Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 340 The New Infiltrator

Hogwarts, at the entrance to the Great Hall.

The old wizard in the grey robes turned his beard into a fluffy, messy clump, and his shoulder-length hair, smooth and silvery-white, hung down from his temples. He pulled out a silver ribbon from his pocket and used it to tie up his beard.

Such a beard and hair were a highly deceptive disguise. The gray-robed old wizard stroked his beard, snorted coldly, and was slightly annoyed. He felt a sense of shame and contempt for the disguise of that heartless elder brother.

His timing was perfect; the lively Easter dinner had ended, the castle lights were still on, and teachers and students were heading back to their offices and lounges. No one was passing by.

He walked down the corridor to the marble staircase landing, where the notice board displayed the latest announcement:

"Gaobushi Club:"
The Grand Masters final will be held on Saturday on the shores of Black Lake.
Friendly reminder: Spectators are requested to bring waterproof capes.

"Duel Club: Holiday Classes Cancelled"

"..."

He had also attended this school before, but dropped out after less than two years because his younger sister needed someone to take care of her. He had heard about these activities before, and they seemed particularly childish, but he felt a little sorry for them.

It's not that he's never played these games before. He runs a tavern, and occasionally customers will ask him to participate. However, a tavern waiter can't fully immerse himself in the game; he can only cooperate with the customers, which is his job.

"The principal's office, eighth floor..." The gray-robed wizard murmured the address, stepped onto the stairs, and the quiet steps immediately began to tremble.

"damn it!"

He was stunned. Based on his own memory and by subtly inquiring with the other drinkers, he found out the location of the principal's office, but he didn't know the specific details.

This castle is full of magical staircases, twisting and turning, moving up and down. How do you get to the eighth floor?

He has a good mind and a good memory, but is the rotation and shifting pattern still the same as it was a hundred years ago?
“There’s no other way. Let’s try our best and slowly climb up…” The gray-robed wizard clenched his beard, and resentment towards his brother resurfaced.

“But the administrator can come up to inspect at any time. I heard he’s a Squib named Filch…” the gray-robed wizard thought again, “If I can run into the administrator, I can follow him up to the eighth floor.”

……

The Dementors emerged from the window, dispersing the gloomy clouds. A cold sea breeze, carrying white mist, enveloped the entire fortress.

Because it was a special course that was given on a whim, I didn't prepare any lessons or lesson plans. I only had a general knowledge system in my mind. When it came to specific details, I inevitably let my thoughts wander and talked about whatever came to mind.

"In the classical magic era, when magical civilization was just beginning to emerge, wizards initially divided humans into magicians and non-magicians, namely wizards and Muggles."

Melvin was talking about common sense, which Hermione had already learned. Both of them were quite relaxed and didn't need to concentrate or take notes.

"The way to distinguish them is also very simple: people with magic can see many magical creatures in nature, such as Boggarts and Dementors, which do not exist in the eyes of Muggles."

The Muggle Studies professor didn't talk about Muggle knowledge today; instead, he focused on analyzing magical creatures.

The nearly half-hour tutoring session focused on the process of magical creatures' magical power growth, analyzed the main differences between Dementors and Boggarts, and discussed the hypothesis that emotional fluctuations promote magical power growth, which greatly shocked the little witch who was about to enter the fourth grade.

The second phase returned to the wizard himself.

Positive emotions help students control magic, a cheerful state of mind facilitates the circulation of magic, and make learning spells like the Patronus Charm much easier. Negative emotions, on the other hand, subtly influence a wizard's personality, gradually turning them into a dark and twisted individual, making them adept at casting dark magic.

In her spare time from absorbing knowledge, Hermione would occasionally find herself distracted.

I couldn't help but think of the special instruction sessions, where, compared to the cheerful and optimistic Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students, the Slytherin and Ravenclaw students seemed to be progressing a bit slower.

This doesn't mean they are dark wizards or have dark and evil hearts; it simply means that differences in personality and emotions do affect their learning of magic.

But on the other hand, does this prove that they can show greater talent when learning black magic?
Hermione glanced at Professor Levent. If there were to be a contest among Hogwarts professors for their profound knowledge of the Dark Arts, it would undoubtedly be this young Muggle professor.

Even the former Death Eater, the dark-hearted Professor Snape, was no match for him.

