The days at Hogwarts

It's sizzling!

There was a metallic rubbing sound as the hinges clicked together, and the office door opened inward.

Lockhart was not behind the door, but sitting in the middle of the office, with one hand resting on his cheek, and it seemed that he had been in that position for a long time.

Loren and Harry sighed at the same time. You are so good at pretending. Using magic to open a door, something that even preschoolers can do, you pretend it's like it's some advanced spell. Even Professor Flitwick can't pretend like you can do it better.

"Ah, the little rascal and the future memory annuler are here! Come in, Harry, Loren, come in." Lockhart called out, his high-pitched voice matching his posture.

The dozens of photos and portraits of Lockhart hung on the walls, illuminated brightly by the candles.

"You come and help me write the envelopes. Believe me, they will be so happy when they receive the letters!" When Lockhart thought of that scene, he felt as refreshed as drinking a crucible of ice water in the hot desert.

"Like this, the first one is to Ms. Gladys Gougeon - a great admirer of mine..." Lockhart showed Harry how to address an envelope, then placed several thick stacks of envelopes as tall as Harry in front of him, asking him to copy them according to the instructions.

Peter Iver, Veronica...

Harry slid the quill mechanically, his eyes lost their luster, like an emotionless envelope copying machine.

Lockhart watched him copy a few letters, nodded with satisfaction, looked up at Loren, and said with a smile: "Oh, future memory cancellation officer, let's start learning the forgetfulness spell."

The teaching process was somewhat beyond Loren's expectations. Lockhart had a comprehensive grasp of the Oblivion Spell. Perhaps due to his own conditions, Lockhart explained in great detail.

In addition to the spell's phonology and casting movements, Loren was also explained how to cast the Forgetfulness Spell in various situations.

"Memories from different times are interrelated. They have some subtle connections. We need to be precise when deleting and modifying memories."

"In 1932, the famous Ilfracombe incident occurred, when a playful Common Welsh Green dragon attacked a group of sunbathers in Ilfracombe, Devon, England. The Tork family, a wizard who was visiting the area, took control of the dragon and used the largest-scale Memory Charm on the inhabitants of the area in the 20th century."

"I don't mean to look down on the Tok family, but they don't understand the principle of the Oblivion Charm at all. The rough and indiscriminate Oblivion Charm has caused many mistakes. If it were me, even if a group of Romanian dragons flew over London together, no Muggle would remember this incident the next day."

Typical wizard thinking, Lockhart probably had no idea how big London was or how many Muggles lived in the city.

Ignoring the self-congratulatory parts of the lecture, the most useful part was Lockhart's detailed analysis of the memory storage areas in the brain and the soul storing memories.

"Short-term memories that do not cause drastic emotional changes will not be engraved in the soul. Such memories can be easily changed with a wave of a magic wand in front of the eyes."

"On the other hand, many years have passed, and after countless recollections, deep emotions have pulled the memories reflected into the soul. For this kind of memory, the forgetfulness spell must penetrate deep into the soul, and even the slightest fluctuation of magic power can turn a person into a fool."

At this point, Lockhart smiled at Loren and said, "Many people simply cannot tell the difference between the two kinds of memory, which can lead to irreversible brain damage and permanent damage to the soul's memory."

The goodwill he had gained earlier and Lockhart's desire to show off made this class very useful, and Loren learned a lot of unknown things about the Oblivion Spell.

"During the Quidditch World Cup every year, the nearby residents need to be repeatedly cast the Memory Removal Charm. The memory cancellation agents sent to the scene are experienced and skilled, so there are basically no problems. Other scenes, such as torture and interrogation, are for newcomers to practice, and the interrogated criminals are often made into fools." Lockhart lowered his voice, "Then they are thrown into Azkaban and claimed to be the work of Dementors."

Chapter 182 Campus Club

Harry held his head high, his eyes fixed on the envelope, but he couldn't help glancing to the side, and his ears pricked up to listen to the teaching content beside him. His mind was no longer on the envelope.

