Chapter 233: Strawberry Ice Cream
After Charms Class, everyone headed towards the Great Hall.
Lunch was in ten minutes, and getting there early meant they could pick whatever food they liked.
Turning down the stone corridor, the nearby staircase creaked loudly as its long steps descended from above.
A group of older students came down the stairs, all looking dejected, like frost-bitten eggplants.
"Hey, Matt!"
Michael raised a hand in greeting and asked, "What's wrong with you guys?"
Wade also recognized them as fifth-year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students.
The boy named Matt glanced at Michael and Wade beside him, then walked over, sighing before he spoke.
"We just had a Defense Against the Dark Arts class."
Michael understood. "You guys got beaten up too? Professor Abigail hits pretty hard."
"I'd rather get beaten up!" Matt said gloomily.
The young wizards all looked puzzled.
"Wade Gray?" A Gryffindor girl who had just arrived pushed Matt aside. Seeing Wade, she said, "I heard you fought the new professor yesterday?"
As soon as she spoke, the crowd, which had been flowing forward like a conveyor belt in the corridor, paused, and many turned to look at Wade.
"No, I just got beaten up," Wade said expressionlessly.
"Yeah, he got a terrible beating. He just got out of the Hospital Wing this morning," Padma chimed in.
Hearing this, several of the fifth-year students actually sighed in disappointment.
Matt explained to them, "I heard Professor Abigail's class involves real duels, and we've been looking forward to it all week."
"But when class started, it was no different from any other class," Matt said disappointedly. "Tests, tests, endless tests!"
He said with deep resentment.
Another Ravenclaw girl said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do about it – it's O.W.L.s year for us."
The results of the O.W.L.s exams determined the future prospects of all young wizards. Unless they were as rich as the Malfoy family or simply didn't care about their future, they had to take this exam incredibly seriously.
Moreover, there was generally no second chance for this exam; it was essentially a make-or-break situation.
So, in this year, they were like the high school seniors from Wade's previous life, spending an entire year continuously memorizing, reviewing, training, and doing a lot of homework. They honed their knowledge and skills through repeated tests, hoping to achieve a good score.
The pressure was, as one could imagine, immense.
Therefore, they were probably the only students who, even after knowing the full picture, still looked forward to Professor Abigail's class. Even getting beaten up was more interesting than doing practice problems.
If they got beaten badly enough, they might even legitimately skip a class or two and the corresponding homework.
Unfortunately, in today's class, Professor Abigail did not employ her unique teaching method.
Everyone sighed in unison, then continued their dejected walk to the Great Hall. Wade and the others silently distanced themselves from these negativity-ridden individuals.
"O.W.L.s year is truly terrifying!" Michael murmured, sighing. "I hope I'm not like them three years from now."
Wade quoted something his high school teachers often told them in his previous life: "As long as you prepare well and take your studies seriously, there's no need to panic when it comes to exams. They're just too lax usually, which is why they feel pressed for time and stressed now."
Michael scratched his face, feeling as if he'd been lectured himself.
Padma walked over and whispered, "Do you think… Professor Abigail changed her teaching style not just because it's O.W.L.s year, but also because Madam Pomfrey argued with her yesterday?"
Michael paused, then nodded. "Possibly—I remember Fred and the others have Defense Against the Dark Arts class this afternoon. We'll know for sure when we ask them about their class."
Wade listened nearby and suddenly wondered: Would Professor Abigail be scared off by the massive workload after just a few weeks of teaching?
Since the school only had one Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, there were many class hours each week, and all of them were back-to-back. It meant at least five or six hours of classes every day.
Quirrell before had ulterior motives and was a dual-core version; Lockhart didn't teach proper content and treated the classroom as his stage, wishing for even more time.
But with Professor Abigail's "energetic" teaching style, it would be normal for her not to last long.
After lunch, Wade said goodbye to Michael and the others and went to the Headmaster's Office alone.
"Strawberry Ice Cream."
Hearing the password, the gargoyle jumped aside, revealing the doorway. Wade ascended with the spiral staircase. At the top, he found the oak door ajar.
"Seriously, Dumbledore, Professor Abigail's teaching method is very problematic!"
Madam Pomfrey's angry voice came from above:
"Do you know how many students have been sent to the Hospital Wing these past two days? I just sent off a dozen, and in the blink of an eye, a whole new batch can lie down! There aren't enough beds; I had to put poor Ogden in the corridor!"
Wade hadn't expected Madam Pomfrey to actually come and complain. The stairs had reached the top, so he waited at the door.
"I think Professor Abigail is just not quite accustomed to the students' level. She used to face much harsher battles and Dark Wizards running rampant all over the world."
Dumbledore said gently, "Once she assesses the students' levels and understands her responsibilities, I believe her teaching methods will become much more suitable."
"She's like a lion entering new territory, wanting to hunt every animal! But to be so hard on second-year students is truly too much!"
Madam Pomfrey was not convinced by Dumbledore's vague explanation. She even angrily issued a threat:
"If she still doesn't rein herself in, then I'll be there observing during Defense Against the Dark Arts classes from now on!"
"I don't think that will be necessary. I'll have a word with her," Dumbledore said.
"Don't wait until later, do it today!" Madam Pomfrey was firm.
"Of course," Dumbledore replied. "However, Mr. Gray is already waiting for me outside the door. Regarding Professor Abigail's classes, how about you observe first to see if she's changed, and then we'll discuss it?"
Wade stepped aside, and Madam Pomfrey emerged shortly after.
She was still wearing her nurse-like uniform, faintly smelling of Potions.
"Mr. Gray, have your injuries healed completely?"
"Yes, Madam," Wade bowed slightly. "Thank you for your care; your Potions were very effective."
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