Melvin was oblivious to the little witch's distraction; he was delving deeper into the mysteries of magic.
"Not long after, scholars discovered that there should be a more detailed classification within the category of magicians. Some children born to wizarding couples can see magical creatures and have a weak sense of magic, but they cannot cast any magic, and wands will not choose them."

"We now call these kinds of people 'duds'."

……

The grey-robed wizard ascended to the third floor without hindrance; the staircases seemed to be cooperating with his infiltration. He couldn't help but feel a little smug, like a reckless goat that had trespassed into his brother's territory.

When he was at Pighead Bar, some of his regular customers, who preferred not to show their faces, called him Pighead, but he felt he was more suited to goat, some breeds of which could even climb vertical cliffs.

Compared to when he attended school a hundred years ago, the decoration of this campus has changed a lot, but this hardly stops the gray-robed wizard, because the main structure has not been changed much.

He would occasionally encounter portraits of people who stayed up late and wandering ghosts, but his disguise was so excellent that he could pass by them without a doubt, simply nodding and smiling in greeting.

The grey-robed wizard climbed to the third floor in this way, passing by ghosts and portraits, feeling a sense of smug satisfaction.

He felt a secret sense of accomplishment from offending his brother.

However, this smooth progress soon encountered a problem: the staircase leading to the fourth floor suddenly began to rotate the moment he stepped on it, turning from the side facing the stairwell to another passageway, at the end of which was a locked room.

He stopped at the junction at the end of the stairs, not daring to wander around, worried about getting lost in the complex terrain of the ancient castle.

"Why doesn't Hogsmeade have any shops selling maps of Hogwarts?" the grey-robed wizard muttered to himself, feeling inexplicably resentful.

……

The caretaker blew out the kerosene lamp, tiptoed along the wall, and listened to the footsteps on the stairs ahead as Mrs. Lorris, who was following at his feet, tugged at her tail.

The junction between the third and fourth floors of the castle has a specially thickened wall, and the floor in the middle is thicker than the other floors. Normal buildings would not be designed like this, but there are two tunnels there.

One is behind the statue of the One-Eyed Witch, which leads directly to the basement of the Honeydukes candy store;
One is a trapdoor in what used to be a restricted corridor, leading to an underground passage. It was originally used to house Cerberus and store Philosopher's Stones, but it is now temporarily unused and is occasionally used for Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.

This is why the secret passage has not been completely sealed off, with only a copper lock left to prevent students from sneaking in. It has been peaceful for the past two years, but this is the first time that a noise has been heard in the middle of the night.

If it were a night-time wizard, he would definitely suggest to Dumbledore that the students be hung up and whipped! "Hogwarts should issue a map and send it to the new students with their acceptance letters... that way the map will circulate outside..." came a whisper from the stairwell platform ahead.

“Why does that voice sound so familiar?” Filch looked down at the excited Mrs. Lorris.

A partner who has been with you for over a decade, even though you don't speak each other's language, you can understand the meaning of every action at a glance.

At this moment, the long-haired cat's tail was slightly raised, its fur stood on end, its claws extended halfway, and its four paws were rubbing against each other eagerly, clearly indicating that it had spotted its prey.

The prey during night patrols isn't rats or cockroaches, but rather intruders or students out at night.

Since Blake's capture, no other intruders have entered. Filch licked his lips, a sinister smile twisting his lips, and cautiously poked his head out, only to freeze in place:

"Principal? It's so late, you..."

"!"

Aberforth was startled and his mind raced as he considered what excuse to use to deal with the administrator.

Filch's next words made Aberforth lower his guard again: "Can't sleep again? Before going downstairs to get today's hot cocoa, you want to take a few walks around the castle?"

"Yeah yeah……"

Aberforth nodded in agreement, his gaze involuntarily shifting downwards until his azure eyes fell upon the long-haired cat.

It's clearly a spirit cat with magical blood. It's not very well cared for, but spirit cats have magic flowing through their bodies, so they live longer than ordinary pet cats and are more intelligent and agile. Perhaps it can be a companion to accompany this Squirrel to the end of his life.

"what……"

Mrs. Lorris's cat eyes gleamed in the corridor, she growled uneasily, and scratched at the ground with her front paws.

