The party was over, and it was almost night.
The castle didn't quiet down immediately.
After two months, the students had returned to school in high spirits. They were restless on the way back to the common room. The boys gathered to laugh and play, while the girls grouped together to chat, discussing interesting things from their holidays.
The ghosts slithered along the walls, from one suit of armor to another. In fact, they didn't mind. They felt nothing. But the shouts of the young wizards gave them great energy.
Professor McGonagall had to call twice before the students calmed down a bit.
Melvin didn't feel much and returned to his room early. The castle walls were well soundproofed, and the noise disappeared as soon as the door closed.
He washed in the bathroom, put on summer pajamas, slipped into slippers, and sat behind the desk.
He opened an envelope he had just received and read it silently.
The letter from the Magical Examinations Authority, written by Madam Marchbank, was a bit long, but the main points were clearly organized and the details appropriately thorough. It occupied five pages of parchment. The first four were filled with scientific questions:
Does the universe have limits?
Can a damaged atmosphere be repaired with magic?
Why aren't whales fish? Why aren't bats birds?
Some of these questions were from Madam Marchbank herself, along with many others from the Authority. It seemed the encyclopedia fever was still alive.
The last two pages contained the main text.
"...Also, remember to record your course content, organize it, summarize it, and send it to the Authority regularly. The committee will redesign the examination program based on the content."
According to Madam Marchbank's plan, fifth and seventh years, who were currently taking exams, would remain unchanged, covering content from previous years. Third, fourth, and sixth years would follow their plan and prepare for the new exams next year.
Unexpectedly, professors at magical schools would also have to write their teaching records.
Melvin answered each question, promising to send lesson plans monthly. He also recommended some books at the end of the letter—not children's encyclopedias, but scientific outreach books for teenagers.
He folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and planned to send it the next day. Then he took out a blank sheet and began writing thoughtfully.
He planned to send his second letter to Knockturn Alley. He had not yet closed the deal he had agreed upon and had not received the map of magical villages in Great Britain. He was writing to inform them of a change in delivery address, which would now be sent to the Hogsmeade Post Office.
He definitely could not receive it at Hogwarts; that would reveal his identity.
Finally, he found the schedule that Professor McGonagall had sent him.
He had a class the next morning, and it seemed it was for third-year students.
...
Hogwarts was a magical castle, and that magic emanated from every corner of the school.
The magic of the Transfiguration classroom resided in Professor McGonagall's ability to transform desks into fat, grunting pigs with a flick of her wand; the magic of the portraits resided in the wizards wandering freely and whispering against the walls; the magic of the brick walls lay in the constantly moving stairs and doors, which made getting lost easy if one wasn't careful; and then there were the ghosts coming and going, the students practicing magic, the house-elves hiding in corners...
New students and professors found it novel, while other professors and students had already adapted. Few wizards realized that this marvel had persisted for millennia, without noticeable change.
Such magic, lacking novelty and change, had long revealed its numerous flaws.
Melvin climbed the moving stone staircase, gradually understanding its changing patterns, while his sense of novelty slowly faded.
Other new students experienced similar things.
"Don't think no one saw you!"
He heard a deep and vaguely familiar voice. He stopped at the landing corner, peeking halfway to look inside, and saw Snape and Quirrell confronting each other.
"You were watching that boy, weren't you?"
"I... I wasn't... no..." stammered Quirinus Quirrell, a severe stutter, perhaps a side effect of Voldemort's mental possession.
"You deny it?"
"I... I... know that you..." Quirrell struggled to articulate.
"You don't know what I mean?"
"I... you were watching too."
"..."
Snape looked coldly into his eyes, suspecting he was doing it on purpose, but the last sentence was particularly fluent.
Melvin pursed his lips, unable to fully suppress a smile, and let out a brief puff that immediately caught both men's attention, who turned their heads to look at him.
"Ahem..."
Melvin calmly rounded the corner. "Excuse me, where is the Muggle Studies classroom? I'm not very familiar with the castle."
Snape looked at him coldly, said nothing, and turned to go down the stairs. Quirrell did indicate the direction, stumbling but more fluently than before:
"It's... on this floor. Turn right up ahead, it's the... third room."
"Thank you very much," said Melvin with a smile, watching him disappear into the distance. Snape was truly unpleasant. Notice Professor Quirrell.
The ex-Muggle Studies professor gave clear directions. Melvin walked down the corridor, turned right at the corner, and found his classroom without difficulty.
A few minutes before class, almost all the third-year students were present, chatting. The boys mainly discussed why the last stretch of the fourth-floor corridor had been suddenly blocked, while the girls commented on their outfit from the previous night and the news they had read in the Daily Prophet.
Melvin paused and listened for half a minute, distinguishing the houses from their conversation and recognizing some prominent faces.
"Ding dong..."
The bell rang, and the classroom fell silent. Melvin pushed the door open and entered.
The professor was still wearing his Muggle clothes: a pine-green blazer with a jet-black shirt. The notched lapels rolled naturally. The blended fabric fell smoothly, with soft folds, giving him a casual, comfortable, and distinguished air.
The eyes of many young witches lit up. The boys also noticed that the professor seemed quite handsome.
"Melvin Lewynter..."
The students followed the chalk, watching the chalk shavings outline the professor's name, and murmured unconsciously.
This method was actually quite common. Professor McGonagall once introduced herself by distorting the entire board, Professor Flitwick used his magical brilliance to outline, and even Professor Sprout, the Herbology professor, once spelled her surname with poisonous tentacles.
"What?" someone asked Professor Snape.
He avoided introducing himself.
The professor's introduction was somewhat Muggle.
