Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 27: A Bad Impact on Borgin and Burke

It is normal to fear death.

No matter how great the ambitions were in youth, no matter how brilliant the achievements were, whether it was King Arthur or Merlin, no matter how they said in their youth that death was another great adventure, a wizard is just a wizard, not a god.

As one approaches old age, the body gradually becomes old, the mind begins to feel dizzy, and one realizes that death is approaching. Even the wisest person will become panic-stricken, and anyone will toss and turn in bed when they hear the footsteps of death at night.

The man standing in the headmaster's office right now, afraid of death, was Dumbledore.

At a certain moment, Gray Shadow Raven suddenly felt that the legendary wizard in front of him was not so powerful.

He was only surprised for a moment, then quickly accepted this statement.

Because as early as the night he stepped into the Hogwarts entrance hall sixty years ago, he had already experienced this fear. He was more far-sighted and wiser than Dumbledore. He did not squander his talent or waste his time. Since his student days, he has devoted all his energy to finding a way to defeat death, and he has achieved it.

"Ms. Ravenclaw became seriously ill in her later years. Even the most outstanding healers could not relieve her pain, so she gave up the idea of ​​healing and began to search for magic that could transcend life and death..."

Gray Shadow Raven explained very actively, even a little chattering.

Dumbledore listened quietly.

"As Ravenclaw said, wisdom is the most precious treasure. Her wisdom quickly penetrated the mysteries of life and soul and discovered the path to eternal life..."

Gray Shadow spoke in a hoarse voice, observing Dumbledore as he spoke.

Although he had seen through the old wizard's thoughts, he had no intention of winning him over and controlling him.

The gray shadow only wanted to manipulate his fears and desires to achieve his goals, and then before killing him, enjoy the desperate expression on this old face when he faced the killing curse, and mock him to his heart's content.

"Really?" Dumbledore said calmly, his expression indifferent. There was no sign of belief or doubt on his face. "Ms. Rowena Ravenclaw was extremely intelligent, but if I remember correctly, she eventually died of a serious illness. It seems that she never set foot in the realm of life and death."

Gray Shadow was somewhat displeased by the calmness of the old principal with white beard:
"That was due to a family tragedy. The diadem was the key to prolonging life. Rowena almost saved herself, but her daughter Helena Ravenclaw stole the diadem out of greed, causing everything to change."

"According to you, the diadem was stolen. How did it return to Hogwarts and be hidden in the Room of Requirement?"

"..."

This old guy still looked so disgusting even when he was dying. He was obviously afraid of death in his heart, but he pretended to be so calm on the surface. It was really disgusting!
He should plead with himself in an ugly manner for the hope of immortality.

"I don't know either. No one has communicated with me for a long time. I'm just a crown." The continuous questioning made Gray Shadow Raven impatient. He tried hard to control the bloodshot in his eyes.

Thousands of years ago, the other founders left Hogwarts one after another. The young Helena longed for her mother Ravenclaw's wisdom, and foolishly believed that her wisdom came from the diadem. Taking advantage of Ravenclaw's serious illness and negligence, she stole the diadem, fled from Hogwarts, and was finally captured in the Albanian forest.

The wizard Barrow was originally Helena's admirer, but he accidentally killed Helena during the pursuit.

Both of them returned to school as ghosts, namely Gray, the ghost that lingered in Ravenclaw Tower, and Bloody Baron, the ghost in Slytherin Dungeon.

For thousands of years, the sapphire tiara lay hidden in a hollow tree in the Albanian forest.

Gray Shadow accidentally learned of Ms. Grey's identity while attending Hogwarts, and then approached her in disguise, and got the whereabouts of the tiara from Helena's ghost. After finding the tiara, he randomly killed a local resident and made the fifth Horcrux.

In a sense, he did not deceive Dumbledore, the secret of immortality was inside the crown.

"..."

Dumbledore was silent.

After taking over as headmaster, he learned many secrets from Headmaster Dippet and the portraits of previous headmasters, including the identities of Ms. Grey and the Bloody Baron. They had communicated before, but the conversations were superficial and never touched upon the truth of the millennium-old events.

On the one hand, this is someone else's private secret after all, and it is not convenient for him to ask too much.

On the other hand, he thought that Ravenclaw's relics had not been left at Hogwarts, just like Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.

