Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 406 Christmas is Coming
Half an hour later, Hogsmeade.

Melvin checked the purchase order and said to Mrs. Froome, "Buy according to the list from previous years, double the quantity, and remember to mail it to the castle. Pay the balance after the Christmas holidays."

"no problem!"

"Then let's go to the next one."

Merry Christmas in advance, Professor Levent!

The hard-soled shoes crunched on the snow on the street, the sound and the soft touch just like a beach.

Melvin and Christine walked through the streets of Hogsmeade, where colorful ribbons were everywhere, holly and mistletoe hung in shop windows, and people came and went on both sides of the road, including students wearing uniforms from other schools.

In the depths of December, with Christmas just around the corner, today is undoubtedly a beautiful day. The clouds are not too thick, and golden sunlight can be seen.

The sunlight at this time is not warm, and it doesn't feel very warm on the skin. It's just that the golden color is comforting. Many people choose to go out shopping at this time, wearing scarves, gloves, and thick sweaters under their robes, looking bulging.

Melvin wrapped himself in a transparent bubble, including Christine, and walked along the street, introducing everything from the candy shops to the potion vendors.

Christine is no stranger to this; the Rozier family has also been involved in related businesses in France.

But watching Melvin push open the doors of shop after shop, find the owners to haggle over prices, seemingly unwilling to give an inch, and then chat and laugh after finishing the business, she felt there was a unique kind of fun in it.

Sometimes Melvin would call her to join the discussion, and Christine would step forward and introduce herself as a professor accompanying Beauxbatons, explaining that their carriage also needed some supplies in order to get a good discount.

About an hour later, the two began their journey back.

With the procurement matter settled, the conversation shifted from official school affairs to casual, less formal chatter.

"...Hermione shouldn't have helped Mr. Weasley. Inviting a dance partner by writing a letter is already a sign of weakness, let alone having another witch deliver it. Fleur was right to refuse him." Christine defended her student.

"Aren't all fourteen or fifteen-year-old students like this?" Melvin didn't care about this little incident; he was more concerned about who Hermione would choose as her dance partner.

I've been teaching at Hogwarts for almost four years now, and the entire wizarding world has undergone tremendous changes. A butterfly flapping its wings can cause a hurricane, and the changes brought about by a hurricane are even more thorough.

In recent years, under his influence, Hermione has come to understand wizards with a social science mindset and has gained a more comprehensive understanding of the magical world. She is no longer limited to fairies, elves, or a certain type of human being. Even the House-Elf Rights Protection Association has not yet been established.

Her internship at the Prophet's Newspaper was the icing on the cake, making Hermione's thinking far more mature than her peers, so she no longer cared so much about the opinions of other students, nor was she troubled by them.

On the other hand, with his involvement, the Goblet of Fire changed the format of the tournament, and the number of champions increased several times over; Hermione herself was one of the champions.

In his first project, Krum's performance was mixed; he didn't show any personal charm and was instead ostracized by students from other schools.

Time flies!

The little witch who used to hide in the courtyard and cry has grown up so quickly.

……

After the holiday started, the school didn't become deserted; instead, it became more and more lively every day.

The students were spreading rumors about the Christmas ball. It was said that Professor Levent owned three brooms, had bought eight hundred barrels of mead from Madam Rosmerta at cost price, and that the Magic Mirror Club had partnered with Wizard Radio to invite musician Sedina Warbeck to perform, along with the Odd Sisters Band.

Setina is a well-established musician, specializing in country music and folk singing; the Quirky Sisters are a band that has risen to fame in recent years, with an exaggerated and cool style that is close to Muggle rock.

Both are mainstays of Wizard Radio, and their influence has increased significantly in recent years thanks to the help of the Shadow Mirror.

Whenever Melvin appeared in the corridor or the auditorium, students would swarm around him to confirm the news, chattering away—they were all loyal listeners of the wizard radio.

“It must have been Flitwick who leaked it,” Melvin was certain.

In the Muggle Studies office, Melvin leaned back in his chair behind his desk, while Miss Granger sat on the sofa in the center of the room.

"The Romanian dragon and its keeper have returned to the sanctuary. They are demanding additional compensation for the injuries, claiming that the Norwegian Spinosaurus suffered severe eye damage and permanent vision loss. The exact amount is still uncertain and will require several rounds of negotiation, but I declined..."

