Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 349 Muggles and Purebloods
A yellowed parchment, with a sketch on top, neatly written notes below, and a title at the top:

Fantastic Beasts Observation Report: Pomlock

Hermione was engrossed in taking notes. She had just finished her Magical Creatures class and returned to the Muggle Studies classroom in the castle. While waiting for the bell to ring, she was doing her homework, writing intently. Outside the window, it was a lush green April day, with warm sunshine.

Several familiar classmates gathered around, chatting idly.

Ron, his expression excited, tilted his chin up as he recounted the accident that had occurred in the previous class: "It was so dangerous! Hannah, Justin, you weren't there, you didn't see it, but I still get scared thinking about it now."

Hannah Abbott, who was first in line at the Sorting Ceremony, looked him over with some suspicion, her expression full of excitement, without a trace of lingering fear.

Justin urged impatiently, "Stop keeping us in suspense! What exactly does Pomlock become when he's angry?"

Ron, his vanity satisfied, swaggered and said, "Back then, all the Gryffindor students had formed friendships with Pomlock. Then it was the Slytherin guys' turn. You all know those purebloods usually look down on people..."

"You Weasleys are purebloods too," Harry kindly reminded him from the side.

"We are pure-blood traitors!"

Ron waved his hand dismissively, with a hint of pride: "Anyway, the first few were fine, even Malfoy was behaving himself today, but when it came to those pure-blood witches, problems arose..."

Ron paused for a few seconds deliberately, meeting the expectant gazes of the group: "Back then, Pansy Parkinson grabbed a handful of weeds and tried to get close in a domineering manner. Hagrid reminded her to be gentle, to touch its hooves first, feed it some grass, and then tentatively touch its mane, and not to touch it for too long... Parkinson, whether on purpose or not, just ignored him, fed it grass directly, and then grabbed its mane and wouldn't let go."

"Ponlock: ...When angry, the soft fur and mane on his body harden and stand up to warn the enemy. He can launch attacks with all four limbs, with power close to a wild horse's full-force kick. He can easily break ribs and, in severe cases, cause internal organ rupture."

The quill pen glides across the parchment, accompanied by the soft scratching of ink, and the scent of violet ink spreads through the air.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the window, illuminating the parchment and brightening the little witch's fair face.

"How is Parkinson's now?" Justin asked impatiently.

“Luckily, Hermione noticed that Pomlock was acting strangely in time and pulled Parkinson back before its mane hardened.” Ron said with a look of relief. “You didn’t see it, but as soon as the two of them stepped back, Pomlock kicked the fence apart. That was the old piece of wood that Hagrid had nailed down.”

"If it were a human body, it would definitely be kicked until the skin is torn and the flesh is ripped open."

Simo cheered from the sidelines, and Dean nodded in deep agreement.

"Hermione is amazing. Pomlock's fur didn't change, and even Hagrid didn't notice that something was wrong with its mood. Only she noticed it," Neville praised generously.

Everyone turned to look at Miss Granger, who was silently writing notes, but her ears were flushed.

"Why hasn't the school bell rung yet? Why isn't Professor Levent here for class..." Hermione muttered to herself, head down, feeling uncomfortable being the center of attention.

"Don't get too cocky, Granger!" a sharp voice rang out from the side.

Hermione paused for a moment, then recognized the person standing next to the desk: Pansy Parkinson, dressed in a school uniform, tossed down a pendant: "Consider this a thank you gift. We're even now."

Hermione sat in the front row by the window. The pendant on the table was exquisite, made of gold filigree and inlaid with emeralds that looked like snake eyes. It looked very expensive.

The students in the class were casting their gazes from all directions, because Muggle studies was essentially a compulsory course, and all the third-year students were in this class. Those gazes contained all sorts of expressions and thoughts.

"No need for a thank-you gift. Hogwarts rules state that if a classmate is in danger, others have an obligation to help." Hermione calmly pushed the pendant back.

“The Parkinson witches don’t care about school rules. You saved me, so I owe you my life and I have to repay you with something precious. That’s the rule of wizards!” Parkinson looked down at Hermione, but when she met her eyes, she looked away without much confidence.

“If we have to pay a price…” Hermione pondered for a moment, “then let’s give up on pursuing Hagrid’s responsibility. He didn’t do anything wrong by using Pomlock as teaching material.”

