It was ten in the morning, the perfect time for students and teachers to get moving. The hallways of Hogwarts Castle were relatively quiet, especially near the library, where only the whisper of footsteps could be heard.
Several Muggle Studies students were curious; being called out in the middle of class to move textbooks was something they had never experienced before.
Melvin walked slowly alongside them.
"Sir," Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff turned to look at him. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Do these textbooks for this semester have any special magical power? How many people are needed to move them?"
The others slowed down as well, equally curious.
"No magic, just books published by Muggles."
"Can they be moved with a levitation charm?"
"I think so."
Then, why...
Excluding the possibility that the professor could not use a levitation charm, no other explanation occurred to them.
Cedric looked at the three students beside him. Since leaving the classroom, he had noticed that the professor followed a pattern in his selection process: one person from each house.
"Because I need someone to show me the way."
Melvin blinked. "I arrived at Hogwarts only a few hours before the first-years. I don't know where the library is, and I don't know these stairs or doors. If something unexpected happens... the topic of conversation during your meals will be that Professor Lewynter got lost in the hallway during class."
Cedric couldn't help laughing. "No."
Several others beside him imitated him, though in a cheerful tone. Even Cassius Warrington of Slytherin couldn't help but laugh.
Lee Jordan still had doubts. "If you were just going to guide, you could have just asked Cedric. Why four people?"
"Didn't I tell you? We have to move the books."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Aren't there levitation spells?"
Dumbledore himself had emphasized the importance of not casting spells in the school hallways. That was Filch's suggestion to embarrass students, and teachers didn't have to follow it.
"—Be quiet and save your energy for moving the books."
"—Ah..."
Madam Pince had signed the Flourish and Blotts package. Unlike magical books, textbooks published by Muggles didn't move or shout. She stored them with the other magical books, worried that the encyclopedias might tear, so she kept them in the library storage. The binding of these books differed from regular magical textbooks: yellowed parchment with Oxford or linen covers. These books were made of coated paper with soy-based ink. The handwriting was fine and clear, the edges clean and lint-free, and the covers had a transparent plastic film. They felt smooth to the touch and were brightly colored, completely different from magical books.
When Cedric Diggory and the others entered the storage room and saw the new, pristine books, their eyes lit up. "Are these our textbooks?"
Melvin looked at them and smiled. "They are not textbooks, but reference books, I suppose."
"I'll take good care of them." Lee Jordan couldn't help touching them, careful not to press too hard.
"I remember you're Muggle-born, so you've probably seen books like this before."
"I've been at Hogwarts and only used magical textbooks."
"Didn't you read other books during the holidays?"
"You said it was a holiday—who reads?" Lee Jordan said confidently.
"I don't know why you sound so proud..." Melvin smiled again. "Stop touching them. Hurry and move the books. We'll take our time in class."
"All right, Professor!"
An encyclopedia was quite a large volume, but the third-year elective class wasn't very large, so sharing them among four people wasn't too much of a burden.
With great enthusiasm, the four quickly counted the books, each taking a stack and staggering backward.
...
When they returned to the classroom, it was bustling with activity.
Hogwarts classrooms are well insulated, and since Muggle Studies has no assigned seating, students sit together with familiar housemates. Shortly after the professor left, the room buzzed with conversation about previous topics: Ilvermorny, Muggle Studies, exams, and homework...
Some students even noticed Melvin's attire.
Cedric Diggory and the other three entered the classroom with four stacks of tomes. They placed them on the front desks with a thud, and the young wizards went silent.
Seeing them eagerly examining their new books, Melvin calmly walked to the first row, motioned for Cedric and the others to return to their seats, and asked, "How's it going getting to know each other in class?"
"...."
The young wizards blinked.
What was the point? Wasn't it just a casual remark?
"They're not going to answer, are they? Then I'll choose some people to check our results."
Melvin's words immediately made the students nervous. He looked around and paused. "You don't have student numbers, so we'll number your seats. The first person on the left is number 1, then 2, 3... clear?"
The young wizards nodded, vaguely understanding what he meant.
"Then number 2, Miss Johnson, you first."
"...."
Angelina Johnson looked puzzled, still slightly confused.
"What's the name of the boy in the second row of Slytherin?"
Angelina rolled her eyes. She couldn't remember how he introduced himself. She seemed to remember him as a Slytherin seeker. What was his name? Not Warrington, not Flint...
"Five seconds. There's a penalty if you can't answer."
Angelina's eyes widened in panic. She stared at the Slytherin boy and quickly recalled their past classes together.
"Five, four, three..."
"Rageham Montague!"
Angelina breathed a sigh of relief. At the critical moment, she remembered they had already studied Potions together, and Professor Snape had criticized that boy.
"You pass. Now, let me think which number to call next..."
The young wizards in the classroom widened their eyes, some nervous, some excited. This form of random questioning seemed very interesting.
"Number 6, Mr. Ragefuss, what's the name of the Ravenclaw girl in the third row?"
"...."
"...The countdown is over. Unfortunately, you must accept your punishment. Mr. Lagerfuss, please come forward and perform for us."
"I... don't know how to act."
"If you insist, I can offer a little help."
"What kind of help?"
"Like the tarantella or the lament."
"No, thanks."
Lagerfuss's body trembled slightly, his face grimaced. They were two curses not considered Dark Magic: one made a person dance endlessly, the other made a person scream.
Under the compassionate gaze of the class, Lagerfuss sang a wizarding song, "A Cauldron Full of Love" by the witch Celestina Warbeck, supposedly his mother's favorite.
