Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle

But this was also a gift, which just confirmed his guess.

"The wizard's soul..."

Melvin took a moment to reflect, then picked up the glass and drank it all.

By the time Old Tom finished reading the article, the young wizard in the corner had quietly left.

Melvin walked through the lobby to the open space behind the bar and found an unused trash can. Following the guidance of the magical fluctuations, he soon noticed an unusual red brick above the trash can.

This spell wasn't particularly concealing, primarily consisting of a Muggle-Repelling Charm and a weak Confusion Charm. Any Muggle who stumbled in would quickly become uneasy and, subconsciously, leave as quickly as possible. The rest was a Reach Without a Trace Charm, combined with a few Transfiguration techniques.

The magic skills are not difficult, but the ideas are very ingenious.

Similar designs can be found in wizarding settlements around the world.

Melvin took out his wand and tapped the red brick. After waiting for a few seconds, the brick loosened and retracted into the wall. Then the entire brick wall began to move, revealing a hole in the middle. The hole became bigger and bigger, and soon a wide path was revealed.

Leading to Diagon Alley.

……

Flourish and Blotts, north side of Diagon Alley.

Melvin wandered among the bookshelves.

The bookstore manager followed behind, his face filled with a warm smile: "Professor Lewynter, it's great to finally meet you. I've read your speech. It's so emotionally sincere and well-reasoned. It's so moving...

"Our bookstore has a long-standing cooperative relationship with Hogwarts. No matter how rare the books the professors choose as textbooks, we can provide a stable and sufficient supply and ensure regular replenishment every year."

Melvin remained unmoved. According to the feedback from the magic, the manager's emotions were not as strong as he appeared.

He reached out and pulled out a beautifully bound book from the shelf, then opened it casually.

The Philosophy of the World: Why Muggles Don't Ask Questions

By Modix Egger

The bookstore manager immediately introduced, "A sharp eye, Professor Lewynter. Modix Egger was once the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts. In this book, he explores in depth the phenomenon that even when excuses are completely untenable, Muggles generally ignore the existence of magic. Just like the three no monkeys on the cover, they turn a blind eye to magic, turn a deaf ear to it, and know but do not speak of it."

Melvin turned directly to the publication information on the back page of the book.

Publisher: Dust & Mold Press

Publication Date: 1969-09-01

The bookstore manager immediately quieted down and looked away silently.

Melvin found it a little amusing. "It's been sitting in the warehouse for twenty years. Just like the publisher's name, it's covered in dust and mold, right?"

"This is the style of DF Publishing. We don't pursue bestsellers, but explore the true and profound essence of things."

Melvin suddenly felt a sense of respect: "Really? What's the latest book they published?"

"B."

"..."

He paused in chatting and began to look through all the books about Muggles in the bookstore.

Influenced by the war that took place more than a decade ago, the entire British wizarding community has become relatively conservative. Muggle-related reading materials are mainly investigative reports and autobiographical novels. Popular science books are either superficial or outdated. Only a few magazine articles are valuable, but they are not systematic and cannot be used as teaching materials.

Seeing that he didn't move, the bookstore manager asked tentatively, "Didn't you find the right textbook? There are still some books in the basement library. If you need them..."

"no need."

Melvin closed a recent magazine, and the title of the page was exactly the article by Charity Burbage, "The Preparation of Witches for Entry into Muggle Society".

He thought for a moment, then turned and asked, "Can you get books from Muggle publishers?"

"Yes, yes..." The bookstore manager hesitated.

"Have you ever heard of the Children's Encyclopedia?"

-

The Leaky Cauldron in History

The Leaky Cauldron was founded by Daisy Doddridge in the early 1th century at Diagon Alley.

In 1692, the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was implemented, and Minister of Magic Ulric Gamp allowed pubs to remain open. In gratitude, the Leaky Cauldron introduced a new beer: Gamp's Old Social Ale. It was so unpalatable that even with a 100 Galleon bounty, no one could finish a pint.

