Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 773 The Seventh Grade Class

Monday, June 15th.

The seventh-grade students had a pleasant weekend and returned to the classroom.

The first two periods in the morning are about spells.

Professor Flitwick had grown a small mustache again, but it was still young and not fully grown. The two wispy white tufts of his mustache were neither too long nor too short, and they trembled slightly with his lips as he lectured, giving him a rather comical appearance. Loren and the others couldn't help but glance at his mustache during class, but Professor Flitwick didn't seem to mind, just chuckled.

The last two classes are elective courses: Arithmetic Divination.

The familiar data comparison tables and empirical formulas were still there, but the seventh-grade arithmetic introduced more complex formulas with completely random coefficients. After a lesson, the students were dizzy and seeing stars, as if they'd attended Professor Trelawney's divination class and been intoxicated by herbs and spices.

Loren calculated and pondered using an alchemy calculator, while also bothering Hermione, who was dizzy from calculating, and getting a few light punches to keep her awake. That's how he passed the two hours.

After lunch, we continued with class. In the afternoon, there were two sessions of Metamorphosis.

The instructor was still Professor McGonagall.

As the headmaster of Gryffindor, vice-principal of Hogwarts, and the universally recognized successor to the headmaster, he was influenced to some extent during his long years assisting Dumbledore and absorbed some of the ideas of joyful education.

The school bell gradually stopped ringing.

"Before I begin my lecture, I'd like to say something outside the classroom."

Professor McGonagall tapped on the lectern and addressed the seventh-grade students:

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, spoke to me about the nighttime gathering, and I know the list of participants and organizers... My dear children, I understand how you feel. Graduation is approaching, and you always feel lost and sad, reluctant to leave Hogwarts, so you want to create more memories while you're still at school..."

Simo and Dean shifted their shoulders nervously, avoiding eye contact with the professor.

Professor McGonagall's gaze swept over the two of them, and then over Loren: "I've discussed it with the deans and also asked the administrator for his opinion. We know you're not just looking for thrills and acting recklessly, so there's a reason for it. Therefore, we won't pursue this matter any further this time."

A restrained cheer erupted from the audience.

Loren glanced furtively at his deskmate, Miss Granger, whose expression was calm. The former enforcer of school rules now showed no emotion in her eyes.

Alas, the honest Hermione Granger is gone forever.

"..."

Professor McGonagall tapped the table again to interrupt the cheers, and solemnly warned, "Please remember that the school rules were established to ensure student safety and maintain normal teaching order. They must be strictly followed. You cannot break the rules just because you are about to graduate!"

"Understood, Professor!" Neville led the way in promising.

Simo and Dean followed closely behind, echoing loudly.

But when other students pledged to uphold school rules, the two exchanged a glance and chuckled.

Loren kept his eyes on Hermione, and noticing that she hadn't promised to uphold the school rules, he frowned and sternly rebuked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Given my experiences over the past few years, I am not confident that I can keep my promise."

"What are you implying? Who are you implying? Who broke their promise? Who broke their promise? And I clearly didn't agree to your request!"

"I didn't say anything."

"You may not have said it, but that's what you really think!"

Hermione turned around with a bright smile on her face: "That's right, that's what I think too."

"!!"

Loren opened his mouth, but ultimately turned away in silence.

He is a good student; he should concentrate on listening to the lectures.

Professor McGonagall stood on the podium, taking in the expressions of the entire class. Listening to their chattering responses, she smiled kindly and gently, tapped the blackboard to signal them to quiet down, and then began to teach about the field of metamorphism. The first half of the class covered the content in the textbook, and the second half focused on the recent findings published in "Today's Metamorphism".

The news of Voldemort's downfall seemed to invigorate the entire wizarding world, and the academic field also saw an explosive surge of achievements.

The seventh-grade students in the advanced metamorphosis class can basically understand the articles in the journal. When they encounter complex and profound content, Professor McGonagall will stop and explain it carefully, and will also ask a few students to share their feelings.

She hopes that these students will not treat metamorphosis as a subject to be abandoned after graduation, and that it is fine to treat it as a hobby even if they do not work in related fields in the future.

At 4:30 p.m., the bell rang on time to signal the end of get out of class.

The students filed out of the classroom, and the doorway was a bit crowded. Loren and Hermione lagged behind.

