Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 320 The Prison Key
"Raise your wand!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out in the cold night.

Percy instinctively focused all his attention on the spell, the tip of his staff following the headmaster's movements, while the other headmasters guided their respective students.

At this moment, the entire school was bathed in the dazzling silver light. Their shadows were spread across the snow, overlapping each other. Beautiful memories flooded the students' minds, and scenes of Hogwarts played out one after another.

Do you know which college you'll be assigned to?

“I’ve already asked around everywhere. I hope to be sorted into Gryffindor. Everyone says it’s the best. Dumbledore himself graduated from there. Hufflepuff is also pretty good, but I don’t think Ravenclaw is too bad…”

"I don't think going to Ravenclaw is particularly bad, but just think about it, please don't sort me into Slytherin."

"Of course it's Slytherin. I don't mean anything by it, but some wizarding families are much better off than others, and some wizards are destined for glory."

"..."

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, I put on the Sorting Hat, experienced my first Transformation, my first spellcasting, and my first time riding a broomstick…

At this moment, in the spiritual world of all teachers and students, the figures of the four founders reappeared. In an era without secrecy laws and without the Ministry of Magic, they relied on courage, wisdom, kindness, and ambition to establish the world-renowned magic school.

Generation after generation of students have grown up, studied, played, and experienced the joys and sorrows of their youth in this castle.

Beside the phoenix, the silver snake twisted its body, moving as swiftly as the phoenix, but its massive body appeared many times slower than that of ordinary guardians, as if frozen in slow motion, with the two guardians blooming in the cold night.

Following closely behind were Professor McGonagall's tabby cat, Professor Flitwick's raven, Professor Sprout's hedgehog, Snape's doe, Lupin's silver wolf... and the students' greylag geese, stags, and otters.

The Dementors nearby seemed frozen in place, not even realizing what was happening. They were just staring blankly down below, seemingly unaware that the ocean of silver light had already engulfed them.

The rotten, old cloak was torn open, revealing the marks left by a phoenix's beak. A long, thin, silver horn pierced through the chest, and the Dementor's mouth emitted a hoarse groan.

The light was like the morning sun, so bright it was almost blinding, but the students were reluctant to blink.

Witnessing such a spectacular scene firsthand, everyone couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, a stronger sense of belonging to Hogwarts, and a deeper understanding of the meaning of happy memories and protection.

The silver lights in the queue gradually lit up, like stars scattered across the world. Some were just misty shadows, and some were just indistinct clusters of light. They followed behind with all their might and without hesitation.

Even though they had already exceeded the casting limit, the silver light dimmed and teetered on the brink of collapse, yet they still struggled to hold on, none of them willing to fall behind.

Some indistinct clusters of light trembled, and in the process began to transform.

The fourth Patronus, Neville of Gryffindor, is a robust buffalo with a broad back, followed by a low and steady head. Its silvery-white body is translucent, with light flowing across its thick skin. Its curved horns emerge from the silver light, with rounded lines, and a serene temperament flows naturally from it.

The fifth Patronus, Marietta of Ravenclaw, is a timid hare with her head down and trembling slightly, yet she mustered the courage to keep up with the group, hopping and skipping.

The sixth Guardian, Luna of Ravenclaw, is also a hare, but she exhibits completely different traits. She hops around with her ears perked up, and her rabbit eyes are lively and full of curiosity.

The seventh Patronus, Astoria Greengrass of Slytherin...

A wave of silver light surged past, forcing the two groups of Dementors to converge in one place. The evil creatures, born of pain and despair, were subjected to the cleansing spell, with nowhere to escape, completely sealed off from all sides.

“Melvin,” the principal called softly, turning his head to the side.

"Ready to serve at any time."

Melvin kept a close eye on the phoenix and water serpent leading the way, his attention following the two guardians as they moved forward. As the phoenix flapped its wings, it also subtly guided the silver serpent's path. The guardians of the other professors around them also provided support, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Centered on the area inhabited by the Dementors, the Guardians began taking turns charging and crashing back and forth.

The phoenix at the forefront suddenly stopped and spread its wings, and a guardian blocked all their escape routes. The Dementors had lost their minds and were running around in a panic, but they were trapped in a sea of ​​silver light.

The doe, who was both leading and driving, ran and jumped back and forth. Just as she had herded all the Dementors together, a stag suddenly rushed out and scattered them again. Snape's expression darkened, and he gave Harry a cold glance.

Ravens lead the way, tabby cats scare them away, hedgehogs block the way...

