Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle

"Uh... Professor, why did you drop out?"

"It's an interesting question. When I dropped out of school, I thought many people would ask it, so I prepared many answers. However, none of them came in handy. Even Headmaster Dumbledore didn't ask when he recruited me. I suspect he forgot."

The slightly teasing words caused some laughter in the classroom. Melvin waited until the laughter died down before continuing his answer:

"My more formal answer is that I had already completed my studies, and the remaining six months were just for review and exam preparation. I needed to venture out into the wider world, to validate my previous knowledge, to observe, to experience, to explore. My head was full of ideas waiting to be put into practice, and that diploma wasn't that important to me. So dropping out was a natural choice."

The students in the audience quieted down.

A Gryffindor girl raised her hand. "Professor, what's a less literal answer?"

"A less written answer..."

Melvin paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "The world is so big, I want to see it."

A burst of laughter broke out in the classroom.

Some students also rolled their eyes, as if thinking about something.

"It was a difficult decision for me to drop out of school. At the time, I was sure I had a clear plan or was lucky enough to have opportunities. However, I don't recommend others to follow suit. If I knew that any of you wanted to drop out, I would simply contact your parents and suggest that you confiscate your wand and ground you."

Melvin felt that the atmosphere in the classroom had become a little more serious, and he was quite satisfied.

"Professor, what does Ilvermorny look like?"

"It's actually pretty similar to Hogwarts, with the same four houses and the same boarding system, but the curriculum and teaching methods are a bit different. If you want to learn more about other magic schools, I recommend a few books. Go to the library and check them out: 'The Crisis of Education in the Magical World,' 'How Magic Schools Influence Wizarding Society,' and 'School in the Desert: A History of Witch Education's Struggle in Afghanistan.'"

"Professor Lewynter, I'd like to know how the new course differs from the past and what we're going to learn."

"You will understand this later. It can't be explained in just a few words."

"Professor! We can talk about other things later, but you must answer this now!"

"You said."

“Is there a lot of homework? Is it difficult?”

"I'm not sure yet, it depends on your performance."

"Professor, I heard that you're a consultant to the Examinations Administration. Will you be responsible for setting the exam content in the future? Will you set the questions?"

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. I advise you to study hard."

"..."

The five-minute question time ended quickly, and the students were still reluctant to leave. It seemed that they had asked a lot of questions, but it also seemed that they had not gotten anything out of the question. However, they had become closer to the professor.

This theoretical course, which is not magical at all, had originally been attended by many students with an attitude towards the history of magic, but now they have become interested and are willing to pay a little attention.

"Now you know me pretty well, it's my turn..."

Melvin pulled out a chair and sat down next to the podium. Facing the students' gaze, he pointed to the girl in the front row on the far right. "Start with you. Introduce yourself. Tell us your name, college, and why you chose this course."

It’s another novel experience that I have never experienced before!

The students in the audience had bright eyes.

Muggle-born students had experienced this before, but this was their first time at a wizarding school, and the experience was quite amazing.

"I'm Alicia Spinnet, from Gryffindor."

The girl was a little nervous, but her previous experience made her willing to reveal her thoughts: "I'm a Muggle-born, and I think this course should be relatively easy. I can get an additional certificate."

Melvin wasn't surprised either. He had also been a student there and knew that many people thought the same way.

He waved his hand for her to sit down, and motioned for the girl behind her to continue: "Next."

"Angelina Johnson, Gryffindor. Alya and I are roommates. She dragged me here."

"I'm Lee Jordan, from Gryffindor. I like Angelina, so I came when she came."

The black boy with dreadlocks did not cover it up at all, causing laughter in the classroom.

Angelina Johnson couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

"..."

"Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff. I'm interested in Muggle culture and would like to learn more about it. If it's interesting, I might continue to take it as an elective. If I'm too busy with other classes, I might give up the advanced course in my fifth year."

"..."

"Roger Davies, Ravenclaw. I think the same as Cedric."

"..."

"Cassius Warrington, Slytherin. My father made me choose him so that I could join the Ministry of Magic after graduation."

"..."

There are quite a few students who choose to take the Muggle Studies course. The reasons for choosing the course are similar. Some students think the course is simple and convenient and want to get a certificate. Some come to accompany friends or partners. Some come to pursue their ideal partners. Only a small number of students are interested in Muggle Studies, but they do not regard it as an important subject.

Slytherin has the fewest students taking Muggle Studies, but they are also the most determined, with clear goals and no secrets.

The other young wizards were not surprised either. This behavior seemed to be very normal in the magical world, at least in the pure-blood circle.

After the last student finished introducing himself, Melvin stood up without any comment, seemingly unconcerned about their reasons for choosing the course. "One question, did you know each other before? Mr. Diggory, you answer."