Professor McGonagall stood on the podium packing up her textbooks and journals. Although she was old, her movements were still light and efficient. She didn't rush to leave, but waited until most of the students had left before folding up her books, exuding a calm and elegant demeanor.

Turning her head and seeing the two students walking beside her, Professor McGonagall slowed her pace slightly and asked softly, "Was the fake wand that Filch received really a gift from George and Fred?"

"hey-hey……"

Loren chuckled twice, without giving a direct answer: "I'll write to them when I get back and ask them to send a box over."

Professor McGonagall smiled but didn't press further: "Have you decided what you plan to do after graduation?"

"I plan to visit the alchemy research center to learn something, but I'm not sure about the rest yet."

"Having short-term goals is fine; no one can predict the long-term future." Professor McGonagall turned to the girl beside her. "Hermione, what about you? Which department in the Ministry of Magic are you planning to join?"

"Department of Fantastic Beasts Management"

"Have you made up your mind?"

"Yes, I thought of it while I was interning at the Magical Congress of America."

"..."

The three chatted as they walked, then parted ways at the stairwell in the middle of the corridor. Loren and Hermione planned to go to the library for a while, while the professor had to go back to his office to process the freshman files for the current academic year.

Professor McGonagall stood at the corner, watching the two students' backs gradually disappear into the distance. She realized that they were now almost as tall as her, or even a few inches taller than her, and a look of nostalgia appeared in her eyes.

In the professor's mind, the memories of the first-year students and leading them to Diagon Alley were far more vivid than those of the second to sixth years. Professors at Hogwarts often felt this way: children don't grow up gradually day by day; rather, they suddenly grow up in a certain instant.

I remember that year when I went shopping in Diagon Alley, these two kids were with me.

Graduation is just around the corner.

In the past, Hogwarts graduates who obtained 12 certificates could easily join the Department of Law Enforcement, or directly become assistants to a department head. Within a few years, they could rise to a deputy position or other positions of real power. It was easier to achieve results and get promoted in important departments or key positions, like Percy in his prime, but he chose a different path.

The Department of Magical Creatures is clearly not one of them. Newt Scamander's influence is so great that he almost single-handedly accomplished decades of work for the department, and now the UK is at the forefront of magical creature conservation in the world.

Hermione wants to help intelligent beings like house-elves, centaurs, and mermaids, but due to outdated ideas, even if she achieves something, it's difficult for other wizards to recognize her efforts.

Her early career may be tough.

Back in her office, Professor McGonagall sat behind her desk, put down the books and journals in her hands, and instead of immediately dealing with the new student files, she opened a drawer and took out some recent letters to several relatives and friends. She looked through the contents of the Ministry of Magic's recent investigation and rectification, pushed up her black-rimmed glasses, and quietly began to think.

She also worked at the Ministry of Magic for a period of time, and still keeps in touch with several former colleagues and friends.

Professor McGonagall recalled that recently many powerful officials in various departments had been dismissed or expelled, and the shortage of manpower had led to some chaos in the Ministry of Magic's internal affairs, with many areas of authority becoming blurred...

After a long while, Professor McGonagall took out the letter and planned to write to an old friend to ask for a few small favors, such as redefining some ambiguous responsibilities, like investigating the smuggling of magical creatures, trying cases of magical creatures injuring people, and reversing accidental exposures of magical creatures...

These are all matters related to magical creatures, so it's normal for the Department of Magical Creatures Management to take charge.

Furthermore, the alchemy research center is located in Egypt, so Loren's early career is unlikely to be smooth sailing.

I hope he resigns soon.

……

A new week is slowly coming to an end.

It rained on the evening before the full moon, and the fog was thick, so we couldn't see the fullest moon of the year.

Fortunately, the weather cleared up the next day.

The heat is fading and the weather is gradually getting cooler.

Thursday morning, first period: Potions.

Loren stood behind the control panel, listening to the lecture while turning the stirring rod in his hand.

The early autumn weather was unpredictable, with the temperature difference between day and night gradually widening. Loren had already changed into his autumn wizard's robes, the thickness just right, without a sweater underneath. He wore a Gryffindor-colored tie, and his soft hair was styled into a side-swept fringe with his fingers, revealing a touch of handsomeness. The glass skylight in the exterior wall revealed the ripples of the Black Lake, the dark water rippling and causing Loren to look up and wonder if it was the waves created by a giant squid.

