Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 20: First Experience with the Three Broomsticks

The sealing wax is stamped with a coiled serpent emblem.

"Malfoy Manor - Wiltshire, Lucius Malfoy personally received"

He opened the envelope, unfolded the parchment with silver-green patterns, and the contents of the letter came into view.

"Dear Father and (Mother's name is crossed out):

I hope you are all well when this letter reaches you. I am writing this letter with a peacock feather pen I brought from home; it does make writing much more respectable than the low-quality feathers provided by Hogwarts, which are stained by troll saliva.

The Sorting ceremony went perfectly as expected. The tattered Sorting Hat barely touched the tips of my hair, and I screamed "Slytherin!" as if it had been burned. Prefect Flint clapped his hands so hard he nearly overturned the table. The pure-blood etiquette you taught me was a natural fit...

Regarding the Potter issue, I must elaborate. This boy, who was touted as a savior, had no basic manners and rejected my friendship on the train. He would rather choose to be with the Weasley family's red weasel than accept Malfoy's kindness...

Crabbe and Goyle performed okay, although their brains seemed to be completely occupied by treacle tarts. However, they were competent as henchmen, at least they could block those prying eyes cast at me in time. Besides, there were those pure-blood traitors like Longbottom who stuffed toads in their trouser pockets...”

The first half of the letter was written neatly, the narrative flowing smoothly. It was clear that Draco had put a lot of thought into writing the letter in advance; the Malfoy family was well-educated in this area. However, the second half of the parchment became sloppily written, the peacock feathers leaving a chaotic mess of notes, as if the writer had written in a hurry and panic, and the grammar was also erratic.

"I have an urgent matter to report: Hogwarts' newly appointed Muggle Studies professor, Melvin Levent, has observed Professor Snape's words and actions and, using a method known as Muggle psychology, has deduced that Professor Snape once had a crush on my mother. This can be deduced from the ingredients of the Living Hell Potion and my mother's name. The process is detailed and convincing..."

Behind it was a blur of ink, with a few drops of violet ink remaining on the edge of the parchment.

The signature is very neat, and it seems to have been written in advance:
May Merlin bless the Malfoy family to enjoy eternal glory.

Your loyal son
Draco Malfoy
Snape stared at the letter intently, his fingers straining so hard that veins bulged, and his stiff expression concealed anger.

What does it mean to have a detailed and convincing process?
It was obviously just Lewinter's unfounded speculation. He was just testing Potter's basics of Potions. The so-called bullshit Muggle psychology was just a ridiculous Muggle knowledge!

When had he ever admired Narcissa?

Narcissa Black and Lucius Malfoy were six years older than him. When he entered the school, the two were about to graduate. They only had contact with each other because of the Death Eaters.

"..."

Fortunately, he arrived at the Slytherin common room in time and intercepted the letter. Otherwise, the reputation of Severus Snape, the former core Death Eater and current Potions Master, would have suffered irreparable damage.

He casually released a fierce fire and burned the letter.

The orange-red firelight reflected on the expressionless face, making it look a little cold.

Snape planned to find an opportunity to have a good talk with Professor Levent.

……

Late at night.

Stargazing Tower.

A platinum-haired figure quietly stepped onto the terrace, glancing back from time to time to make sure no one was following him and that no one had noticed his secret move. He was wearing a green nightgown and slippers, and it was obvious that he had moved in a hurry and was not well prepared.

Draco stretched out his wand and waved it towards the Owlery, sending out a faint stream of magic.

After waiting for a moment, I soon heard the sound of an owl's wings flapping approaching.

A sturdy night owl came quietly and landed on the railing. The agile night owl had a pair of dark black eyes, which seemed to reveal human nature when staring at people.

This is a night owl domesticated by the Malfoy family.

Draco handed the prepared envelope to the night owl, watched it flap its wings and fly away, finally relaxed and let out a long breath.

Family teachings passed down from generation to generation:
What is revealed is used to confuse people, the real action is always in the dark, and Malfoy will never be discovered.

……

Hogsmeade.

According to public information on Chocolate Frog pictures, Hogsmeade was founded a thousand years ago by the medieval wizard Hengis of Woodcroft, shortly after the four legendary wizards founded Hogwarts.

There's more or less the idea of ​​leaning against a giant tree to enjoy the shade.

