Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle

"Is this what you're talking about?"

Melvin laughed. "The little beetle I just caught seems to be a rare species. I plan to take it back and study it."

……

Late at night, a full moon hangs on the window.

A cylindrical glass bottle was upside down on the table. It was the bottle used to store honey on the party table. Melvin took it over and used it as a temporary container to imprison a beetle that had fallen into the trap.

The elytra are bright blue, trembling slightly to reveal the thin wings underneath, as if it feels the gaze. The two front antennae sway slowly, with circular patterns underneath, like glasses on the face. There are spots under the wings, and the characteristics are obviously different from those of ordinary beetles.

It is slightly larger and fatter than ordinary beetles, but smaller than a fingernail, and can easily hide in inconspicuous places such as hair, collar folds, curtain gaps or bushes.

If Melvin hadn't been lying motionless on someone's shoulder for a long time, he wouldn't have noticed it.

"Rita Skeeter," Melvin whispered, smiling.

When the beetle suddenly heard the name, it shuddered all over, trembled like a spasm, spread its wings and fled in panic, making a crisp sound when it hit the glass bottle.

However, it failed to break through the glass bottle. The honey bottle was too hard for the beetle. Even the powerful vibrations of its wing membranes could not leave any marks on it.

The beetle buzzed through the bottle wall. After its disguise was exposed, it no longer hid. Then magic power bloomed in its body, and the shadow of a witch emerged, about to break through the constraints of the glass bottle and return to its original form.

Melvin sat motionless in his chair, watching the Animagus perform quietly.

The blurry shadow disappeared in an instant, and when its body expanded, it touched the solid glass bottle, making her feel as if her original body was stuffed into the narrow space, and her bones and muscles were crushed. Intense and short-lived pain enveloped her whole body, and the beetle's wings curled up and trembled again.

After a long time, he came to his senses and retreated to the corner of the glass bottle, shaking his two tentacles as if confronting Melvin.

"Sorry, I forgot to mention that the glass bottle has a securing charm on it."

Melvin spoke sincerely, his eyes seeming to examine an interesting object. "Rita Skeeter, a top-tier journalist and contributing writer to several publications, including the Daily Prophet. While not as renowned as Lockhart, she's also quite famous."

The plump beetle shivered.

"In fact, I admire you very much." Melvin spoke slowly. "You were able to teach yourself Animagus when you were young, which proves that you are smart. You are an outstanding graduate of Ravenclaw. After graduation, you quickly became familiar with the work of a journalist. You are very good at exploring the dark side of readers. You know what they like to read."

The beetle was stunned. In her eyes, Professor Lewinter was already huge and looked like a ferocious monster, and the information revealed by these words was even more terrifying.

How did he know his identity? When did he know it? Who else knew it?

In the past, it was Skeeter who found out other people's secrets and revealed them in newspapers. Now his own secrets have been revealed and his life is in danger. He can only hide in a glass bottle and wait to be slaughtered.

"The upright and great are corrupt at heart, the glamorous are privately filthy, the idol heroes are actually despicable and embarrassing..."

Melvin had obviously read her articles. "You're well aware of these points, so the targets of your attacks are generally influential figures in the wizarding world. The more famous and popular they are, the more they suit your expectations. At the same time, you know how to restrain yourself and won't slander or offend powerful wizards. You almost always report on them after their deaths."

"Former Principal Dippet, Minister Harold Minkan, and even the mysterious man... These reports don't directly tell readers the truth. Instead, they weave together false speculations based on real events, weaving the truth into the fabric of the lies."

Melvin recounted the biographies she had written, her smile gentle and friendly. "If readers knew that the golden reporter Skeeter was an unregistered Animagus, they would probably be more convinced of the truth you weave, right?"

Beetle didn't dare to imagine such a thing, but the consequences of the secret being exposed kept emerging in his mind. Even if he hid in St. Mungo's Hospital or Azkaban, he would be hit by dozens of curses from behind and would die of inexplicable illness.

Her six legs kept shaking, tapping against the glass bottle, making a faint sound.

