Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 272 Auditing Tutoring Classes

After a brief examination, it was confirmed that both of them had increased their magical abilities to a certain extent. Harry was close to the level of an adult wizard, while Hermione, who was slightly weaker, was still comparable to a graduate. However, this did not mean that they could directly face adult wizards and graduates.

A wizard's dueling ability is a combination of factors, including the strength of their magic, their magical skills, and their dueling experience. Magic is only the least influential of these factors.

The benefits of increased magic power are primarily seen in magic learning.

The two of them have now significantly increased their efficiency in learning magic.

When they first entered Hogwarts, their magical abilities were similar to those of the other freshmen. Their first-year basic spells and transfiguration, even after repeated practice in a class, only showed slight improvement, such as turning a matchstick into a needle or using the Levitation Charm.

Since entering the third grade, he has been able to master the standard spells in the spell class and the transformation of still life into animals in the transfiguration class in a single lesson, far surpassing the progress of others.

Furthermore, their dueling skills far surpassed those of their peers. In the dueling club's group practice sessions, if they exerted their full strength, they could defeat their opponents within five minutes. Given their performance, Melvin did not intend to continue dueling training in the tutoring sessions, but instead taught them some advanced spells.

Harry and Hermione were still a little dazzled, but that didn't dampen their excitement.

Melvin glanced at the clouds outside the window; in the thick darkness, he could vaguely see the silhouettes of Dementors patrolling. He had made his decision:

"At first, I recommended a Patronus Charm book to Harry, actually hoping he would bother Professor Lupin or Professor Flitwick, since that's the responsibility of the Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms professors. But it seems there's been no progress so far, so I might as well learn it in tutoring class."

"A Patronus Charm?" Hermione's eyes lit up.

"The Patronum spell, derived from Latin, means 'I expect the Guardian to come.' Primarily used to ward off Dementors and Groundbats, it is considered one of the oldest and most powerful defensive spells in the wizarding world..."

Melvin paused briefly, then looked at Harry sitting across the low table. "These are the basic facts from the materials. Harry, you'll explain."

"!!"

Wasn't this a lecture? Why did you suddenly ask me a question?

Harry's expression froze. He sat on the sofa and stammered, repeating what he had just heard in a muffled voice.

"Have you read the materials I recommended to you?" Melvin glanced at him.

“I read it…” Harry lowered his head in shame and stammered, “I read the table of contents and the introduction, and then Hermione borrowed the materials.”

Hermione's beautiful eyes widened, and she was somewhat amused by her exasperation: "I only borrowed the book to show Mrs. Pince. I found the same book in the library and returned it to you that same evening!"

You interrupted my reading plan.

"Hold on... Hermione, you tell us."

The little witch hummed twice: "The guardian spirit takes the form of a silver-white animal, reflecting the spellcaster's personality traits. Only a few wizards can summon the complete form. An incomplete guardian spirit is like a cloud of silver steam, shapeless, and can only provide limited protection, unlike a guardian spirit with a complete form that has powerful defensive capabilities."

Harry listened quietly, but his thoughts drifted away. He suddenly remembered the scene when he encountered the Dementors on the day he returned to school. Outside the window, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the clouds condensed into a magnificent Pegasus, with a wizard riding on it who looked like a god.

To this day, he cannot distinguish whether it was a hallucination he had before falling into a coma or reality he witnessed.

"The Patronus Charm can drive away Dementors and is the only known spell that can expel magical creatures like Groundbats."

Hermione's eyes shone brightly, seemingly full of interest in this knowledge and excited about learning a new spell: "When casting this spell, the wizard needs to concentrate, think of the happiest thing in his heart, and recite the spell. The complete Patronus has a certain physical form and can take the attack in his place or do things for him."

Melvin's classes were already fast-paced, but now with small classes for top students, the pace is even faster, with theoretical knowledge replaced by practice and demonstrations.

Previously, the spellcasting I had encountered consisted of incantations and actions. The Guardian Charm signifies that the two people have officially come into contact with advanced magic. The spell requires emotional changes to be coordinated during casting. In contrast to black magic, the Guardian is a positive force, representing elements such as hope, happiness, and courage.

As the incantation was chanted in a deliberately slowed tone, a silver, semi-transparent, illusory figure appeared, like a ghost in the mist.

Its body shape has been specially adjusted, making its appearance very intuitive. It has long, thin, pointed horns, and its body is covered in scales. Its rear half is coiled, while its upper body is slightly raised. The silver snake sticks out its tongue, and its faint hissing sound is like the whisper of an elf.

