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Dracula finally prepared the papers for the final exam.
However, the test paper was not one of his own creation. Instead, it had been meticulously crafted by a senior professor with vast experience in teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts—a man whose name was known to all at Hogwarts: Albus Dumbledore!
Long before he became the esteemed Headmaster, Dumbledore had once been the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He had held the position for decades before transitioning to teach Transfiguration upon becoming the Dean of Gryffindor. Unlike the many Defense Against the Dark Arts professors who barely lasted a year in the post, Dumbledore's tenure had provided him with unparalleled expertise in both teaching and setting rigorous exams. He was, without a doubt, the most qualified person to prepare the final assessment for Dracula's class.
In the headmaster's office, Dracula and Dumbledore had engaged in a long and rather intense negotiation.
It wasn't until Dracula finally relented—agreeing to renew the lease of Hogwarts for another seven years—that Dumbledore conceded to personally setting the exam paper. And so, an agreement was struck.
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Time quickly slipped away, and soon, June arrived.
The Scottish weather had turned blisteringly hot. Though the lush green grass stretched endlessly outside the castle, the sun's merciless rays transformed the scenery into something resembling the parched plains of the African savannah.
The marble floors of the corridors, exposed to the relentless sunlight, shimmered with heat. So intense was the warmth that one could almost see ripples of scorching air rise from the stone surface. Students tiptoed cautiously, afraid that the soles of their shoes might melt and fuse with the floor.
Even the Black Lake, vast and usually cool, had begun to evaporate under the sun's unyielding glare. Wisps of mist curled into the sky, only to be instantly obliterated by the heat.
It was, in short, unbearably hot.
Dracula loathed such weather.
He spent most of his time in his office, lying lazily in his chair, refusing to step outside unless absolutely necessary. Even during the first crucial week of June—exam week—he barely moved, silently hoping that the students would collect their test papers, complete them, and submit them without causing any trouble.
Of course, his peace was short-lived.
A loud, urgent knocking shattered the silence of his office.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
Dracula sighed and snapped his fingers, causing the door to swing open.
Two identical red-haired figures slipped inside, moving with exaggerated caution. George even took a moment to glance behind him, ensuring they hadn't been followed, before hastily shutting the door.
Dracula had long grown accustomed to the antics of these two troublemakers. He barely spared them a glance, remaining reclined in his comfortable armchair, utterly indifferent to their presence.
"Wow, Professor, it's so cool in here!" Fred exclaimed, wiping the sweat from his brow in astonishment.
"Professor, have you cast some kind of cooling charm?" George asked, stepping forward eagerly. "If you know a spell to beat this heat, please teach us!"
Dracula lazily opened one eye and regarded them with mild amusement. Naturally, he had not cast any cooling charms—the pleasant chill in his office was simply a byproduct of his vampiric nature. But he saw no reason to tell them that.
Instead, he smirked and drawled, "Just use a Freezing Charm on each other. You'll cool down instantly."
The twins' hopeful expressions crumbled.
"It's not like we haven't tried," Fred muttered, shooting a glance at his brother. "Last time, I turned George into a human popsicle. It took hours to thaw him out."
"You have the audacity to bring that up?!" George shouted, whirling on Fred. "You used me as a test subject and then didn't even take me to the hospital wing because you were scared of getting in trouble!"
"Look at it this way, mate—you got to stay cool all day!" Fred offered with an awkward chuckle.
"Cool?! I nearly froze to death!"
As the two launched into yet another brotherly quarrel, Dracula pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"This is my office, not a dueling ring. If you want to fight, take it outside." His voice carried a cold edge, and the twins immediately fell silent, looking thoroughly chastised. "The exam starts in two hours. Instead of studying, you're here disturbing my rest. If you don't get to the point, I will personally use a Freezing Charm on both of you."
Fred and George stiffened before quickly sidling up to Dracula's desk.
"Professor, do you have the answers to the exam?" Fred whispered conspiratorially. "You know, we're practically like family at this point. A little favor wouldn't hurt, right?"
"Exactly, Professor!" George chimed in. "Even if you can't give us the answers, at least tell us what topics will be on the test!"
Dracula stared at them in disbelief before rubbing his temples. Just when he thought he had seen everything, the Weasley twins managed to surprise him once again.
Were they seriously trying to bribe their professor into giving them the exam answers?!
He let out a low chuckle and gave them an unreadable smile. "You want the answers? Fine. Go to the Headmaster's office and ask for them yourselves. Dumbledore wrote this exam."
The twins' faces drained of color.
Marching into Dumbledore's office to demand answers? That was practically a guaranteed one-way trip to expulsion!
Before they could process their impending doom, another knock sounded at the door.
Dracula smirked as he glanced at their horrified expressions. With a flick of his wrist, the door swung open, revealing yet another student.
The new arrival was a well-known figure—Cedric Diggory. Wearing his yellow-collared Hufflepuff robes, the handsome young wizard looked slightly nervous but determined.
Upon seeing Cedric, Fred and George's expressions shifted from panic to absolute betrayal.
"Cedric?!" Fred gasped dramatically. "I can't believe this! You—of all people—came here for exam answers?!"
"Unbelievable!" George shouted, rounding on Dracula. "Professor, if Cedric gets the answers, then we should get them too! It's only fair!"
Cedric blinked in confusion. "Wait, what?"
Dracula groaned and shot a glare at the twins, effectively silencing them. He turned his attention to Cedric, whom he actually respected.
"What do you need, Diggory?" he asked tiredly.
"Professor, I had a question while reviewing and wanted to ask you about it directly," Cedric said earnestly.
Fred and George gaped at him.
"Wait… You're actually here to study?!" Fred said incredulously.
"Not to cheat?!" George added.
Cedric: "???"
Dracula sighed heavily. It was going to be a long day.