In the late 19th century, the Muggle government planned to renovate Charing Cross Road. However, due to a secrecy order, then-Minister Faris Spavon took no action to salvage the site. However, the wizards of Diagon Alley spontaneously organized a campaign, using numerous Memory Charms to erase the memories of those involved, and even infiltrating the Prime Minister's residence to modify the blueprints. This saved the Leaky Cauldron.

Chapter 7 Knockturn Alley

Charing Cross Road is located in the center of London, between Oxford Street and Trafalgar Square. There are dozens of bookstores scattered along the street. The most prosperous of them is Foyles flagship bookstore, which is diagonally opposite 84 Charing Cross Road.

Melvin looked up at the bright red banner, then looked away and walked in.

It is called a bookstore, but it is actually more like a commercial center, with 5 floors and an area of ​​more than 3 square feet. It is said that it sells more than 20 kinds of books, and all the bookshelves are connected to run through the entire street.

There's a dedicated section for Shakespeare's works, two walls of Beethoven's music, and vinyl records displayed alongside. There's also a variety of gift items and stationery...

There is a coffee shop on the second floor, and the air is filled with a faint fragrance.

The sunlight pours in through the glass curtain wall, and with the warm carpet and carefully arranged decorations, it seems somewhat cozy. The floor is covered with thick carpets, as if worried that the footsteps will disturb readers who are reading, such as the hunchbacked little witch sitting by the window.

The nearly two-hundred-year-old witch looked extremely old, with a hunched back and wrinkles on her face as fine as spider webs, but her hair was combed meticulously and she lowered her head to read a book.

When you get older, studying becomes a very difficult thing.

Faced with a completely new system of knowledge, the experience accumulated over many years is not only useless, but sometimes even becomes a difficult obstacle.

When my eyes scan those unfamiliar words and sentences, I always have to read them silently in my mind several times before I can understand the meaning. Understanding the meaning is not enough, I must also abandon my wizarding thinking and think from a Muggle perspective several times to gain new knowledge.

Land masses separated by vast oceans can merge into one another, and the land beneath our feet is constantly moving...

The lightning that streaked across the sky was nothing like the lightning used by Muggles...

The old witch had to completely abandon the magic she had learned in the first half of her life in order to get a glimpse of a corner of scientific knowledge, but even this tiny corner still made the nearly two-hundred-year-old witch as happy as a child. Occasionally, when she saw the exciting parts, her cloudy eyes would emit bright light.

Melvin came over and stepped a little harder. His hard-soled leather shoes made a slight but obvious sound, and a transparent spell spread out.

"clatter."

Griselda Marchbank, who was reading intently, raised her head, her fine wrinkles smoothed out, and she smiled gently, "Professor Lewynter."

Melvin glanced at the title of the book. It was the textbook he had recently chosen, the DK Children's Encyclopedia.

"Sorry, breakfast will be delayed for ten minutes while we wait for the freshly baked bread."

Melvin sat down opposite him and spoke louder than usual so that even the hard-of-hearing old wizard could hear him clearly. However, the sound only lingered a few feet around him and could not spread. "Also, you can call me by my name, ma'am."

"You really do look like Dumbledore as a young man."

Ms. Marchbanks noticed the magical barrier around her and chuckled, but didn't say where the similarities lay.

She closed the book casually. "The book you recommended is very good. People at the Examination Authority are reading it. I have to say, it's very comprehensive, just like its name - an encyclopedia. I have to admit that the knowledge these Muggle children read is something that most adult wizards will never know in their lifetime. This knowledge not only helps us to correctly understand Muggles, but also helps us to correctly understand the world."

“That’s exactly what I was hoping for.”

Melvin said slowly, "Natural science is the Muggles' magic wand. In my opinion, since science dispelled ignorance, their success in the past two hundred years has surpassed that of the previous millennia. Unprecedented changes are approaching. Wizards can no longer live their lives in seclusion as they did in the past. They must correctly understand the relationship between the wizarding world and the rest of the world and explore entirely new paths."