"Applause for Mr. Lagerfuss; your performance was impressive."
"Next..."
The young wizards, excited, lowered their heads, avoiding the professor's gaze. They unconsciously held their breath, silently praying not to be called. They could almost hear their own hearts beating.
Some students hurried to get to know their classmates. Upon meeting someone they didn't remember, they whispered quickly to close friends, turning the conversation into a murmur.
Only a few seemed absorbed in thought, as if they had caught a pattern.
"Number 10, Mr. Priss of Hufflepuff..."
When Priss responded, the Ravenclaws relaxed, while Samuels, number 18, started to tense.
"Next, number 14, Mr. Appleby of Hufflepuff."
This time, most of the students in the classroom understood. Although Hogwarts didn't have math classes, other subjects required basic arithmetic.
2, 6, 10, 14...
An increasing sequence with a common difference of 4: such an obvious pattern that all students grasped it.
"Next..."
Just as Samuels, number 18, felt his heart pounding, Professor Lewynter shouted another name: "Number 7, Miss Stinson of Gryffindor."
"!!"
Patricia Stinson, who had been relaxing, felt her breath catch, her blood racing, and her heart pounding like a drum. Shouldn't she be number 18?!
Startled by the surprise attack, Patricia Stinson went on stage and sang "You Magic My Heart Away" with a slightly trembling voice.
During the trembling pause, students looked toward number 18. Ravenclaw Samuels, who had clenched his fists, ready to respond, suddenly realized he was safe. He blinked, confused, staring at Stinson.
Stinson, on stage, felt hopeless.
Professor Lewynter was a mean one...
"Next, number 33, Trasfer of Slytherin..."
Trasfer was surprised. Luckily, the professor picked a pure-blood he already knew from the feast, so he narrowly escaped punishment.
Melvin sighed, looking somewhat disappointed.
"Next..."
Melvin remained silent, scanning the classroom.
The young wizards in their seats panicked.
Wow! The professor had abandoned his previous routine and started with random checks!
Samuels, a Ravenclaw, felt relaxed, thinking that since the professor abandoned the rules, he was now safe. Just as he thought this, he heard the professor's diabolical whisper:
"Samuels, number 18, your turn."
"?! I'm not safe now?!"
Samuels breathed heavily, heart racing slightly. He was a bit tired of having run so many times.
He felt his heart working too hard today. It was like being tied to an out-of-control broom, going up and down, and finally crashing headfirst into the Muggle Studies board.
"What's the name of the lady in the fourth row?"
"—Mr. Fawcett."
"—Excellent."
"—Eh..."
Samuels sighed in relief and lowered his head. He didn't know why, even though he answered correctly, he still felt it was a punishment—or rather a joke, an even more scandalous joke than the Weasley twins'.
It was a pity those two hadn't chosen Muggle Studies.
After all this hustle, the class felt as if they had shared an adventure. In fact, they now knew each other by name.
Before they could complain to the professor, a new, shiny encyclopedia arrived. The exquisite binding looked like a work of art; its vibrant colors captivated. Opening the inner pages, their eyes were immediately drawn to illustrations they had never seen before:
The vast and dazzling starry sky;
The wonderful and surprising connections between molecules;
The detailed and realistic anatomy of muscles...
The young wizards experienced visual awe for the first time, not to mention the Muggle science that left them astonished.
...
That day, at lunchtime.
After two months of summer vacation, even the most intimidating lessons in History of Magic and Potions had become lively and engaging. Even Professor Snape, previously distant and cold, had acquired a touch of amiability.
The new school year had just begun, and the young wizards, full of enthusiasm, gathered in the Great Hall during lunch, chatting about the morning lessons.
Hermione Granger sat at the Gryffindor table.
Not far away were Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, mouths full of roasted chicken legs, but that didn't stop them from talking:
"Professor McGonagall is a genius at Transfiguration, but we're not. How could we turn matches into needles in our first class?"
"But... didn't Granger manage it?"
"She's a nerd."
Harry looked at the girl beside him and whispered, "Don't say that..."
Hermione lowered her head to cut the steak. At that moment, she thought if they both asked, she would tell them how to wave wands correctly to turn matches into needles more easily.
Forget it, unless they really asked!
Just then, the other Weasley twins approached with a large, beautifully bound book, full of colorful illustrations on every page, too many to take in.
"No wonder Dad's modified flashlight doesn't work."
"Oh..."
"What are you reading?"
Ron immediately noticed his brothers with the large tomes in hand. "Why doesn't Dad's flashlight work?"
George and Fred Weasley were absorbed in their books, but as soon as Ron leaned in, the twins closed the pages instantly, looking cautious, covering them tightly with their hands, not letting him see the cover.
"Let me see!"
"Ronnie, peeking isn't good manners."
"Let me see!"
"Tell him 'please,' brother."
"...."
Harry was speechless as the twins teased Ron.
Hermione carefully examined the book title several times, paused, and looked around.
All four long tables of the Great Hall were filled with encyclopedias. The students at the magic school chatted about basic science, as if simple physics and chemistry were more fascinating than magic.
Hermione couldn't help listening attentively.
It turned out to be the textbooks distributed by Professor Lewynter. That morning, only third-years had Muggle Studies, so interested students could only borrow third-year textbooks. Secondary and senior students would start attending classes in the coming days...
That was all the useful information. The rest was chatter about Professor Lewynter, his novel teaching style, his fun questions, and the songs of some unfortunate students.
"Professor Lewynter..."
Hermione's curiosity grew.