Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 113 But a mist rose from the ground
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating the base of the founder's statue, which was then quietly wiped away by a rag. Pukchi, a waiter, was cleaning the campus for the holidays, pruning branches and flowers. The only sound in the quiet summer campus was the snapping of gardening shears.

Suddenly, there was a noise not far away. Pukchi looked in the direction of the sound. At the end of the empty boulevard, the principal was talking to a young wizard. He was very handsome, tall, and had a gentle smile on his face.

Black hair and black eyes, with a bit of mystery, looks familiar.

"The dark wizard who stole the dragon egg is a graduate of Ilvermorny..."

Principal Fontana sighed, "The Scourers, a bunch of soul-selling criminals, haven't been eradicated yet. These guys, as wizards, are actually getting involved with the Second Salem Charity Society. For gold, they really will do anything."

Melvin looked at the two statues of the founders. "If I remember correctly, 70 years ago, the Second Salem Charitable Society was involved in the case of Grindelwald and the Witch Party. The leader, Mary Lou Barebone, was a descendant of the Purgers."

"Yeah, I thought the Magic Congress had already modified her memory, but I didn't expect Barebone... to have other bloodlines."

Fontana recalled the relevant information and suddenly remembered something interesting. He smiled and said, "Bartholomew Barebone directly weakened the Twelve Trees family, and Mary Barebone brought misfortune to the Graves family. Those old guys probably get a headache and can't sleep when they hear the last name Barebone, right?"

Melvin's mouth also showed a little more smile.

At the end of the 18th century, the witch Dorcas Twelvetrees fell in love with a handsome No-Maj named Bartholomew Barebone and revealed to him many things about the wizarding world, including the addresses of MACUSA and Ilvermorny, several major wizarding settlements, and the details of the Statute of Secrecy...

Bartolomeo directly printed the above information and made it public, causing the largest magic leak in history.

The MACUSA received a serious warning from the International Confederation of Wizards. Emily Rappaport, then President of the MACUSA, quickly dispatched Aurors to erase the memory, but because the impact was too bad, she was still scolded at the meeting and could not even raise her head.

The chairman was scolded so badly that he couldn't even raise his head, and his subordinates suffered.

Dorcas Twelvetrees' father was Aristotle Twelvetrees, who was the treasure and pot manager of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, or the Minister of Finance in a popular sense. He was originally a prominent figure in the American wizarding world, but was directly transferred and demoted to guard the utility room.

After this incident, the Twelve Trees family was devastated and has not recovered to this day.

Then there was the New York riots 70 years ago, when Grindelwald disguised himself as Percival Graves, the Minister of Security for the Magical Congress, and nearly tore down the entire city. After the case was closed, the files were inexplicably linked to Mary Barebone, the leader of New Salem...

The result was that the Graves family was nailed to the pillar of shame and never recovered.

Mr. Graves, who is very familiar with Melvin, is still struggling in the position of deputy director and has no hope of promotion.

Since when, a rumor has spread in the United States. It is said that Barrybon's ancestor possessed the gift of prophecy and left a curse in his blood. Whenever a descendant of Barrybon entered the magical world, a prominent wizard family would decline.

It's a bit similar to the curse taught by the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.

Some people treat it as a joke, while others would rather believe it than not. Every time they hear the name Barry Bonn, some families always feel uneasy.

"These clues and information are enough to attract the attention of those old guys. I will pass it on to them." Fontana stopped and looked at Melvin with a smile. "Now that we've finished the business, should we talk about you dropping out of school to teach at Hogwarts?"

"..."

Seeing Melvin's slightly stiff expression, Fontana couldn't help but smile: "Just kidding, I finally got back to school, let's try the dinner made by Pukchi."

……

Pukchi specialty stew.

The soup base is white with green, and golden oil is floating in it. It contains spices made from snake tree materials, leaves and bark. It is not clear what the effect is. It tastes a bit astringent and strange.

Sitting in the side hall of Ilvermorny's auditorium, President Fontana did not exchange unnecessary pleasantries. While waiting for his meal to be served, he talked a lot about how the professors lamented and the students envied and admired Melvin after he dropped out.

Waiter Pukki handed over the cutlery. Headmaster Fontana ignored the table manners and said as he ate, "It's been a year since I became a professor at Hogwarts. How is it? What's the difference between that place and Ilvermorny?"

