Hogwarts: The Witch Education Handbook

For Harry.

Perhaps what bothers him most is not the classes themselves, but finding a classroom to attend.

Hogwarts has 142 different staircases and numerous doors. Some staircases change shape, and some doors require specific methods to open. The people and armor in the portraits move, and everything is constantly in motion, making it difficult to remember locations.

Ghosts can also suddenly appear and scare people. Although the nearly headless Nick is willing to guide the new students, encountering the mischievous Peeves will be more troublesome, as it will play all sorts of pranks, which makes Harry very distressed.

Every Wednesday night, they would use a telescope to observe the night sky, learning the names of different stars and the trajectories of planets.

Three times a week, they would be taken by a short, stout witch named Sprout to the greenhouse behind the castle for herb lessons, to learn how to cultivate these strange plants and fungi and to understand their uses.

If Harry's most anticipated class was Defense Against the Dark Arts, his most boring class was probably History of Magic.

This is also the only course taught by a ghost.

Back in the day, Professor Binns fell asleep in front of the fireplace in the faculty lounge, and when he went to class the next morning, he forgot to bring his body with him, which shows that Professor Binns was indeed very old when he died.

During class, Professor Binns lectured in a monotonous and tedious voice, while he and his classmates hastily jotted down names and dates, sometimes even forgetting when names were mixed up.

Friday was a pivotal day for Harry and Ron.

While he was having breakfast, Hedwig (Harry's owl) brought him a note with scribbled words on it:

Dear Harry:

I know you don't have classes on Friday afternoon. Would you be willing to come over for tea with me around 3 PM? I'd like to know how your first week went. Please let Hedwig give me an answer.

Hagrid

Harry borrowed a quill from Ron and hastily wrote on the back of the note: "Okay, I'd love to. See you this afternoon."

Then Hedwig flew away.

In the afternoon, Harry and Ron arrived at Hagrid's cabin, where they found a note containing a clipping from the Daily Prophet.

The text above reads:

Latest report on the Gringotts trespassing incident

The investigation into the Gringotts trespassing incident on July 31 is ongoing. It is widely believed to be the work of an unnamed dark wizard.

The goblins of Gringotts reiterated today that nothing was stolen. The underground vault, which was searched by the intruders, had in fact been emptied earlier that day.

A Gringotts goblin spokesperson said this afternoon: "We cannot disclose what is stored in the vault; it is best not to interfere in this matter."

While Harry was still wondering if something was amiss, he didn't expect that Professor Sean, whom he was most looking forward to, had already gone to a mysterious place.

......

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

In the azure sky, a figure rode a flying broomstick, weaving through the air like the wind. Sunlight shone on him, illuminating him with golden radiance, as if draping him in a sacred halo.

He gripped the broom handle tightly, leaned forward slightly, and felt the wind pass through his fingers, as if he were one with nature. The flying broom drew graceful arcs in the air, like it was performing a light dance.

Of course, this was just Sean's fantasy.

In fact, riding a flying broom was not a pleasant experience for Sean; it was even more frustrating than riding a trolley in Gringotts.

The wind whistled past his ears, but Sean felt no freedom or lightness of flight. On the contrary, he felt as if he were being swept along by the wind, drifting helplessly in the air.

If he had a mirror now, he would find himself no different from the homeless living in the London Underground, utterly wretched.

Sean's once neat attire was now tattered. He wore a long robe that was billowing in the wind, covered in dust and grime, and even had several tears from branches. The hem of the robe was fluttering wildly in the wind, as if it might be torn apart at any moment.

His hat was nowhere to be found, and his hair was blown around by the wind like a tangled mess of weeds.

"Damn it," Sean cursed under his breath.

He wouldn't have come here if it weren't for the special mission assigned by the cheat device.

Friday afternoon was a rare half-day off, so I didn't schedule any classes for him.

He could have taken a peaceful afternoon nap with the sweet and soft Bella in his arms, but instead, in order to complete his mission, he rode a flying broomstick across most of Europe and arrived in this godforsaken place.

Because of the urgency of the situation, he could not take a plane in the Muggle world, nor could he leave through the fireplace in the Ministry of Magic, as such procedures were too cumbersome. So he chose the most direct method—flying across Europe on a broomstick.

......

night.

Albania.

The night was deep, and the Albanian primeval forest was quiet and cold.

Moonlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled shadows on Sean and bathing him in a silvery glow.

He walked along a deep, winding path, surrounded by dense trees whose branches swayed in the wind as if they might stretch out dark tentacles at any moment and drag Sean into an endless abyss.

The cold air came from all directions, penetrating Sean's clothes and reaching his skin.

He could feel the biting cold, a cold that seemed to penetrate to his very bones, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

The breath exhaled quickly condensed in the cold air, forming wisps of white mist that blended into the night.

Sean's footsteps echoed through the silent forest, accompanied by his deep breathing, creating an eerie atmosphere.

He would occasionally pull his collar tighter to try and ward off the cold wind, while rubbing his hands together to try and regain some feeling in his fingers. In this cold night, every step seemed exceptionally difficult.

Sean was already starting to regret it.

But having come this far, there is no possibility of turning back now.

He would occasionally use his wand to cast a light spell, drawing streaks of light in the darkness to illuminate his path.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion ahead.

Sean's heart sank. He quickly extinguished the light from his wand and hid himself in the bushes, carefully avoiding making any noise. He quietly moved toward the direction from which the sound was coming, trying to find out what was going on.

As he drew closer, the sounds grew clearer. He heard panting, roars, and...

"You... you actually managed to track me all the way here." A deep, angry voice came from the open space in front of us.

Sean cautiously peered through the gaps in the foliage and saw two groups of people facing off in a tense standoff.