Over the past thousand years, the world has changed, and no one can tell where these objects have ended up. Perhaps they are placed in the attic cabinet of an old witch, or left in the window of an unsigned shop in Knockturn Alley.

Combining his understanding of Voldemort with the Gray Shadow's words, Dumbledore quickly pieced together the truth of the matter in his mind, and by the way, deduced the time when Voldemort hid the crown -

That was the night Voldemort returned to school to apply for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

Tom Riddle was still very young at that time and had never encountered any setbacks. He gathered a group of dark wizards to serve him. He was very proud and arrogant and did not know how to hide his thoughts.

The crown transformation was also made at that time.

Dumbledore gave the phantom raven a penetrating look.

"..."

The room was silent, and this silence seemed to slow down the passage of time. It was a bit unbearable, and Gray Shadow found it unbearable.

Damn, why is he still looking at me like that?
Believe it or doubt it, what he hates most is this condescending look!
He is clearly just an old wizard who is afraid of death, so why does he pretend to be so wise?

Gray Shadow Raven looked at him suspiciously for several times, unsure how much he believed, and couldn't help but confide again:
"The last memory I have is that someone used the power stored in the crown. It could be Helena, or it could be another wizard. He used Ravenclaw's unfinished research to call back the souls that should have passed away, protecting their souls and turning them into ghosts."

"Call back the dead souls and turn them into ghosts?"

Dumbledore repeated, staring at it for several seconds.

Gray Shadow was frightened by his look. He had seen that kind of look several times. The first time was in the Wu Orphanage in 1937. It seemed that it could see through all the secrets in one's heart.

But he also vaguely caught the old wizard's emotional fluctuations, some subtle but real fluctuations.

The gray shadow paused briefly and added tentatively, "The transformation of a ghost is extremely complex and extremely difficult to occur under natural conditions. Perhaps you've wondered why so many wizards in the world die with regret and resentment, yet only a handful are able to transform into ghosts and wander the human world..."

Dumbledore was silent. He did have doubts.

long, long ago.

Gray Shadow's tone was very light: "Ravenclaw's research transcends life and death. It can extend the lifespan of the living and recall the souls of the deceased. If handled properly, it is not impossible to bring the dead back to life."

For a moment, Dumbledore was lost in thought, as if a bright face appeared before him. His heart trembled slightly, and a dark, azure glint appeared in his eyes. The grey shadow suddenly laughed; its conjured beak, of course, had no curve, but the laughter radiated through its scarlet eyes.

Got you, Dumbledore.

Some stubborn and rigid old wizards are like this. The fear of death cannot overwhelm them, and they are willing to practice the belief that death is an adventure. What they care about is the death of other people, perhaps relatives or friends.

Dumbledore just happens to be such a wizard.

"Just wear this crown and grant me some insignificant magic power. You will possess wisdom comparable to that of Ravenclaw, and the mysteries of life and death will be revealed to you..."

"..."

Dumbledore lowered his eyes slightly and glanced at the raven-grey shadow. He originally wanted to continue to feign flattery to obtain information, but at this moment he suddenly lost his patience and waved his wand casually.

The mist floating in the air suddenly dissipated, and the gray shadow of the raven melted like a wax figure before it could react. The scarlet eyes in the air disappeared, leaving nothing behind.

With a click, the crown quickly fell back into place and the wooden box closed tightly.

Inside the Sorting Hat on the shelf, Fox looked at the wooden box in surprise, unable to understand the sudden change, and his dark eyes were a little surprised.

The inner room was quiet and dimly lit.

Dumbledore slowly sat back in his chair.

The bewitching words of Raven Gray Shadow just now were still echoing in his ears. He was not sure whether it was false information made up casually or there was really research on recalling the souls of the dead.

But he was sure that it was a trap set by Voldemort to lure him into it.

And this bait is particularly sweet.

Dumbledore took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

"Ariana..."

……

A Muggle Studies professor got up late because the principal took him out for a late-night outing.

By the time Melvin finished washing up and went downstairs it was already past breakfast time, so he could only enjoy the staff meal in the kitchen. There was a rich variety of food, the elves were particularly welcoming, and the bread was freshly baked. He was not allowed to leave until he was a little bloated.

