On Sunday, April 18, 2021, James Sirius Potter would undergo the highest stakes test he had ever taken.

It was just six in the evening and James was currently sitting alone in his room. Sunday was still typical a day for alone time, Easter having been an obvious exception.

In less than an hour, James would proceed to the History of Magic classroom where he would be taking his official Wandmaking test as observed by Professor McGonagall.

To pass the test, James would need to produce a functional wand. If James succeeded in making a working wand, he would officially be named Wandmaking teacher at Hogwarts for the 2021-2022 school year.

At this nanosecond, James was grateful that most Sundays meant alone time. He did not wish to be surrounded by people or be given nine hundred octillion different pieces of advice.

In the solace of his own company, James was quietly reflecting on how he'd come to this point: Having the idea to add a Wandmaking class to Hogwarts that had won him a co gold medal in the Hogwarts Writing Competition. Being offered the opportunity to becoming a Wandmaking teacher. The private Wandmaking lessons with Ollivander. Continuing working on Wandmaking on his own after Ollivander's death with the companionship and support of Lily. Knowing Lily would be one of his pupils if he got the job. In thinking it all through, James felt a quiet confidence. He knew was prepared. It was just a matter of going out and doing it.

Wanting to approach his high stakes test in a relaxed mood, James fired up a YouTube video of birds chirping to put himself in a calm and relaxed mood.

At ten till seven, James carefully opened his trunk and carefully pulled out a black box containing the supplies he would need to make his test wand. He arrived in the History of Magic classroom the nanosecond the clock struck seven and Professor McGonagall was sitting in the place that had previously been occupied by either Ollivander while teaching him or Lily while supporting him. James quickly sat down at his workspace which provided the needed hard and smooth surface.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter, " said McGonagall simply, "I'll shut up and let you get to work."

And he did. James spoke not a word but went straight to his work.

James carefully opened his box of supplies and pulled out a cauldron, a pair of tongs, a stopwatch, and three vials of potion: the icy blue Cooling Potion needed to complete the Wandmaking process, the light pink Temperament Potion that was currently carrying the dragon heartstring James would be using to make his test wand, and the clearish Strengthening Potion that was currently carrying the mahogany wood James would be using to make his test wand. James now retrieved his wand from his right hand pocket with his right hand and got started. Fortunately, James had remembered to treat his core for five hours in the Temperament Potion beforehand and had also remembered to do likewise for ten hours in the Strengthening Potion for his wood.

James unscrewed the top of the Strengthening Potion and carefully placed the tongs into the vial. James slowly brought his now strengthened mahogany wood out of the vial of Strengthening Potion and set it down on his work surface. He then slowly placed the tongs into the vial of Temperament Potion and lifted out his now tempered dragon heartstring and set it down on his workspace.

As McGonagall watched James get to work, it occurred to her that there was something she needed to warn James about once this test was complete. She knew James was going to pass the test, but she had a concern about how he would have to handle the teaching of his Wandmaking class. McGonagall went over in her head how she might explain this issue to James. James would need to understand that he would be teaching students for whom Wandmaking didn't come as naturally as it did to him. McGonagall would talk to James about this issue after he'd passed the test.

James pointed his wand directly at the strip of mahogany wood now sitting on his workspace and cried "Detachio!"

Instantaneously, a thirteen and a half inch piece of mahogany wood separated itself from the rest of the strip. Smiling, James pointed his wand directly at his strip of mahogany wood a second time and cried "Detachio!" again. Sure enough, another bit of thirteen and a half inch mahogany wood separated itself cleanly and precisely from the rest of the strip.

McGonagall smiled. So far, so good.

James set one of thirteenth and a half inch bits of wood to the left side of his work area for later use. He placed the other very gently atop his dragon heartstring.

James now directed his wand at the bit of mahogany wood atop the dragon heartstring and called out "Attachio!"

The thirteen and a half inch bit of mahogany wood fused itself perfectly onto the dragon heartstring and proved an exact fit.

James now picked up the half-finished wand with his tongs and dropped it into the cauldron. He picked up his stopwatch in his left hand and set it to five minutes. James started the stopwatch while simultaneously turning the heat on his cauldron to high with his right hand.

McGonagall watched this step with intense eyes. Her eyes made absolutely sure that James's eyes never veered from the cauldron in these five minutes. With the risks of explosion and fire if the cauldron was left unattended or the heat was left on too long, McGonagall had to be sure James had enough patience and attentiveness to see this step through.

With McGonagall's eyes squarely focused on James, he saw the process through correctly and attentively and slowly and carefully used the tongs to lift the half-finished wand out of the cauldron and turned the heat off.

Focused and undistracted, James, careful not to touch the half-finished wand, carefully set it down unfished side up.

James now set the remaining piece of thirteen and a half inch mahogany wood very cautiously atop the exposed dragon heartstring. James pointed his wand right at the thirteen and a half inch mahogany wood bit now face up and declared "Attachio!"

The second bit of thirteen and a half inch mahogany wood fit itself seamlessly onto the dragon heartstring and James picked up the wand with his tongs and returned it to the cauldron. He repeated the process of heating the wand in the cauldron for five minutes and again showed perfect attentiveness.

When he had pulled the wand back out of the cauldron again, James pointed his wand at the wand he was about to finish making and yelled LUMOS MAXIMA!"

Twenty seconds later, a loud and distinct snapping sound indicated that the two halves of the wand had fused together successfully.

James finished the task by unscrewing the vial of Cooling Potion and using the tongs to carefully set the newly minted wand into the Cooling Potion before resealing the vial.

