Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle

"..."

Melvin picked up the small mirror and looked through it.

It was still made of quartz, crystal clear, and filled with the improved silver mist potion. It kept swirling when he shook the mirror, and it was a little more turbid than the cloud between gas and liquid in the meditation basin.

Wright continued to explain, "It's not just the size that's changed, other components have been added. See the crystal embedded in the groove? That's a connector made based on the principles of the Floo Network."

Melvin sat up straight, his expression more serious. "Is it what I thought?"

"It's what you think it is, a Muggle cable network."

Wright grinned, trying not to appear too proud. "The Ministry of Magic already has a Floo Network, controlled and supervised by the Floo Network Administration of the Department of Transport. It can connect the entire UK across space. The entire Floo Network system was set up by the Egyptian Alchemy Centre, with Nicolas Flamel as the chief designer. My grandfather participated in its construction and maintenance, leaving behind a wealth of information. Anyway, we hit it off and designed this home mirror."

Melvin looked at the crystal in the groove and was still shocked, but when he thought about it carefully, it seemed quite reasonable.

The social form of the magical world is relatively primitive, but its productivity and technological levels are not primitive at all. In some aspects, they are even unimaginably advanced.

After all, magic doesn't have to obey the rules of physics. As for the Floo Network, let alone light signals, a handful of Floo powder can cause green flames to rise, and even physical matter can easily cross space.

Outrageous, but reasonable.

"Can you make a TV show out of it?"

"OK."

Wright nodded, then shook his head: "It is designed based on the Floo Network. In order to function, it requires the cooperation of the Ministry of Magic's Department of Transportation."

"Oh, with the Ministry's cooperation."

Melvin mimicked his tone and repeated it casually. After a few seconds' pause, he asked, "Umbridge tried to list the film mirror as a banned item two months ago. Fudge got into a big fight with the school because of the film. Do you think they will agree to cooperate?"

"Ask me what to do? This is a problem you should solve."

Wright stood with his back straight and was confident, which was the confidence that came from being a technician.

……

Walking on the streets of Hogsmeade, with the warm sunshine shining on him, Melvin sorted out his thoughts.

Broadway stages are divided into different sizes, and Muggles' screens are also divided into different sizes. The big screen is suitable for highly immersive content such as movies and football games, while the small screen is more suitable for light entertainment or information-intensive content.

Extending media into every wizarding home is something we'll need to do in the future. The equipment issue has been resolved, but without content, we can't move forward for now. I can't support such a huge demand on my own...

Various ideas flashed through Melvin's mind, following the path that Muggles had already taken, but the environment of the wizarding world was different and could not be brought in rigidly.

Let's wait, the time is not right yet.

When passing by the Hog's Head Bar, Melvin saw the door half-open from afar. He glanced inside unconsciously and happened to meet the eyes of a middle-aged wizard sitting at a round table near the door.

A wizard in his forties or fifties, of medium build, with a mixture of gray and white hair and a carefully groomed beard, a slightly high hairline, a hooked nose, a wizard robe ironed straight, and a feather pen pinned to his chest.

Melvin noticed him immediately. You know, in the Hog's Head Inn, it was very rare for a wizard to be willing to show his face.

The wizard also noticed Melvin, his eyes lit up slightly, he put down the burning fire whiskey, and immediately came forward.

"Professor Lewinter, nice to meet you at last." The middle-aged wizard smiled and extended his hand to him. His voice was mellow and full of energy. His face was well-maintained and his beard was neatly trimmed, making him look elegant and a little cunning.

"you are?"

"Barnabas Guffey."

"Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Prophet?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Melvin's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, gave him a polite smile and shook hands with him.

Unlike the gold medal reporter and special contributor Miss Beetle, this middle-aged wizard is not a whistleblower, nor does he use distorted facts and sensational headlines to attract eyeballs and attention. He is more like a behind-the-scenes manipulator, carefully arranging the newspaper layout to influence the direction of public opinion.

He was very good at judging the situation and was able to detect the appropriate level of news reporting during the Wizarding War, and was able to convey information to other wizards without angering the Death Eaters.

After Voldemort's fall, The Daily Prophet became the propaganda mouthpiece of the Ministry of Magic. The content he wrote could be interpreted as official rhetoric, but a sense of resistance could also be read between the lines. He would also question power from the readers' perspective at appropriate times to maintain the newspaper's reputation.