"It has its advantages and disadvantages. Overall, it's better than Ilvermorny."

Melvin hesitated, then answered truthfully, "Hogwarts' heritage is even deeper. The library boasts a collection of books accumulated over nearly a thousand years, and the castle holds endless secrets and surprises. There's a restricted section, a bronze door knocker, relics of the Big Four, and portraits of various wizards... Students can easily discover knowledge and magic."

"I know this. It's recorded in the founder's memoirs. They are all treasures accumulated by history."

"The student atmosphere there isn't as good as Ilvermorny. The four houses are clinging to their own factions, especially Slytherin. Many students worship purebloods and reject No-Majs, making it almost impossible for them to get along with other houses."

"That's it..."

Fontana nodded, his tone trailing off, "One of our founders was a Muggle, which blocked the conflicts between pure-bloods and half-bloods from the beginning."

Ilvermorny is relatively open and inclusive in this regard, and there are not so many requirements. After all, this school was originally just a school for the founder to coax his children, and they were adopted sons with no blood ties.

As the school's reputation spread, more and more parents sent their children there. At the time, the school was full of immigrant families, and it was difficult to distinguish between purebloods, half-bloods, and No-Maj families. Later, the school became even more open-minded, accepting the offspring of werewolves, vampires, and veelas.

Scholars of this era have begun to discuss revising the details of the Statute of Secrecy, because there are more and more wizards of No-Maj origin, and their proportion is getting larger and larger. It is possible to maintain appropriate distances, but complete isolation is simply impossible. Who doesn't have a few No-Maj relatives and No-Maj friends?

"But on the other hand, the impact of ideological trends brings about social unrest. The growth of wizards is influenced by their talents and environment. Students who have experienced turmoil and loss are more likely to find what they want to protect. They have firm wills, strong souls, and their magic power grows faster."

Melvin concluded: "Hogwarts is more likely to cultivate top wizards with strong character and powerful abilities."

"I've looked at the files of the Examination Authority. Students who have experienced wars and rebellions at Hogwarts do indeed perform better in their exams."

Principal Fontana tasted a piece of steak and said sourly, "The students we enroll are basically immigrants. Their parents had a hard time surviving in their original countries, but after coming here, they created a stable and comfortable life. Their material conditions have improved, but their determination has also become less strong."

Aesop Sayre, the founder of Ilvermorny, was a Hogwarts graduate and a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin. He praised Hogwarts highly in various memoirs, which led to the later headmasters having very complicated feelings towards Hogwarts, a kind of love-hate relationship.

No matter what they say, they secretly want to surpass the founder's alma mater.

Unfortunately, the school was established too recently and is not as famous as the other two magic schools in Europe.

Melvin chuckled twice: "Speaking of which, Principal, have you heard of the Triwizard Tournament?" "The Goblet of Fire?" Principal Fontana's eyes lit up.

Melvin nodded. "I've received news that Beauxbatons and Durmstrang seem to be interested in restarting the competition. There's plenty of time. If we prepare in advance, perhaps we can participate."

"..."

Principal Fontana felt complicated when he thought of this competition.

The Triwizard Tournament was founded about seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between three European magic schools. Because the events were too dangerous, it has been discontinued for over two hundred years.

If you only count the time when the competition was suspended, it is almost longer than the history of Ilvermorny.

I want to join in, but I feel a little inferior.

Melvin looked at the troubled face of the old principal, who was in his sixties, and tried hard to suppress his laughter.

Principal Fontana came back to his senses and glanced at Melvin. "If Ilvermorny really participates in the competition, which school will you support? Ilvermorny, your former alma mater, or Hogwarts, where you currently work?"

"We'll talk about it when the time comes..." Melvin evaded the question.

An hour and a half passed quickly as they ate and talked. When the sun completely sank into the ground and night fell, Melvin casually asked:
"Principal, have you seen that horned water snake recently? Where is it hiding and sleeping?"

Fontana looked up at the young wizard sitting next to him, paused, and revealed a secret that the Horned Water Snake had instructed him to keep secret for at least ten years: "On the second Saturday after you dropped out of school and left Ilvermorny, the Horned Water Snake died. It used the magic in its horn to ignite its body and asked me to scatter its ashes under the snake tree."

