Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 206 Secret Meeting
May has arrived, and it's already summer.

I don't know when it started, but the bright sunshine became a bit scorching, though not yet hot. The early spring flowers in the fields and courtyards were no longer visible, and the tender leaves on the forbidden trees had turned from light green to olive green, lush and verdant.

In such pleasant weather, teachers and students passing by the tower's covered bridge couldn't help but slow down and gaze at the distant scenery.

Melvin descended the spiral staircase and arrived at the second-floor classroom fifteen minutes early. There were no other classes this morning; this was the second-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Melvin placed the golden cup and textbook on the podium, then glanced around the classroom. Not all the students had arrived yet; some were wandering in the corridor, while others, whose last class was herbalism, could be seen from the window as they jokingly made their way back to the castle from the greenhouse.

Hermione in the front row was secretly examining the golden cup, carefully scrutinizing the badger-shaped decorations and the two exquisite pure gold handles. Its appearance perfectly matched the descriptions in various school history materials, making it hard not to suspect that this was the legendary Hufflepuff golden cup.

"Professor Levent, is Professor Gaunt still teaching this class?"

Hermione, sitting in the front row, asked with a puzzled look on her face, "What kind of person is Professor Gaunt? Is he still alive?"

"What do you think?"

“I don’t know…” Hermione shook her head, hesitated for a moment, “Although some of the slang he used in class was outdated from decades ago and he seemed like a ghost, Professor Gaunt and Professor Binns are very different. I think he is fundamentally different from the ghost.”

Strictly speaking, Riddle inside the Golden Cup is indeed the old wizard from fifty years ago.

As a second-year student, the little witch's perception far surpassed that of her peers; she even noticed language habits. However, lacking sufficient experience and knowledge, she couldn't make any inferences upon discovering suspicious points and could only consult the professor.

“You can think of Professor Gaunt as a peculiar memory vessel, similar to a magical portrait, but storing more and more detailed memories. Memories shape thought, and this unique memory shaped the unique Professor Gaunt,” Melvin replied with a smile. “You’ll find out later.”

So what exactly is Professor Gaunt?
Is this gold cup Hufflepuff's?
"Can't the professor just give me the answer now?" Hermione asked, somewhat exasperated, sitting in the audience.

However, Melvin didn't dwell on the topic any longer. He turned around and chatted with the other students in the front row. The students were not reserved in front of the young professor and chattered about the final exams in a month, their study plans for the time being, and the recent Quidditch tournament.

Before long, the second-grade wizards entered the classroom one after another, and the school bell rang on time.

The class proceeded as usual. Professor Levent summoned a phantom, and the unique Professor Gaunt lectured them. He was knowledgeable, witty, and occasionally cited a few cases of dark wizards, which were terrifying, evil, and even cruel, yet exceptionally exciting and irresistible.

Hermione buried herself in taking notes, occasionally glancing up to secretly observe the ghostly figure. This Professor Gaunt was indeed dedicated and seemed to enjoy the lecture process. Whenever the students called him "Professor," he would always show a satisfied smile.

"That concludes all the new knowledge for this semester," the phantom said, floating in the air.

There's still a month until the final exams, and the remaining class time is for review, which is the same pace as other professors.

"Any further questions? Please give me your answers after your group discussions." Professor Gaunt began the after-class discussion session.

Hermione turned her head, and Harry was in the back row. Several classmates next to her had already started teasing and making fun of him. In the past, when this part came up, the professor would choose to answer other students' questions, but he would never miss Harry.

“Professor Gaunt is a huge Harry fan,” Seamus said with a smile.

But today was slightly different. Professor Gaunt bypassed Harry and floated over to the Slytherin side, standing beside Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott, patiently answering their questions.

"Professor Gaunt seems to have changed?"

Hermione tilted her head, feeling a little strange. She turned to look at the podium and found that Professor Levent was also looking over there.

They all seem to be focused on... Theodore Nott?

……

It was evening in West Overton, in the far southwest suburbs.

Old Nott stood on the bustling street, glanced at Lucius Malfoy beside him, and looked up at the dirty sign of the Oak Barrels.

He carried a secret letter from Malfoy, less than an inch long and containing only a few sentences, but its contents were terrifying. Any single sentence could cause significant damage to the Nott family, and if it were taken to the Department of Justice, the fines could bankrupt the Nott family, reducing them to a poor family like the Weasleys.