Walking out of the hall, Melvin glanced at the scenery in the distance. The treetops at the edge of the forbidden forest had turned yellow, and the branches and leaves of the bushes drooped, no longer as green as last week, but the sunlight was still very bright.

Autumn has come.

Young wizards in black magic robes were scattered across the venue, and there was constant laughter and noise on the Quidditch pitch and the shores of Black Lake. The students were enjoying the second weekend of the school year.

After passing through the school gate with a carving of a warthog with outstretched wings, Melvin continued walking forward for a distance, found a secluded and deserted stone platform, took out his wand from his inner pocket, and waved it gently. The air made a crisp sound, and he suddenly disappeared on the path of Hogsmeade.

"Snapped……"

A muffled sound came from a secluded corridor in Knockturn Alley.

Melvin once again stepped on the ground of this damp alley in the center of London. The soles of his feet still felt familiar and sticky. He couldn't tell whether it was moss or rotten and dried meat.

By the second visit, Melvin already had experience.

He reached out to straighten his collar, and the transformation spread along his clothes. The wool and polyester blend suit turned into a linen cloak, and the collar behind his neck extended, turning into a spacious and tight hood. The hem of the clothes fell naturally, covering his legs, and stopped just before touching the ground.

With a simple grooming and a gloomy expression, Melvin instantly blended into the neighborhood and was obviously a senior dark wizard from Knockturn Alley.

Following the same route as last time, they shuttled through the alleys and soon arrived at No. 12 Knockturn Alley. Melvin looked up at the copper sign covered with green rust and walked into the store.

The copper bell hanging behind the door made a crisp sound.

A hunchbacked middle-aged wizard soon appeared behind the counter. He frowned tightly and looked through the greasy hair hanging in front of his forehead. He carefully examined the mysterious wizard with his face covered at the door of the store. His eyes swept over the Ouroboros ring on the ring finger of his left hand, and his eyes were a little complicated.

"Why, Mr. Borgin didn't recognize me?" Melvin took off his hood and smiled gently.

"It's precisely because I recognize you that I feel embarrassed..." Mr. Borgin frowned, very conflicted. "I don't know whether to call you Mr. William or Professor Lewynter."

"You know it all?"

"Occasionally I go to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. They're well-informed there..." Mr. Borgin's slick voice was a little difficult, not daring to look Melvin in the eye. "Old Tom and some of the patrons at the pub said there's a new Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts. Plus, you changed your mailing address to the Hogsmeade Owl Post before school started, so it's hard not to make connections."

"Well, I'm a professor at Hogwarts, but that won't affect our business, do you?"

"I think you're right." Mr. Borgin forced a smile that looked a little awkward.

The professors at Hogwarts were, after all, people of status, while they were the bugs of Knockturn Alley, the rats of the gutter, the negative examples in the school classroom. There shouldn't have been any interaction between the two sides, at least not on the surface.

There was once a core Death Eater like this. More than a decade ago, when he was still a Death Eater, he roamed openly in Knockturn Alley, brewing potions and selling them, and taking orders for banned potions. Although the prices were a bit high and his temper and attitude were very bad, both parties felt at ease doing business with him.

Later, that potion master became the Potions Professor at Hogwarts. Not only did he no longer accept orders for banned potions, he even stopped selling his finished potions publicly. He needed a referral and the supply of herbs and ingredients, and the brewing costs increased several times over. And if things didn't work, he didn't even offer compensation...

This is the gap brought about by identity.

If Professor Lewinter had worn a hood to conceal his identity when they first met, like he did today, they could still have a tacit understanding and friendly communication.

In this situation, if the new professor of Hogwarts visited Borgin and Burke's in Knockturn Alley, it would bring bad reputation to the professor and even worse reputation to Borgin and Burke's.

Not to mention the fact that he had to recommend this professor to attend a gathering of dark wizards. Every time Mr. Borgin thought of this, he felt dizzy.

While Mr. Bogin was struggling with his inner thoughts, he suddenly heard the young professor's voice coming from the door of the shop:
"Are those products you introduced last time still available? I want to buy them all."

! !
Mr. Borgin suddenly felt that the darkness in front of his eyes was no longer there, and his smile became brighter.

The golden light of Garlon is flashing!
(End of this chapter)