Ghost dishes are important, but also not important.
The creation of a professional Potions Master industry system was always a core starting point of the plan.
The corresponding arrangements and public opinion building had been prepared months in advance. The wave of public opinion caused by the ghost dishes simply accelerated the plan's progress, and Aileen's initial goal was quite clear.
She intends to establish a complete and scientific modern professional system in the magical world.
For a long time, there has been no intuitive standard for distinguishing abilities in the magical world.
Without reliable professional certificates, without professional practice certifications…Wizards looking for jobs in society rely almost entirely on the grades they obtained in their O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts at magic schools.
In some ways, this can indeed reflect the strength of a recent graduate to some extent.
For example, a wizard who did not choose Potions as their major in the N.E.W.Ts exam is unlikely to be very good in the field of Potions. Similarly, students who did not choose Defense Against the Dark Arts in the N.E.W.Ts exam will find it difficult to pass the first round of resume screening at the Auror Office after graduating from Hogwarts.
But this only applies to the employment of recent graduates, and the limitations are significant when looking at the entire magical society.
In the magical world, there is no standardized certification for a certain industry, no industry association, no industry standards. Any wizard can claim to be a Magical Creature Master, a Potions Master, or a Defense Against the Dark Arts Master…Especially when the graduation scores of two wizards are very close, the distinction becomes particularly subtle.
“Potions Master Title Examination?”
Hermione asked curiously in a low voice while cleaning up the cauldrons and scales on the table.
Potions class had ended, but just before the end of class, Professor Snape inadvertently revealed a new rumor: Hogwarts is expected to hold the first Potions title examination during the O.W.L.s at the end of this year.
At that time, in addition to Hogwarts students, there may also be wizards from all over the world.
Professor Snape made it clear that in order to demonstrate the level of Potions teaching at Hogwarts, he would increase the difficulty of this year's Potions final exam—after all, most of the visitors are Potions practitioners, and the current Potions teaching progress in the school is likely to be one of their focuses, and it is difficult to say whether there will be foreign wizards who deliberately come to make trouble.
Compared to other whispering classmates making guesses, the clever little beaver locked onto the insider at the first moment.
“Aileen, you definitely know something, right?”
Hermione said firmly, her eyes lingering on the honest little antenna on the white-haired furball.
“It sounds a bit like a physician’s practice license, could it be…”
“Yes, you guessed it, it's a bit similar.”
Aileen nodded frankly, cleaning the desk and sink while answering softly.
“This is based on the professional system in the non-magical world. If there are no accidents, the official announcement from the Ministry of Magic should be available by this weekend at the latest—but this has nothing to do with us, lower grade students are not allowed to participate.”
Aileen was not surprised by Hermione's association, after all, Mr. Granger is a doctor.
The reason for starting with the field of Potions is actually similar to the medical field.
Birth, old age, sickness, and death are the fate that humans have been unable to avoid since ancient times.
In the magical society, Potions is almost equivalent to half of medicine and the entirety of pharmacy.
The total number of potions drunk by most wizards in their lifetime is definitely not less than the total of functional health products and various potions drunk by Muggles. In the face of issues related to their own health, no one will think it is insignificant.
It's just that there has always been a lack of a convincing presence to promote these things.
As the oldest educational institution in the magical world, Hogwarts is clearly qualified to be that convincing promoter.
More importantly, as the cooperation between Gringotts Wizarding Bank and the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts becomes closer, some previously non-existent advantages are gradually emerging—Gringotts can easily promote the market in Diagon Alley, guiding the rules of potion market pricing, thereby establishing the importance of "Potions Master Practice Qualification" from the market perspective in a bottom-up manner.
“Lower grade students are not allowed? In other words, we will be eligible next year?”
Hermione keenly discovered the restricted range in Aileen's words and quickly continued to ask.
Perhaps in the past, "lower grade" was just a vague concept, but from the beginning of this semester, the seven grades of Hogwarts have been clearly divided into primary, middle, and high divisions. If Hermione guessed correctly, this was mostly done by the furball.
In today's Hogwarts, lower grade students specifically refer to first and second year students who have not yet started elective courses.
“Well, as far as I know, from the third year onwards, you are eligible to take the 'Junior Potions Master' assessment.”
Aileen glanced at the two little boys who were eavesdropping behind her through the reflection of the desk scales, imperceptibly raising her voice slightly, while slowly tidying up her textbooks and schoolbag, and casually explained.
“As a Potions teaching assistant, I do know this information—the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts' tentatively set Potions Master ranks are temporarily divided into four levels: Junior, Intermediate, Senior, and Special. Senior corresponds to Potions Master.”
“As for Junior and Intermediate, it’s even simpler. They are respectively equivalent to the Potions assessments in O.W.L.s and N.E.W.Ts, but the passing standard is one level higher than Outstanding (O), and the target range has also expanded from the original school to the entire magical society…If you want to work in pharmacies or hospitals in the future, this is equivalent to an access qualification.”
In fact, according to Aileen's idea, she didn't intend to set up a four-level title system.
It's just that with the intelligence of the Ministry of Magic, it would be more laborious to explain to them what is called "Potions Master Practice Qualification Certificate" and what is called "Potions Master Job Certificate". Therefore, Aileen chose the common four-layer progressive model.