This is one of the very few villages composed entirely of wizards. In its center is a commercial street, surrounded by residential houses of all sizes. It is not prosperous, but it is very peaceful.

The Three Broomsticks is the most lively pub on this street. It is packed with customers relaxing on weekends and the business is booming.

The tavern owner, Ms. Rosmerta, has a graceful figure and pretty face, even more beautiful than a Veela.

Whenever the plump female boss appeared at the bar to mix cocktails, she would be surrounded by wizards who would come over to tease and joke with her, loudly talking about interesting news stories that had happened recently, introducing where they had been and what thrilling adventures they had experienced, hoping to attract the attention of the beautiful witch.

Ms. Rosmerta, who ran the pub on her own, didn't spoil the fun either. She smiled and mixed drinks while listening to their small talk. She would respond to any interesting topics, asking about where Harry Potter had been during his ten years of disappearance, when the adventurer Mr. Lockhart would come to Hogsmeade for a book signing, and what kind of cocktails the pubs in Albania sold...

The chattering and boasting drinkers were unable to answer and were urged to drink by other drinkers, thus bringing in more revenue for the tavern business.

It was said that Madam Rosmerta had a wide circle of friends, including the Hogwarts headmaster and professor, the goblin supervisor at Gringotts, and even Minister of Magic Fudge, who was a regular at the tavern and knew her well. In the past, a wizard passing through Hogsmeade had attempted to cause trouble, but Madam Rosmerta and the tavern's patrons cleared him out, and no other wizard dared to cause trouble afterwards.

A gossipy old witch claimed that the tavern owner carried a curse that brought bad luck to the men she was close to, a fact that had killed several of her previous husbands. More than a decade earlier, the Three Broomsticks had been called the Two Broomsticks, but after her last husband, Mr. Rosmerta, died, the tavern sign was changed to the Three Broomsticks.

As soon as Melvin entered the pub, he felt a little regretful.

It was extremely crowded and noisy inside, filled with smoke and a strong smell of alcohol.

He chose a ventilated seat by the window and sat down. Madam Rosmerta immediately came over with a glass of oak-ripened mead. The rich aroma of the wine was mixed with a hint of sweetness, which was exactly what Dumbledore liked.

Melvin looked up at her, confused.

"It's Professor Lewynter from Muggle Studies."

Madam Rosmerta put down the mead and explained with a smile, "It's a special offer at the pub. Any professor at Hogwarts who comes to the Three Broomsticks for the first time will receive a glass of mead. Dumbledore likes this wine very much. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick have also praised it. Trelawney is a regular at the pub, but she prefers sherry."

Melvin didn't refuse her offer, and took a small sip of his wine. It was quite good; he took another sip.

Ms. Rosmerta, standing next to her, was smiling, looking a little complacent.

But soon, I heard this person's serious review: "The wine is a yellowish-brown amber color, and the optimal color should be golden amber. The wine has a medium viscosity on the glass, indicating that the body structure is good. The first smell shows the typical honey-fermented orange blossom honey and ripe apricot aromas, supplemented by vanilla pod and roasted hazelnut notes brought by oak. The sweetness in the front is well controlled, the alcohol content is not high, the woody tannins in the middle provide structural support, and the aftertaste has a beeswax aftertaste. The overall balance surpasses most traditional meads."

"??"

Madam Rosmerta looked a little bewildered.

what? What?
What is the wine structure?
What are wood tannins?
Is he praising the wine I brew?
"When brewing, you can try using beer yeast, introducing Eastern European oak to add spicy notes of cloves and nutmeg, and then adding a small amount of chestnut wood chips for secondary maturation. You can also try smoking the honey to enhance its texture..."

Melvin noticed the tavern owner's doubts and couldn't help but remain silent.

It was obvious that when he first arrived on Broadway, he hated this kind of thing, so he deliberately learned some mysterious and impressive words and phrases to act in a pretentious manner. Now he is showing off.

After only one week as a professor, he already started to act like a teachable person.

Melvin paused and gave an apologetic smile. "I meant, thank you for the gift, Ms. Rosmerta. I really enjoy this mead."

Rosmerta nodded, still recovering from her shock. Her mind was still racing with the long list of suggestions she had just given her. She absentmindedly took a few steps toward the bar and turned back.

"What did you just say about beer yeast and Eastern European oak..."

