Hogwarts Wasteland: The Witch from the Borderlands

Chapter 100 Second Year Course

The next morning at Transfiguration class, Ron and Neville appeared before Hermione as if nothing had happened, looking energetic and alert.

It's a shame that for guys, going out at night really does drain their energy, but it doesn't affect their activities the next day at all.

Professor McGonagall handed out the new textbook. Although Hermione had already read Cedric's old version last year, the new textbook contained a lot of additions and deletions, so she would still read it carefully again.

More importantly, Professor Lockhart has added some new knowledge points to the Defense Strategy course textbook, which Hermione has been looking forward to.

She had already made plans: after finishing the new textbooks, she would borrow the Weasley twins' new fourth-year books, along with the Transfiguration notes left by the previous Marauders, so that she would have a full reading load until at least Halloween.

The Transfiguration class in the second year was much more difficult, but Hermione was still the first to complete the task assigned by Professor McGonagall.

"I think you're ready to start experimenting with the interconversion of living beings," she said with a smile, adding five points to Gryffindor's score.

"I know George and Fred will lend you their books, but if you need textbooks for higher grades, I don't mind asking Cedric again."

"In fact, Professor, we found Harry's father's Transfiguration notes from back then," Hermione whispered.

Professor McGonagall paused, then realized what she meant and suddenly became serious. She leaned down close to Hermione and said in a voice only she could hear, "Promise me that if you ever try to use the Animagus, you'll have to come to me, understand?"

As her former professor and now comrade-in-arms, she naturally knew that James and his group were Animagus. She was also proud that her students had spent three years mastering this highly difficult magic for the sake of friendship. However, Hermione was only a second-year student. Animagus magic requires extreme control of the mind, and if she wasn't careful, she might never be able to turn back.

Hermione nodded vigorously. The professor was worried about her having an accident, but she didn't plan to start preparing for body transformation so soon. She had to finish reading the twins' textbooks first.

"Also, you can't teach Harry and the others until you've completely mastered it." Professor McGonagall looked at the flowerpot in front of Ron, which was bared and had rat whiskers on it, and her veins were about to pop out of her head with anger.

But in fact, Ron has performed much better since getting his new wand than last semester. At least the stability of his shapeshifters has improved dramatically, while Neville still has a long way to go to catch up. He was missing too many things last year.

As for Harry, perhaps inheriting from Mr. James, he outperformed Draco, even raising his eyebrows at him, while the latter didn't even acknowledge him.

The afternoon Potions class was a solo show for the four Gryffindors. Having received a summer of intensive instruction from Professor Potter, even Neville, the slowest learner, was at least six months ahead of the rest of the class.

Whether it was Hermione and Harry's solo pairing or Ron and Neville's duo, they both produced the vixen-killing agent with a remarkably high level of completion.

But Lily said this was just an appetizer for the semester. If they couldn't produce a Bone Spirit that satisfied her in the final exam, she would still give them a big T in their Potions class grades.

On the first day of school, Gryffindor's house points were already showing a significant lead, but Lucius's bonus points to Draco last year were even more excessive. Moreover, Hermione's group of four genuinely earned their bonus points through outstanding performance, and the others could only complain about the professor's favoritism, but there was nothing they could do about it.

After dinner, Harry and his friends planned to go back to the Room of Requirement to tidy up the former pillager hideout.

Hermione, however, wanted to read in the common room, so she declined their suggestion and let the three boys go wild on their own.

Tomorrow is her first Anti-Witchcraft Defense class in second grade, which she has been looking forward to for a long time. It would obviously be better to review the second-grade textbook before then.

The night passed quickly, and Hermione was the first to arrive at the Defense Classroom, greeting Professor Lockhart in her best form.

"I think she's really possessed. Even Lockhart might not be able to beat her," Ron muttered under his breath, but Hermione still tapped him on the head with a book.

Soon, after the students arrived one after another, Lockhart also pushed open the door and came in.

He was wearing a blue-gray cloak as always, his hair was carefully styled and looked like golden silk, and the long sword at his waist and the short staff on his back were also wiped clean, obviously having been specially cleaned many times for class.

"Good morning, children. Welcome to the second-year Anti-Wizard Technology Defense class. I am your new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart."

He spoke a long passage in one breath, as if he had memorized it several times, and even seemed a little nervous, but he quickly relaxed.

"I think some of you probably already know me." He winked at Hermione and the others.

"Or rather, if you had attended last year's defense class properly, you should be quite familiar with me. Yes, I am the author of the textbook in your hands, and all the knowledge points you can find in the book come from my personal experience."

"Professor, did you really cross the Muggle lines and rescue a witch from their hail of bullets?" a curious girl immediately asked.

"Of course, that was five years ago when I witnessed what Muggles call combined arms transport in Vilnius. Heavy steam tanks and infantrymen in anti-wizard armor steadily advanced and destroyed the ghost forest built by the local wizards."

He said with a smile, "But 'Crossfire - I Was Forced to Save the Beauty' is not your textbook. Although I am happy to have gained another reader and fan, it is a bit too early for you second graders to read this book."

"Professor, in 'A Year with the Yeti of Tibet,' do the Pure Land of Shambhala and the Earth's axis really exist?" another boy raised his hand to ask.

"Oh child, I think it's most likely that the wizards used too many confusion spells on Hitler, or something else entirely."

"At least I didn't find the so-called axis of the earth on that plateau." Lockhart tilted his head and pursed his lips.

"Don't worry, children, we will discuss these questions one by one in later classes. From me, you will get a more real world than in the books, and perhaps that is why Dumbledore invited me here."

"And the students in charge of Slytherin!" a boy from one of the houses suddenly said, drawing angry glares from Draco and the others.

"Haha, okay, that might be one of the reasons." Lockhart waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to look over.

"In fact, compared to the specific knowledge points mentioned in the book, what I want you to learn more about is the current state of the world." He said earnestly, "Perhaps just by reading the book, you can learn how to avoid the curse of fairies, how to take advantage of the weaknesses of vampires, or how to disguise yourself as a proper Muggle, but compared to these, knowing where the dangers exist in the world today is perhaps more important."

"Therefore, in every class from now on, in addition to explaining the knowledge in the textbook, I will also explain the UMNO party to you..."

The distribution of power among Muggles and goblins may not be as clear as it is in books, but it is equally important, and this may prevent you from relying on the knowledge from books.

Hermione was very interested in this part. Since coming to this world, apart from Godric Cliff and Malfoy Castle, she had not really understood the outside world. The magic of Hogwarts made the castle seem to be walking in the cracks of the world, and it was difficult for anything outside to disturb it. This also made Hermione very unfamiliar with everything outside. Lockhart, who had traveled for many years, was just able to fill this gap.