Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 710 Curing Brain Damage in Just One Night

The second day of school after the Easter holiday.

The drizzle outside the window continued, neither too hot nor too cold. Opening the window allowed one to smell the moist, fresh air, which was pleasant and refreshing.

The water level in Black Lake appears to have risen slightly. According to students from Herbalism and Magical Creatures Conservation, the lawns and the grounds surrounding the Forbidden Forest are swollen and waterlogged. When you step in, the mud sticks to the soles of your shoes, and it takes some effort to pull them out.

After breakfast, Loren and Hermione went to the Charms classroom.

The advanced Charms course is progressing at a faster pace, with only a few pages left in the textbook. Based on the previous teaching speed, it is estimated that Professor Flitwick will finish teaching the new content this week and move on to the final review stage.

Students gradually entered the classroom and filled the seats, in their usual spots, surrounded by familiar faces. Before the bell rang and Professor Flitwick arrived, the students chatted about recent news, focusing on rumors about the Ministry of Magic and the Mystic.

Apart from the news that the Phantom Test would be held in a week, the rest were all rumors and misinformation, but they were certainly interesting.

"My cousin works in the Department of Law Enforcement. I heard that the Ministry of Magic suffered heavy losses this time, especially in the administrative departments. They will be expanding their recruitment in the next two years!" A young Hufflepuff wizard said solemnly, while the people around him asked for details.

Which departments are expanding their recruitment?

"The Department of Legal Enforcement, the Department of Magical Transportation, the Department of International Affairs Cooperation... all departments except the Auror Office have recruitment plans."

Will the academic requirements be lowered?

"The requirements might be lower this year, but we won't graduate until next year."

"Are we really going to work for the Ministry of Magic?" a Slytherin student suddenly asked. "The Man from Darkness is only lying low for now; he hasn't completely fallen yet. If another war breaks out, these new staff members will also be part of the losses."

"..."

The nearby students fell silent, and began to ponder the somewhat cruel reality.

Loren withdrew his gaze noncommittally, offering no further discussion or advice.

When Voldemort raided and occupied the Ministry of Magic, not all staff members survived and participated in the subsequent prisoner exchange. Some staff members and officials were directly killed, creating vacancies.

This also means that the Ministry of Magic's previously stable bureaucratic system has been impacted, with a shortage of manpower and talent. Newly joined staff may be able to get promoted quickly based on their own abilities, while older staff may be able to complete the path of building merits and seniority that takes decades to achieve in just a few years.

Objectively speaking, risk and reward always coexist.

With ten minutes to go before the bell rang, Harry and the professor entered the classroom one after the other. The bandages on his head had been removed, and there were no visible dents or bulges on his head. Apart from his slightly dazed eyes and the occasional silly grin on his face, he seemed to be fine.

Loren and the others cast curious glances as he sat down. Ron hesitated for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Harry, how are you feeling?"

"It's all over now." Harry shook his head, it was unclear whether he was indicating that he was shaking his head or showing that his head had healed.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief. Ms. Pomfrey was a highly skilled doctor; treating brain damage would only take one night.

At this moment, Hermione spoke up and asked, "Are you and Ginny still fighting? I didn't see her this morning."

"No, we ate breakfast together in the school clinic."

"And last night, Parvati said she didn't go back to the common room until almost lights out."

"last night……"

Harry seemed to remember something, raised his hand to touch his face, his eyes becoming unfocused again, and sat back down, chuckling foolishly. "..."

I got up early for class, sat properly in the classroom, and was suddenly bombarded with displays of affection.

Hermione and Loren silently looked away.

At the front of the classroom, Professor Flitwick put down his textbook, chatted briefly with the students in the front row, then had the prefects collect assignments. Several stacks of papers were collected, the bell rang, and the professor stood on his stool to begin the lecture:

"I hope the Easter holiday hasn't made you forget what you learned before, but I doubt it, because I hear some empty echoes coming from your heads."

A burst of cheerful laughter erupted in the classroom.

This is a technique used by experienced professors to create a lively classroom atmosphere and quickly focus students' attention. Professor Flitwick waited for the laughter to subside before smiling and saying:

"Let's see who's got a blank head. Can anyone tell me what we talked about in our last lesson before the holiday?"

The audience immediately fell silent, the students suppressed their smiles, and quietly avoided the professor's sweeping gaze.

Except for a certain know-it-all lady.

Loren, on the other hand, remained calm and unhurried. He remembered the content of the previous lesson, so it didn't matter if he was called on.

His attention was on Harry next to him, whose expression was dazed, eyes unfocused, and a silly smile on his lips, clearly still immersed in fond memories. Ironically, this guy sat with impeccable posture, looking straight ahead, back ramrod straight – he looked like he was about to suffer a terrible fate.

Half a minute later, Harry vaguely heard his name and came to his senses to see that everyone in the classroom was looking at him, especially Professor Flitwick at the very front.

Ron, who sat next to him, winked at him and pointed to the title on the brand-new page.

"..."

Harry fell silent; he didn't even know what the question was.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't sleep well last night and couldn't concentrate. I just spaced out."

Professor Flitwick knew about his injury and hospitalization yesterday, but didn't say much. He waved for him to sit down. "Next, we'll continue learning about the influence of ancient magic on mainstream magic. So, let's start with the classic fire spell. This isn't just a wizard's spell; it's also the starting point of human civilization. Throughout history, fire has been used to drive away wild animals, ward off the cold, and cook food..."

"We have reason to believe that fire magic may have been the first magic to be mastered."

"Some alchemists understand the world through a four-element system of 'earth, fire, water, and wind,' which is also enlightening for our understanding of ancient magic. I believe that the first wizards, thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago, must have drawn inspiration from nature to create corresponding magic. Lightning or flames causing wildfires, long rainy seasons causing floods, hurricanes sweeping through settlements, and earthquakes tearing the earth apart…"

"In order to survive and reproduce in harsh environments, ancient magic was often quite extreme, with unimaginable power, but the price was that it was difficult to practice, easy to lose control, and highly dangerous... As our living environment gradually stabilized, the dangerous and complex ancient magic gradually disappeared from the history of magic. Only a very few spells have been passed down to the present day because of their unique application needs."

"For example, the Patronus Charm. Dear students, try to imagine that if Dementors suddenly disappeared overnight, who would still want to learn such a complex, difficult, and time-consuming magic technique?"

"..."

The classroom echoed with the scratching of pens across paper. Loren rested his chin on his book, following Professor Flitwick's slightly high-pitched yet resounding voice, casting his thoughts to the magical world of countless years ago.

The continuous drizzle outside the window stopped sometime ago; the clouds dispersed and the rain ceased.

The sky looked as if it had been washed clean, a clear, azure blue.

(End of this chapter)