Melvin tapped his fingers on the letter on the table; the envelope bore the joint wax seal of the Romanian Protected Area and the Ministry of Magic.

"You're a contestant, so we shouldn't be talking to you about these things, but since you want to work in the Department of Magical Creatures after graduation, you need to get to know these things in advance."

Hermione pursed her lips, looking at the contents of the letter with a slightly complicated expression: "If the dragon is really injured, shouldn't it receive compensation? For the tournament committee, this amount of money shouldn't be too much, right?"

"In fact, that spiny dragon's eyes had no aftereffects at all."

Melvin chuckled softly: "The Eye Curse is a common spell used against dragons. Romania has ample experience in rescuing them, and with the timely rescue on the day of the match, that spineless dragon recovered in a few days while still at Hogwarts."

“But…” Hermione stared in disbelief, and when she looked at the earnest letter again, her feelings had completely changed.

"That's the job of the Department of Fantastic Creatures."

Melvin explained with a smile, "Now wild magical creatures are hidden in desolate places. You will be dealing more with wizards who raise magical creatures. They will stop at nothing to profit from magical creatures. You need to peel back the disguise of rescue, protection, and domestication to find the truth."

"But... Professor, didn't you help the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary and have a good relationship with the Romanian Minister of Magic?"

"Yes, but it doesn't affect business."

Hermione was beginning to feel the weight of this job.

"By the way, how's your Golden Egg decryption team doing?"

"Stop talking. It's a holiday, and even Fleur and Pickley have become lazy. We haven't seen them for days."

……

Some students got so carried away with their fun that after breakfast they went out to skate around on the frozen Quidditch pitch and the Black Lake. When they returned in the evening, they left a trail of slush in the lobby. When the caretaker, Filch, got angry, he blamed everything on Peeves.

Some students spend all day in the library, wishing they could dive into the books and search for clues about the golden egg; they are also nowhere to be seen all day.

In the common room, Hermione again tried to pull them to the library: "Harry, think about the clues to the golden egg. If the next match is against a monster like a dragon, are you planning to prepare only after you've already entered the arena? And Ron, think about your homework. Professor Snape assigned three papers!"

"We'll go tomorrow!"

Harry and Ron were engrossed in building a castle with popping cards, making excuses and never showing up for the party. They had something more urgent than clues and assignments—inviting their dance partners to the ball.

“I say, guys, you’d better hurry up, or all the good girls will be picked over!” Fred said, as he came to borrow Hedwig and Juliet, the two postmen.

Although their joke shop hasn't opened yet, it's already in business. They reportedly used their summer job wages to advertise in the newspaper, and several eccentric wizards have sent them mail-order orders.

“He got Angelina, she’s a cool girl…” Ron sighed with a hint of envy. He had recently mustered the courage to invite Fleur in person, only to be rejected once more, a moment that had been incredibly embarrassing.

"..."

Harry felt a pang of sadness. He had met Cho Chang when he went to the Owl's Hut yesterday and extended an invitation when no one was around. As expected, he was rejected, as Cho Chang had already accepted Cedric's invitation.

"Are you still worried about finding a dance partner?" Hermione looked up from her divination notebook.

Harry had a bad feeling about her tone: "Have you found a dance partner yet?"

"not yet."

"That's good."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He had always felt that Hermione faced the same predicament as him; both were warriors and neither of them were particularly good at dancing.

“Krum of Durmstrang invited me, but I declined,” Hermione added.

Harry's heart, which had been at ease, started racing again. He hesitated for a moment, then asked with a flicker in his eyes, "If we can't find a suitable person in the end, and we're going to dance the opening dance anyway, I mean... it would be nice if the two of us teamed up, what do you think?"

"Um……"

Hermione tapped the book lightly with her quill, pondering thoughtfully: "I have a new idea. If you agree to help me solve the mystery this holiday, I'll find you a suitable dance partner, I guarantee you'll be satisfied. What do you think?"

"Deal!" Harry agreed without hesitation. From first year until now, Hermione has always been the one who can solve difficult problems.

"What about me?" Ron asked anxiously from the side.

Hermione hesitated for a moment: "Uh... I can persuade Fleur to dance with you at the party."

Ron immediately beamed with joy. He would be happy to dance with Miss Delacour, or even just be Myrtle's dance partner!

……

Christmas Day.

