Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 122 Riddle, My Best Friend
nine in the morning.

Muggle Studies classroom, sixth grade advanced class.

Everyone here is a student who has passed the ordinary wizard registration examination. If their grades are good and there are no major changes, these students will basically be able to obtain subject certificates in two years.

Melvin has looked at the data from the Examination Authority in previous years and preliminarily estimated that the number of people who obtain subject certificates will probably triple. The British Ministry of Magic and related British businesses will not be able to absorb so many professional talents. These students will go to other countries and gain a competitive advantage with their subject certificates, squeezing out the jobs of graduates from other magic schools.

The issues involved in this process are too complicated to be sorted out in a short period of time.

“The chapter on household appliances is fundamental.

“What’s more important is communication and language.

"We mentioned this before the exam last year. We had to analyze problems with Muggle thinking, become familiar with Muggle language, and try to abandon the magical thinking paradigm and adopt a Muggle perspective. That was before you even started learning magic."

This is a test review class.

The unified examination papers are collected by the Examination Administration Bureau and will not be returned to students after grading. However, professors usually have backups and copy them to distribute to students. Explaining the examination questions after a summer vacation can be regarded as a review before the end of the semester to help students get into the right state.

After Melvin's rote learning and the tactic of doing a lot of exercises, these students achieved very good results. The wrong questions were basically caused by negligence, so there was not much value in explaining them. The explanation was finished in less than half an hour.

Melvin felt a little unsatisfied. Looking at the laughing faces, he felt that it did not help to change the students' state of mind.

Melvin then paused for a moment, folding the Muggle study test papers while surveying the class, his thoughts wandering aimlessly.

The review of the test papers is over, but I haven’t prepared the content for the new semester yet, so there is nothing much to talk about all of a sudden.

We can't end the get out of class an hour and a half early, Professor McGonagall will go crazy.

Percy Weasley, sitting in the front row, watched the professor collect his papers. He folded his own and placed it in a manila briefcase. As a student with excellent study habits, he kept his notes organized. This briefcase was specifically for storing his Ordinary Wizarding Level Examination papers.

Melvin looked at the OWLs logo and his eyes lit up. "Well... we've finished the Muggle Studies exam. Since we have nothing else to do, let's move on to the Transfiguration exam."

"??"

The whole class looked up, confused.

Melvin nodded slightly to Percy, conveying the professor's will to the good student.

Percy's mind was a little confused, but his body had already accepted the professor's instructions. He unconsciously found the Transfiguration test paper and handed it over.

"You and Penelope share a copy."

Melvin took the test paper, flipped through it casually, and tapped the desk. "Come, let's look at the first question on Transfiguration. Which of the following does not conform to Gamp's law of transfiguration? A. Water turns into wine, B. A branch turns into a quill, C. A table turns into two deer, and D. A flock of birds appears out of thin air."

"Is this question testing the Law of Transfiguration? No, it's the five exceptions to the Law of Transfiguration. Let's look at option A first. Some students think of food when they see wine, and they remember the first exception to the Law of Transfiguration, which states that Transfiguration cannot create food out of thin air. But they chose option A."

"But is this done out of thin air? This is made with pure water, so option A is ruled out... so the correct answer is C."

The sixth grade students felt a little awkward, but Professor Lewynter's classes were always unique, and after a few multiple-choice questions, they got used to it.

After listening carefully, I found that Professor Lewinter’s lecture on transfiguration was also very good.

It's a different style from Professor McGonagall, quite fresh.

……

It just so happened that the second period of sixth grade was the Transfiguration class.

Professor McGonagall, wearing black-framed glasses, walked into the classroom. She first counted the number of students in the advanced class according to normal procedures, and then talked about the precautions for the sixth grade, which was very consistent with the identity of the vice-principal.

"Don't think you can relax now that the Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations are over. Sixth grade is the most crucial year. There are still two years until the final wizarding exams. I hope you won't slack off."

Professor McGonagall pushed up her glasses and unfolded the test paper. "Now let's talk about the questions from last semester."

"..."

The little wizards below looked at each other in confusion.

As the professor's good helper, Percy silently raised his hand and said in a complicated tone, "Professor McGonagall, Professor Lewynter has already covered the Transfiguration paper."

"??"

Professor McGonagall's face was suddenly filled with question marks.

