Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 250 The first lesson of school

The grudges from their student days have continued to this day, but since they are still colleagues, Snape didn't completely break off relations. He tried to subtly hint at things, but when he found that Melvin didn't respond, he gave up.

Lupin's mindset had been tempered by more than a decade of wandering, and he could even be described as shrewd. He didn't want to take these provocations and hints to heart, and considering that he still needed Snape to brew the wolfsbane potion, he didn't hold a grudge against him.

Melvin ignored the subtle rivalry between the two, and once Professor McGonagall and the others had finished distributing the course schedules and returned to the main seating area, the atmosphere became harmonious again.

"New semester courses..."

Melvin, holding a bowl of hot pumpkin juice, pondered the curriculum. Muggle studies had become a de facto compulsory course, and the third-year students were quite special, requiring appropriate adjustments to the teaching content.

"Melvin!"

A voice startled him from his thoughts.

The burly Hagrid sat next to Snape, the seat vacated after Snape left. He moved over with an eager smile, as if he'd finally gotten his chance, and handed over a piece of his own rock cake, impatiently explaining the day's lessons:

"Melvin, try this. Do you have time this morning? If you're not in a rush with your classes, could you take a look at my teaching materials?"

"..."

Melvin looked at the cold, hard rock-crust pastry in his hand and sighed, "Tell me about it."

"Thank you so much!"

Hagrid's beard trembled with excitement when he heard that Hagrid had agreed.

Having been expelled from school early in his student years and worked as a gamekeeper for decades, he had no teaching experience whatsoever. Professor Kettleburn's cramming teaching mainly focused on his knowledge of magical creatures, and he didn't impart much teaching experience.

Or perhaps Professor Kettleburn himself wasn't a particularly outstanding professor. He was placed on probation at the university more than a dozen times in his early years, and it's uncertain whether he would have been able to officially teach if Dumbledore hadn't taken over as headmaster.

But Melvin was different. He had just arrived at Hogwarts two years ago and became the most popular professor in just a few weeks.

Students all agree that the young professor is humorous and witty, and Muggle Studies has become the most popular course. For two consecutive years, all students enrolled in the course, with no students dropping it, and it has become a de facto required course.

As a newly appointed professor, Hagrid harbors a small dream—to teach in order to help the Magical Creatures class rise to prominence.

Hagrid filled Melvin's cup with pumpkin juice, saying as he poured, "The first class of the third grade is this afternoon, and I plan to treat them to hippogriffs. The weather is great today, and the kids can ride them around a few times. It'll be so cool and impressive; they'll love it."

Melvin looked into the hybrid giant's greyish-brown eyes and pondered for a moment: "Do you know what level of danger a hippogriff is?"

"It was originally a 4X level, but because of his mild temperament, Mr. Scamander suggested that it be downgraded to a 3X level."

"I remember that the magical creatures shown in Hogwarts classes were at most 4X level in seventh grade, and in the advanced classes they were always kept below 3X. Are you planning to show a hippogriff in the first class?"

"Don't worry, they are very gentle."

"Is there a backup plan?"

"No."

Melvin paused for a moment, then turned to the vice-principal not far away: "Professor McGonagall, are you free later? Could you please send Professor Kettleburn a notice of retirement and re-employment? We're getting a new professor."

Hagrid immediately became agitated: "How can you change me on my first day of teaching?"

"To avoid more serious teaching accidents."

Melvin tapped the rock-skin cake on the metal plate, making a loud thud and leaving small dents on the plate, just like the stubborn and obstinate half-giant.

After offering Hagrid suggestions for revisions and chatting with Professor McGonagall for over ten minutes, breakfast time ended, and the castle, which had been quiet for two months, came alive, officially beginning the new school year.

……

The first day of school was packed with classes. After electives in the morning, there was Transfiguration. The third-year students got to try their hand at divination, which they had been looking forward to. Hermione found Professor Trelawney to be a bit strange, and he seemed to be another incompetent professor like Lockhart.

The Divination classroom in the North Tower was filled with the smoke of burning incense, making everyone's head throb and dizzy. The eccentric Divination professor was spouting nonsense, making ominous predictions to several students: Neville and Lavender would meet with misfortune, and Harry would show signs of death...

They were so frightened that they couldn't concentrate on class.

