Hogwarts: A Chinese-Style Professor

Chapter 300 Slughorn's First Lesson

After discussion, Li Wei and the other two decided not to announce the matter concerning Professor Binns, but to circulate it only within a small circle of professors.

A new position as professor of the history of magic became vacant, and letters from owls began to travel back and forth between the castle and the residence.

After a five-day gap in the 'insignificant' history of magic class, amidst the excited ignorance of the young wizards, a new history of magic professor—Slughorn—took office.

On the new Monday, the third-year students, with their usual drowsiness towards history of magic, dragged themselves into the classroom.

Currently, among the seven grades, only Hermione is still attending Professor Binns's classes; the other students only use the class as a way to relax and unwind.

"I didn't sleep well last night, Harry. Wake me up when class is over."

Before even entering the classroom, Ron had already asked Harry for help—Harry nodded.

Hermione was displeased with this scene, but she didn't say anything—this is the current state of magical history.

However, everyone was stunned as soon as they entered.

The classroom had been cleverly enchanted with spatial expansion, making it much brighter and more spacious than usual.

The musty smell that always carried specks of dust has disappeared, replaced by a faint aroma of sandalwood and parchment.

The podium was transformed into a large, gleaming mahogany desk. When the students looked at it, it seemed to reflect a ray of light from the doorway all the way to the other end of the desk.

Several exquisite magical trinkets were displayed on it: a miniature picture frame that constantly changed the portrait of a famous wizard, an unopened silver incense burner, and a plate of pineapple preserves that looked expensive and were covered in frosting.

The biggest change is in the professors on the podium.
Horace Slughorn stood there like a plump, purple mushroom wearing a gorgeous velvet vest.

His walrus-like beard was meticulously groomed, and several rings on his fingers glittered in the light streaming in from the window.

He didn't bring any lesson plans; he simply placed his hands on his protruding belly and smiled as he watched the students file in. His bulging eyes keenly scanned each face, as if assessing the quality of a jewel.

"Alright, alright, kids, find your seats! Let's liven up this rather quiet classroom!"

His voice was loud and clear, full of dramatic passion, quite unlike Professor Binns's always long and slow tone.

The students looked at each other, quickly sat up straight, and their drowsiness began to be replaced by curiosity.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed into the middle row.

Ron whispered:
"Merlin, he looks like he stepped right out of a Chocolate Frog picture book."

Shh! He's watching us!

Hermione stared intently at the new professor, her eyes revealing a mixture of scrutiny and anticipation.

Harry glanced at him and met the new professor's eyes—he instinctively looked away, only re-examining him after the professor's voice rang out again.

For some reason, he felt that the professor's gaze was quite meaningful, and that there seemed to be a faint smile in his eyes.

Slughorn waited until the last student was seated before clearing his throat gracefully.

“Good afternoon, young ladies and gentlemen! I am Horace Slughorn, your new Professor of the History of Magic. Of course, some of your parents may be more familiar with me as a Potions Master and, well, the convener of a certain little club.”

He blinked, deliberately leaving a suggestive pause.

“I know you may be used to a certain, uh, more contemplative style of history of magic classes.”

But for me, history is not a decaying corpse sealed in a coffin; it is alive and breathing!
So, we'll skip the goblin rebellion and the swamp hunt—unless you're particularly interested, in which case I wouldn't mind telling you about my relationship with Gropp the Elder, the current Chief Currency Exchange Officer at Gringotts.

He's quite a character, though a bit stingy—of course, as you know, every fairy is stingy.

But I digress. Anyway, today I want to talk to you about the history of modern magic—especially the exciting eras your grandparents and even parents experienced firsthand!

With a wave of his wand, instead of a dense list of dates and events appearing on the blackboard, a dynamic and concise timeline of major events in the 20th-century magical world emerged, highlighting several key moments.

“For example, 1945!” Slughorn’s voice rang out. “As everyone knows, it was a great year, when our Headmaster Albus Dumbledore defeated the dark wizard Grindelwald.”

But did you know that the final showdown that took place in Nurmengard that year, besides the battle on the surface, also involved a fascinating story of international wizard cooperation and the construction of an intelligence network?

An old friend of mine at the Ministry of Magic's International Cooperation Department—Von Essen—played a significant role in it—oh, and after the war, Albus and I had a drink in Vienna.

He himself admitted that some intelligence regarding Grindelwald's early supporter network was quite useful.

He gave the young wizards a knowing smile, as if sharing some top secret—though he hadn't had time to say any details yet, it was enough to make the students' eyes widen.

Not a single student dozed off during the entire class.

They were sometimes amazed, sometimes laughing, and sometimes whispering excitedly as they came across inside information hidden beneath the surface of history. Vivid names, amidst gossip and the vague threads of power, constituted a real world.

Slughorn successfully used his vast network of friends and personal charm to coat history with an alluring sugar coating.

So much so that when the bell rang, the students were still somewhat reluctant to leave.

The students buzzed with discussion as they left the classroom.

Ron said excitedly:

"This is much better than listening to Professor Binns talk about goblins! He actually knows so many people! He even mentioned the Weasleys, did you hear that?"

Hermione frowned, quickly jotting down the key points of the lesson and the names Slughorn mentioned in her notebook, as she said:

"It's very interesting and informative, but much of it consists of anecdotes about the professor and his personal relationships, lacking sufficient authenticity. Moreover, he clearly focuses more on the history of successful people and big shots."

Harry didn't speak; he was still recalling the fleeting, complex expression that crossed Slughorn's face when he mentioned the second Dark Lord.

Professor Slughorn's lectures were indeed interesting, but one always felt that beneath the beautifully crafted stories lay something inexplicable and unclear.
However, the history of magic classes are definitely much better now than before.

Listening to the biographies of those famous figures and learning about their heroic deeds in that turbulent era, every young wizard felt an invisible burden on their shoulders.

(End of this chapter)