"boom……"

Melvin flicked the glass with his finger. Although it was only a slight tremor, the beetle showed an extremely painful posture, curled up tightly, and its wings and legs kept twitching.

The tremors stopped and the beetle collapsed onto the table.

"You are an outstanding graduate of Ravenclaw, possessing extraordinary wisdom. You should know why I say so much. Think about it carefully..."

Melvin moved the glass bottle to the corner and ignored it.

An excellent media system needs a qualified mouthpiece. The gold medal reporter Skeeter is such a mouthpiece. Her articles spread very quickly and it is very convenient to convey information to the outside world.

A useful tool needs to be completely sharpened. Just controlling it with the handle is not stable enough. It needs stronger control.

Melvin took out his diary, waited for the quill to be soaked with water, and wrote on the front:

"My dear Tom, remember the Dark Mark we mentioned when we were talking about Death Eaters and the Dark Arts?"

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

The diary responded quickly, clearly intrigued by the topic, its ink flowing continuously. "From the information you've revealed, this is a profound yet convenient black magic, involving the principles of soul branding and enslavement curses..."

Melvin read the relevant information with great interest, and once again felt the generosity of Senior Riddle, who was simply a living dictionary of black magic.

The Dark Mark is the mark that Voldemort gave to the Death Eaters. It consists of a skull and a poisonous snake. It is usually bright red and will gradually turn black after activation.

It is almost impossible to erase. Even if Voldemort dies, it will turn into an indelible scar.

Voldemort can use the mark to share his location with the Death Eaters, summon the Death Eaters or respond to the Death Eaters' call, locate and track them, and Apparate directly to them.

Melvin had learned a similar curse before. When he first arrived at Knockturn Alley, he branded a few Ouroboros on the wizards who were robbing him on the road, but it could only be used to scare people and the effect was much worse.

The map business was originally a spur-of-the-moment idea, so it doesn't matter if it's a little loose, but the gold medal reporter is different. He has a quick mind and is good at disguise, so he can't be let go.

"The Dark Mark is quite complex, but with your talent, you'll master it quickly." The diary paused, ink flowing. "Do you want to learn, Melvin?"

Direct teaching?

Don't you even try to shirk your responsibility?

Melvin raised an eyebrow and slowly moved his notebook across the paper. "Okay, you teach me."

"First, there's the branding. The mark isn't just on the body, it's on the soul, and it involves the application of the Cruciatus Curse..."

……

early morning.

"Pfft... pfft..."

The night moth in the transparent glass bottle flapped its wings continuously. A spell with a faint green light fell, and the night moth suddenly lost its balance and fell on the table. Its wings trembled slightly, and its life gradually dissipated.

A miniature Dark Mark appeared on the abdomen.

The area is small and is gradually disappearing.

This black magic, which Voldemort tailored for himself, was even more difficult than Fiendfyre. Senior Riddle did not hide anything, and explained the core principles clearly, with illustrations showing the casting movements.

Melvin already had a foundation, but he learned hastily and used living animals for experiments after practicing for less than half an hour, so the results were not ideal.

Melvin frowned slightly as he looked at the gradually blurring skull and snake patterns on the night moth's body, and threw the dying night moth into the trash can.

The diary seemed to know about his experiment: "Insects don't have souls, and animal souls are too weak to bear the mark. You need to find a wizard to conduct the experiment."

"..."

Melvin lowered his eyes slightly.

Senior Riddle taught with all his heart, but he seemed a little too eager and his intentions were too obvious.

By branding a wizard, one can determine whether Voldemort's main soul is still alive by the state of the Dark Mark, and by the way, recruit new members for the Death Eaters.

Before completing the modification of the underlying principles, Melvin did not intend to test it on wizards. He wanted to disassemble the principles, design his own mark, and build his own power.

Chapter 130 is up to you!

Muggle Studies Office.

The shelves are placed against the wall, and the walnut boards are divided into neatly arranged squares. These squares were empty a year ago, but now they are more than half filled, mostly with books and materials, including wizard books given by colleagues and friends, Muggle books purchased by himself, and information files collected from various sources.