"Unfortunately, science can't dispel the ignorance and stubbornness of wizards." Marchbanks sighed, his bony fingers stroking the book covers. "When the Ministry learned you were going to use Muggle books as teaching materials, they started making a fuss again. Those pure-bloods just couldn't settle down, and they were clamoring to call the Wizengamot to re-determine the situation."

“New things are always accompanied by controversy.”

"We old guys don't have the energy to mess with them."

Marchbanks shook his head, shoved his trembling right hand into his shirt pocket, and pulled out a letter of appointment that far exceeded the size of his pocket. "Tofty—the old man who sat next to me that day, he's the Deputy Director of the Administration—he and I have discussed it and decided to hire you as a special advisor to the Examinations Authority, specifically responsible for the reform of Muggle Studies."

"..."

Melvin paused for a moment and asked, "How is the salary calculated?"

Marchbanks was speechless. He looked up at him, his slightly hoarse voice echoing within a few inches of space. "No salary, only obligations. You will need to record your teaching content, write detailed lesson plans, and record student feedback. However, the knowledge points you record will become the examination points for Muggle Studies. For decades or even centuries to come, your lesson plans will serve as the teaching guidelines... In short, the standards for this subject will be set by you."

“A thankless chore.”

"Is such that."

"But I want to try."

This job is not as bad as Marchban said. No salary does not mean no compensation.

And for Melvin, the job paid well.

Since its establishment in the 15th century, the Wizarding Examinations Authority has developed over the years and has now grown into a professional organization with huge resources.

The Administration has multiple functional departments responsible for all work related to exams in the wizarding world, including qualification review, independent question setting, and exam supervision... An institution that can set standards and judge and review other wizards has accumulated influence that has continued to expand over the past five hundred years.

This influence is exactly what Melvin needs.

For the next few hours, the two discussed the detailed teaching plan, and it was not until the sun set that Melvin said goodbye.

……

The bookstore is also open in the evening.

Mrs. Marchbank did not leave, but sat by the window in the cafe with the encyclopedia spread out in front of her. She looked at the street below with a gentle expression, as if she was enjoying the scenery.

According to the Administration's system, wizards appointed as special consultants are all retired professors. The last consultant who broke the age record was fifty years old when he joined the company.

This special hiring was secretly promoted by Dumbledore, and it was also because these old guys were looking for change.

Generally speaking, special advisors don't have the authority to set teaching standards. Instead, expert panels are formed, which constantly add, delete, and revise them, often dragging out negotiations for decades before reaching a conclusion. The revision of Muggle Studies curriculum began ten years ago, influenced in part by the Wizarding War and the events surrounding You-Know-Who.

Compared with this encyclopedia, the hundreds of thousands of words of content compiled by this group of old scholars were all swept into the trash can.

The old witch's eyes reflected the passing traffic, the soft street lights on both sides of the road, and the figure with light footsteps on the side of the road.

So young.

……

I wrote and talked with Ms. Marchbanks, answered questions from the Wizarding Authority, adapted to the living environment in London, the accent and the strange slang of the wizards, and investigated the prospects for artistic development... It was the end of July when I came to Diagon Alley again.

At this time, the streets are crowded with students and parents who are doing their shopping for the start of the school term.

Melvin was standing at the door of the stationery store. He needed to buy some developing solution.

This potion can make the portraits in the photos move, and convert the pictures into videos with only images but no sound. The length and frame rate fluctuate according to the quality of the potion. Poor quality will result in two or three seconds of mosaic, while good quality will only result in half a minute of standard definition.

The raw materials for preparing the potion are not scarce, and the steps are not complicated, but it is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and cannot be sold at a high price.

Skilled potion makers would not waste time on this, so the quality of developing potions on the market is generally poor, and Melvin can only try his luck.