"He almost killed me!"

Hermione looked at her calmly: "It was because you didn't follow the proper steps when you approached Pomlock that you angered it and almost caused other students to get hurt."

“You…then I owe you nothing!” Parkinson said fiercely, but everyone could see that she was all bark and no bite.

The school bell rang just then, and the students scattered. The young professor walked into the classroom right on time.

He carried a stack of exam papers in his hand, a gentle smile on his face:

"Everyone, starting today, we officially begin the final exam review phase..."

A sense of foreboding suddenly welled up in the students' hearts, and when the exam papers were handed out, their premonition came true.

Hermione, a Muggle-born wizard, had previously treated her third-year Muggle Studies Foundations class as a general knowledge class, memorizing the knowledge without even looking at the book. She comforted herself that it was just a regular classroom test, so she silently opened the test paper and began to answer the questions.

Senior professors like Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sprout have accumulated decades of experience, and each subject's exam questions have their own unique style. Even if there are new question types, they will not leave people bewildered and at a loss for where to start. In contrast, Melvin's questions are very capricious.

Hermione quickly noticed the unique multiple-choice question requirements: each question had two or more correct answers, and no points were awarded for missing, incorrect, or multiple selections.

Which of the following disciplines does NOT conform to the concept of natural science? A. Alchemy B. Potions C. Muggle Studies D. Herbalism E. Astronomy F. Arithmetic

Hermione froze, gripping the quill pen in a dilemma.

In the classroom, there were many other students who were just as conflicted as she was. Almost all of them were high-achieving students. They understood the Muggle concept in the question, but they couldn't combine the concept with their analysis of things in the magical world.

Two completely different ways of thinking were battling in their heads, and they were biting their pens and picking at their nails, getting dizzy and disoriented from the stress.

Those who ranked at the bottom couldn't distinguish between traps and inducements, and chose randomly based on their mood.

But the pleasure of randomly choosing is only temporary. When you are called upon to explain something in the next class, you will experience a different kind of embarrassing dizziness.

Memorization, homework, and exams gradually brought a regularity to school life.

Summer arrives amidst this busyness.

……

June has arrived in the blink of an eye. Bright sunshine is the norm this season, and final exams are fast approaching. Many students, however, have relaxed their minds; it's too late to struggle with studying anymore, so they might as well think about happy things – summer vacation is just around the corner.

Hogwarts exams are generally divided into two parts: regular final exams administered by the professors of each subject, and graded exams, which are conducted separately for fifth and seventh year students and proctored by the senior wizards of the Examination Authority. These exams begin in the last week of May and continue until the second week of June.

Melvin's regular final exams went smoothly.

Under the influence of the "sea of ​​questions" approach, the third-grade students have demonstrated excellent qualities of perseverance and tenacity. A rough observation from the exam room patrols revealed that even the Hufflepuff students, who tend to be lazy, generally achieved good results, with more than half of the students being excellent.

A very small number of students are merely qualified; their names will be recorded in a black-covered notebook, and they will receive special attention in the next semester.

The remaining two level exams show a significant difference in the performance of seventh-grade students.

Students like Percy, who value grades, study day and night, and when answering questions, they meticulously consider every word, fearing that some definitions or descriptions may be inaccurate, and even worrying that the punctuation may not be neat enough.

After an exam, I was physically and mentally exhausted, as if I had gone through a fierce battle.

Another group consists of students like Oliver Wood, who, as key players for Hogwarts, have successfully entered the sights of various clubs through the Mirror of Shadows and have already found well-paid jobs before even leaving Hogwarts.

Wood has signed on as Pudmere United’s backup goalkeeper. It is said that the starting goalkeeper is getting old and is preparing to retire to become a support coach. It is foreseeable that Wood will be developed as a core member of the new generation after joining the team, and his test scores will no longer be important to him.

Compared to academic certificates, they are more focused on the upcoming Quebec World Finals.

"Alright, strong young man!"

Professor TOFOTI from the Examination Authority patted Wood on the shoulder. His pince-nez glasses were worn low, and he had to squint to see people normally: "Oliver Wood, yes, Mr. Wood, stop worrying about the banishment spell in that exam question. If you want me to give you an excellent grade, I need a more convincing spell."

