Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 130 is up to you!

Muggle Studies Office.

The shelves are placed against the wall, and the walnut boards are divided into neatly arranged squares. These squares were empty a year ago, but now they are more than half filled, mostly with books and materials, including wizard books given by colleagues and friends, Muggle books purchased by himself, and information files collected from various sources.

There were some small items placed in the middle, including the cursed props that dissipated magic power and the elk antlers given by Hagrid, which became decorations on the shelves. There were also green plants given by Professor Sprout, which added a bit of fresh vitality to the office.

The most eye-catching thing is the small shadow mirror placed in the middle, fixed with a wooden frame. It has a glass-like shell with silver-white mist flowing inside, which is crystal clear and magnificent.

Every time I come to this office, I can't help but look at it again and again.

Harry sat on the sofa, his eyes rolling.

Hermione next to her was twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers, pursing her lips, anxiously waiting for the professor to mark her paper.

The little witch looked up quietly and found that the professor frowned slightly. She exclaimed, her heart suddenly hanging in the air, her eyes slightly panicked, wondering if there was something wrong with the thesis?

At this moment, someone suddenly pulled his sleeve. Harry lowered his throat and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear clearly: "Hermione, do you see, there is an extra glass jar on the shelf over there."

Hermione looked in the direction he pointed.

On the window square of the shelf stood a cylindrical glass bottle, the kind they used to hold bluebell flames in the winter.

A beetle lay quietly at the bottom of the bottle, its antennae swaying slowly in a faint arc, hiding behind a few branches and leaves, like an ignorant ladybug in the bushes in the garden, looking a little leisurely.

The two students had strange expressions on their faces. Some students in lower grades caught beetles and kept them as pets or used them to feed toads. They didn't expect that Professor Lewinter also had this hobby.

The two of them exchanged glances, and then the professor coughed twice, and immediately sat up straight, pretending to look straight ahead.

"Tell me about your paper."

Melvin found it somewhat amusing and placed the two papers back on the table. "The length difference is quite large. One cites too many cases, and some descriptions seem redundant. The other is too concise, and even the description of the characteristics of the Cornish elves is not clear enough... In terms of argument, the two papers choose two completely different fighting styles, but some of the wording is very similar. What are your thoughts on this?"

Hermione clutched the hem of her clothes tightly.

Harry lowered his head silently, his neck flushed with shame. He should have known not to use it as a reference.

"The paper still has many shortcomings..." Melvin paused deliberately, watching the two people's faces gradually flush, and changed the subject, "But for a second-year student, this level is already remarkable."

They both raised their heads at the same time, their expressions changing from gloomy to bright.

"There's no definitive correct way to say anything about wizard duels. Most duelling masters have their own style, as I'm sure you've already discovered while writing your essays."

Melvin pointed to the shorter one and began to explain, "Harry prefers to be adaptable. He prefers to master one or two spells rather than different special spells, so he can respond flexibly. Hermione prefers stability and effectiveness, and is willing to master a variety of special spells to deal with different dangers..."

Compared with the last practical exercise, this paper lecture was more like a review. After a week, they reviewed it again and confirmed their gains through other examples. Both students benefited a lot. Some obscure parts were picked out and explained by Melvin, and they naturally understood them.

"Judging from the content of your essays, you seem to have a good understanding of your own style preferences. However, that alone is not enough. The second essay I'm assigning you is to exchange arguments and adopt each other's style."

Melvin handed Harry's short paper to Hermione and Hermione's long paper to Harry. "There are length requirements this time. Hermione's paper cannot be longer than Harry's, and Harry, your paper cannot be shorter than Hermione's."

Harry and Hermione looked confused.

"Besides that, you'll also need to practice and master the many special effects spells for second grade. Don't worry, I've prepared instructional videos for you."

Melvin stood up and took the small shadow mirror from the shelf, handing it to them. "It contains my recorded explanations and demonstrations. It's like a TV that needs to be tuned in. To use it, use your wand to stir the light mist and wait for the picture and image to appear. Just practice according to this."

Hermione quickly took the mirror; it was heavier than she had expected, like three large volumes stacked together.