It was amazing that Professor Lockhart, a fool, could actually teach. He taught the content of the Oblivion Charm in a very realistic way. The Ilfracombe incident and the strange experiences of the Ministry of Magic's memory cancellation officer were so vivid and interesting that even Professor McGonagall would praise them if they were in a serious class.

Harry, who had originally firmly believed that Lockhart was a liar, now felt a little shaken.

Loren listened carefully and gained a lot from the theoretical contents.

During the summer vacation, he had spent a lot of time on memory magic - Legilimency and Occlumency. Practicing these two kinds of magic gave him a preliminary understanding of the brain and the soul. Lockhart's views on the surface memory of the brain and the deep memory of the soul gave him a new perspective, and many of his previous doubts were answered.

He had a feeling that after learning the Oblivion Spell, his other two memory spells would also see great progress.

Lockhart spoke with great excitement, twirling the wand in his hand around his fingers. "Remember, the Oblivion Spell is not unbreakable. Torture deep into the soul and time may render the Oblivion Spell ineffective. In some extreme cases, some people can break through the Oblivion Spell with their strong will. Of course, such cases are very rare..."

The lecture lasted until very late, and tonight was all theory, with no demonstration or practice parts.

Loren and Harry left the office together. When they heard the door close, Harry came back to his senses after he stopped copying envelopes.

"I must have copied a thousand envelopes," said Harry, grimly.

"At least he didn't show off the contents of the letter, right?" Loren was in a good mood.

Harry imagined the fan letter and what Lockhart might write in reply, and nodded thankfully.

Turning a corner and stepping onto the stairs, Harry said, "I didn't expect him to be so good at explaining the Oblivion Charm. By the way, do you really want to be a memory annuler?"

"Of course, everyone in the school knows that this is the job I, Loren, have always dreamed of." Loren's voice was firm.

Then Harry understood, and he nodded: "Oh, it's fake."

Suddenly, a strange voice with no clear source rang out: "Come... let me... tear you apart... kill you..."

Harry was startled when he was about to continue teasing. He stopped and shut up, pretending to listen. But he heard nothing. The sound just now did not appear again.

After a moment, Harry turned his head and looked at Loren in confusion: "That voice! Did you hear any strange sounds?"

Seeing Harry's nervous expression, Loren pretended to be confused and shook his head: "What's that sound? Aren't you the one who's been talking?"

Harry's brows knitted together. "The - the voice said - didn't you hear it?"

Although he already knew that he could speak Parseltongue, he did not connect the strange sound he heard with Parseltongue and thought it was some hidden Easter egg in Hogwarts Castle.

This thousand-year-old castle is like this. Some young wizards have heard the screams of people being tortured and the shrieks of howling banshees when they wander around at night.

Loren said, "Maybe you've been copying too many envelopes and you're a little sleepy."

He probably guessed that Voldemort must have gone to the Chamber of Secrets during the weekend and awakened the basilisk. This was a plan that Dumbledore had already arranged. The basilisk's deadly gaze had been safely handled, so there was no need to worry about the safety of the students.

The stage has been set, and now it's time for the main character, Harry, to appear on stage...

It is late September and the fourth week of school has already begun. Both the new teaching methods for the second and fourth grades and the normal teaching content for other grades are on track.

The young wizards finally got rid of the holiday fatigue and devoted themselves to campus life. The shore of the Black Lake was crowded with young wizards practicing spells, and the light of the spells and the waves raised by the squid tentacles rose and fell one after another.

It was in this atmosphere that Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration Club was established.

There was no notice posted on the notice board in the common room. Instead, Professor McGonagall suddenly announced during class:

"The Transfiguration Club is for young wizards who have spare time and are willing to continue to study and explore Transfiguration. To join the Transfiguration Club, you must pass the exam. The exam papers are different for each grade, and only students who score E or above in the exam can join."

She patted the pile of parchment papers on the desk, making a dull sound. "Now, students who have no intention of joining the club can leave get out of class early and go to the auditorium for lunch."

Seamus and Dean looked at each other, and Dean whispered, "Do you want to join the Transfiguration Club?"

Seamus shook his head. He was not good at Transfiguration, nor was he a young wizard with much to learn. He also had no intention of exploring the field of Transfiguration in depth.

