Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 179 Seaside
Newcastle upon Tyne is located on the east coast, 450 kilometers north of London. It takes three to four hours by train to reach London and is 13 kilometers from the North Sea.

Influenced by the North Atlantic Current and monsoons, Newcastle has a relatively mild climate compared to other regions at the same latitude. In mid-February, the weather here is much warmer than in the Scottish Highlands.

Newcastle brown beer is a world-renowned pale ale, and the local football club, Newcastle United, has the largest fan base in all of England. Relying on these brands, this rusty, coal-fired industrial city has successfully transformed into a tourist destination, with thousands of tourists flocking to Newcastle from the north of England every weekend.

The large number of students and tourists brings a different color to the city, and even a wizard dressed in a slightly old-fashioned style will not look out of place when he blends into the crowd.

"Editor-in-Chief Gu Fei, how's the news program production going?" Melvin asked, holding a glass of beer. The faint hissing sound of the beer foam bursting was quite relaxing.

"It's neither good nor bad. At first, I planned to directly imitate the news programs of Muggles, but when I actually put it into practice, I found that there were many difficulties. They have professional teams of reporters, editors, behind-the-scenes staff, and hosts who have been trained for many years."

Barnabas Guffey didn't know why the young professor had chosen this place to discuss business, nor did he have any intention of finding out. He had been extremely busy lately, and his voice sounded somewhat tired. "I asked all the wizards at the newspaper to watch the Muggle news programs, but some purebloods were unwilling; they just couldn't switch their thinking."

This tavern was converted from an old warehouse. The owner preserved the original features during the renovation, with straight and simple lines and a rustic and rough style, reminiscent of the heavy steel industry of the last century.

At this moment, the tavern is mostly filled with tourists from other places.

Barnabas wore a crisp, peaked-collar robe and a knitted scarf, with a subtle quill pen pattern adorning the chest, which made him look slightly old-fashioned, but just right for his age.

Melvin was dressed in a black trench coat over a white old-fashioned shirt, looking like a tourist on a weekend getaway, except his handsome face was slightly more noticeable.

Outside, boats come and go on the river, and there are beautiful pedestrian bridges on both sides of the river. There are also stylish and grand hotels, art centers and concert halls. Further away, you can see the sea, which is a deep color. The tide is rushing towards the shore, like a white line drawn by a child.

Melvin tasted a sip of the pale beer, which had a slightly salty and fishy taste. It was supposedly brewed from a unique brine mixture, and he suspected that it was made from seawater that hadn't been properly filtered or that rainwater had leaked into the fermentation tanks and hadn't been cleaned properly.

Overall, it didn't taste good.

“Isn’t this exactly what we’ve been aiming for?” Melvin chuckled. “To spread the Shadow Mirror throughout the wizarding world, to create video news featuring wizards, and one day, their pure-blood beliefs will be swept into the dustbin of history.”

Barnabas Guffey nodded, a hint of pride in his eyes: "You must have made a lot of money from the sale of the miniature mirror, right?"

As the editor-in-chief of the Prophet's Newspaper, Gu Fei had read many articles about the Shadow Mirror during this period. Despite being a new thing, it had become a must-have in almost every household in a short time. Some pure-blood families even used it to show their nobility, installing Shadow Mirrors in the rooms with fireplaces in their homes.

Different taverns have different prices, but even the most popular Oak Barrel and Leaky Cauldron have prices that aren't exactly cheap, not to mention White Ink Bar, which caters to pure-blood families.

He even suspected that the profits from this would be enough to buy the Prophet newspaper.

“Oh… I leave this business to Wright. I haven’t paid much attention to how many Galleons we’ve earned.” Melvin took a sip of his light beer, his expression calm.

Gu Fei glanced at the young professor, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

“Professor Levent has higher ideals and pursuits, and the Magic Mirror Club has sufficient profits to support it. The Prophet's Newspaper is different.” Gu Fei sighed with a complicated expression. “Because the majority of the newspaper’s staff are concentrated on film and television news, the workload is high and the pressure is great. There is currently no profit, and the newspaper’s staff and board of directors have a lot of complaints about me.”

Melvin raised an eyebrow: "So the editor-in-chief is planning to stop the free-to-air collaboration?"

"No, I'm here to discuss advertising plans."