There were some small items placed in the middle, including the cursed props that dissipated magic power and the elk antlers given by Hagrid, which became decorations on the shelves. There were also green plants given by Professor Sprout, which added a bit of fresh vitality to the office.

The most eye-catching thing is the small shadow mirror placed in the middle, fixed with a wooden frame. It has a glass-like shell with silver-white mist flowing inside, which is crystal clear and magnificent.

Every time I come to this office, I can't help but look at it again and again.

Harry sat on the sofa, his eyes rolling.

Hermione next to her was twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers, pursing her lips, anxiously waiting for the professor to mark her paper.

The little witch looked up quietly and found that the professor frowned slightly. She exclaimed, her heart suddenly hanging in the air, her eyes slightly panicked, wondering if there was something wrong with the thesis?

At this moment, someone suddenly pulled his sleeve. Harry lowered his throat and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear clearly: "Hermione, do you see, there is an extra glass jar on the shelf over there."

Hermione looked in the direction he pointed.

On the window square of the shelf stood a cylindrical glass bottle, the kind they used to hold bluebell flames in the winter.

A beetle lay quietly at the bottom of the bottle, its antennae swaying slowly in a faint arc, hiding behind a few branches and leaves, like an ignorant ladybug in the bushes in the garden, looking a little leisurely.

The two students had strange expressions on their faces. Some students in lower grades caught beetles and kept them as pets or used them to feed toads. They didn't expect that Professor Lewinter also had this hobby.

The two of them exchanged glances, and then the professor coughed twice, and immediately sat up straight, pretending to look straight ahead.

"Tell me about your paper."

Melvin found it somewhat amusing and placed the two papers back on the table. "The length difference is quite large. One cites too many cases, and some descriptions seem redundant. The other is too concise, and even the description of the characteristics of the Cornish elves is not clear enough... In terms of argument, the two papers choose two completely different fighting styles, but some of the wording is very similar. What are your thoughts on this?"

Hermione clutched the hem of her clothes tightly.

Harry lowered his head silently, his neck flushed with shame. He should have known not to use it as a reference.

"The paper still has many shortcomings..." Melvin paused deliberately, watching the two people's faces gradually flush, and changed the subject, "But for a second-year student, this level is already remarkable."

They both raised their heads at the same time, their expressions changing from gloomy to bright.

"There's no definitive correct way to say anything about wizard duels. Most duelling masters have their own style, as I'm sure you've already discovered while writing your essays."

Melvin pointed to the shorter one and began to explain, "Harry prefers to be adaptable. He prefers to master one or two spells rather than different special spells, so he can respond flexibly. Hermione prefers stability and effectiveness, and is willing to master a variety of special spells to deal with different dangers..."

Compared with the last practical exercise, this paper lecture was more like a review. After a week, they reviewed it again and confirmed their gains through other examples. Both students benefited a lot. Some obscure parts were picked out and explained by Melvin, and they naturally understood them.

"Judging from the content of your essays, you seem to have a good understanding of your own style preferences. However, that alone is not enough. The second essay I'm assigning you is to exchange arguments and adopt each other's style."

Melvin handed Harry's short paper to Hermione and Hermione's long paper to Harry. "There are length requirements this time. Hermione's paper cannot be longer than Harry's, and Harry, your paper cannot be shorter than Hermione's."

Harry and Hermione looked confused.

"Besides that, you'll also need to practice and master the many special effects spells for second grade. Don't worry, I've prepared instructional videos for you."

Melvin stood up and took the small shadow mirror from the shelf, handing it to them. "It contains my recorded explanations and demonstrations. It's like a TV that needs to be tuned in. To use it, use your wand to stir the light mist and wait for the picture and image to appear. Just practice according to this."

Hermione quickly took the mirror. It was heavier than she had expected, like three large books stacked on top of each other.

"By the way, can you contact the Ravenclaw students?" Melvin asked.

Hermione answered automatically, "My roommate Padma has a twin sister who's a Ravenclaw."

"Could you please contact Marietta Edgemore, a third-year student, and have her come to my office after dinner tomorrow?" Melvin paused and added a name, "and Neville."

……