"By the way, can you contact the Ravenclaw students?" Melvin asked.

Hermione answered automatically, "My roommate Padma has a twin sister who's a Ravenclaw."

"Could you please contact Marietta Edgemore, a third-year student, and have her come to my office after dinner tomorrow?" Melvin paused and added a name, "and Neville."

……

After leaving the office, Harry and Hermione were still thinking about the length of the paper, their heads were fuzzy. They walked back to the common room holding the mirror, and heard the noisy commotion, slowly coming back to their senses.

Dean and Seamus were playing Gobstones, their robes stained with smelly liquid. Captain Wood stood next to the table Quidditch board, explaining the tactics to the others with a serious face.

Seeing the two people walk into the portrait hole, Ron appeared from somewhere and stared at the mirror with shining eyes. "Merlin, I've only seen this thing in the tavern, and Old Tom won't let us get close!"

"It was shown in the school hall as well," Hermione corrected sternly.

Ron helped move the shadow mirror. As he stroked and examined it, he asked, "Why did Professor Lewinter give you the shadow mirror?"

"For practicing spells," Harry explained weakly.

"What spell? What did you study today?"

Hermione shook her head, glanced at the paper in her hand, which was only a little over three inches long, and sighed sadly.

Harry felt even more melancholy, as the paper in his hand was a full 14 inches long.

"Why are you sighing? Is today's spell difficult?" Ron was puzzled and helped move the shadow mirror to the corner.

"Isn't it just a paper? You can finish it if you take your time."

After listening to the content of tonight's tutoring, he couldn't wait to put the shadow mirror away, propped it up with a few soft pillows, pointed his wand at the mirror and began to stir: "Let's take a look at the shadow mirror first..."

Harry and Hermione concentrated and prepared to learn the spells.

A melodious and soothing music played.

The screen lit up, and a title appeared: "Second Year Defense Against the Dark Arts: Basic Spellcasting"

The picture was very rough, with white text on a blue background, the text was thick and bold, and there were snowflakes flashing on it, just like a TV program with poor signal.

Then, a wizard in a wizard robe appeared, his face unclear. With slow, mechanical movements, a rough, deep male voice began to explain: "The first step is to check the wand. The condition of the wand has a significant impact on the outcome of the spell, so checking the wand is a crucial step in casting..."

The voice was loud and deep, with a rigid teaching tone, the background noise of the current was slightly harsh, and the wording was old-fashioned as if it was from the last century, but it was surprisingly catchy.

Every movement seemed deliberately stiff, like a stage actor, conveying a subtle feeling. "..."

The three of them looked at each other in bewilderment. This instructional video was detailed and specific, yet crude and simple, conveying a simple and pure feeling to the viewers.

If you don’t know, you might think it was recorded by Professor Binns during his lifetime.

The image quality is extremely blurry, like it was shot with an early film camera. After multiple transcription and copying, the image quality has been severely lost. It is full of snow noise, color distortion, blurred edges, and occasionally flickering and ripple interference.

It makes people watch the video with full attention.

"Hold the wand tightly. First, pinch the end of the wand with your right index finger, middle finger, and thumb. Slowly knead and rotate it to transfer a small amount of magic power..."

The first half hour was all about the lasso spell that we learned last week. There were many trivial details, but it didn't feel boring.

Hermione leaned back on the sofa with a feeling of unsatisfied feeling. She had already mastered the spells, and recalling the explanation just now, she unexpectedly gained new insights.

"Instructional video, pure instructional video..."

So detailed!

From the intonation of spells and the transition between emphasis to the inspection of wands, the casting movements and the arc of arm swings, it is extremely detailed.

Hermione's previous experience of self-studying spells told her that this kind of teaching was aimed at lower-grade students with weak basics. Any student could be guaranteed to cast the spell successfully as long as they followed the steps in the teaching video.

Stir the light mist again, and the picture flows.

Hermione watched it carefully several times, rubbing her eyes to take a break in the middle, and found that there was a circle of people around her. She didn't know when the classmates came over, and they looked very focused, even more serious than in normal class.