"BRAVO! Mr. Potter, that was PERFECT!" said McGonagall proudly.

"I remember that the finished wand needs to be stored in Cooling Potion for at least twenty five hours, " said James matter of factly, "When will we test it?"

"Come back in twenty five hours and we'll test it, " said McGonagall confidently., "Bring back your unused wood tomorrow night please."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall, " replied James politely.

James returned to the History of Magic classroom twenty five hours later with only his own wand and his leftover mahogany wood in tow. He set the leftover mahogany wood down on the work surface.

Like James the night before, McGonagall got right down to business.

Already with the freshly made and cooled wand at the ready, McGonagall pointed the newly minted wand at the mahogany wood and cried out, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Next nanosecond, the mahogany wood rose off the table and soared in the air.

McGonagall found that she was able to guide the mahogany wood as she wished and declared, "Test passed! Mr. Potter, you are now officially the Hogwarts Wandmaking teacher for 2021-2022. Congratulations, Professor Potter!"

James's face lit up at being called Professor Potter and a happy balloon swelled up inside him.

James's joy was palpable as warmth seemed to radiate from his face. McGonagall let him soak it all in for a few minutes and a few nanoseconds.

Finally, McGonagall said, "Mr. Potter, there are a few things you will need to be aware of before you embark on your career as a Wandmaking teacher."

"Okay, " said James. listening intently, "What do I need to know?"

"The most important thing you need to understand about becoming a teacher, " said McGonagall clearly, "Is you are going to have to exercise a great deal of patience. Specifically, you're going to have to be patient with and understanding of the fact that you will be dealing with pupils who are not as talented at Wandmaking as you are. Mr. Ollivander was very surprised that you picked up Wandmaking as quickly as you did and that Wandmaking came as easily to you as it did. The truth is that Wandmaking is a very difficult and challenging branch of magic just like Transfiguration is a very difficult and challenging branch of magic."

"In other words, don't expect too much from my students too soon, " replied James.

"You've got the right idea, " said McGonagall approvingly, "it's also crucial that you do NOT become frustrated if your students struggle early on or are slow to develop their Wandmaking skills. Discipline as well as patience are the two most important virtues in the teaching profession."

"My thought process, " explained James, "Is to approach my class in the same way that Ollivander approached me: spend the first few classes just teaching my students about the Wandmaking process before allowing them to attempt Wandmaking themselves a few classes down the road."

"That's the right way to do it, " agreed McGonagall, "Remember that you will also need to keep complete and total watch over your class while the students are attempting their Wandmaking. In particular, you must never take your eyes off your class while the students have their in progress wands in their cauldrons. Due to the dangers of explosion and fire, if any student forgets or fails to turn the heat off after five minutes, you must go do it for him or her."

"Attentiveness, as well as discipline and patience, is another important attribute of being a teacher, " acknowledged James.

"Also, " finished McGonagall, "You should present yourself in a confident but not arrogant manner when addressing your class. That's all I have. Headmistress Kirke will introduce you as a new Hogwarts professor at the next Welcoming Feast on September 1st. Congratulations again, Professor Potter."

James's face brightened again, and he sat quietly for a few more minutes and a few more nanoseconds just inward savoring his triumph.

James then happily walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room with his face still glowing.

It was almost midnight when James walked through the portrait hole. Most students had at least gone to their rooms with one exception. Lily trotted up to six feet from James.

"James?! How did it go?!" asked Lily with anticipation in her voice.

The quieter joy James had felt after passing his test now gave way over excitement about what was to come.

"THE WAND WORKED!" said James ecstatically, "I PASSED MY TEST! As I'll be seventeen when my career as a Wandmaking teacher starts, I'm going to become the youngest teacher in Hogwarts history. YOU LIKE THAT! YOU LIKE THAT!"

"Yes! I certainly do like that!" grinned Lily.

"I'm a great wizard who accomplishes great things!" bragged James.

"I'm so proud of you, James!" said Lily glowingly, "I'm excited to be one of your first students, Professor Potter!"

The bright look once again appeared on James's face at being called Professor Potter.

James and Lily exchanged smiles before James turned more serious.

"Lily, " said James sincerely, "I owe a huge debt of gratitude to you for my triumph tonight. I could never have made it to this point without your support. After Ollivander died, you made me push through without forcing anything on me. And your constant companionship at my Wandmaking sessions once I resumed my Wandmaking practice was exactly what I needed to push me through. Your quiet company and companionship during my Wandmaking practices after Ollivander died warmed me, built me, and strengthened me. Your support pulled me through and led to my big moment tonight. I would never have had the resolve to pull through and keep going after Ollivander died without your support. You were my rock when I really needed one. You truly were the wind beneath my wings. You weren't obligated to come to my Wandmaking practices and provide the quiet support that you did. But you did because of how much you love me and care about me."

"And because I believed in you, " added Lily seriously, "I knew you would achieve what you achieved tonight so I made it a point sure you kept striving for that."

"I wish Ollivander was still alive so he could share this moment with me, " said James quietly, "But I know how proud he would be of me."

"No question he would, " said Lily gently, "Ollivander would have prouder than anyone to have called you Professor Potter."

"It's now my responsibility to make sure his legacy is carried on, " said James, "And I couldn't be more delighted to have you as one of my first students. Good luck, Lily, I'm pulling for you."

"Good luck, James, " responded Lily, "I'm pulling for you too."

James and Lily just smiled at each other for a few more minutes and a few more nanoseconds before Lily said, "Goodnight, James, you savor this triumph for yourself for a while."

After Lily had left, James did go over it all in his head a few more times before going to bed himself and falling asleep as content as he had ever been.