Melvin wrote his name on the board and let the chalk drop indifferently on the desk. "I think many of you have seen my name in your announcements and perhaps even read about me in the Daily Prophet. Considering that some students don't read newspapers and have many questions about the changes in this course...
"Now, you have five minutes to raise your hands and ask questions."
The young wizards' eyes lit up.
It was usually the professor who asked them questions, guiding them through the course material, but this was the first time a professor allowed them to ask questions.
It felt like a dialogue between equals.
The novel teaching method immediately piqued their interest, and even the new professor felt closer.
Swish!
A female student was the first to react, raising her right hand. As expected, she asked the first question.
"The girl in the second row."
"Professor, is it true you're from Ilvermorny?"
"It's a pointless question, but yes."
"Ask the boy next to you."
"Uh... Professor, why did you leave your studies?"
"That's a very interesting question. When I left my studies, I thought many people would ask me, so I prepared many answers, but none worked. Not even Director Dumbledore asked when he recruited me. I suspect he forgot."
His slightly mocking words caused some laughter in the class. Melvin waited for the laughter to subside before continuing:
"The most formal answer is that I had already finished my studies at that time, and the remaining two years of courses were only review and exam preparation. I needed to go out into the world to verify the knowledge I had gained, to observe, experiment, and explore. My head was full of ideas waiting to be put into practice, and that graduation certificate wasn't that important to me, so leaving my studies became a natural decision."
The students in the audience were silent, and a Gryffindor girl raised her hand:
"Professor, what is the less formal answer?"
"A less formal answer..."
Melvin paused, then smiled and said: "The world is so big that I want to see it."
Laughter echoed through the classroom.
Some students rolled their eyes, lost in thought.
Leaving school had been a difficult decision for him. At the time, he was sure he had a clear plan or had been lucky enough to have the opportunity. However, he wouldn't recommend others do the same. If he knew any of you were considering leaving school, he would simply contact your parents and suggest they confiscate your wands and punish you.
Feeling a slight increase in seriousness, Melvin was quite satisfied.
"Professor, what is Ilvermorny like?"
"It's actually similar to Hogwarts. It also has four houses and is a boarding school, but the curriculum and teaching model are different. If you want to know more about other magic schools, I can recommend some books here. If you're interested, you can check them out in the library, like The Educational Crisis in the Magical World, How Various Magic Schools Influence Magical Society, School in the Desert: A History of the Struggle for Witches' Education in Afghanistan..."
"Professor Lewynter, I want to know how the new curriculum differs from the old one and what we will learn."
"You'll know later. It can't be explained in a few words."
"Professor! We can talk about other things later, but you must answer this now! Are there many assignments, and are they difficult?"
"I'm not sure yet. It depends on your performance."
"Professor, I heard you're an adviser to the Examining Authority. Will you prepare future exam content? Will you write the questions?"
"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. I advise you to study hard."
...
The five-minute question period ended quickly. The students were still unsatisfied. They seemed to have asked many questions, but it seemed they hadn't asked anything. However, they had shortened the distance with the professor.
This theoretical course, which had nothing magical, piqued the interest of many students who had originally attended with a History of Magic attitude, and now they were willing to pay a little attention.
"Now you know me quite well, it's my turn..."
Melvin pulled out a chair and sat beside the podium. Facing the students, he pointed to the girl in the first row, on the right. "Start with you. Introduce yourself. Tell us your name, your house, and why you chose this course!"
Another novel experience they had never lived! The students' eyes lit up.
Students born to Muggles had experienced it before, but this was their first time in a magic school, and the experience was truly fascinating.
"I'm Alicia Spinnet, from Gryffindor
."
The girl was a little nervous, but her previous experience made her want to share her thoughts: "I'm Muggle-born, and I think this course should be easy to get an extra certificate."
Melvin was not surprised. Having been a student himself, he knew many people thought the same.
He gestured for her to sit and signaled the girl behind her to continue: "Next."
"Angelina Johnson, from Gryffindor. I'm Alya's dorm mate, and she brought me here."
"I'm Lee Jordan, from Gryffindor. I like Angelina, so I came because she was here."
The black boy with dreadlocks said it bluntly, causing the whole class to laugh.
Angelina Johnson couldn't help rolling her eyes.
"..."
"Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff. I'm interested in Muggle culture and want to learn more. If I like it, maybe I'll continue. If I'm too busy with other classes, I might skip the advanced fifth-year course."
"..."
"Roger Davies, Ravenclaw. I have the same idea as Cedric."
"..."
"Cassius Warrington, Slytherin. My father told me to take it so it would be easier to join the Ministry after graduation."
"..."
Many students took Muggle Studies, and their reasons were similar: they found it easy and convenient to get a certificate, some came to accompany friends, and others to find a partner. Only a small number of students were genuinely interested, but they did not consider it a crucial subject.
The Slytherins were the fewest in number but the most determined, with clear goals.
The other young wizards were not surprised. This behavior seemed normal in the magical world, at least among pure-bloods.
After the last student finished introducing themselves, Melvin stood without comment, seemingly indifferent to their reasons for choosing the course.
"One question, did you know each other before? Mr. Diggory, you answer."
Cedric replied thoughtfully: "I know all the Hufflepuff and have a basic knowledge of the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. I know some Slytherin Quidditch team members, but I only recognize their faces, not their names."
During the first two years, the compulsory subjects were taught in two houses together, so students in the same course had practically studied together. The Hufflepuff got along with the other houses, but only Slytherin felt less familiar.
"I see."
Melvin nodded, unsurprised.
"Those whose names have been mentioned, please go help fetch the textbooks from the library storage. The rest will stay in the classroom to get to know each other better."
"Cedric Diggory, Lee Jordan, Roger Davies, Cassius Warrington..."
The young professor seemed to remember their names after hearing them once.