“Potions Master…is only Senior?”
Hermione frowned. In her understanding, this should be the highest level.
“Well, Potions Master, master—this is just a master's degree, of course it cannot be the highest degree in an academic field. In the teaching plan of the new Hogwarts curriculum, the graduation goal of those returning magical master's students who have chosen the Potions direction is set according to this standard.”
Aileen raised her finger and shook it, smiling inscrutably.
“As for Special Potions Master, you can understand it as a Potions doctorate. Ghost dishes are just one of the tickets to enter this field, qualified impact factor papers, Potions practical experience…there are many more hard indicators.”
“Um…but, why make such a division?”
“It's very simple. The Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts hope to find those wizards who can promote the future development of Potions research, and wizards who have passed the Special Potions Master certification are undoubtedly such people. Gringotts, the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts, and even the International Confederation of Wizards will provide these outstanding Potions researchers with a large amount of funds, rare materials, venues, and manpower…”
Aileen stood up and casually picked up Hermione's schoolbag and put it on her shoulder.
“And, I heard that if necessary, they can also apply for some extremely valuable things, such as the Elixir of Life, or the right to use the Philosopher's Stone…even initiate an important project and invite the top wizards to help him solve the problem…Just think, if you had five Professor Dumbledores helping you with your homework—”
“Then would you still do your homework? Why not just be the headmaster yourself…”
Hermione rolled her eyes at Aileen and said angrily.
“I want to too, but Professor Dumbledore won't retire, what can I do? Besides, I haven't graduated yet, so if I take over as headmaster so early, Professor McGonagall will probably be very disappointed. I can't bear to see Professor McGonagall's lonely and helpless expression.”
“Hehe—do you think the school is yours? You can be the headmaster if you want to?”
“Well, I think it's pretty much it.”
Aileen nodded sincerely, the little antenna on her head swaying proudly and sincerely from side to side.
“…You, didn't expect that bragging doesn't count as lying?”
Hermione stretched out her finger and flicked Aileen's "lie detector", directly rolling her eyes.
Obviously, the white-haired furball started talking nonsense again.
However, Hermione had no doubts about the authenticity of what Aileen said before. After all, this was first-hand information from the "Fairy Queen", and its credibility was much higher than the *Daily Prophet*.
“Let's go, future headmaster…don't forget about your Boggart last time.”
“Gra-nger! How dare you mention that!”
The antenna on Aileen's head instantly exploded, and she looked at Hermione aggressively.
Since the socially awkward scene in Defense Against the Dark Arts class spread, the majesty she had established in the school had almost completely disappeared—Aileen never expected that she herself would become the clown of the Dark Arts practice class.
And the most hateful thing is that the school professors seem to have tacitly approved the spread of those rumors.
“It's not my fault, I just truthfully recreated the scene. Who told you not to remember…”
“Don't say it! Don't laugh, I said, don't laugh—”
The two joked and left the underground classroom happily.
…………
A few minutes later, almost all the students in the underground classroom had left.
Only Draco and Harry were left in the classroom. Unlike other students, Harry always made a habit of briefly tidying up and checking the classroom after Potions class, locking the potion cabinets, turning off the sink faucets, and arranging the tables and chairs.
Even though Aileen said that house-elves would be responsible for cleaning, Harry still had to check it again himself.
Previously, this process was usually completed by Professor Snape, but from the second semester of the first year, Harry volunteered to take over the task, so that Snape could have more rest time after class—the two had been competing on this matter for several weeks, but in the end, Harry's overwhelming victory was declared.
“You really don't have to wait for me, Draco.”
Harry said somewhat embarrassedly.
Every time Harry finished the cleanup process in the classroom, Malfoy would wait for him, and then the two would leave the classroom together.
“It’s okay, I just want to see how long you can persist with this silly energy…”
Draco Malfoy shrugged, closed the textbook in his hand, stood up, and looked at Harry.
“This should be the job of house-elves. If you ask me, you should just leave. Professor Snape doesn’t know.”
Although he would stay in the classroom with Harry every time, it didn't mean that he would actively help with the cleaning. As the young master of the Malfoy family, Draco knew very well which things were useless—Hogwarts has so many house-elves, even if Harry did nothing, those hardworking little guys would clean the classroom spotlessly.
In fact, this would only delay the time of those house-elves.
After all, based on Draco Malfoy's understanding of those little elves, unless a direct order is given, they rarely appear when students are present. They are more accustomed to waiting until all the students leave before silently tidying up everything around them.
“No, I promised Professor Snape.”
Harry shook his head and said seriously.
“Okay, whatever you want—”
Draco sighed helplessly, then changed the subject.
“Speaking of which, the Special Potions Master that Big Sister said just now, have you considered it for the future? If it's you, you should have a good chance, and haven't you always hoped to have a broader development in Potions…”
As a D-Class personnel of the sCp Foundation, Draco would not think that Big Sister Aileen was bragging just now.
Perhaps most wizards would think that something like "summoning five Professor Dumbledores" is an exaggerated description, but Draco Malfoy knows very well in his heart that, strictly speaking, this is already a relatively modest and restrained statement.
Obviously, Special Potions Master is an important position at least equivalent to an A-Class member.
————
————
Yay!!