……

Melvin knew nothing about this at the moment. He was standing on the podium of the third-year Muggle Studies special classroom, looking down at the new classroom which had nearly tripled in size.

The young wizards who had just entered the third grade sat in their seats, looking around with expectant smiles on their faces. The four academies were taking classes at the same time, which was an unprecedented experience and full of freshness.

"Everyone, remember this seat. If anyone wants to change, please let me know!"

"..."

"Once you've changed seats, they won't change. You'll be sitting here from now on. Come, starting from the first seat on the left, introduce yourselves."

"..."

As soon as the words fell, there was another burst of chatter in the classroom.

Everyone here has heard of the self-introduction game in last year's Muggle Studies class. Everyone paid full attention and was determined to remember the classmates whose faces were unfamiliar and whose names they couldn't recognize.

A cute girl with a black ponytail stood up and said softly, "I'm Qiu Zhang, from Ravenclaw. I chose Muggle Studies because I heard it was a very interesting course..."

The girl sat down and there was applause in the classroom. As a rare oriental face, Qiu Zhang was gentle and helpful, and was very popular among her peers.

The second blonde girl stood up, looking somewhat arrogant: "Marietta Edgemore, Ravenclaw College, Qiu's roommate..."

The feedback after the introduction was not enthusiastic, even a little cold, and Marietta snorted impatiently.

The self-introductions in the classroom gradually got on track. Some people spoke concisely and in a cold tone, while others were cheerful and lively, adding content to deepen the impression.

The whole process was almost a replay of the previous sorting ceremony, except that they had just entered Hogwarts two years ago and were so nervous that they didn't pay any attention to their surroundings. Two years later, calling out the names of their classmates again felt new and subtle.

The third-grade students sitting in this classroom have been studying and getting along with each other for two years, and have taken many courses together. Even if they are not familiar with each other, they still have a general understanding of their faces and personalities. The main thing is to match their images with their names, which is a little difficult.

Immediate memory is always a wonderful thing, and the students who were asked the questions felt it deeply.

I clearly heard someone's self-introduction more than ten minutes ago, and I recited a few sentences in my mind. I even had the scene in my mind. I remembered his college, hobbies, and even the name of his roommate, but I couldn't remember the person's own name.

It seemed like it was right on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't say it.

Moreover, the mischievous Professor Levent deliberately chose students who gave brief self-introductions and whose facial features were not particularly distinctive to ask questions. The students were so anxious that they scratched their heads, groaned and roared, and finally, amidst the jeers of their classmates, they had no choice but to go on stage and showcase their talents.

……

When the bell rang, the students were still immersed in the joy of the game. Melvin stood up and walked out. His quick movements to end the get out of class were even faster than those of the students.

Then came Lockhart.

"Professor Lockhart, your blonde hair is so smooth and enviable."

"Really? This is thanks to the bird snake egg shampoo. If you need it, I can give you a few...a bottle."

The new professor, wearing a blue wizard robe and with white teeth shining when he smiled, followed Melvin downstairs with a stack of homemade test papers in his hand. He asked kindly, "It doesn't matter, Professor Lewinter. Do you remember what we talked about last night?"

"Has Professor Lockhart thought it through? Is he willing to reveal those magical secrets?"

Melvin glanced at the test paper. It was full of questions about Lockhart himself, his personal preferences, past dreams, greatest achievements, and even the assessment for joining a celebrity fan group.

The first one was a perfect answer sheet, and the name column was clearly Miss Granger's name.

"..."

Melvin suddenly had a toothache.

"I'm happy to share my skills in defeating dark creatures with everyone, so as to protect more people from harm. In fact, that's what I'm doing." Lockhart changed the subject. "But adventure is different from life. There are always some things that are inconvenient to show. There are also some bloody scenes that are not suitable for children to watch. I may need to 'post-process' them."

Without waiting for Melvin to respond, he took the initiative and said, "This workload is too heavy. I won't bother Professor Lewinter. I'll hand it over to you after I'm done. Is that okay?"

Melvin studied his expression and smiled meaningfully, "Of course."

"The Shadow Mirror, along with Gilderoy Lockhart's name, will be spread by wizards all over the world." Lockhart was full of confidence.

"Speaking of this..."

Melvin paused. Although the writer in front of him was a thief, his true identity had not been exposed yet. He was very famous in the wizarding world and had connections with many wizards.