"Yurm?"

Long-horned water snake!

Harry and Hermione recognized the creature in front of them at a glance.

"The shape of a guardian spirit varies from person to person and is related to the wizard's personality and physique. Usually, a wizard's guardian spirit takes the form of an ordinary animal. Some wizards' guardian spirits take the form of magical creatures such as dragons, Thestrals, or phoenixes. A very small number of wizards' guardian spirits are even extinct creatures. The ancient Greek wizard Andros once summoned a guardian spirit in the form of a giant..."

Melvin put away his Guardian Angel and watched the two continue their lesson: "Alright, let's begin practicing."

"So you're just letting us practice on our own? No more explanation of spellcasting techniques?" Harry's head was still a little fuzzy; he had been daydreaming for a few minutes and missed part of what he'd heard.

"Is there anything that's not clear enough? We've covered all the theoretical knowledge that needed to be explained. The rest is up to us to figure out."

"This is advanced magic! The professor only explained it once, can we really learn it?!"

The complaint was kept low, in a voice only the two of them could hear. The unscrupulous professor couldn't hear it, or perhaps he could hear it but didn't care. Melvin felt that he had shown enough sincerity to Riddle. While adding oil to the lamp, he went to the shelf, closed the glass dish, and put it into the wooden box.

The office became lively. The windows were half-open, and Harry and Hermione stood on the carpet in front of the desk, waving their wands again and again. Occasionally, moonlight would shine into the room, which they mistook for the silver light of their Patronus, only to find it was an illusion and their hopes were dashed.

"When casting the spell, recall happy memories." Melvin leisurely walked back behind his desk and stuffed the box back into the drawer.

"How happy do happy memories have to be? Do they have to make me laugh out loud...?" Harry's mind was filled with many memories.

My stay at the Dursleys' house was certainly not a happy experience. All the happy scenes were at Hogwarts: the Sorting Ceremony, flying brooms, Christmas holidays... When I waved my wand again, I suddenly felt a sense of elation.

A wisp of silvery-white mist began to emanate from the tip of the staff.

"Success!"

Harry cheered excitedly, but before he could even see clearly, the silver mist immediately dissipated. He then turned to look at Hermione beside him, who was at a similar stage, the little witch looking excited with her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Practice is not enough; you also need to practice."

Melvin walked out of the desk carrying a briefcase and placed it on the low table on the carpet. "You need a little pressure to help you master the spells faster."

"No way……"

Hermione's eyes widened; she had a vague idea of ​​what was inside the box. Melvin tapped the box with his wand, and the lid clicked open. A chilling, damp feeling immediately filled the air, along with the musty, rotten smell of the mud at the bottom of a black lake, where the corpses of fish and shrimp mingled with the soil, rotting and decaying.

Hermione took a deep breath: "Patrick! Patrick!"

The thin silver mist was no match for the real Dementors. As the cloaked, hooded figure drew near, Harry froze, and a distant, ethereal voice echoed in his ears again—

His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Now it was Hermione's turn to be stunned.

Harry has always been a reliable partner. Whether facing trolls, Quirrell, Voldemort, or basilisk, he can fight side by side and effectively strike the enemy. Only when facing Dementors did he fall down as soon as they met.

"..."

This is too fast.

The Dementor was already close at hand. She could vaguely see the face under the hood, without a mouth or nose, only rotting mouthparts. It suddenly inhaled, and the air rushed through its throat, making a hissing sound, as if its soul was being pulled out of its body.

Hermione felt a bone-chilling cold envelop her entire body; her breath seemed to freeze in her chest, as if her blood were freezing. She was completely immersed in a frozen black lake, her ears filled with indistinct bubbles, her consciousness gradually fading, and her breathing becoming difficult.

[Expected Guardian]

A flash of silver light appeared before their eyes. It wasn't the form of a long-horned water snake, but just a thick fog, which drove the Dementor back and made it obediently return to the box.

"I'm saved..." Hermione gasped for breath, clutching her chest. The warmth of her heart flowed through her body, as if she had come back to life.

Looking up, I saw the professor put away his wand, lock his briefcase, and take a handful of candy from his pocket, handing it to me. His voice seemed to come from a great distance: "Have some chocolate, and feed him a piece too."

"professor……"

Hermione took the chocolate, tasted one herself, and then popped another into Harry's mouth. Her dazed mind slowly returned to normal, and only then did she remember to ask, "Professor, how come you have Dementors?"