A former Death Eater, a hypocrite who escaped trial, an unscrupulous merchant roaming the black market, and the head of the Nott family of the Twenty-Eight Saints, Old Nott, with a heart full of trepidation, decides to accept the invitation from the mysterious letter writer. Following Malfoy's guidance, he arrives at the Oak Barrel Bar, where he will meet the mastermind in a private room on the second floor.

“I would be very happy to go in with you, but I need to have a drink downstairs.” Lucius patted his sleeves and said casually, “Don’t worry, that gentleman isn’t unreasonable. I’m sure you’ll have a pleasant conversation.”

Nott always thought Lucius was an obnoxious fellow, whether as a former Death Eater accomplice, a hypocrite who escaped trial with him, or a business partner.

He watched himself with unease the whole way, but refused to reveal any information.

As they entered the Oak Barrel Bar, no one noticed them. Lucius walked toward the bar, where the lame old Will gave him a cold look, only glancing at him briefly without coming up to greet him. But old Nott still felt several scrutinizing gazes.

"Second floor corridor... Room 13... That's not a lucky number." Old Nott took a deep breath, becoming increasingly uneasy.

Walking through the deserted corridor, the oak door was unadorned, with a brass nameplate hanging on it, the number 13 decorated with vine patterns, twisted like the tentacles of a monster.

He knocked on the door, but no one answered. Old Nott pushed the door open and saw a familiar figure.

"Professor Melvin Levent...?"

The door opened automatically without any wind, locking itself with a click, shutting out the noise and commotion downstairs. Old Nott sat down opposite the young professor, still somewhat dazed. A crystal chandelier hung overhead, the candlelight dim, and the young professor's face was hidden in shadow, only his white shirt collar and black robe with silver trim were visible.

"Beer, champagne, or whiskey?" Melvin asked politely, with only a teapot in front of him.

"Would black tea be alright?" old Nott asked.

"of course."

The steaming black tea was poured into the porcelain cup, causing a slight splash. Old Nott knew that whatever he wanted to drink, it could be poured from that teapot.

Old Nott took a sip, put down his teacup, and his mind gradually calmed down: "Mr. Levent... you went to all this trouble to bring me here, is it because..."

“Don’t overthink it.” Melvin observed him calmly. “I’m sorry to extend the invitation this way, but the Magic Mirror Club is very special, and given some past misunderstandings, some people in the Ministry of Magic don’t have a very friendly opinion of me. If they see a pure-blood family getting close to me, our next plan will be difficult to carry out.” “The next plan?” Old Nott remained vigilant. “What plan?”

“Mr. Nott, you can rest assured that I am not here to extort anything from you. I just want to facilitate a collaboration, specifically a collaboration between you and Lucius.” Melvin handed over several parchment letters.

Old Nott was somewhat puzzled by the collection of correspondence extracted from Lucius and the young professor, but he still flipped through it. The meaningless pleasantries were removed, and some content that was inconvenient to disclose was also omitted, leaving only the parts where the two discussed filming a movie.

Using film and television dramas to whitewash family history, restore reputation, or even build a better image... Is this the path the young professor pointed out to Lucius?

Old Nott read the document carefully several times before putting it away: "Professor, what do you mean?"

“Film and television are areas that wizards have never ventured into, and Mr. Malfoy is also unfamiliar with them. I suggested he start preparing two months ago, but there has been no progress so far. I think his efforts alone may not be enough, so I would like to invite you to join us.” Melvin carefully chose his words.

Old Nott and Lucius were old buddies, and they understood immediately.

That guy was shrewd and calculating from his student days, and he followed the Malfoy family's ancestral teachings: whether it was good or bad, he would only stir up trouble from the sidelines and never let himself be in the spotlight. I remember several times when Slytherin and Gryffindor clashed, Lucius was clearly involved, but he never suffered any serious punishment.

After graduating, he joined the Death Eaters. Due to his outstanding abilities and wealth, he quickly became the Dark Lord's right-hand man, even holding a higher position than Bella and the others. However, in the aftermath, he managed to escape trial.

Since then, Lucius has become more cautious, feigning remorse and admitting his mistakes, making compensation and donations everywhere, and privately withdrawing from many illegal businesses. For those that were too profitable to give up, he also chose to find partners.

