wrote those words.

"Oh, kid, you didn't see it! Just last week, in that fiery match between the Kemmell Red Falcons and the Barrycaston Bats, you know they're bitter rivals, and your system made three incredibly subtle fouls on the Quidditch ball (two for the Red Falcons, one for the Bats) in just one game, plus a controversial Quaffle that almost sparked a brawl (ultimately ruled out, Red Falcons narrowly lost). Merlin above! The whole process was clear, fair, and irrefutable! Both captains were furious, but faced with irrefutable evidence, they had no choice but to accept it. The stands erupted! I'm sure you saw it too, the sports section of the Daily Prophet has been discussing this 'revolutionary invention that changed the way Quidditch referees are called' for three consecutive days!"

The letter's tone became more formal: "Therefore, after internal discussion within the Department of Physical Education and Sports of the Ministry of Magic and filing with the Minister's Office, we have officially decided to name your system the 'Hawthorne Hawkeye System' in recognition of your outstanding contributions."

Seeing her surname associated with an invention soon to be rolled out across the entire magical world, Karen's heart skipped a beat. The feeling—was strange.

Director Kettleburn continued, "More importantly, I am honored to formally inform you that, with the approval of the Ministry of Magic and the International Quidditch Federation, the Hawthorne Hawk-Eye system will be fully implemented in the Quidditch World Cup qualifiers! It will serve as the official auxiliary referee tool to ensure the fairness and impartiality of all matches!"

"My dearest Karen," the letter's tone softened again, "if—no, please forgive my wording—I believe it will, if the Hawkeye System continues to operate stably and reliably throughout the World Cup qualifiers and the subsequent main tournament, and continues to make outstanding contributions to fair play (I have no doubt about this), then, in my personal capacity and on behalf of the Department of Physical Education and Sports of the Ministry of Magic, in addition to the previously promised nomination of you and the Charms Club for the Order of Merlin, Third Class, I will formally nominate you for the Order of Merlin, Second Class!"

Karen was somewhat surprised. He remembered that Edgar's letter during the summer vacation mentioned a third-class medal, but he didn't expect that there would be an additional second-class medal. It seemed that the Hawkeye system was performing even better than he had predicted. Then Karen noticed that Wesley, who was peeking from the side, had his mouth wide open, almost big enough to fit an egg. Ernesto also showed a surprised and admiring expression, while Fabian pushed up his glasses, his eyes shining behind the lenses.

At the end of the letter, Director Kettleburn's tone softened slightly as he outlined a practical request: "Of course, while enjoying the victory, we've also noticed some minor details that could be improved. The signal transmitters currently installed at the end of the broomsticks, while working perfectly, are still somewhat cumbersome for our professional players who prioritize speed and agility. Furthermore, installation and setup require our specialized technicians, which is a bit inconvenient. Therefore, I wonder if you could perhaps spare some time from your studies to research how to further optimize these transmitters, making them lighter, easier to install, and even—if possible, achieving stealth or semi-stealth while simultaneously enhancing tracking capabilities would be ideal! I believe that with your ingenuity, this is certainly not a difficult task."

The letter ends with warm wishes and a formal closing: "Once again, I extend my warmest congratulations and sincerest thanks to you! I look forward to your reply."

Yours faithfully, Head of the Department of Physical Education, Ministry of Magic, Kettleburn.

P.S.: By the way, because of your outstanding invention, Minister Fouché praised the Sports and Recreation Department's work several times at ministry meetings, haha!

Karen put down the letter and let out a long sigh of relief. She naturally felt joy and a sense of accomplishment. After all, while Karen didn't value honor and money that much, seeing her invention praised by so many people was a happy thing.

"Merlin Second Class!" Wesley finally couldn't help but shout, slapping Karen on the shoulder. "Karen! You're going to be famous! Really famous! Hawthorne Hawkeye System! That name is so cool!"

Ernesto smiled and said, "You deserve it, Cullen. Your invention has indeed resolved many long-standing controversies in Quidditch."

Fabian, however, was more concerned with the technical issues behind the message: "Optimizing the transmitter—making it lightweight, easy to install, and even stealthy—is no small feat."

Karen nodded and put the letter away. "Yes, another project to research. But it's much safer and more pleasant than the knowledge from Slytherin." He smiled. "And it's good for us too. The more successful and high-profile the 'HawkEye System' becomes, the more resources and support we'll likely receive."

He had already begun to conceive of how to optimize the transmitter. Perhaps he could draw inspiration from the ancient rune variations of "shrink" and "solidify"? Or try a magical imprint that could adhere to the inside of the broom's wood? Or perhaps he could try some interesting applications of the Tracking Charm and the Revealing Charm that he had learned from the Marauder's Map, though of course, this would require some experimentation.