After a week, an unexpected guest arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office.
"Professor Dracula, according to Miss Granger, you haven't assigned any howork for a week," Professor McGonagall said sternly to Professor Dracula. "It's almost ti for the final exams, and not assigning howork is irresponsible to the students."
Dracula lounged ungracefully in a soft armchair, one foot propped on his desk, swirling a goblet in his hand.
"Grading howork is so tedious, and my assistant has vanished. I certainly don't feel like grading," he replied lazily.
He opened his mouth, and the goblet tilted slightly, allowing a stream of crimson liquid to flow down like a small waterfall into his mouth, making a pleasant gurgling sound.
Satisfied, Dracula drained the goblet, set it on the desk, and looked up at Professor McGonagall.
"Isn't this arrangent great? The students don't want to do howork, and I don't want to grade it. So, no howork—everyone's happy," he said with a chuckle.
"Professor Dracula, not all students dislike howork. Hogwarts still has diligent students like Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall said, pursing her lips and glaring at Dracula. "Moreover, grading howork is a fundantal responsibility of a professor. I won't overlook your negligence just because you're the Chairman of the Board of Governors!"
Noticing Dracula's nonchalant attitude, Professor McGonagall continued earnestly, "Don't take this lightly, Professor Dracula. Howork helps reinforce and review what students learn in class. Additionally, it allows professors to identify areas where students are struggling and address those issues in lessons."
"Skipping howork deprives students of an opportunity to improve!"
Dracula poured himself another glass of wine and nodded indifferently.
"Alright, assigning howork is no problem for ," he said. "By the way, who are these diligent students?"
"I won't reveal their nas," Professor McGonagall replied warily. "Hogwarts has only a few good students, and I won't let you retaliate against them!"
Seeing her defensive expression, Dracula's lips twitched.
"What do you take for, Professor McGonagall? I just want them to help out with a small task," he said innocently. "But I can guess who wants to do howork anyway. As you said, there are only a few good students at Hogwarts!"
He raised a hand and counted three fingers—
"Hermione Granger in the first year, Cedric Diggory in the third year, and Percy Weasley in the fifth year, right?"
Professor McGonagall paused, then reluctantly nodded.
"In that case, they'll handle the task of grading howork from now on!" Dracula said cheerfully. "If they want more tasks, I can certainly give them plenty to do!"
"Uh... Professor Dracula, isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Professor McGonagall asked, choosing her words carefully, her expression uneasy. "Besides, students from those years can't grade sixth and seventh-year howork."
"Why not? Grading helps reinforce their own learning too!" Dracula said dismissively. "As for the sixth and seventh years, they're almost adults. If they lack the initiative to study, they deserve to fail!"
...
Thus, Hermione, Cedric, and Percy beca the proud teaching assistants for Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Each received a badge engraved with half a devil's wing, beneath which were the letters "DADATA," representing "Defense Against the Dark Arts Teaching Assistant."
The badge was designed by Dracula himself, looking stylish and high-quality.
However, Percy beca the subject of ridicule because of this badge, with the Weasley twins mocking him for quite so ti.
Proud of his new role, Percy imdiately wore the badge on his chest. But as he was already a Gryffindor prefect and refused to remove his prefect badge, his left chest was full. So he pinned the new badge on his right chest...
This created a rather comical appearance with two symtrical badges.
"Hey, Ron, look at Percy's outfit!"
That evening in the Gryffindor common room, Fred called out to his brother.
Ron, busy finishing his next day's howork while munching on a chicken leg Harry brought him from the Great Hall, looked up at Percy.
"Pfft—"
Ron couldn't help but burst into laughter, spraying chewed chicken onto his howork.
"Hahaha... Percy, what were you thinking!" he laughed. "Two badges look so ridiculous!"
Percy, passing through the common room, turned black-faced.
He had intended to show off his new badge, but the twins' interruption turned his pride into embarrassnt.
To other young wizards, this way of wearing badges wasn't as funny as Ron made it out to be. But because it was Percy, the Weasley twins and Ron never missed a chance to mock him, making Percy a unique source of amusent in the Weasley family.
Feeling frustrated, Percy glared at the laughing Fred and George, then looked at Ron, ready to admonish him not to follow the twins' bad example.
But when he saw Ron's howork, his mood improved instantly.
"Stop laughing, my dear brother," he said, sympathetically patting Ron's shoulder. "Look at your Transfiguration essay. Isn't it due tomorrow?"
Ron stopped laughing and looked down at his howork, seeing only chicken bits and sared ink...
"I hate you, Fred!"
He yelled in despair, searching the common room for another student. "Hermione, I need your help! I can't finish my Transfiguration essay tonight!"
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