Dementors, like dragons, are Class 5X dangerous creatures. As jailers of Azkaban, their status goes beyond simply being prohibited from being kept as pets.

"Using the Boggart-mimicking Dementors was just to let you practice your Patronus Charm," Melvin said, prying open Harry's eyes to examine him without looking up, his answer perfectly serious.

Hermione looked into Professor Levent's eyes, opened her mouth, but hesitated to speak.

If it were a Boggart, he should have used the Wicked Charm, so why did the Professor use the Patronus Charm instead?

……

"Wake up! Wake up—"

Harry groggily opened his eyes.

Hermione was sitting beside him feeding herself chocolate. The sound of the evening breeze rustling through the window drifted in from outside. The professor was grading papers, his quill gliding across parchment with a soft rustling sound. The briefcase containing the Dementors was locked, and the crystal chandelier in the office swayed slightly.

"Have I passed out again?"

Harry felt his voice was a little hoarse, as if melted chocolate was cloying his throat.

He dreamt again of that night, falling rapidly through the white mist, all the way into Godric Valley, to the old house that had been protected by the Charm of Loyalty, and his mother's voice was shrill and loud.

"Do you still want to learn the Patronus Charm? You couldn't even recite the spell when you faced the Dementors just now..." Hermione asked in a low voice, worried about hurting his pride.

"study!"

Harry sat up, swallowed the chocolate in his mouth, and felt his body gradually warming up, a wave of embarrassment rising in his heart.

Why can't you face the Dementors? Is it because of what happened that night?

Because you're afraid of Dementors? No matter how terrifying Dementors are, can they be as terrifying as basilisks or Voldemort?
"Let's go, we still need to go back to the dorm, lights out is almost here." Hermione handed her another piece of chocolate.

“Go back and practice hard. If you encounter any difficulties, you can ask Professor Flitwick for help. Professor Lupin also has Boggarts there, so you can practice with him as well,” Melvin instructed before closing the door.

Harry glanced back as he left the office. The professor sat behind his desk, his briefcase in the corner, shrouded in a chilling aura, untouched by the light of the oil lamp or candle.

The long hands of the wall clock had gone around halfway. Perhaps because of the experience from the second encounter, the duration of the coma was shorter than the one in the train carriage, and the body was not as weak and powerless. The tutoring session ended while the patient was unconscious, and there was no time to ask Professor Levent about the truth of his parents' murder.

……

After seeing the two students off, Melvin took out the glass dish again. The Gaunt ring inside was old and rough, and there was only a thin layer of memory-developing agent left. He poured a few more drops on it, and Riddle's figure reappeared.

Riddle floated in mid-air, his gloomy gaze fixed on the doorway.

"What do you think of this boy who survived such a terrible ordeal?" Melvin asked, sitting in his chair.

Riddle turned to look at the carpet and sofa, still wrinkled from when Harry fainted, his expression and tone disdainful: "Empty-headed, slow-witted, passed out from fear of Dementors, aside from the magic that comes with his talent, he has no merits worth praising."

Melvin didn't refute, and touched the gemstone on the face of Gaunt's ring: "Speaking of magical power, I've always had a question about the Dark Lord's unparalleled magical power."

“Oh? My magic is unparalleled.” Riddle was taken aback, a hint of barely perceptible joy in his eyes.

"As a relatively young wizard, facing Dumbledore's century of accumulated experience, the Dark Lord at his peak could have fought him head-on without being at a disadvantage. Dumbledore, as the most powerful wizard in the last hundred years, has already demonstrated the strength of a legendary wizard, with superb magical skills and rich combat experience. You are decades younger than him, yet you can hold your own against him. I am very curious."

Melvin asked sincerely, "The soul is the source of magic. You have torn your soul apart many times and attached the fragments to other objects. Logically, your magic should be weakened. Why is it still growing rapidly?"

“Because magic is sealed inside the soul, like water in a tank. Only by breaking the outer shell can the magic flow out.” Riddle said with a smug look. “The soul of an ordinary wizard is a sturdy reservoir. In childhood, the soul is not stable enough, and magic seeps out along the cracks. After adulthood, the soul is fully formed, and the growth rate slows down.”

Melvin nodded thoughtfully: "No wonder the book records that when a wizard experiences a major life change, his magic will increase significantly, because the heavy blow widens the cracks in his soul."

"I discovered this phenomenon when I first made a Horcrux, which is why I decided to make multiple Horcruxes."

(End of this chapter)