"..."

Melvin was stunned for a moment, then silently put down his cutlery, stood up and left.

Principal Fontana didn't try to stop him. He simply said softly, "Melvin, the water snake told me to tell you that it lived for 717 years, which is long enough. It died without any regrets or resentment."

Melvin paused for a moment, then continued walking towards the back yard.

……

Behind the granite hut built by the founder himself, Melvin slowly walked to the towering snake tree, found a stone to sit on without any manners, and stared at the branches of the snake tree in a daze.

Melvin remembered what Professor Kettleburn had said about the habits of the lapdog in the carriage on the way to Budapest. Some creatures are smart and spiritual and can predict their own death. At this time, they will leave home alone, avoid acquaintances, find a hidden corner, and wait for death alone.

But some animals have strange personalities. When they sense their own death, they not only don't hide, but also try to get others away.

Thinking of the water snake, Melvin suddenly felt sad.

Close your eyes and breathe in the moist mist of the night.

The first 19 years of this young wizard's life were uneventful. He woke with a distant memory, having first found himself in an orphanage. At eleven, he received a letter of acceptance from Ilvermorny and was taken to a castle on the hill by his professors. Besides attending classes during the day, he would relax and practice magic after dinner. With luck, he would find a secluded stream, where he would practice magic over and over again, never tiring of it.

He became restless when he encountered difficulties and got stuck. He returned to the dormitory and was still thinking about exploring the principles of magic. One night, he couldn't sleep, so he sneaked out of the castle and went to the stream to practice magic in the moonlight. Then he encountered an immortal long-horned water snake.

At the end of the third-year dueling class, he suddenly defeated the fifth-year teaching assistant, causing an uproar in the whole school. Even Principal Fontana personally commented and praised him. No one expected that such a talented student would suddenly drop out of school when graduation was approaching, work as a stage special effects designer for half a year, and then go to teach at Hogwarts.

The fog on the mountain was so thick at night that it could not be dispersed and it almost blocked the view.

Melvin extended his hand and waved gently.

The mountain fog suddenly dissipated, leaving behind a clear open space.

It wasn't a whirlwind sweeping away the mist, nor was it some iron curtain of foam draining out of the clearing. There wasn't even any magical fluctuation. It was more like the wizard's will directly drove the mist to disperse on its own.

Melvin placed his hands on the snake tree, and felt a cool sensation in his palms, as if he were touching the scales again. The dispersed mist gathered again, and his vision became blurred again. His consciousness gradually drifted away, and he could vaguely hear the sound of a stream in the distance.

Mist rose from the ground and moistened the entire land.

The stream was clear and pure, and seemed to come from a distant valley. Melvin closed his eyes and thought about the snake tree and the elongated shadows on the ground under the moon. He thought about himself running in the mountains at night, the silver light of the water snake's horns illuminating the bushes, the snake's body hidden in the shadow of the stream, and the snake's eyes looking up at the full moon, which was also bright silver.

Melvin had witnessed those scenes firsthand.

He seemed to be back under the snake tree. The surrounding sounds were noisy and quiet, the stream was flowing, the evening breeze was blowing the branches, and the birds and animals were chirping.

He looked up and saw a full moon hanging on the branches of the snake tree. The moonlight poured down on the branches like light flowing mercury. The whole mountain was shrouded in the cold moonlight. The shadows of the treetops were cast on the rocks. A thick, long snake hung on the branches, looking up to face the moonlight.

Melvin remained silent. At this moment, everything around him seemed like a dream, and he was afraid that breaking the silence would wake him up.

The scales of the long-horned water snake appear grayish white, with a glow flowing on the smooth scales.

Melvin turned over and climbed onto the branch, sitting next to the water snake. The man and the snake just looked at the mountain moon silently, and time seemed to stand still at this moment.

"Melvyn, goodbye."

The water snake slowly turned its head, and its mercury-like pupils were filled with concentrated moonlight, like a clear lake.

Melvin's mind was immersed in the lake, when he suddenly heard the sound of splashing water. He immediately woke up, as if a stealthy person had surfaced and found himself sitting on the branch of the snake tree. The cool and smooth touch of his hands was still there.

It was a snake egg.

(End of this chapter)