The creation of the Shadow Mirror caused a sensation in the wizarding world, leading to several courtroom incidents. The newly appointed High Minister Umbridge repeatedly expressed his opposition, and as Minister Fudge's confidant, pure-blood wizards found it difficult to ignore Umbridge's opinions.

Lucius, being the shrewd and cautious fellow he was, would certainly not be able to fully implement Professor Levent's plan after the Death Eaters' lesson.

What if I become a core member of the Magic Mirror Club and am subsequently purged?
Therefore, the professor needs to bring in a third party to speed up the process and urge Lucius on.

"Is this an order, or a suggestion for cooperation?" Old Nott asked after some thought.

The professor sent out an invitation riddled with incriminating evidence, leaving him with no room to refuse. However, he needed to discern the true nature of the recipient to better plan for the future.

Melvin laughed: "Of course it's a suggestion."

Old Nott's heart skipped a beat: "Why choose the Nott family?"

"Because of your child, Theodore Nott."

Melvin explained, "I am a Muggle Studies Professor at Hogwarts. Most of the time, I follow Muggle educational principles and judge a student's family background by their personality. Theodore is a very special child."

Old Nott was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Theodore... he's quite ordinary, except for his talent in potions."

Melvin shook his head: "In an environment like Slytherin, he always kept to himself. Born into one of the twenty-eight pure-blood families, he also subscribed to the idea of ​​pure-blood supremacy, but he didn't join any cliques. I think he was deliberately hiding himself. He didn't mind getting together with his classmates to mock others, but he wouldn't actively stir up trouble..."

“He’s a bit of a loner,” old Nott said.

"I believe the Nott family is superior to other families like Golcrab in that they can produce such a wizard."

"Thank you for the compliment, Professor."

“Furthermore, Theodore is very intelligent, and with a little nurturing, he can become exceptionally brilliant.” Melvin paused briefly. “Whether he joins the Ministry of Magic or works in the potions industry, he can make the Nott name known throughout Britain.”

If the previous incriminating evidence was a threat, this is a temptation.

Few can resist the temptation of being offered to mentor a father's child, and old Nott knew that Professor Levent had the ability to do so, as he had already proven in the past.

A year ago, the story of protecting the Philosopher's Stone made wizards all over Britain aware of Ron Weasley, who was from a poor family, and Granger, a Muggle, and two ordinary students who suddenly became as famous as the boy who survived.

Around Christmas, reports of battling the basilisk brought the entire drama club to the forefront.

It seems that as long as Theodore agrees to the cooperation proposal, he can also appear in newspapers and on the big screen, becoming a household name as a hero, which will also benefit the Nott family.

But old Nott shook his head and refused: "Professor, I will agree to your request as long as you promise not to involve Theodore."

"Oh?"

Melvin was slightly surprised, but then he understood. The future of the Magic Mirror Club was uncertain, and old Nott didn't want to tie his children to this ship. This was also a kind of wisdom for survival.

This proves that his choice was correct; old Nott was a smart man.

"My promise is valid for a long time."

Melvin nodded. "We can call Lucius in now. Let's talk about the script."

Footsteps approached, and Lucius, who had been waiting for a long time, knocked on the door and entered. He did not ask about the conversation that had just taken place, but simply placed a thick stack of parchment in front of the two of them.

Melvin and old Nott flipped through the book, and the three of them reached a silent understanding.

Half an hour later.

Melvin put down the parchment and rubbed his temples. "This is the story you spent months writing?"

Old Nott also looked at Lucius, hesitant to speak, his expression very complicated.

The story, pieced together from dozens of pages of parchment, is quite detailed, starting from the ancestors following William the Conqueror to Britain, fighting bravely and establishing merit, obtaining fiefdoms and building manors, to accumulating wealth through diligence and wisdom and purchasing land.

For a millennium, every Malfoy has remained indifferent to fame and fortune, never involved in politics or power, supporting the Law of Secrecy and the Ministry of Magic. Only a few decades ago was he controlled by someone, and to atone for his mistakes, he has since actively donated money to make amends, demonstrating a sincere attitude of remorse.

This isn't a script; it's a dazzling history of the Malfoy family, so brilliant it's blinding.

(End of this chapter)