Gu Fei's tone suddenly became more positive: "I have carefully investigated the Muggle News's profit model. One is inconspicuous hidden ads, and the other is banner ads... Both options seem to have their advantages and disadvantages. The newspaper is inclined to implement both options simultaneously. I would like to ask for your opinion."

Unassuming, covert advertisements report seemingly true or false news, such as which store opened and attracted long queues of customers, which product was selling well, or whose child cried and begged for it, causing trouble and ending up in the hospital... On the surface, it's news, but in reality, it's advertising.

The advantage is that it is not easily noticed, does not easily cause resentment, and has a better promotional effect.

However, this greatly damages the newspaper's authority. Early viewers may not have noticed, but once they realize it, they may suspect that all the news from the Prophet News is an advertisement. Over time, they may not want to watch the program anymore.

Pre-roll ads are blatant, inserted into the program. Although they may easily annoy viewers, they are straightforward and the annoyance is unrelated to the program itself.

As one of the first wizards to come into contact with Muggles, it was impossible for Goughfe not to be aware of the differences between the two. When he asked Melvin for his opinion, he was actually testing Melvin's thoughts on profit sharing.

He's a cunning old fox, but not as shrewd as Dumbledore.

Melvin shook his head: "Mr. Editor, I don't care about these advertising revenues, nor will I interfere with the management and production of Prophet News, so you can decide for yourself which option to choose."

Gu Fei paused for a moment, then remained silent.

“Editor-in-Chief Gu Fei, you are a very rare wizard in the magical world. You are able to recognize the brilliance of Muggle civilization. You were able to make up your mind to come to Hogsmeade to discuss cooperation with me after only seeing the mirror in the tavern. I admire you very much.”

Melvin chuckled and said softly, “I think you can understand my thinking. The Shadow Mirror is not just a tool to earn Galleons, but also a window connecting wizards all over the world and connecting wizards with Muggles. I plan to turn the Shadow Mirror into a behemoth like Muggle television, but this is just the beginning.”

“The Mirror needs more content, and I need more people to join in. I hope you can gain wealth and fame from it, so that you will be more proactive in building the Mirror.”

"So you don't need to worry at all, I won't drain the pond to catch all the fish."

After receiving a definite promise, Gu Fei's fatigue lessened somewhat.

Taking advantage of his momentary daze, Melvin finished the last sip of his light beer, smacked his lips in disdain, and put down his glass: "That's enough, Mr. Gufei. I wish the Prophet News all the best."

"..."

Gu Fei sat in his chair, watching the young professor leave the tavern, then stared at the glass in front of him, where bubbles rose and fell, releasing a faint aroma of wine.

The young wizard said he admired him, but he actually admired the young professor even more.

"More people need to join in and gain fame and fortune from it."

Many wizards who live for one or two hundred years cannot give up their greed, and wish they could seize all the benefits within their sight. Yet this young wizard is able to give up all of these. What kind of mind and magnanimity does he have?
"..."

Lost in his thoughts and memories, Gu Fei took advantage of a rare moment of free time to close his eyes and rest. After an unknown amount of time, he heard footsteps approaching.

"Sir, sir?" Gu Fei opened his eyes. In front of him was a waiter from the tavern, with a smile on his face.

"Please settle the bill, two brown beer, £10."

"?"

Gu Fei was taken aback.

……

Peter Pettigrew reached out his trembling hand and snapped off the back section of the plank. Irregular pieces of wood fell into the sea and disappeared with a wave. Less than half of the plank remained, while the waves continued to surge.

Peter curled up on the plank, covered in cold sweat. The sea breeze blew against his body, and the sweat evaporated with his body heat, making him feel weak. His eyelids, which hadn't closed for a day and a night, were starting to droop, but he remained conscious, struggling to maintain his balance on the plank and keep his body temperature.

After resting for a while until he felt a little better, he waved his wand, using a levitation charm to support the plank and continue sailing at sea.

With Lady Luck's blessing, the rest of the voyage was relatively calm, without any insurmountable storms.

Peter breathed a sigh of relief, took out the cheese he had been carrying, stuffed it into his mouth and swallowed it whole. He then used the spring-like water to conjure some drinking water. He was neither full nor thirsty, but his spirit and strength had recovered somewhat.

We should keep that piece of wood; we can use Transformation to make something warmer.

The waves surged past countless times, the damp sea breeze whipped against his skin, blurring his vision. His strength and magic were dwindling; he didn't know how much further he could sail. If only he could escape the Apparition's blockade, he could leave on his own.