During the second Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall noticed that they were dazed and asked what was going on, subtly exposing Professor Trelawney's trick.

“Since Sybil Trelawney came to this school, he has predicted the death of one student every year, and so far, none of them have died. His favorite way of welcoming new students is through language thinking.”

"I'm not the kind of person who often speaks ill of my colleagues behind their backs, but I still want to tell you that Divination is the most unstable subject in magic. I have the least patience for Divination, and wizards who can truly foresee the future are extremely rare. Professor Trelawney..."

"What do you think Professor McGonagall wanted to say in the end?"

Ron asked curiously, "What kind of person is Professor Trelawney?"

It was about two o'clock in the afternoon, and they were leaving the castle and crossing the grounds toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

The wind and rain from last night had stopped, and the sky was a clear, light gray, as if it had been washed. The air was fresh, and the lush green grass was soft and damp. This was their first lesson on protecting magical animals.

"It shouldn't be considered a positive evaluation."

Harry listened to the soft sound of boots on the grass. "But speaking of which... I did see a big black dog, on the night I left the Dursleys, in the alley next to Florin's Ice Cream Shop in Diagon Alley."

Ron's eyes widened in horror: "That's terrible! My uncle Billiers saw one, and then he died in less than 24 hours!"

"It's just a coincidence."

Hermione, standing beside her, calmly said, a few strands of hair fluttering in the wind, making her appear exceptionally composed, "The shape of the tea leaves in the teacup can be interpreted as a sheep or a squirrel. This kind of muddled divination has no standard, and everyone can interpret different images. A truly rational wizard would not waste time on this kind of ambiguous magic."

She turned to Harry and said, "If you're really curious about the future, I recommend you try arithmetic divination. Rigorous and meticulous mathematical calculations can only yield definite answers."

A burst of laughter and chatter came from ahead; it was Malfoy and his two henchmen. It was clearly disheartening news: they would be taking this class with Slytherins.

Further away, in front of the Forbidden Forest cabin, Professor Hagrid was already waiting, grinning and waving at them, while Toothbrush ran back and forth on the path.

"A glass, quick, quick!"

Hermione smoothed her hair, waved happily in response to Hagrid, and quickened her pace.

"Come on, she's just not good at divination."

Listening to Ron's rambling, Harry smiled and shook his head, then pulled him along to quicken their pace.

"Is everyone here? Follow me!"

The new professor led the way, and Ya Ya, as lively and energetic as a sheepdog, led the students to the open space beside the fence to check the list:
"I originally wanted to have some exciting and interesting animal exhibits for the first class to broaden your horizons, but Professor Levent warned me that you are just third-year lambs, or foals in the words of the centaurs. If any student is injured in class, the Mirror News will post a job advertisement for a new professor tonight."

His frustrated and regretful expression amused the students. The Gryffindor students heckled, telling Hagrid not to listen to Professor Leventhal, and some Slytherin students also mocked him, the loudest being Malfoy. "Come on, we're not freshmen. Can anything be more dangerous than a 5X-level danger? We've seen plenty of 5X-level animals in the Shadow Mirror—saurus rex, dragons, basilisks!"

"That's it!"

Two annoying lackeys chimed in.

Hagrid remained cheerful: "I know you won't be scared, and I can guarantee your safety in class. But animals are animals after all. Some are gentle, some are irritable. If you don't know their temperament, some scratches and scrapes are unavoidable."

He rolled up the sleeve of his mole-skin coat, revealing several scars on his arm, which caused some of the little witches to gasp in surprise:

“I’m used to the Forbidden Forest and can tolerate it. You’re different. You’re all delicate and fragile. If you get scared, you might cry and look for your mother.”

Thirteen or fourteen-year-old students, having been cooped up for two months during summer vacation, are at their most self-centered age. Yet, Hagrid speaks with a smile, his gaze sweeping across their faces with an expression of concern for greenhouse flowers.

Who can bear this?

"Who are you calling for their mother?"

"It's just a scratch, is it more dangerous than Quidditch?"

"..."

Hermione looked at Hagrid's smile with suspicion, feeling that this style of guiding students was reminiscent of Professor Levent. It didn't sound like he was giving direct advice, but rather subtly inducing her.

"Alright, alright, let's talk about this later."