But they were still young, and they didn't have enough confidence in such a seemingly important choice, so they hesitated whether they should leave. Other young wizards were in a similar situation, wanting to give up but fearing any negative consequences.

Seeing this, Professor McGonagall emphasized, "Clubs are just places for extracurricular activities. You don't have to force yourself to join every club. You can even choose not to join any club. It won't affect your grades and exams. And there are recruitment examinations every school year. Students who are hesitant can observe the activities of the clubs for a year and take the exam next year."

Seamus and Dean were relieved and stood up and walked out of the classroom. With a leader, other little wizards followed one after another and left, leaving more than half of the classroom empty.

Loren and Hermione had received an invitation from Professor McGonagall in advance. If nothing unexpected happened, they would be the designated candidates to be the leaders of the lower grade section of the club. Naturally, they did not leave and sat upright in their seats.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and stayed. Unexpectedly, Neville also stayed.

Facing his friend's surprised look, Neville scratched his head and hesitantly said, "Professor McGonagall didn't say what would happen if I failed the exam. Anyway, there will be no loss. I want to give it a try."

"Neville, you are no worse than anyone else. You will definitely pass the exam." Hermione encouraged.

Neville smiled shyly. During the holidays, his grandmother said that he had become a bit more manly.

The test paper is divided into two parts. The first half is a simple fill-in-the-blank question, which mainly contains the original text in the textbook, the key points of Transfiguration, and the precautions for Transfiguration steps, etc. It is not difficult at all.

The second half has only one essay question: Talk about your understanding of Gamp's basic law of transformation and analyze the five exceptions?

The little wizard who turned the page and read the questions was confused. What is that?

This kind of essay question without a standard answer was the first time the young wizards had seen it. Their previous way of learning was to memorize the basic laws of transformation and the five major exceptions, and that was considered mastery.

Now suddenly a question appears, not asking you about the content of the basic transformation law, not asking you what the five exceptions are, but asking your understanding and opinion. Even most students don’t remember what the five exceptions are, they only learned Gamp’s basic law.

The young wizards were divided into three categories. One category was staring blankly at the questions, trying to figure out what to do; another category was scratching their heads and gnawing at the tip of their pens, and they still had no idea how to answer the questions even after gnawing their quills until they were worn out; the last category was Hermione and Loren, who were actually writing down their answers.

Hermione didn't know the answer, so she first stated the basic rules of transformation, and many thoughts came to her mind during the statement. So she recorded these thoughts and wrote them on the test paper.

Loren wrote whatever came to his mind, eloquently and casually jotting down his thoughts on Gamp's basic law of transformation, without expecting any points.

Listening to the sound of the two people's pens scratching the parchment, the young wizards gradually became anxious. Several Gryffindor young wizards twisted and turned in their seats, feeling uncomfortable all over. They once again experienced the torture that Loren had given them during the final exam last year. The feeling of not being able to write and having others fill in the blanks was too torturous.

Is this the top student? The little wizards trembled.

After the exam, Professor McGonagall collected the test papers, said a few simple words and left.

It takes time to mark the test papers, and the list of selected students will be posted on the bulletin board in the lounge, but formal club activities will not begin until after October.

Following the Transfiguration Club is Professor Snape's Potions Club.

Different from the public activities of the Charms Club and the recruitment and selection of the Transfiguration Club, the recruitment method of the Potions Club was direct and clear - Snape directly sent invitations to the young wizards.

Wednesday at noon in the auditorium.

Loren stacked several pieces of steak together, poured black pepper sauce on them, and bit into them like he was eating a hamburger. It made him feel happy just by looking at it.

There was a sound of flapping wings, and far more owls than usual flew through the skylight of the auditorium and landed next to their respective targets.

The little spectacled owl with patterns around its eyes cooed twice, put the letter next to Loren, and ate its biscuits. Hermione and Harry also received the same envelope.

The dark green envelope with dark gold patterns was really eye-catching. Among the four people sitting together, only Ron did not receive the letter.

Ron looked up at the skylight, his neck was sore but his owl hadn't come yet. He asked curiously, "What's this letter?"