He's a slick old fox.

"It's an honor that Professor Lewinter knows my name."

Barnabas Guffey smiled warmly, "After the film came out, I wrote to the professor, hoping to visit him, but I never heard back... I'm sure a lot of people have written to him recently."

“There are more roaring letters.”

“There are always people who ignore the truth and think that if they bury their heads in the sand, disasters won’t happen.”

Barnabas shook his head and got down to business. "Could you please invite the professor for a drink? The Three Broomsticks, not the Hog's Head."

"Mr. Guffey waited for me here?"

"I heard that almost all pubs in Britain have installed shadow mirrors, but the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade is the only one that has remained the same, and its business has not been affected. It's quite unique, and I'd like to see it for myself," Barnabas replied. "On entering, I realized it's in a great location, making it convenient for observing wizards entering and leaving the village."

"This place was once the headquarters of the goblin rebellion. It is indeed very special."

The two chatted about the characteristics of pubs in different places, then turned back and walked towards the Three Broomsticks, with a kind of unspoken understanding.

Barnabas is the editor-in-chief of a newspaper and knows all kinds of unknown secrets. Melvin has a quick mind, and for a while, there is an atmosphere of pleasant conversation between the two.

Half an hour later, Melvin returned to the Three Broomsticks with Barnabas, and under Madam Rosmerta's surprised gaze, ordered some food and asked for it to be delivered to their room on the third floor.

Barnabas talked about the origin of the Leaky Cauldron and the establishment of Diagon Alley, analyzed the original intention of the first owner Daisy Doddridge, sorted out the process of the Abbott family taking over the tavern, and finally even involved interfering with the Muggle government's planning of Charing Cross Road.

At the end of the 19th century, the Muggle government planned to build Charing Cross Road. According to the plan, the Leaky Cauldron would be demolished. Many wizards united and modified the memories of relevant personnel through a large number of forgetfulness spells, so that the Leaky Cauldron could be preserved.

"...In the past few hundred years, Muggles have created unprecedented brilliant achievements. Charing Cross Road is one of them. Professor Lewynter, what do you think?"

"The Leaky Cauldron has a long history and has accumulated many legendary stories, but the drinks there are too traditional and the hygiene is terrible. The Three Broomsticks does a good job..."

In front of the professor of Muggle Studies, Barnabas tried his best to steer the conversation towards Muggles, but Melvin never responded. He said they wanted to talk about the pub, so he introduced him to several signature brews of the Three Broomsticks and explained the brewing recipes.

Both of them pretended to be ignorant even though they knew the truth.

After half an hour of arguing, the young professor was still talking about what kind of oak barrels would make mead taste better, and then he began to introduce the best tasting temperature of butterbeer. Barnabas was a little impatient.

"Professor Lewinter, I actually want to cooperate with you."

Barnabas chose to confess, "The Daily Prophet is planning to produce a news program to be broadcast on the Shadow Mirror. We've consulted several tavern owners, and the Magic Mirror Club seems to have had this plan from the beginning. The contract even encourages all parties to produce their own programs, but they think such programs are limited to Quidditch matches. We want to be the first to try it."

Melvin stroked his wine glass and made a thoughtful expression.

Barnabas continued to persuade, "Listen to me, Professor. Although some old stubborn people are still advocating the supremacy of pure-bloods, more wizards have begun to get in touch with Muggle life. They enjoy those new things. The future will definitely be an era of harmonious coexistence between wizards and Muggles.

"Short-sighted witches like Umbridge can't stop Muggle things from entering the wizarding world. The real trend is unstoppable, just like the Wizarding Radio Union and the Memory Mirror..."

Melvin was deeply moved as he listened to the middle-aged wizard's speech.

Different wizards have different ideas and concepts. Not all wizards are shallow and ignorant, trying to drag the entire magical world into stagnation. There are always some smart wizards who are ahead of the times.

Don't underestimate wizards from all over the world.

"...The Shadow Mirror still has a lot of potential that has not been tapped. We can make small-scale Shadow Mirrors and broadcast some less sophisticated programs to gain a stronger influence and even change the entire wizarding world."

"News program, it's indeed a good choice."

Melvin looked at the editor-in-chief in front of him and pretended to be thoughtful. "For the Daily Prophet, this kind of program is a perfect fit. It simply converts printed content into video. It's quick and easy to produce, and we can quickly build up a large, loyal audience, making it easier to control the discourse and set the agenda."