……

The stars and the moon were moving in the deep blue night sky, and a few rays of bright silver light slanted into the window. Across a low table, Neville from Gryffindor, Marietta from Ravenclaw, and Professor Lewynter sat opposite each other.

Neville has grown a lot taller, but is still a little fat.

Marietta had reddish-blonde curly hair, regular features that could even be considered pretty, and a few freckles that were in line with the local aesthetic.

The two students were still wearing their school uniforms, white shirts and black robes, with only the tie colors being slightly different.

Marietta hung her head, feeling a little flustered because her familiar roommate was not around. She didn't understand why the professor suddenly called her over.

"Pumpkin juice or hot cocoa?" Melvin asked, holding the teapot from which both pumpkin juice and hot cocoa were poured.

"Pumpkin juice will be fine." Neville raised his hand and answered. He was a little nervous, but not panicked. He knew that Professor Lewinter was a good professor.

Marietta repeated softly, "Pumpkin juice."

"Sorry, we're out of pumpkin juice. Let's choose again. Hot cocoa or butterbeer?" Melvin looked at Marietta. "You choose first."

"I also can."

"Give me a clear answer." Melvin's voice was calm, but his gaze was so oppressive that Marietta dared not look him in the eye.

Marietta shuddered. "Hot cocoa, please."

"Are you sure?" Melvin's tone became more severe.

"So... Butterbeer?" Marietta winced.

"You're even weaker than I thought..." Melvin poured her a glass of pumpkin juice and said to himself, "Don't worry. Your mother asked you to come here to tutor you. Professor Lockhart and I attended a dinner party a few days ago and happened to meet Mrs. Edgecombe. We discussed your education and reached some cooperation."

"Tuition?" Marietta breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Professor. I will study hard."

"The original plan was to give you tutoring, but you were too weak and didn't pass my test." Melvin took a sip of pumpkin juice and said coldly, "Your grades are average and your talent is average. Even with tutoring, you can't catch up with the best students. I don't want to waste my time on you."

Marietta's shoulders began to tremble as she listened to the professor's blunt and almost cruel comments. She lowered her head to hide her red eyes, stammering without saying a word.

Neville blinked, looked at Marietta, then looked at the professor, hesitant to speak, with a conflicted expression.

"But considering Mrs. Aikman's cooperation with me, I can give you another chance." Melvin handed over two professor's notes, one for each person.

Marietta was a little overwhelmed by the strange contract-style document. It contained a statement of authorization, and she did not quite understand the detailed terms, but she still signed it with Neville.

Now she was sitting in the Muggle Studies office, and the professor in front of her was the one her mother had appointed for her, and she had no reason to refuse.

Melvin put away the two documents and said, "You may have heard of the Magic Mirror Club. We have been committed to exploring new forms and content of magical art and promoting it to the world. Drama and images are interconnected, so I plan to restart the drama club in school.

"Due to some unexpected events, the original drama club has been closed for decades. I need to rehearse a wonderful play and convince the principal and all the teachers and students. Your task is to write the script for me, recruit actors, and organize rehearsals and performances. Do you understand?"

Marietta nodded subconsciously. She didn't really understand, and nodded purely in response to the professor's question.

"Okay, Marietta Edgemore, from now on you are the person in charge." Melvin decisively decided and turned to look at the other young wizard, "Neville, you will assist as an assistant."

The professor's voice echoed in Marietta's head. She really couldn't understand why the professor would let her be responsible for such an important matter.

"what?!"

Neville opened his mouth wide, as if struck by a spell. If Leif jumped into his mouth at this moment, he would not spit it out.

"No accidents, no failures allowed. Report progress to me regularly every Wednesday. Do you understand?"

Both of them were very taciturn. They hesitated for a long time but could not say anything to refuse or refute, so they could only nod and agree.

They were called to the office in a daze, took on the task assigned by the professor in a daze, and left in a daze. When they walked out of the office, both of them felt dizzy.

As they walked, Marietta suddenly wailed, covering her face with her hands and trembling: "What...what should I do? I'm going to mess this up. Mom...and the professor, they'll be disappointed."

Neville watched her sobbing softly and scratched his head in distress.

(End of this chapter)