Hagrid couldn't suppress his smile. Melvin was indeed the most popular professor; his ideas were always reliable. "Everyone, take out your assigned textbook now, 'The Monster Book of Monsters.' This book is like a beast that's not even level 2X. If you can tame this book, I'll believe you can handle much more dangerous animals."

Then he called on several classmates to demonstrate.

Some people tied it tightly with ropes, some used belts to secure it, while others put the book in a sturdy tin box or fixed it with metal clips.

Only Harry demonstrated the easiest way to tame it: by sliding his palm along the spine, the volatile book trembled and lay quietly in his hand when opened.

“Very good, Harry, Gryffindor gets 5 points for that.”

"How did you know?" Hermione asked in a low voice.

"Professor Levent taught me at the Leaky Cauldron."

"..."

At the end of the first lesson, Hagrid finally listened to Melvin's advice and did not show any exciting or cool animals. Instead, he taught the students how to use the textbook, explained the learning objectives for the semester, and also stirred up the students' competitive spirit.

The simple outdoor lesson was made much more interesting by those interactive conversations, and the students were so excited that they gritted their teeth and clamored to see it for themselves in the next class.

……

September 3rd, Friday, the second day of school.

The first period in the morning for third graders was Charms class. Professor Flitwick hadn't changed much, except he'd trimmed his beard and dyed his hair, making him look much younger.

The teaching materials are still from the "Standard Spells" series, with a slightly increased level of difficulty, but they are still not too difficult, and most students in the class can keep up.

10:00 AM, Muggle Studies class.

Hermione was in the middle of the front row of the classroom, her desk piled high with a bulging backpack filled with countless thick books. The edges of the books were straight and thick, making them look heavy and sturdy; it would hurt a lot if she swung them at someone.

When Harry and Ron entered the classroom, she was taking a nap on her backpack. The two exchanged a glance, carefully walked around her, and sat down in the row behind her, silently watching her back.

"Am I dreaming? Hermione is sleeping during break?"

Harry scratched his head, also finding it strange: "Maybe it's because school just started and I didn't sleep well last night?"

Just as they were whispering among themselves, Hermione woke up and turned to stare at them silently.

Hermione... are you alright?

"I did my homework too late last night and didn't get enough sleep," Hermione explained casually, noticing their expressions. "What time is it now? Hasn't Professor Levent arrived yet?"

"The bell is about to ring."

"Don't you have a watch on your wrist?"

Harry and Ron each answered with a sentence, watching her turn to pack her schoolbag, take out a quill and an ink bottle, and exchange a glance.

Don't you think Hermione is acting a little strange?

"She seemed half asleep, and she even asked us the time."

"..."

The school bell rang, and Melvin walked in right away. He was wearing a very simple casual jacket, the color and style of which were clearly Muggle clothing. Before class even started, some witches had already begun to note down the patterns and colors on his clothes.

"Hello, students," Melvin said with a soft laugh, his not-so-loud voice echoing throughout the classroom.

Good morning, Professor.

“Before we begin, I have a few words to say.” Melvin stood behind the lectern, looking around the classroom. “Everyone knows that there is a self-introduction process in Muggle Studies, but your class is a bit special. You’ve appeared on the bulletin board multiple times, been penalized for fighting, and even had some people in the newspaper. I believe very few of you don’t know the other students. I’ve also heard that you’ve prepared in advance, so I won’t waste any more time here.”

The students listened quietly, smiles playing on their lips.

Several of them are indeed well-known stars throughout the school.

Melvin continued, "So in your first class, I'd like to introduce you to Muggle society, the achievements of Muggle civilization, and the wonders of technological creations, including not only furniture like refrigerators, color TVs, and radios, but also social sciences."

"This morning, Professor McGonagall complained to me about Professor Trelawney, saying that she always curses students in class and even makes death prophecies, and some people are so frightened that they can't concentrate on the lesson, is that true?"

A burst of laughter erupted from the audience, who all turned to Harry and Neville.

Both of them wore embarrassed smiles.

"Actually, there is also content about prophecy in Muggle knowledge."

Melvin's words piqued the students' interest, and he turned to write a few terms on the blackboard: "There are some very interesting concepts in psychology: the Pygmalion effect, the Gorham effect, Murphy's Law, the placebo..."

(End of this chapter)