Cedric thought for a moment and replied, "I know all my Hufflepuff classmates, I have a basic acquaintance with Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and I know a few of the Slytherin Quidditch team members. As for the others, I only know their faces, not their names."

The compulsory courses in the first two years were taught by two colleges together. Almost all students in the same grade had taken classes together. Hufflepuff House got along well with other houses, and only Slytherin was not so familiar with them.

"I see."

Melvin nodded, not surprised. "Those whose names are called will go out and help move the textbooks to the library storage room. The rest of you will stay in the classroom and get to know each other.

"Cedric Diggory, Lee Jordan, Roger Davies, Cassius Warrington..."

The young professor seemed to remember their names after hearing them once.

Chapter 14: Being a teacher, the most important thing is to be happy

Ten o'clock in the morning was the time when students and professors were getting into the groove. Teachers and students were immersed in their first class after returning to school. The corridors of Hogwarts Castle were a little quiet, and the aisles near the library were even more so. It was so quiet that only footsteps could be heard.

Several students in the Muggle Studies class found it novel that they were called out in the middle of class to move teaching materials. They had never experienced such a thing before.

Melvin walked slowly beside him.

"gentlemen."

Cedric of Hufflepuff turned to look at him, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Do the textbooks this semester have any special magical powers? Do they require several people to be present at the same time to move them?"

The others slowed down and were also curious.

"Non-magical, Muggle-published books."

"Can the levitation spell move it?"

"It might work."

"Then why..."

Excluding the idea that the professor doesn't know the levitation spell, I still can't think of any other answer.

Cedric looked at the three students next to him again. He had noticed since he walked out of the classroom that the professor had a pattern in selecting people, picking one from each college.

"Because I need someone to lead the way."

Melvin blinked. "I arrived at Hogwarts only a few hours before the new students. I don't know where the library is, and I'm not familiar with these staircases and doors. If something unexpected happens... for a long time to come, your dinnertime conversation will be about Professor Lewynte getting lost in the corridor during class."

Cedric couldn't help but laugh and said, "No."

Several people nearby echoed in agreement, but their tone was somewhat cheerful. Even Cassius Warrington from Slytherin couldn't help laughing.

Lee Jordan still had doubts: "If you just want to lead the way, you can just ask Cedric to be the only one. Why ask four people?"

"Didn't I tell you that we need to move the books?"

"Are you really moving?"

"We really have to move."

"Isn't there a levitation spell?"

"Dumbledore himself emphasized that spellcasting is prohibited in the school corridors."

"That's something Filch proposed to embarrass students, and professors don't have to follow it."

"Talk less and save some energy for moving the books."

"Ugh……"

The package from Flourish and Blotts was signed for by Madam Pince. Muggle-published books were different from other magic books. They would not move around or make shrill screams. Madam Pince was worried that these encyclopedias would be torn into pieces when placed together with other magic books, so she stored them in the storage room next to the library.

The binding of these books was somewhat different from their usual magic textbooks. Other textbooks had yellowed parchment with covers of Oxford cloth or linen. These books, however, were made of coated paper with soy ink. The handwriting was fine and clear, the edges were neat and fuzz-free, and the covers were covered in a layer of transparent plastic. They felt smooth to the touch and were brightly colored, completely unlike those magic books.

So when Cedric and the others walked into the storage room and saw the shiny, new books, their eyes lit up: "Are these our textbooks?"

Melvin looked at them and smiled. "It's not a textbook, it's a reference book."

"I will take good care of it." Li Jordan couldn't help but touch it, not daring to use too much force.

"I remember you are mixed-blood, so you should have seen this kind of book."

"I've been attending Hogwarts all my life, using only magic textbooks."

"Didn't you read any other books during the holidays?"

"You said it's vacation time, who would still read?" Lee Jordan said confidently.

"I don't know why you sound so proud..." Melvin smiled again, "Stop touching it. Hurry up and move the books. We can read it slowly when we get back to the classroom."

"Okay professor!"

An encyclopedia is a big book and is still quite heavy, but the number of students in the third-grade elective class is not that large, so it is not too difficult to divide it among four people.

With great enthusiasm, the four of them quickly counted the items, each of them picked up a stack and staggered back.

……

When I returned to the classroom, it was noisy.

Hogwarts classrooms were well-insulated, and since Muggle Studies classes didn't have fixed seats, students sat together with familiar faces from the same house. Shortly after the professor left, the classroom became lively, with everyone chatting about the previous topic: Ilvermorny, Muggle Studies, exams, and homework...

A few students also paid attention to Melvin's attire.

Cedric and his three companions walked into the classroom carrying four stacks of heavy books. They placed them on the desks in the front row with a thud, and the young wizards suddenly quieted down.