With the mentality of not wasting time, he pretended to be embarrassed and said, "I may need your help with the shadow mirror, Professor Lockhart."

"You said."

"Do you know anyone from the Traffic Management Department?" Melvin volunteered. "The Magic Mirror Club is preparing a small mirror that will use the Floo Network to transmit images to everyone's home, allowing them to view the images without having to go to the tavern."

"Isn't that easy for everyone to see!?"

Lockhart was overjoyed, and his smile grew even wider.

"Ideally, that's the case, but there are some officials in the Ministry of Magic, you know, a small minority, who are against the Shadow Mirror and have even brought cases to court." Melvin's expression was like an innocent businessman being persecuted. "Umbridge, and... Minister Fudge."

"..."

Lockhart was speechless. He had some connections, but they were certainly no match for the minister's, and he didn't want to offend a powerful official.

Melvin offered a way out at the right time: "The Ministry of Magic is not a private company of certain people. We don't need to convince these narrow-minded people. As long as we can get in touch with the Department of Transportation, the situation will improve a lot."

"what do you mean……"

"There's a student in the third grade, Marietta Edgemore."

"Mrs. Aikman of the Transportation Department!"

Lockhart understood immediately and took the task naturally. "Leave it to me. We have met on many occasions. We even danced a waltz at the Parkinson's Easter party half a year ago."

"Professor Lockhart has a wide circle of friends."

Only then did Melvin realize that this new colleague was actually helpful and would work wholeheartedly with just a word or two of praise.

In a way, he is the same person as Senior Riddle.

……

Return to the dormitory in the evening.

The old diary was taken out of the cabinet. As if it had sensed the tremors in the outside world, senior Riddle's caring greetings appeared on the paper, asking if there was any trouble getting along with students and colleagues.

Melvin was in a good mood. He dipped his quill pen into the ink and wrote fluently:

"It went very smoothly. I didn't encounter any problems. The students were easy to get along with, and my colleagues were also very friendly. Professor Lockhart, who was also new to the job, was especially enthusiastic and helpful..."

Melvin simply covered up what happened between him and Lockhart and wrote it down. In the diary, there was no longer a collaboration between shadow mirrors and adventure stories, but bird snake eggs and shampoo.

"It's a very profitable business, but birds and snakes are clearly protected species, so I don't think I should... But Lockhart said that as long as we get permission from the Ministry of Magic, it can be a legal and legitimate business. He plans to start with officials from the Department for the Control of Magical Creatures.

If I had more Galleons, I could allow more bird snakes to grow safely, but this would require sacrificing some of the bird snakes... I'm unsure, Tom, my friend, please tell me the right choice."

"..."

The diary was silent for a long time. This Hufflepuff was obviously selfish. He hesitated because of his conscience while making excuses for his greed.

It is like a confused soul struggling on the edge of the cliff of desire and about to fall.

This is exactly what Senior Riddle wants. The diary earnestly advises:

"Melvin, my dear friend, I have no intention of interfering with your choice; I am merely offering some guidance.

As you said, Mr. Lockhart is a wizard chasing fame and profit. He may seem friendly and amiable, but beneath the veneer of fancy, he's essentially a businessman. He approached you simply to get your help in dealing with the bird-snake. For this kind of wizard, unconstrained cooperation will ultimately be in vain. You need to tie interests together and use some methods to make him work for you sincerely, or in other words, cooperate with you..."

Melvin nodded frequently as he watched.

Senior Riddle is worthy of being Senior Riddle. He saw through Lockhart's true nature with just a few words and gave very practical advice.

The negotiation of the mirror with Mrs. Edgecombe cannot be entirely entrusted to Lockhart. It would be best for him to just act as a broker.

Lockhart is keen on making adventure stories, but there will be no results in the short term. During this period, he can help with other work. As a master of the Oblivion Spell, he is good at post-processing of memory images. The workload of the semi-finished Animal World is large, so it can be entrusted to him.

Being pen pals with Senior Riddle has been extremely beneficial.

They chatted until ten o'clock in the evening. When the topic of cooperation with Lockhart ended, the diary fell silent for a moment, and the ink flowed into a new line of handwriting:
"By the way, what about Harry Potter, whom you mentioned earlier?"

(End of this chapter)