He gave a meaningful smile. "Then you can manipulate public opinion. At a superficial level, it can affect the business of a certain tavern. At a deeper level, it can interfere with the election of officials or the odds of a football match. What do you think, Mr. Guffey?"

"..."

Barnabas couldn't help but hold his breath, not knowing for a moment whether this man was a young professor who had just reached adulthood or an old wizard with far-reaching plans.

He put away all his thoughts, looked the professor in the eye, and pondered how to gain the trust of the Magic Mirror Club's manager. He also calculated what bargaining chips the publishing house could offer, but he didn't speak rashly.

Melvin took a sip of soda water, a smile hidden in his dark eyes:

"This is just my personal fantasy. The movie theater really needs a news program, but the time is not yet ripe. The current movie theaters are all set in pubs, and the drinkers who crave excitement need exciting football matches rather than daily news.

"The Daily Prophet probably needs time to polish the program. Wait a little longer. I'll contact Editor-in-Chief Guffey when the time comes."

Chapter 90 You are much more generous than a certain principal

Muggle Studies Professor's office.

Melvin sat behind the desk, unscrewed a brand new ink, took out a seldom-used feather pen, dipped it in the ink. It was the signature product of Wenrenju Feather Pen Shop, and the ink was filled with the fragrance of the woods after the rain.

I casually wrote down a few names on a piece of paper, and my thoughts gradually became clearer.

"The Daily Prophet, Barnabas Guffey, Rita Skeeter..."

He thought about the conversation in the pub during the day and the editor-in-chief who was as shrewd as an old fox.

Hundreds of years ago, a wizard tried to teach a troll to dance ballet. Since then, Barnabas became Silly Barnabas. Many people used this to spread the idea that Muggles and trolls were inferior creatures that could not communicate. This story was made into a tapestry and left in Hogwarts, and is still laughed at by many students today.

Barnabas inherited the name of their ancestors and also inherited that enlightened ideology.

This time the result was not a laughing stock. He actively interacted with Muggles, learned the brilliant culture created by Muggles, drew nutrients from it that were beneficial to himself, and created the unique wizard newspaper "The Daily Prophet".

Attract attention, maintain neutrality, and make small profits but quick turnover...

When the Shadow Mirror was first unveiled, the Daily Prophet took a wait-and-see approach, reporting the case as if it were normal news. Umbridge filed a lawsuit, but Headmaster Dumbledore and Ms. Marchbanks used the Wizengamot to force the case to be dismissed, and they continued to wait and see.

Even after the film was successfully released, some of its content even touched Fudge's bottom line, but Yingjing continued to operate smoothly and earn excess profits.

Barnabas Guffey was finally convinced that this mirror would change the entire wizarding world, so he went straight to Melvin, hoping to use the news program to take advantage of this opportunity and expand the influence of the Daily Prophet.

Cautious, shrewd, ambitious, and adventurous...

To be honest, this is an old fox with the qualities of a successful person.

The Daily Prophet firmly holds the top spot among British wizarding newspapers, reaping huge profits every year from the Ministry of Magic and pure-blood families alone, not to mention other advertising revenues. Barnabas Guffey is worth a fortune.

During the Wizarding War, the newspaper helped to deliver news, publish obituaries, mourn the dead, and distribute news of Voldemort's downfall to the whole of Britain as soon as possible. After the war, it helped to restore order and maintain stability, and did not completely become a puppet of the Ministry of Magic. The editor-in-chief accumulated some reputation and was very respected.

In a sense, he is actually very similar to Dumbledore.

The Magic Mirror Club does need other wizards to produce programs and participate in the development of the Shadow Mirror, but he cannot occupy a dominant position. The pulling and deterrence during the day is for smooth cooperation in the future, and the timing is indeed not ripe now.

"How can we get the Ministry of Magic to cooperate?"

"I'm not sure if this kind of cooperation can be directly put to a vote in the Wizengamot."

"Or maybe just let Fudge abdicate, frame him, and create some scandal..."

Melvin stopped talking in time, shaking his head. He felt that he had been in Hogwarts for too long and had picked up Slytherin's bad habits.

At this moment, there was a knock on the office door.

"Dong dong..."

"Please come in."