"I happen to know a few books on winemaking. I'll bring them to you next time I come."

"The secret recipe for brewing wine...it's very precious, right?"

"Muggle books, they won't cost more than a few Galleons. Consider it my return gift."

"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Levent."

"..."

Watching the tavern owner go away, Melvin suddenly felt that the tavern was not so noisy and messy. He opened the package he took out from the post office and checked it while tasting the mead.

The deerskin-tanned paper is thick and solid, and the beeswax and rosin on the surface can make it waterproof. When it is unfolded, it is a detailed village map.

The wizarding villages in Denmark and Ireland have tables on both sides that summarize the proportion of various resident creatures, including wizards and Muggles, pure-bloods and half-bloods, and even goblins and trolls. All in all, the number can barely be compared with Hogsmeade.

These countries have small populations and few wizards, so it is difficult to gather and form wizard villages of a certain size. There may be only one settlement in several surrounding countries. More wizards choose to settle in Muggle communities. Anyway, no one hunts witches in this era. As long as they abide by the Statute of Secrecy, Muggle life will be more convenient and comfortable.

Creatures that do not want to show up, such as vampires, goblins, and werewolves, prefer such sparsely populated wizard villages, where various intelligent magical creatures gather, forming an alternative ecological model.

Melvin examined it carefully for a moment and put the map away.

Next came a letter from Mr. Borgin, saying that there would be a special gathering in Knockturn Alley next week, and that several wizards who were studying Muggle technology would be present. If necessary, Mr. Borgin could help introduce them.

"..."

Half an hour later, Melvin, who had sent the reply letter, left the Owl Post Office and walked back along the slightly empty road between the streets.

The shops on both sides had their doors half-closed, and the window displays were not very well arranged. They were basically in a semi-closed state. The shop assistants leaned against the counter bored, reading books, doing accounts, and calculating this month's salary.

Hogsmeade Commercial Street is not very busy during this period. You have to wait until Hogwarts opens for weekend activities, and the third-year and above students become the main consumers. During other periods, it is basically just barely maintained. The villagers can only buy the daily necessities normally, which cannot support such a large market.

The only exception is Honeydukes Candy Store, which also has a mail-order business. The express delivery from just one store can support the Owl Post Office next door.

When he passed the door of Honeydukes, Melvin stopped, went in to greet the Flumes, and brushed the faces of the Hogwarts professors to get permission to enter the basement of the candy store.

"The name of Hogwarts is really useful..."

Melvin muttered under his breath.

It was a storage cellar, piled high with crates, from which a sweet aroma drifted. A trapdoor lay quietly in the middle of the room, almost blending in with the gray floor.

After opening the trapdoor, there was a dilapidated stone staircase underneath the cave, extending to the invisible depths of the earth.

Melvin crawled into the cave and closed the trapdoor.

……

The corridor on the fourth floor of Hogwarts Castle is filled with armor and wizard statues, but all teachers and students in the school know that many rooms on the fourth floor have been idle for a long time. The most numerous rooms on both sides of the corridor are abandoned classrooms, which are filled with discarded tables and chairs, heavily covered with dust, and filled with a strong smell of mold.

Even the most mischievous Gryffindor would not venture into such a room.

Only two rooms on the fourth floor are still in normal use:

One is the Charms classroom, where people attend classes every day, but there's nothing interesting to see;

One is the trophy display room, which displays various trophies and medals. If you are curious, you can go and bother Filch. After being punished with solitary confinement to clean the room a few times, you will become familiar with the display room.

In contrast, students were more interested in exploring the wizard statues, which had short sentences engraved on their bases, perhaps mottos or stories about the statues' lives.

Some stories are positive, such as the inventor of a spell, a potion, or the recipient of the Order of Merlin. There are also negative examples, such as someone who completely vanished their nose after misreading a spell, never to be found again, or someone who wrote their own potion recipe and immediately turned into a ghost after drinking it.

The statue of a one-eyed hunchbacked witch is one of them. The roughly carved main body of the statue is embedded in the base. The dark grey and black material reveals an ancient and heavy feeling. The words engraved on the front of the base are blurred, and there is not even a name.

On this ordinary Saturday morning, a faint knocking sound suddenly came from inside the statue.

"Dong dong..."

"Dong dong..."

(End of this chapter)