154: Trials Under The Trapdoor

If Penelope can also engrave the Apparition spell in the future, then her Animagus transformation will truly become a magical skill.

If you can't defeat an opponent, simply transform and find a place to hide.

Apparition takes time, and there is a possibility of being hit by an Anti-Apparition spell.

But after Ivan's research, he discovered that the Apparition of an Animagus in animal form is somewhat different from that of human wizards.

This means that most Anti-Apparition spells designed for wizards are ineffective against Animagus forms.

Of course, this does not imply that each Animagus has a unique Apparition method.

If that were the case, Anti-Apparition wards would have a much harder time.

In reality, this difference is more like a broad category.

Simply put, after Animagi transform into animals—whether they become cats, dogs, birds, or insects—they are classified under a single system.

The magic used by these transformed animals is collectively referred to as animal magic by Ivan.

Currently, there are only two people at Hogwarts who have mastered animal magic: one is Professor McGonagall, and the other is Penelope.

The older Animagus, Professor McGonagall, was intrigued when she heard about the animal magic developed by Ivan.

She is an Animagus herself.

So with Ivan's assistance, the risk of engraving spells was minimized.

Combined with Professor McGonagall's own advanced magical expertise, the number of spells she could cast in her tabby cat form far exceeded Penelope's, reaching an impressive ten.

Yes, ten.

After transforming into a tabby cat, Professor McGonagall can engrave and use a total of ten spells!

This gives Professor McGonagall a significant amount of combat power even in her Animagus form as a cat.

Fortunately, Professor McGonagall has a good nature; otherwise, with this ability, she could potentially take advantage of someone like Voldemort's momentary inattention and defeat him outright in a sneak attack.

"Amazing!"

"Wow, Prefect Clearwater is really a talent among talents!"

"She passed—she really passed with elegance too! Penelope completed the fifth-year test at hell difficulty!"

At this moment, in the Hogwarts Great Hall, bubble-like projections floated above the heads of the students.

Today's trial was being displayed within these magical projections.

There weren't many students at Hogwarts—seven years in total, with a limited number of participants overall.

According to the arrangements made by Ivan and the professors, the trial lasted for six days, with students from first to sixth year taking the test on separate days.

Because the difficulty levels varied, senior students could know the content of the levels in advance and have some preparation time.

For example, Penelope, who had just completed the fifth-year test.

The senior chose the hell difficulty trial for her year.

She did not disappoint, demonstrating the results of Ivan's guidance during this period. Compared to herself a few months ago, Penelope's current magical abilities had improved so much that she could easily surpass her past self.

Even if Penelope were to take the sixth-year test, she could pass at the difficult level without issue.

Additionally, to make the students of Hogwarts feel more engaged, Ivan specially invented this projection magic.

Hearing the various excited or envious shouts in the hall, Ivan knew that this final challenge-style trial would become one of the ten new signature activities of Hogwarts.

This is much more meaningful than the often meaningless House Cup.

Professors such as McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout were initially a little worried, but the results of the trial exceeded expectations.

They had to admit one thing: they were indeed a little behind the times.

The tradition of the House Cup has continued for thousands of years, and its existence will naturally persist.

But this does not mean that Hogwarts cannot introduce new and exciting innovations.

The final exam was a very successful experiment.

In five days, many young wizards and witches showcased their extraordinary talents through the projected trials.

Envy, admiration, and jealousy arose as these students stood out, gaining popularity and becoming the focus of their respective houses.

As for those who were eliminated, Ivan ensured they received consolation prizes.

Regardless of the results, as long as they had the courage to step forward and participate, even if they didn't pass a single level, they were still worthy of praise.

And this is only the beginning.

Next year, Ivan plans to make the final exam even better.

The young wizards, having gained experience, will undoubtedly perform better. Next time, they won't be so easily thrown out of the levels without achieving anything.

No one wants to lose face; everyone hopes to be the one who stands out.

Ivan's goal is to establish a competitive ladder at Hogwarts.

This way, it becomes immediately clear who is stronger, who is weaker, and who excels overall.

"Congratulations."

Ivan and his friends were sitting in a corner of the Great Hall. When he saw Penelope approaching, he immediately congratulated her.

Not to mention the various admirations of Hermione, Parvati, and the others, Penelope was eager to hear Ivan's evaluation.

"How do you feel?"

"Not bad."

Penelope was unscathed. With her strength, passing the fifth-year hell-level assessment was relatively easy.

The only question was whether her performance was impressive enough.

Clearly, Penelope's performance had been extraordinary.

Her confident demeanor, as though she were strolling through a garden, and the commanding display of power as she smashed the guardian golem with a spell, made it no exaggeration to say that Penelope was the most capable witch among the students at Hogwarts.

"I feel like I should participate in the sixth-year trial."

Penelope spoke honestly. She knew Ivan well enough now to understand that he wasn't a leader people would shy away from.

Ivan was the kind of person who naturally drew others to him just by being present.

As a result, in less formal situations, the relationship between Penelope and Ivan had grown increasingly close, resembling that of a boss and a personal secretary.

"There will be a chance next year."

Ivan smiled and said, "Or do you need me to prepare a special test for you?"

However, Penelope felt a little embarrassed.

"Prefect Penelope, you are so amazing," Hermione said as she approached, looking at Penelope with envy.

"Hermione, your performance was also very good," Penelope replied.

Penelope had watched the projection of Hermione and the others on the first day. Although they were still very immature, their performance was equally remarkable.

It was hard to believe that a group of first-year students could achieve what they did.

The magic they had mastered, their understanding of spells, and their decisiveness and courage in critical moments put many older students to shame.

If those older students had been placed in the same positions as Hermione and Harry, even at their current age, they would likely struggle to match their abilities.

This realization was somewhat humiliating.

It can be expected that once the trial projections become widely discussed, many determined and competitive students will rise at Hogwarts in the future.

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