"So...you're saying that mathematics is actually very difficult?"

"Yes, especially in the second year. Passing is considered a very good achievement."

"In terms of longitudinal comparison, that's true. But horizontally speaking, Miss Kaslana, you scored full marks throughout, right?"

"Uh—I'm different. I'm actually considered half an assistant professor."

"Then what about Miss Granger, Miss Abbot, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter...and many other students who also frequently get full marks?"

"Well...that's true—"

Erina blinked, nodding helplessly, while giving Justin a look that said she couldn't help him.

It wasn't that she didn't want to help explain, but the second year did have a few more students with "protagonist halos" besides herself.

Not to mention that the "Moonlight Seven" already had exclusive tutoring, so their starting point was slightly higher.

Even without Erina's help, they each had "growth bonuses" in school that ordinary students didn't.

The Hanged Man's Memory Workshop, the Half-Blood Prince's after-school lessons, the Pre-Great Arcana Development Plan, the Weasley family bond...

If these "cheats" were placed in other grades, they could almost guarantee that a little wizard with normal intelligence would become a top student who crushed the entire grade.

But when they all came together in the same grade, other little wizards, while being promoted and improved, were also facing unprecedented hell-level learning pressure.

Of course, this reason was difficult and impossible to explain in detail to the parents.

After all, in the eyes of most parents, their own child is always the only protagonist.

"Hmm, I understand—thank you for your introduction."

Mr. Finnerly pondered for a moment, smiled politely at Erina, and then looked at his son with a serious expression.

"Justin, come here. It seems we need to have a serious talk today—about your studies at magic school."

As a member of the ancient Finnerly family, he could allow Justin to learn magic, and he could accept that he wasn't outstanding, but he couldn't accept laziness and sloppiness.

Admittedly, without magical talent, he had no position to evaluate magic, but he was sure that learning was always the same process, no matter which world the school was in.

"...Well, good luck. Don't talk back, don't argue—"

Erina patted Justin's shoulder with sympathy, stood up, and walked towards other areas.

Perhaps other wizards didn't understand the value of attending Eton College for generations, but Erina, who came from the non-magical world, certainly did.

In a sense, Justin Finnerly was more qualified to call himself an aristocrat than Draco Malfoy—though he didn't seem to like that title.

Fortunately, there were only a few parents like Mr. Finnerly with such high demands.

Most Hufflepuff parents only required their children to maintain a mid-level standard in the grade.

However...

Even without considering the difficulty of the courses, Hufflepuff students' grades were among the lowest in the whole school.

Parents could tolerate their children not being the best in the class, but if the grades were too outrageous, they would usually get angry unless the child wasn't their own.

You know, parent-child conflicts in the wizarding world are different from those in the non-magical world. When parents and students are emotionally agitated, it inevitably triggers magical phenomena.

As a Hogwarts prefect, maintaining the basic order and safety of the common room was one of the most basic responsibilities, so Hannah's enforcement of justice was fine.

However, compared to the other girls who would try to explain, Hannah usually chose to enforce the law first when maintaining discipline, and then slowly find the penalty rules after both sides had "cooled down."

"Hannah, patrol the area—pay attention to the standards for maintaining discipline, and um...the force."

Erina sighed, looking at the憨憨 who was forcibly separating the parents and students in a heated argument like a steel chariot.

Just as she had personally verified before, adults couldn't resist a melee wizard strengthened by "rune-rua" in a narrow terrain.

"Fighting is prohibited in the Hogwarts common room..."

Erina glanced around, looking at the unlucky guys who had been subdued by Hannah.

"If you have any disagreements, it's best to sit down and negotiate. Of course, you can also apply for a duel."

"Hogwarts' three current prefects and I myself are always available. If you win, you can ignore this rule."

"Well, I understand everyone's anxious mood, but scolding and reprimanding can't change the past. Home-school cooperation is to solve problems together, not a trial."

With Erina and Hannah controlling the situation, the parent-child conflicts in the Hufflepuff common room quickly calmed down.

After being "forced to calm down," the parents finally adjusted their mentality and began to try to study learning problems with their children.

On the other hand, most of the Hufflepuff little wizards weren't the rebellious or naughty type.

Without the worry of being blamed, the little wizards gradually relaxed and bitterly complained to their parents about the difficulties in the learning process.

As the batch of students who were recognized as relatively "mediocre" among the four houses, they did encounter too many setbacks in their daily studies. Magic that other students could master once, they might fail several times, even more than a dozen times, before succeeding, and their completion rate and casting effect were not as good as others. Many people even gave up on themselves, assuming that they were just a little stupid.

In fact, this was also a kind of unspoken consensus for most Hufflepuff students, and even Hogwarts and the wizarding world.

Hufflepuff students lack talent. Most of them are wizards with relatively mediocre talent.

However, being relatively mediocre doesn't mean being content with the status quo.

When the grades came out, most Hufflepuff students still felt disappointed.

They also hoped to be at the top, but compared to the other houses, they seemed to lack just a little bit of talent.

With the guidance and comfort of their parents, the grievances originally hidden in the hearts of the little wizards poured out little by little, and the tense atmosphere gradually turned into genuine parent-child communication.

"I have to admit, you sometimes look like a real professor...Miss Kaslana."

Professor Sprout walked over, looking around at the people in the common room who were wiping their tears and talking in low voices.

At first, she even intended to intervene or explain, but before she could act, Erina and Hannah resolved the conflict.

"Honestly, in the beginning, I didn't quite agree with the 'involution' idea you and Professor Dumbledore proposed—I thought you were a bit too hasty."

"Hogwarts is certainly a school that imparts knowledge, but grades are not the most important thing. Too aggressively stirring up anxiety in parents and students may not be the right thing to do."

"However, seeing this scene, I understand a little—"

Professor Sprout sighed softly, looking at the parents who were frantically comforting their children, and the students who were pouring out all kinds of troubles.

For a long time, she, like the other adults present, seemed to have overlooked the grievances in the hearts of the children.

"We can continue to optimize magical education, but the meaning of family cannot be replaced in proper and correct venting guidance."

"Even if we can't compete with other houses in terms of grades, at least we can give the children a place to vent their grievances..."

"...Um, Professor Sprout?"

Erina looked at the head of house next to her, who was quite emotional, hesitated for a few seconds, and said cautiously.

"Actually..."

"We didn't think so much..."

"Frankly speaking, I don't think the reason for poor grades has much to do with talent—"

Erina scratched her cheek, glanced at everyone in the common room, spread her hands, and continued earnestly.

"Talent is important, but I don't think most of the course content at Hogwarts seems to reach the point where 'talent' is needed."

"Home-school cooperation is not just a complaint meeting. The experience and mature learning plans of parents, plus a little effort—by the end of the term, our average grades might be able to surpass Ravenclaw. And with the intuitive improvement of the final grades, regaining confidence and smiles might be more meaningful than simply complaining and 'recognizing oneself', don't you think?"

"Hmm? So, you mean..."

Professor Sprout was slightly taken aback, looking at Erina thoughtfully.

"That's right, we need to add one last fire—"

Erina nodded gently, her face flashing with an angelic, holy light.

"However, the strength and specific methods of this may need to be controlled by you."

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Yay!