Chapter 36: Professor McGonagall's Little Test

The next day, Chu Yang walked out of his dormitory with his toiletries, heading toward the washroom. Passing by the common room, he saw his roommates snoring loudly on the floor.

Goyle and Crabbe were still fast asleep, their snoring so loud it felt as though it might bring the ceiling crashing down, yet even so, those sleeping on the floor showed no sign of waking.

They were all sleeping very soundly.

"Good luck to you all. It's the first day of term; try not to be late... though, that might be asking too much."

Unfortunately, no one could hear Chu Yang's sarcasm.

After a quick wash and getting dressed, he picked up his textbooks and left the dormitory.

Not long after Chu Yang left, the upperclassmen began to trickle out of the dormitories. Some were yawning, but their eyes were instantly drawn to the first-year students in the common room.

They were scattered across the floor like fallen bowling pins, lying there in total disarray.

"Wow, looks like the juniors had a wild night!"

"I'm so jealous of the carefree first-years."

"But haven't they forgotten they have classes on the first day?"

"It seems they had such a pleasant holiday that they're still immersed in it."

"Does anyone know what their first class is?"

"Probably Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class?"

"And the second one?"

"Professor Snape's Potions class..."

"Hurry up and wake them up! Dammit, our House is going to lose points on the very first day!"

The upperclassmen suddenly snapped to attention, especially the prefects. The thought of having to face the terrifying Professor Snape if something went wrong made their hearts sink to the bottom of their stomachs.

What kind of mess was this for the first day of school?

The sturdy upperclassmen began using force to wake the sleeping first-years, their hearts racing with anxiety.

Poor Goyle was dreaming of delicious food when a stout upperclassman slapped him awake.

"Ow!" Goyle jolted awake from his dream, clutching his bright red cheek and staring blankly ahead, drool dripping from his mouth.

"Get your books and get to class, now!" the prefect barked, eyes wide with fury. With so many first-years sleeping here, heaven knows how many points Slytherin would lose!

However, the prefects soon fell into despair. Aside from Goyle and Crabbe, every single first-year who had slept in the common room last night had caught a cold.

Forget attending class; they didn't even have the strength to stand up.

The Slytherin common room descended into chaos. Meanwhile, the culprit, Chu Yang, had long since made his way down the stairs to the ground floor. He ate breakfast in the Great Hall first and then strolled leisurely toward his classroom.

The classroom was empty. Chu Yang was the first student to arrive. He walked straight to the front and greeted the tabby cat on the desk: "Good morning, Professor McGonagall."

A flash of human-like surprise crossed the tabby cat's face before it leaped into the air and transformed back into human form.

Professor McGonagall, dressed in dark green robes, walked up to Chu Yang and asked, "How did you know it was me?"

Chu Yang smiled and held up his textbook. "We have Transfiguration today, don't we?"

"A clever child indeed. Your insight and logical thinking are excellent. A wizard who excels at thinking is a good wizard." Professor McGonagall did not hold back her praise; she had already received plenty of information regarding Chu Yang from Dumbledore.

And she knew of the high expectations Dumbledore held for him.

Taking advantage of the time before the other students arrived, Professor McGonagall chatted with Chu Yang about the contents of the textbook. She was then surprised to find that Chu Yang had already memorized *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration* perfectly.

While delighted by his performance, Professor McGonagall still offered a warning: "I am pleased that you have mastered this book, but before that, you must first understand magical theory. Attempting Transfiguration prematurely is extremely dangerous."

Chu Yang, of course, understood the importance of foundations. Just as Professor McGonagall suggested, he had memorized *Magical Theory* before even looking at *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration*.

"Thank you for your advice." Chu Yang accepted her kindness and smiled. "If you are referring to Mr. Adalbert Waffling's work, then I have indeed studied it thoroughly."

Professor McGonagall thought she had misheard and asked in surprise, "That is no light book, Mr. Chu Yang. Are you certain you have 'studied it thoroughly'? If that is the case, I shall have to test you properly!"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall." Chu Yang would not miss any opportunity to demonstrate himself. These opportunities were tied to whether he could gain access to the "dangerous" knowledge that Dumbledore deemed so significant.

That knowledge could vastly increase Chu Yang's abilities and provide help to his other selves in different worlds.

With a hint of anticipation, Professor McGonagall began testing Chu Yang's fundamental knowledge.

In the empty classroom, the two engaged in a question-and-answer session.

Soon, another academic prodigy of the first years, Hermione, appeared at the classroom door. She did not disturb Professor McGonagall's testing of Chu Yang but stood there listening silently.

Chu Yang was like a high-speed machine; he answered every question posed by Professor McGonagall without hesitation, leaving no room for unnecessary thought.

As time passed, the noisy sounds of students gradually drifted in from outside. Professor McGonagall stopped the test and remarked admiringly, "Your memory is truly impressive. Most importantly, you haven't just memorized the knowledge; you completely understand it."

"You truly deserve Dumbledore's special attention. However, remember never to become arrogant. Conceit is a major taboo for a wizard; only humility will allow you to go further."

"I heard you requested Headmaster Dumbledore to open more areas of the library so that you may acquire more knowledge. Decades ago, there was a brilliantly talented young man just like you, but he chose a misguided path."

Chu Yang replied composedly, "Professor McGonagall, thank you for your advice. But no two flowers in the world are exactly alike, and neither are people. Two seemingly similar individuals can reach completely different outcomes due to their different paths of growth."

"I hope so." Professor McGonagall looked thoughtful, then waved her hand. "Class is about to start. Go and take your seat."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yang walked back to his seat. A second later, Hermione walked into the classroom, her expression looking quite solemn.

She had originally thought that the gap between her and Chu Yang could be bridged with time and effort.

But during the test just now, her mind had turned to mush starting from the third question, let alone the subsequent questions that she couldn't even comprehend.

Seeing Hermione, Chu Yang proactively greeted her, but Hermione merely stared at her book, looking utterly dejected.

Students began to trickle into the classroom. Even as class time approached, many were still absent, the vast majority of whom were Slytherin first-years.