The final wizarding exam is underway, a practical exercise in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Several senior wizards have set up several testing points in the Great Hall, where seventh-year students are lining up to take the test.

Wood's somewhat perfunctory performance was met with a lukewarm evaluation from the old professor: his foundation was solid, his performance was average, and he was still some distance from being excellent.

"For example, what kind of spell?" Wood asked, bending down slightly. He didn't care about exam scores, but who would refuse an easy academic certificate?

“I heard from the taverns at Hogsmeade that Hogwarts is conducting large-scale Patronus Charm instruction, and I'd like to know your progress…”

Wood smiled confidently. Among the seventh graders, he had summoned his Patronus even earlier than Percy, who was first in the grade, because he had long ago figured out what he wanted to protect. He had been a regular at Gryffindor for the House Cup for the past few years, and of course, he had plenty of happy memories.

Patronus Charm

A vibrant silver mist spewed from the tip of the staff, and a dashing retriever, its fur bristling, nimbly ran across the entire auditorium.

The auditorium fell silent, as if the ongoing exam had been paused. The examiners watched the retriever run, and when it returned in a circle and melted into a silvery mist, Professor Toford's face turned red, and he clapped enthusiastically with his aged hands.

"Excellent, outstanding!"

"..."

With Wood's example, the other students in the same grade followed suit, and the rousing chants immediately echoed in the auditorium, while a silver mist enveloped the magic dome.

Not everyone can summon a physical guardian spirit, but a substantial silver mist and a vague outline are enough to earn extra points. Students don't mind adding luster to their academic certificates, and the older professors are also very happy to see the young graduates vying to cast spells.

At the entrance to the side hall of the auditorium, Melvin leaned against the wall and turned to look at Ms. Marchban beside him.

Compared to their first meeting at the Ministry of Magic, the old witch looked much older. Her silver hair had turned pure white, her face was covered in wrinkles like spider webs, and she appeared even shorter due to her hunched back, though her voice remained loud and clear.

“They all deserve an O (excellent), don’t you think, Melvin!”

Because she is hard of hearing, Ms. Machiban unconsciously raises her voice when she speaks, but she can't hide her smile.

Seeing that some of the nearby silver mist had been dispersed, Melvin smiled helplessly, summoned invisible bubbles, and focused the sound in the area around him:
"Hogwarts has introduced special teaching aids. When you come back next year, you'll see even more students summoning physical Patronus."

"Special teaching aids?"

"Keep it a secret for now."

"Then I won't ask..."

Machiban smiled and shook her head: "From the day you stepped into the Ministry of Magic, I had a feeling that you would bring something new to the wizarding world, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly, first Muggle research, then Hogwarts, and finally expanding to the whole world."

Melvin listened quietly.

"It's not just wizards; many magical beings are also paying attention to the cooperation between the Ministry of Magic and the Muggle government. Some time ago, the Goblin Duke went to Gringotts in Diagon Alley to lodge a strong protest with the Ministry of Magic because wizards' gold had gone elsewhere, and some wizards had already started using Muggle currency for transactions."

Machiban brings news from the wizarding world: a change is happening without anyone noticing: "The exchange of Muggle and wizarding currency is no longer controlled by Gringotts. Several shops in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley can exchange it, and there are no limits. If you exchange it directly with gold, the shops will even give you a discount."

"How's the exchange rate?" Melvin asked.

"There is no fixed exchange rate. They still use gold as an anchor and exchange it at the same value, only charging a reasonable handling fee. The price of gold varies in different Muggle countries, and the exchange rate of Muggle currency also varies. Some shops even plan to make a profit by taking advantage of this price difference."

Ms. Machiban asked with some curiosity, "Do they make a profit?"

Melvin pondered these changes, a slow smile creeping onto his lips: "It requires substantial capital and a keen awareness of market changes... This is the rudimentary form of finance."

"It sounds like a fortune teller or prophet would be a good fit for this."

"In fact, this kind of thing is like the string of fate. When they glimpse the future and try to profit from it, they themselves become part of the market, and the future changes in the same way."

Ms. Marchbank shook her head. She didn't understand, but that didn't stop her cloudy eyes from shining with joyful anticipation.

"That solid wall has been breached, and the pursuit of profit will drive wizards to constantly engage with new things in Muggle society. This will be a revolution... a great revolution."

(End of this chapter)