The Dementors, which kept retreating, had gathered in a narrow space. These monsters were already emaciated and withered, their skeletons covered with a layer of skin, and their cloaks were not very bulky. They looked like a cabinet in Lady Malkin's Robe Shop, or like a swarm of bats crowded together in a dark cave.

Everything is going according to plan.

Drifting outside the silvery waves, the silver serpent nodded slightly, as if the giant serpent of the world tree had lowered its head and cast its gaze upon that narrow space. Its enormous head approached, and in the instant it got close, it opened its huge mouth and suddenly swallowed.

The otter floated in mid-air, while Hermione was still somewhat bewildered, staring blankly into the distance, seemingly unaware that a certain professor had disappeared from the queue.

Accompanied by a faint hum in the air, Melvin stood outside the school gate, Apparating to the entrance of Hogsmeade Village. The little witch suddenly realized that it wasn't expulsion or dismissal, but rather the giant python swallowing her whole and transferring her to the box containing the Unseen Stretching Charm.

The black suitcase was open, and white mist was escaping from it; it was prey captured before the start of the school year.

The Dementor's cloak trembled slightly as it keenly sensed a familiar presence—the wizard who had blocked its path in the downpour on a Thestral. His emotions were tinged with a faint sense of pleasure, and also with the fear of a large group of his kind.

Two completely different emotions; it feels strange.

The open box presented a good opportunity to escape, but just as it was about to crawl out, the Dementor hesitated and silently crawled back into the box.

The silver python that had swallowed nearly a hundred Dementors was approaching the ground, creating visible silver ripples. Its body twisted with a whooshing sound as it slammed into the box, its tail swaying.

The box is closed!

Dark light flowed along the side walls of the box, and through the gaps in the runic patterns, the hysterical roars of the Dementors could be heard.

The students in the distance were dazzled and could not see the Dementors' specific movements. They only saw the silver snake, like a galaxy fallen from the sky, landing at the entrance of Hogsmeade.

"What an impressive lesson," Professor Flitwick murmured.

……

The dark clouds dispersed, revealing a not-so-bright crescent moon.

The midnight bells had rung, and the teachers and students, having finished their lessons, embarked on their journey back to the castle. Walking along the snow-covered paths, the cold wind couldn't dispel the eager smiles on the young wizards' faces.

After this lesson, their Patronus Charms improved significantly, they completely overcame their fear of Dementors, and couldn't help but share what they had learned with each other.

"My Patronus has taken shape. Justin saw it; it's very strong, a quadruped, and has a mane... I never imagined my Patronus would be a lion! Even Gryffindor doesn't have one!"

Ernie McMillan of Hufflepuff boasted loudly, his voice brimming with undisguised excitement, and immediately a crowd gathered around, asking him all sorts of questions about the details.

"What kind of lion?" "A majestic male lion, similar to the one on the Gryffindor emblem, but not as big."

"Third-year students, let's talk back in the dorm. Hurry up, don't fall behind!" Prefect Cedric called out.

Not far away, Melvin walked slowly, his left hand in his pocket, another pocket containing a yurm, and his right hand carrying a black briefcase.

“Professor, I’d like to ask about the techniques for using a Patronus to deliver messages.” The diligent and eager-to-learn Cedric came over to ask for advice, glancing at the briefcase, clearly having some guesses as well.

“I suggest you consult Professor Flitwick,” Melvin said with a smile.

“Oh, okay, I also wanted to ask if there are any techniques for controlling the size of your Patronus. I noticed that Professor, your Patronus…” Cedric made conversation, with the awkwardness of a student chatting with a teacher.

“Cedric, for any questions about spells, I suggest you consult Professor Flitwick.” Melvin carefully examined this outstanding student. “I can give you some advice outside of class: practice some practical spells, and in your spare time, try to think about how to deal with dragons or mermaids or something.”

"Ah...what?"

Cedric scratched his head, completely bewildered.

Melvin didn't explain in detail, watched the outstanding student leave, and then staggered back with his suitcase, thinking that the feeling of filling the gaps in his memory was not bad.

"Am I just imagining things, but you seem to be quite interested in Cedric?"

Professor McGonagall appeared beside him at some point and stood next to him, scrutinizing the Hufflepuff prefect: "Your educational philosophy is different from ours. Is there anything noteworthy about Cedric?"

"His guardian angel."

"what?"

