Chapter 305 Scoring and Potion Discussion

Over the next few weeks, Umbridge wandered around classes in various grades and subjects, asking students questions, scribbling notes on her writing board, and giving professors a steady stream of information. Send survey results.

Professor McGonagall received an "A" and an "E", Professor Sprout received two "A"s and a "P" - several precocious mandrakes entered puberty early and became moody. , hot-tempered and sensitive, and bit Ernie MacMillan. He was a second-year Hufflepuff student, and Anthony's deepest impression of him was that he had a fight with someone at breakfast because someone insulted the Quibbler he had ordered since childhood. Professor Kettleburn received the results of the investigation twice. The first time he was thrown into the fireplace, and the second time he was burned by his salamander, so until now the professors don't know what Umbridge thought about him. The teaching level is "D" or "T".

"I heard he's had a bad appetite since then, poor little guy," Professor Sprout told Anthony. "Parchment certainly doesn't taste as good as firewood."

She had just checked the dental health of all her poisonous tentacles, and the results clearly put her in a good mood. In addition, the days were getting longer and the precious winter sunlight began to shine on the glass walls of the greenhouse. Even though she had just received a letter regretfully informing her that the grade was "P", she was still interested in sitting with Anthony on the first floor. Enjoy an afternoon tea in the second greenhouse.

"I still haven't been investigated," Anthony said. "I don't know what that means."

"Aurora has not been investigated either." Professor Sprout comforted, "Maybe she just forgot."

"Maybe," Anthony said doubtfully.

"Forgot something?" Professor Flitwick asked, holding on to the door handle, standing on tiptoes and looking in their direction, "Biscuits, great! Are they peanut ones?"

Professor Sprout said: "It's an ordinary butter biscuit. get out of class just ended, Filius? Do you want one?"

"Of course, Pomona." Professor Flitwick said happily, then turned around and said, "Come in, come in, there are butter biscuits."

Snape walked in silently from behind him, his gloomy expression in stark contrast to Professor Flitwick's brisk steps. Professor Flitwick let a bucket filled with various shovels rush to the table, braked the car with a squeak, jumped on it, sat down comfortably, and smiled at Professor Sprout and Anthony.

"Tea?" Anthony asked.

"If it's not too much trouble," Professor Flitwick said, leaning forward to shake the biscuit box and squinting at the biscuits buried underneath, "What's that brown one? Chocolate?"

"Oh, that!" Professor Sprout glanced over, "I added some carrot juice for coloring, but maybe it was a little overcooked."

Anthony poured tea for both Professor Flitwick and Snape, and placed the cups in front of them. Snape, like Anthony, chose to use enlarged, upside-down terracotta flowerpots as seats. He made a sound through his nose as a vague thank you, took the tea cup and the brown butter biscuit handed over by Professor Flitwick, examined it critically for a while, and finally took a bite with a "whatever" look on his face.

"How was it?" asked Professor Sprout. "I almost forgot about them."

Snape said: "If your purpose is to confuse the tongue..."

"Okay, thank you, Severus." Professor Sprout said amusedly, "A regular butter biscuit."

Snape smoothed his lips and took two golden, crispy butter biscuits from the biscuit box that Professor Sprout pushed in front of him, almost proudly. He looked more relaxed than when he walked into the greenhouse, but his expression was ugly.

"Honest reviews are always helpful," he said.

Professor Flitwick curiously took a piece of carrot biscuit and dipped it in the tea: "What were you talking about just now, Pomona? Who forgot something?"

"Umbridge," Professor Sprout told him, "Henry has never been investigated. I told him neither has Aurora."

Professor Flitwick said: "I doubt whether she has met Aurora. Due to the weather, several astronomy classes have even been canceled recently." He took a bite of the biscuit, "Well... I think it's pretty good. It goes well with black tea. ”

Professor Sprout also got a carrot cookie: "Who did she investigate this morning?"

"Minerva and Sybil." Professor Flitwick said, "I met them. The results of Sybil's investigation may not be very good, and Minerva is comforting her." He shook his head and said to Anthony, "I think you won't have any problems. In addition to the content of the class, it's just some general surveys...how many years have you been teaching, what do you think of the students' academic level, future teaching plans, and so on."

"She also told me that she had heard that Minerva and I were friends," Professor Sprout said. "I told her that we were indeed friends. Then she asked me if I thought Albus would put too much pressure and The responsibility was placed on Minerva, and I suggested that she ask Minerva, but she insisted that I give my opinion, so I had to tell her that I thought Albus's arrangement was very reasonable. She seemed to disagree with this answer. Very satisfied.”

Professor Flitwick said, "Ah, yes, she also asked me if I felt Ravenclaw was being neglected in the school."

"How many investigations have you been through, Filius?" Professor Sprout asked. "Two or three?"

"Three times," said Professor Flitwick. "One 'A' and two 'E's."

"An 'A'!" Professor Sprout said, "From what angle did she deduct points from you?"

Anthony said: "Well, it's definitely not because I agree with Professor Dumbledore's academic philosophy."

"Certainly not," said Professor Flitwick.

"Besides Gilderoy, has anyone else gotten an 'O' from her?" Professor Sprout asked, "Severus?"

Snape put down his tea cup: "If you are referring to the letter that appeared on my floor at two o'clock this morning, I haven't found the time to open it yet..."

"I mean the last time," said Professor Sprout. "I know she's been in your class twice, Severus."

Snape reluctantly said, "O, excellent."

Anthony was concerned about another thing: "Professor Lockhart also got an 'O'?"

"That's what he said," said Professor Flitwick sternly. "He told us he got three 'O's, and he wasn't surprised."