Aberforth's lips, hidden by his beard, curled into a faint smile. He was a clever cat, seemingly aware that Aberforth was an imposter headmaster. If his master were a real wizard, perhaps he would have understood his warning.

But Filch was a dud; he assumed Mrs. Lorris was in a bad mood because her hunt had failed.

"Relax, Mrs. Lorris..."

Filch used the top of his shoe to gently nudge the cat's belly, trying to soothe the long-haired cat, but it had little effect.

The administrator didn't care. He looked up at the principal, a hint of hesitation flashing across his gaunt face: "Principal, if we encounter students who are out at night, we shouldn't help them escape anymore. These students are becoming more and more arrogant. We must make an example of them and punish them as a warning to others."

Aberforth looked thoughtful, unsure whether his brother would agree to the request.

That guy learned to lie and deceive on his mother's lap. He's ambitious and resourceful, and might agree with the administrator's suggestion... but he's always put on a nice guy persona, and the outside world always sees him as friendly.

"That second-year Ravenclaw girl from last week, what's her name, Lovegood? She was out looking for some kind of horned snoring beast in the middle of the night. If you hadn't stopped her, Headmaster, she should have been cleaning toilets for a month!"

The little witch in second grade, innocent and naive, if Ariana hadn't gotten sick...

The image of the girl's joyful smile flashed through Aberforth's mind, and he suddenly lost his patience, waving his hand: "Alright, Filch, this matter is over, let's not mention it again."

"Fine... Principal, you always spoil them!"

Filch grumbled helplessly, glanced up at the animal paintings on the right side of the wall, and seemed to have figured something out from the arrangement of the animals. He then took a step forward and stepped onto the stair landing.

Aberforth was slightly startled, thinking he had been exposed, but the trembling stairs beneath his feet dispelled his doubts.

The two reached the fourth floor without incident. Filch led Mrs. Loris off the platform and nodded politely, "Headmaster, I'm going back to my night patrol. You can continue your stroll..."

"Have a pleasant evening." Aberforth watched him walk away, feeling quite pleased.

……

"I once tried to explain magical talent using the concept of genetics. It's not a single dominant or recessive trait, nor is it sex chromosome inheritance, but rather a talent controlled by multiple genes and the threshold effect working together..."

"If both Muggle couples carry a small amount of magical genes, but all of them are below the threshold, their offspring will have just exceeded the threshold and will show wizarding talent."

"Children born into wizarding families may fall below the threshold for measurement, showing only partial magical perception, and are therefore Squibs. If they have no magical perception at all, they are Muggles."

Melvin inevitably dabbled in Muggle territory, but quickly realized it wasn't the topic for the evening, so he only touched on it briefly and quickly withdrew.
"...I may be a heretic in the magical world. No one has ever tried to explain talent with genetics like I have. Historically, those who have studied the mysteries of magic have rarely delved into Muggle science. Our headmaster, Dumbledore, prefers to explain it with love."

"Love is the most powerful magic in the world."

Hermione looked thoughtful; Dumbledore had said something similar when they were dealing with Quirrell in their first year.

"Yes, in their philosophy, people who truly love each other have a greater chance of having a child with magical talent, while false love has the opposite."

Melvin then changed the subject: "But it's more like a beautiful vision, that even hypocritical parents can give birth to a powerful wizard like Voldemort."

Hermione looked up, her eyes brightening slightly; she was very interested in Voldemort's parents.

“This part is an innate talent, but after a wizard is born, as an independent individual, memories and emotions become the main factors affecting magic.” Melvin did not elaborate further.

Hermione wanted to ask, but since it was a topic unrelated to the lesson, she could only ask after class.

"Because of some wonderful opportunities, I have been thinking about some complex issues."

Melvin paused briefly, staring into the little witch's eyes: "Do Muggles and Squibs also possess magical treasures within their souls? If they could knock on the door of these treasures, could they also become wizards?"

"Can wizards, like Dementors and Boggarts, unlock the magical treasure trove within their own souls by manipulating and exploiting the emotions of others?"

A deafening rumble of thunder echoed from the North Sea outside the window, seemingly striking Hermione's heart. She couldn't help but feel unsettled, as if affected by a Dementor.

She took a sip of pumpkin juice and said timidly, "Professor, this sounds like black magic."

(End of this chapter)