Hermione put down her knife and fork, opened the letter, and roughly glanced at the contents of the letter: "The sender is Professor Snape, inviting us to join the Potions Club."

"Really?" Ron muttered. Although he was not interested in the Potions Club, he was the only one among the few people who did not receive the letter, and he still felt sad.

"I understand that you and Loren received invitations," Ron turned to look at Harry, "Why did you receive one too? Does the old bat want to continue to torture you?"

Harry, who was feeling a little smug, suddenly felt that the steak for lunch was not so delicious. Thinking about it, it seemed that this was really possible. He hesitated and said, "Then I refuse the invitation?"

"You dare to refuse Snape's invitation?!" Seamus came over and looked at him in shock, "Then will you be able to eat in peace in the future?"

This sentence wiped out Harry's courage, and Ron suddenly felt relieved after hearing this sentence. The sour feeling in his heart disappeared, and instead he felt a little happy.

Loren was surprised when Harry received an invitation from Snape, but after thinking about it carefully, it seemed not surprising.

No freshmen who had just enrolled received an invitation.

There were several other wizards in their second year who received invitations, including Rolf Scamander from Hufflepuff, Michael Corner from Ravenclaw, and Draco Malfoy from Slytherin.

The higher the grade, the more young wizards received invitations. The Potions Club was a niche club, but the members together could form a class.

The young wizards in the auditorium were discussing this matter enthusiastically.

Guest of honor seat.

Professor Flitwick was whispering to Professor McGonagall: "The Transfiguration Club should have more students than the Potions Club, right?"

Professor McGonagall nodded. "The first half of the test paper consists of basic questions. There are no standard answers for the subjective questions at the end. They are mainly to test whether students have their own thoughts on Transfiguration. Students who have passed the basic test and have the ability to think independently can be selected."

"Have you thought about club activities?"

Professor McGonagall paused. "I'm planning to start an Animagus tutorial class."

“What a great idea!”

Professor Flitwick blew his beard and exclaimed, "There are only seven registered Animagus in the British Ministry of Magic. If your tutorial class is successful, Minerva McGonagall's name will be famous throughout the wizarding world!"

"Haha, that's not the case..." Professor McGonagall said modestly, but she couldn't take off the smile on her lips.

"If this initiative is successful, it will prove that club activities are sufficient to make up for the reduced class time, and there will be less resistance to its implementation."

"Yeah, I hope it succeeds..."

Looking at Potter below, who was struggling with his invitation and was actually hesitating, Snape's face was gloomy. He planned to let Harry deal with the slugs when planning the club activities.

Dumbledore looked at the dark green invitation with gold patterns in the hands of the young wizards and asked slowly, "Have you made the arrangements?"

"Well," Snape responded, "Let the juniors be responsible for processing the raw materials, and the seniors be responsible for brewing. We can use the Malfoy family's channels to sell these low-end potions to Africa."

Finance was the missing link for Hogwarts to become completely independent, and the plan was set when Lucius Malfoy delivered the raw materials.

After this batch of low-end finished magic potions were sold, various raw materials from Africa were obtained, and then they were returned to the school to prepare various levels of magic potions. Part of them were sold to Africa in exchange for raw materials, and part of them became the financial pillar of the school.

With the school's own property, many things are no longer restricted. The Ministry of Magic can no longer control Hogwarts, and the Board of Directors can no longer control Hogwarts.

Seeing that Dumbledore was a little hesitant, Snape added: "It is not unfair to help the school take the first step towards financial independence, gain advanced potion knowledge, and accumulate experience as a potion master. Many students want to work in the potion industry after graduation, and these experiences are more valuable to them."

"Who can predict how the future will develop? Try to respect their wishes." Dumbledore sighed, "And your resurrection potion experiment, what are the arrangements?"

"I have my own plans."

Chapter 183: Potions Activity

"By the way!" Professor Flitwick looked over to the other side, "Pomona, isn't Herbology planning to start a club? There are a lot of students looking forward to it."

The slightly plump Professor Sprout paused to work on the steak in front of him and wiped his mouth with a napkin: "Don't say that to comfort me. Why would a little wizard like to go into a greenhouse and deal with soil?"