This made Tom feel he had correctly judged her intentions.
No, this wouldn't do. Tom hated being freeloaded, he also never freeloaded from others. Otherwise, he always felt a lingering sense of debt.
So, this time, whatever benefit came of it, Professor McGonagall would have to take it, whether she wanted it or not.
"Professor, besides the Merlin Medal, I actually have something even more important to discuss with you."
Tom's expression turned serious. McGonagall straightened instinctively, signaling him to continue.
"In two months, other wizarding schools will be visiting. Plus, next year's Dueling Tournament will bring even more schools to Hogwarts."
"Nominally, it's for exchange, but you know as well as I do that this is competition. I'm certain other schools have the same intentions, they want to surpass Hogwarts."
McGonagall nodded. "Everyone wants their school to be the best magical school in the world. There's no way around that, it's only natural."
"Before, we didn't have the opportunity. But this time, even if we can't directly control things, we can influence the school's reputation."
"Which is why we must act carefully."
Tom's expression was that of a student utterly devoted to his school's welfare, and McGonagall felt an odd sense of familiarity.
It reminded her… of the time Tom had explained the Invisible Prefect system to her.
…demanding perfection…
"You always come up with the strangest ideas," she said with a small smile. "Alright, what's your plan this time? The professors are already working hard for the students. Filch hasn't left the castle for weeks, but I suppose even that isn't enough to satisfy your schemes."
Tom shook his head candidly. "Professor, I'm not bothering you. I'm bothering the students… no, that's not right. I'm doing it for the students."
"Do you know what the biggest problem at Hogwarts is right now?"
"What is it?" McGonagall asked, intrigued.
"Too few exams!" The boy slammed his hand on the table in frustration.
"Only one final exam per year, how is that acceptable?"
"You cover so much knowledge every year, and one sheet of paper can't possibly summarize it all. You were a student once, you must know that a lot of students cram in the first half of the month, pass the exams, and then immediately forget the material."
"Once they develop that habit, the amount of knowledge they actually retain until graduation is minimal, mostly only the magic and information they use regularly."
As Tom spoke, McGonagall's expression grew grave.
She knew her students were ambitious and that many crammed before the semester started or before exams, but as a professor, she could only advise, they couldn't monitor every student every day.
"So you think that as long as there are enough exams, students won't just study at the last minute, but stay in a consistently tense, focused state throughout the year?" McGonagall asked, finally understanding why Tom complained about too few exams.
"Exactly."
Tom nodded. "Not only must we increase the number of exams, but we also need to raise their importance."
"Following Muggle school methods, all exams are divided into three levels: the lowest, quizzes; mid-level, tests; and the most important, exams."
"Each level would count for a certain proportion of the year's total score. I believe that if this system runs for just a year or two, students' average grades will significantly improve, and they won't forget what they've learned immediately. They'll retain far more knowledge than before."
McGonagall lowered her gaze, deep in thought.
If they implemented Tom's system, students would indeed suffer, quizzes every month, tests every two months, and the final exams.
But… if they suffered now, wouldn't it be for their own good in the future?
At that moment, McGonagall made up her mind.
"Mr. Riddle, I will seriously consider your suggestion. It's about time the students were challenged a bit more."
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