"I'm not surprised either," Snape said sarcastically. There was only a shallow layer of light brown-red tea left in his teacup, and except for half a carrot biscuit, the small plate in front of him was empty.

"Another cookie, Severus." Professor Sprout said concernedly, "Have you had lunch today?"

"No," Snape said a little irritably, "Boll's head was stuffed into the crucible and couldn't be pulled out. It's a very strong brass crucible, reinforced and anti-explosion style."

Professor Sprout exclaimed, "Oh my God, is he okay?"

"It's probably fine," Snape said. "I can't say for sure. I'd say there aren't many parts of his head that could be damaged."

"Why did his head appear in the crucible?" Anthony asked worriedly.

"Henry!" said Professor Sprout, "you make it sound a thousand times worse."

"I'm sorry," Anthony said.

He remembered that Bol was the beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team and was very fond of hitting opponents with his bat rather than the Bludger. In the chatter before class, he and Flint were the two people Angelina complained about most, second only to Slytherin's Nimbus 2001. If given the chance, Anthony doubts Angelina and Wood would hesitate to put the cauldron over Bol's head.

"According to him, he heard it would help him focus and do well in his O.W.Ls," Snape said.

"What?" Anthony asked in disbelief, "Wait, he put his head into the crucible himself?"

"Apparently so," said Snape impatiently. "Only he knows how it is done. It took Poppy and me half an hour to remove the supposed head part from the cauldron, but it only took him one Minutes later he decided to show us one more time, and a few seconds later, that wonderful ornament appeared on his head."

Anthony couldn't help but feel sorry for Snape.

He asked, "Would you like more tea, Professor Snape?"

Snape didn't answer him. He grabbed the teapot and poured half a cup of tea.

Professor Flitwick said sharply: "I still remember last year someone believed that you should put the vampire fang under the pillow. If it disappears, it means that your memory has improved - we later found out that the elf was very happy, they I’ve been cleaning up rat teeth from students’ beds.”

"Does this happen every year?" Anthony asked, recalling his fifth-grade class. He had not sensed such anxiety on their part.

"It happens every year, but it usually doesn't start so early." Professor Sprout told Anthony. "A few days before the exam, there are often some black market transactions among students. Study notes, amulets, and stimulants from the previous year , cheating quills... various fake magic materials, using dried daisy roots mixed with smelling salts as memory powder..."

"If someone really thinks that ground snake teeth are powdered dragon claws, or believes in the made-up name of Baffy's Brain Refresher, I don't mind if he misses the O.W.Ls exam because he is admitted to the school hospital. "Snape said coldly.

"By the way, Bafe Brain Refresher." Professor Sprout showed a nostalgic smile, "I remember I almost bought it before the exam. Oh my god, after I became a professor, I discovered that someone sells this every year. "

"What is that?" Anthony asked.

Professor Flitwick said: "Students made their own 'stimulants'. I don't know which year they started, but they all decided to call them 'Bafe's brain-boosting drugs'... I think it was green the year I took my O.W.Ls. "

“It was pink that year,” Professor Sprout said. “Generally speaking, senior students will tell candidates that this thing can enhance their memory, making them very energetic and clear-headed in the examination room, and they will not forget anything. The knowledge points I have seen..."

Anthony asked: "And what is its actual effect?"

"Generally speaking, it is something very unpleasant to drink, and its biggest effect is to make people lose their appetite for food." Professor Flitwick said, "Some years of brain-refreshing drugs were more dangerous, so we punished the producers and confiscated them. But in most cases, it’s just some bitter water that gives anxious students some psychological comfort, and at most it has some diarrhea effect.”

"This sounds much more reasonable." Anthony said, "However, I remember that according to the regulations, assists such as Dragon Claw Powder or Blessing Elixir will also be considered cheating?"

Professor Flitwick said with a smile: "Yes, that's why the people who sell Baffy's Brain Refreshing Potions will take the initiative to ask others to check the exam regulations. They will tell you that the potions sold by others are illegal, but the Examination Authority People haven't had time to add Bafe's Brain Refresher to the banned list - to be honest, it's hard to declare a thing that doesn't exist to be banned - on the other hand, the name Bafa's Brain Refresher is very famous. So much so that students often believe it really exists.”

Anthony pondered: "If the effect it advertises is not so powerful, I might also believe that it really exists. After all, since there is a forgetting potion, maybe there really is a memory potion."

"There is indeed a memory potion, Henry," said Professor Sprout, "but it may not be what you think."

Professor Flitwick said: “Its biggest function is to apply it on items to make them remember who their owners are. Many people who cannot afford high-end suitcases will put this potion on the locks of ordinary suitcases. "

"I've heard that some people soak used golden snitches in memory potions and then sell them to buyers pretending they are brand-new snitches." Professor Sprout said, "However, since there are Are there things like the Water of Life and Death and the Dreamless Potion that can really keep people awake and improve their efficiency? I’m not talking about things like vitality tonics, but things that can make people forget about sleep..."

Snape raised his eyebrows: "Of course, Pomona."

"Really? What are its ingredients?" Professor Sprout asked with interest. "It's really strange. This kind of thing should have been as famous as the Dreamless Potion."

Snape gave her an odd look, as if checking to see if she was really asking.

Professor Sprout asked: "What's wrong?"

"Based on your knowledge of Potions, Professor Anthony..." Snape turned to Anthony, placing a contemptuous emphasis on the word 'your', "Do you have any ideas?"

Professor Sprout protested: "Severus, can you please stop mentioning that Henry has not received a traditional potions education? Seriously, this is not a big deal-"

"Well, actually..." Anthony said, "Tea leaves or coffee beans, I guess."

Snape gave him a smirk: "Rarely, right."