Peter squeezed his sleepy eyelids open, pressed his wand against the inside of his arm, and looked at the mark. He realized it was on his left arm, and it was the Dark Mark.

After a moment of stunned silence, Peter switched the wand to his other hand, pressing the tip against the inside of his right arm, and gritted his teeth as he channeled the last of his magic into it.

The dim ouroboros mark gleamed with silver light.

The magic carried his sincere prayers, penetrating the barriers of space and reaching the unknown distance.

Unfortunately, there was still no response. Peter's face showed despair. He hastily extracted the information he needed and was eager to escape the island prison. He found a plank and started sailing. He originally thought that as long as he got out of Azkaban's territory, he could find a place to Apparate or notify the professor and be rescued.

But he underestimated the horrors of the ocean and the storms.

The first hour or two were fine; you could turn around and see Azkaban. Although you didn't know its exact location, you had landmarks to correct your course and just sailed away from the island.

Things gradually became complicated. The long voyage made him feel sleepy, so he took a short nap. When he opened his eyes again, he had completely lost sight of Azkaban. All around him was the vast sea and the gray mist.

He was lost.

Peter, a middle-aged wizard who had experienced war, did not immediately lose his mind. He used a directional charm to indicate the way and followed the direction indicated by his wand. However, the ocean seemed to have magic, and the directional charm would change direction every time he sailed a certain distance.

Is it circling around at sea by itself?
This discovery caused Peter intense panic. He began to frequently use orientation spells to guide his way. After traveling a distance, he discovered that the waves were affecting his course, and that he could correct his course by using orientation spells periodically.

After sailing for several hours, Peter gradually realized something was wrong. They had been sailing for almost a whole day and still hadn't left Azkaban.

With Apparition unable to activate, his stamina and magic power nearly exhausted, and the wooden planks at risk of disintegrating after being soaked in water, Peter gradually succumbed to despair as all these circumstances piled up.

The few remaining planks seemed insufficient to support a middle-aged wizard, and food was running out...

After careful consideration, Peter decided to transform into Animagus form to conserve his energy and restore his strength.

Putting away his wand and transforming into a mouse, the situation improved considerably. The sea breeze was no longer so cold and unbearable, and the plank was much lighter, gliding swiftly across the sea. Peter even felt he could finally get a good night's sleep.

"Gah..."

A shadow fell over the narrow wooden plank, and the mouse recognized the shape of the shadow as that of a seagull soaring with outstretched wings.

The mouse, with its head tilted back, met the seagull's gaze. A chill ran down its spine, and the hairs on its body stood on end.

Seagulls are omnivorous birds that like to eat fries and bread, and they almost all gather near the docks. The seagulls on the sea are almost all carnivorous predators!
Just as the mouse and the seagull locked eyes, accompanied by the flapping of the seagull's wings, sharp claws ripped through the air and attacked the rodent on the wooden board.

The rat, Spotted, hurriedly dodged, awkwardly reverting to its original form, and hastily unleashed a spell.

Although it failed to hit the wild bird, the tiny mouse suddenly appeared as a gigantic creature, frightening the seagull into squawking and flapping its wings in terror as it flew away.

Damn thing!
As Peter breathed a sigh of relief and reverted to his rat form, a slender figure somehow climbed onto the wooden plank. Its scales were covered in cold seawater—it was a snake!

The rat, Spotted, suddenly turned its head, inhaled a breath of salty, cold air, and let out a short, terrified squeal.

"squeak!"

The rat, Banban, wanted to regain its body, but for a moment it was stunned when it met the snake's eyes. When it came to its senses, the long snake had already lashed out with its tail, striking the rat with a sharp, whip-like motion.

Banban was immediately sent flying backward by the enormous force.

After tumbling several times in the air, the already drowsy mouse's head was shaken so much that its brains felt like they were being shaken to their core. Before it could recover, an even taller figure approached. Unable to dodge in mid-air, its tail was grabbed and held upside down in someone's hand, even being toyed with and shaken a couple of times.

The rat, Banban, struggled for a moment, then saw the person's face. Instead of being frightened, a strong joy appeared on its face.

The young professor's voice was filled with doubt:

“You sent me a signal last night, and more than ten hours have passed. How come you’re still stuck in the Azkaban vortex?”

(End of this chapter)