"Grey geese are excellent; they can swim, dive, fly, and walk on land. They are usually social animals and are very vigilant, especially when foraging and resting with their companions. Often, one greylag goose will act as a sacrifice, voluntarily becoming a guard, neither eating nor sleeping, cautiously stretching its neck to observe the surroundings, ready to give warnings at any time."

Professor McGonagall listened quietly. This was not a novel argument. The academic community generally believed that the Patronus was a reflection of the wizard's personality, and that the Patronus reflected the wizard's own traits to a certain extent.

"If it is an ordinary enemy, the guards will give a warning and lead the tribe members to escape. If they encounter an enemy that is difficult to resist, such as a ferocious falcon, the guards will draw the powerful enemy away themselves, even if it costs them their lives."

Professor McGonagall was silent for a moment: “Cedric is excellent. The boy has leadership qualities, which is not a bad thing.”

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing,” Melvin said, raising an eyebrow.

"..."

Why did you bring this up if there was nothing wrong?
Professor McGonagall was momentarily speechless. She shook her head and said, "What do you plan to do with the Dementors in the box?"

"Some of it will be used for research, and some will be used as teaching aids. The abandoned classrooms and secret rooms in the castle can be utilized, renovated and decorated, so that students can practice the Patronus Charm."

Melvin paused briefly: "Don't worry about leaks. The distance is far enough that the Guardian's radiance is too dazzling for you to see the specific process, let alone the students. If asked, just say it's a Boggart in disguise."

"..."

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. The plan was somewhat unscrupulous, but it suited her perfectly.

“Compared to the Dementors, Professor, you should think about how to deal with the Board of Governors,” Melvin muttered somewhat ramblingly. “Nearly a hundred Dementors have mysteriously disappeared because of teaching activities. The surrounding residents are definitely panicking. Even if Fudge is negligent, he has to investigate to the end. If the fire gets to those guys on the Board of Governors, they will definitely make trouble for you.”

"How troublesome could it be? They have no evidence." Professor McGonagall's lips curled into a faint smile.

The vice-principal had long disapproved of the Ministry of Magic's practices.

The jailers guarding Azkaban lingered in Hogsmeade for a long time and refused to leave. What did they take Hogwarts for?

……

In the early morning, moonlight reflected off the snow and streamed into the principal's office.

Dumbledore sat blankly at his desk, with two steaming cups of cocoa in front of him. Behind him were portraits of former headmasters who were still awake, huddled together, pointing and gesturing at the young professor who had come to visit late at night.

Melvin picked up his hot cocoa and took a sip: "Ms. Burns persuaded Ms. Marchban to win over some members of the Wizengamots and planned to bypass the minister's office to push for a trial. Once the case enters the courtroom, it will no longer be under Fudge and Umbridge's control."

White steam rose from the silverware, and the portrait at the top of the wall was of the old headmaster Phineas Black, his face flushed with excitement, but he dared not utter a sound, fearing that he would disturb the conversation and cause Black's last bloodline to be cut off.

Dumbledore held the porcelain cup and stroked the patterns on it.

He did not abandon Sirius and had already instructed the Order of the Phoenix to take action. With Alastor, Kingsley, and Stogee cooperating with Ms. Burns, Fudge was destined not to be able to delay for long.

However, the secret society's progress was slow, not as fast as Ms. Burns's proposal.

For nearly a century, Dumbledore acted with extreme caution, suppressing the burning passion deep within him. He knew the kind of disaster that would result from his self-proclaimed justice touching power; it was a tempting poison that he was unwilling to touch.

It was already very risky to agree to the plan to resurrect Voldemort not long ago.

“You don’t need to use the authority of the Chief of Wizengamo. Umbridge has blocked the news and prohibited any newspapers or media from disseminating related information. Ms. Burns needs a respected old wizard to step forward and tell the people the truth. The rest is up to her.”

Melvin said softly, "The Department of Law Enforcement will push for a trial to begin."

"Then what about your plan?" Dumbledore asked.

"This is also part of the plan. Only by cutting off all escape routes will the rats, who are out of ammunition and food, go to the Albanian forests without hesitation."

"..."

Dumbledore remained silent, his eyes lowered in thought, while the old headmaster Black paced anxiously on the wall.

As the night grew later, the castle grew quieter and quieter.

Melvin finished his hot cocoa: "Running away won't solve anything. This is the principal's office, not a prison in a tower. I think you should come out and take a look."

Dumbledore looked up and saw the young professor take out a black gem and place it on the table, making a slight clinking sound.

"Here is the key."

(End of this chapter)