The other students in the classroom were also looking up and daydreaming.

Professor Snape's voice echoed through the classroom.

After the incident at the opening banquet, the students gained a new understanding of the Potions professor and were no longer so resistant and hostile. As the newly appointed vice-principal, Professor Snape's personality seemed to have become much gentler, and he no longer deducted points from students of other houses.

Harry also began to enjoy Potions.

With both sides working together, the classroom was filled with harmony.

"The stirring method in the textbook does not need to be strictly followed during the decoction process. Just stay focused and pay attention to the state of the medicine in the crucible. If suspended matter appears, increase the stirring speed. If a color change occurs, stop stirring..."

Snape paused in his lecture, his gaze sweeping across the classroom, and asked softly, "Now, can anyone tell me what the purpose of the unidirectional stirring in this step is?"

His tone was flat, revealing a hint of indifference.

The classroom immediately fell silent, and the students quickly lowered their heads to focus on their textbooks, pretending to be deep in thought.

Harry had a vague sense of foreboding.

"Potter, answer me."

"!!"

Sure enough, the old bat is still as annoying as ever!

Harry clenched his fists inwardly, his expression resentful.

I should have known better than to speak up for him at the opening banquet!

So many people are looking up and daydreaming, why did you arrest me?

Friday, October 19th.

Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Loren sat by the window in the classroom, staring blankly at the textbook on the table, his face expressionless and his eyes vacant.

Three years later, Professor Lu Ping's classes are still as lively and interesting as ever.

In the spacious classroom, students listened attentively, occasionally jotting down key points or extracurricular reading materials mentioned by the professor in their notebooks. Professor Lu Ping did not stand on the podium but paced between the desks. Through his narration, the dry and boring theoretical knowledge was combined with the strange phenomena of those remote towns and transformed into interesting legends and stories.

The windows were open, and a gentle breeze, fresh and cool after the rain, wafted through the room.

Loren snapped out of his daze. Professor Lupin was already standing behind the lectern, packing up the textbooks. The paper topics for this week were listed on the blackboard behind him:

"An analysis of the reasons for the gathering of Albanian black sorcerers from a geographical perspective"

"Comprehensive Analysis of Black Wizarding Areas in Britain"

Choose one of the two papers. There are no restrictions on references. The paper must be at least 3 feet long and must be submitted next Thursday.

Before the bell rang, the professor had already stopped lecturing and was chatting with the students in the front row while tidying up his things. Everyone was enthusiastically discussing two topics, chattering away.

Loren jotted down two questions on a piece of paper, and while tidying his desk, he discussed them with Harry in the row behind him, away from Hermione: "What questions did you choose?"

"Well……"

Harry was a little flattered and turned his head to look at Hermione in front of him.

In the past, these kinds of questions were discussed by two outstanding students, and Ron and I would choose topics based on their suggestions for reference.

"I--"

Before he could finish speaking, Loren interrupted him: "These are all questions about dark wizards, and I need to look up some niche materials. I happen to have read some wizarding crime records from the 80s. Do you want to go to the library together later?"

Harry blinked, noticing Hermione smiling beside him, and was momentarily confused. "No classes today, we're planning to go play Quidditch at the pitch. The paper isn't due until Thursday, if you're in a hurry, why don't you have Hermione come with you to the library to do some research?"

Hermione laughed and replied, "Yeah, why won't you let me help you look up information?"

Loren frowned. "Look at you. You were so slow with your homework in your first year, and you're still doing it now that you're almost graduating. Professor Lupin has finally returned to Hogwarts. Don't you want to cheer up, show a fresh start, and give him a surprise?"

"He just returned to Hogwarts, not that he just met me."

Harry answered quietly. He felt the couple was acting strangely today, and to be on the safe side, he decided not to get involved. So he quietly packed his bag and stood up the moment the bell rang: "The team is waiting for me to practice, so I really don't have time to go to the library with you. Have fun, and happy birthday, Hermione! Goodbye!"

"goodbye."

Loren asked a few more students who were lagging behind, but unfortunately, there were very few students in the entire seventh grade of Gryffindor who loved to study. Even after he left the classroom, no one was willing to go to the library with him to study.

Hermione smiled, her eyes crinkling.