Outside, snow was falling heavily. Beauxbatons' carriage was covered in snow and looked like a frost-covered pumpkin. Next to it, the gingerbread hut sprinkled with icing sugar was Hagrid's wooden house. He had been feeling lost for a long time after the dragon left.

Melvin didn't leave the office all day. Dobby brought him breakfast and lunch, and he stayed in his office sorting out gifts that had been sent from all over the world. He mainly didn't want to be dragged by Professor McGonagall to set up the venue.

Night falls.

Melvin picked up Yorme, who was coiled up in front of the fireplace, and looked into its black bean-like eyes: "Are you coming to the ball with me, or staying inside?"

"Hiss..." Yulm flicked his tongue. Although magical snakes don't hibernate, they weren't very energetic.

As he straightened his collar and left the house, Melvin was certain that staying home during the day was the right thing to do.

Professor McGonagall was determined to make a lasting impression on her guests and was determined to showcase the castle at its best for Christmas. She hung icicles that would never melt on the stair railings, sparkling and glittering. The twelve Christmas trees that were usually placed in the hall were replaced with taller and lusher trees, decorated with ornaments carefully arranged by Professor Flitwick.

The knight's armor was polished to a gleaming shine and displayed on both sides of the aisle; whenever someone passed by, Christmas carols would play from within the armor.

The boys were standing at the bottom of the foyer stairs, waiting for their dance partners. The friends who used to laugh and joke around without any seriousness had all changed into dark-colored suits, their hair was neatly styled with mousse, and they smelled strongly of olives.

The crisp formal attire seemed to possess some kind of magic, making their movements more restrained, though they spoke as usual.

"By Merlin! I have never seen such a magnificent Hogwarts!"

"Why didn't Professor McGonagall arrange it like this when they weren't visiting?"

“If we visit Ifamony, Beauxbatons, or Durmstrang, they will also make a grand entrance.”

"Adults are just creatures who care a lot about their image."

"..."

Harry didn't dare laugh, because he was dressed similarly.

Dressed in a black and white suit, he was already a world-famous boy with a handsome face and a poignant story on his shoulders. After tidying his messy hair, covering his scars, and revealing his forehead, he also attracted the attention of many witches.

Ron stroked his formal robe up and down. Although it wasn't from a top-of-the-line clothing store, it was still quite elegant, and he felt very pleased with himself.

"I'm wearing the sweater my mom knitted this year inside, it's so warm!"

With Hermione's assurance, he easily resolved the matter of his dance partner and accepted Lavender Brown's invitation.

"..."

Harry also received a package from Mrs. Weasley, containing a green sweater and a bunch of homemade meat pies. It was a simple and heartwarming gift, but he didn't think the sweater should be worn under a dress.

But he wasn't in the mood to talk about sweaters right now: "Have you seen Hermione?"

While waiting, quite a few girls appeared, including the Petit sisters, who were the prettiest in the grade, and Miss Delacour, who was the most beautiful among the four schools, all of whom drew cheers.

“No, she went back to her dorm at five o’clock in the afternoon to prepare for the dance.” Ron was a little surprised to hear this. “Don’t you know who your dance partner is?”

After opening the gifts in the morning, I only went downstairs for brunch, and then spent the rest of the time in the Gryffindor Tower, not showing myself for exactly three hours.

"Is she trying to play a trick on me?" Harry asked, looking dejected.

"Who's playing a trick on you?" someone said on the stairs.

Harry and Ron looked up together, and there stood the witch, looking down at them. She wore a long dress made of pale purple-blue fabric, her brown curly hair was smooth and shiny, styled into an elegant updo, her neck was long and slender and white, and her front teeth were small and delicate. She was so beautiful that she was almost unrecognizable.

Hermione appeared out at some point.

“How come we never noticed this before?” Ron murmured.

"What did you notice? What are you still doing here? The ball is about to start!" Hermione lifted her skirt and hurried down the steps, looking a little tired, and pulled Harry inside. "Your dance partner has been waiting for a long time!"

Harry stumbled into the Great Hall in a daze, and before he could even stand up straight, he heard giggling sounds coming from the side.

He turned his head and saw Qiu Zhang standing next to him, wearing a light green cheongsam. Her long black hair was tied up with a ribbon, and she wore two eye-catching jade earrings on her fair ears. Her cheeks were rosy, and she had a gentle smile on her face.

(End of this chapter)