A group of people dressed in black cloaks, their faces obscured by the brims of their hoods, appeared mysterious and sinister, like ghosts emerging from the night.

The other group consisted of ordinary wizards, their expressions serious, wands gripped tightly, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.

Sean spotted his target—Nifadora Tonks—in the crowd.

She was Sean's junior from his class, and also the only adult witch among the female characters in Sean's cheat device—when a special character appeared, Sean immediately thought of her.

Of course, she also has a special identity: she is the daughter of Sirius Black's favorite cousin, Andromeda. After Andromeda's name was removed from the tapestry of the Black family tree, Bella became her aunt.

Before leaving, Sean asked Bella about Tonks. Bella said she only remembered holding Tonks once when she was very young, and then she had no other memory of her.

According to the original story, after leaving Hogwarts in 1991, Tonks underwent three years of training and became an Auror in 1994.

Based on this information, Sean went to great lengths to find out from the Ministry of Magic that they had been given a mission—to come to Albania to investigate the vampires and witches that had recently appeared there.

What is Albania?

Others might not know, but Sean knew it inside and out.

His esteemed colleague, the unfortunate Professor Quirrell, arrived here a few months earlier and became Voldemort's temporary Horcrux, and would even die in the Chamber of Secrets on the fourth floor of Hogwarts six months later.

This place is fraught with danger; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was Voldemort's former stronghold.

Although according to the original plot, Tonks was still alive and well until the end, Sean was afraid that his appearance would create a butterfly effect and bring some unknown risks to his girlfriend. So, after making some simple preparations, he came over as soon as he received the news.

While I'm at it, I'll also complete a special mission.

He could swear to Merlin that he was absolutely not after the rewards of the special mission, nor was he there to complete the special mission. Absolutely not.

But judging from the current situation, it seems he arrived just in time.

"You lot, surrender and come with me to the Ministry of Magic for trial!" a leading Auror shouted, his voice echoing through the forest, sounding exceptionally firm and authoritative.

A cold laugh came from the group of people in black, as if mocking the wizard's words.

Immediately afterwards, a man in black slowly stepped out of the crowd. He removed the brim of his cloak and hood, revealing a cold and cunning face.

"Who do you think you are? The Ministry of Magic? Hmph, we don't take you seriously. Since you dared to come here today, don't even think about leaving!" the man in black sneered.

Before he could finish speaking, the leader of the men in black waved his wand, and a ghastly green beam of light shot out toward the leading Auror.

The Aurors reacted quickly, dodging the attack by sidestepping, but at the same time their expressions turned serious.

"It's an Unforgivable Curse, watch out!" the lead Auror shouted to his companion.

The man in black was not discouraged by the failure of his first attack. Instead, he waved his wand even more frantically, and beams of green light shot out from the tip of the wand, each time narrowly missing the Aurors.

Faced with such a perilous situation, the leading Auror quickly issued the order: "Spread out to avoid being attacked by a group! Use defensive spells to protect yourselves!"

The Aurors were well-trained and immediately split into several groups upon hearing the order, each seeking cover and casting defensive magic.

The forest was instantly filled with various magical lights, which intertwined with the green light of the man in black, creating a breathtaking battle scene.

The men in black, taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain, used the dense trees of the forest as cover to launch relentless and fierce attacks.

Worse still, they had clearly laid an ambush. Another group of wizards in black cloaks emerged, and traps and curses they had set up in the forest were constantly being triggered, plunging the Aurors into a predicament.

"Merlin's beard, this doesn't match our intelligence. We've been ambushed."

Faced with the relentless onslaught of the men in black, the leader, Auror, tried his best to remain calm, but the severity of the situation far exceeded his expectations.

He shouted again, "Maintain defense, find a breakthrough, and avoid direct confrontation!"

However, the attacks from the men in black were too dense, and their traps were both well-designed and vicious. Some Aurors inadvertently stepped into the traps and instantly lost their fighting ability.

The remaining Aurors, despite their valiant resistance, began to falter under the relentless onslaught of the men in black.

As time went on, the originally scattered Auror groups were gradually forced together, and their defensive perimeter became smaller and smaller.

The man in black didn't seem to be in a hurry to end the battle, but rather toyed with the exhausted Aurors like a cat playing with mice.

The leading Auror made a decision instantly. He gathered his remaining magic power, preparing to launch a decisive attack. He whispered to his companions, "I need your cover. We only have one chance."

Under the cover of the other Aurors, the lead Auror quietly approached the leader of the men in black.

Just as the leader of the men in black was looking smugly at his prey, the leading Auror suddenly launched an attack, a powerful beam of magic heading straight for the leader's wand.

The leader of the men in black reacted quickly, but he did not expect the Auror leader to launch an attack so decisively.

Despite his timely defense, the lead Auror's magic still struck his wand, halting the black-clad men's encirclement. Seizing the opportunity, the lead Auror shouted, "Run! I'll cover the rear!"

Upon hearing the order, the remaining Aurors ceased fighting and cast defensive and escape spells, quickly retreating under the cover of the forest.

Although the men in black tried to regroup, their formation had been disrupted by the fierce attack of their leader, an Auror, and they were unable to organize an effective pursuit for a time.

As Sean watched the heavily wounded Tonks flee into the depths of the jungle, he quietly followed.

There was only one person he wanted to protect from beginning to end, and that was Tonks.

As for the safety of others, it has nothing to do with him.

He is not a saint, nor would he waste precious magic scrolls to reverse the battle.

He should be at Hogwarts right now, not in Albania. If his strange behavior and possession of valuable magical items were exposed, it would only bring him endless trouble, nothing more.