days at Hogwarts

On a quiet evening in mid-January, the express train arrived at Hogsmeade Station again.

The Christmas holidays are over and the new term at Hogwarts has begun.

Thanks to the headmaster's active reply to the letter to appease the students' parents, who were willing to believe Dumbledore, no student missed the opening dinner, and the four long tables in the auditorium were once again filled with students.

"Old Tom wants to retire, and no one in the family wants to take over the Leaky Cauldron, so I was thinking, maybe..."

"Whatever you want to do, Hannah, I support you."

"Thank you Neville."

"..."

The reunited young lovers expressed their longing for each other, then returned to their respective college tables. Their friends gathered around them to share their holiday experiences. The joy of gathering overcame the worries about the current situation, and the returning little wizards got together to make the ancient castle lively again.

Neville met the gazes of several roommates and smiled shyly: "Loren, Harry, Ron and Seamus, long time no see."

"Long time no see, Neville."

"Happy New Year, Neville."

"..."

Several roommates were grinning.

Perhaps the food at the Longbottoms' was better than at school, Neville was a little fatter than before the holiday, and he changed into a brand new wizard robe. The sleeves were close-fitting, neither loose nor tight, and the stitches and threads showed traces of hand-sewing, which did not look like ready-made clothes sold in stores.

It was obvious that he took good care of this dress. He was very careful throughout the dinner and did not let any oil or soup drip on it.

"It seems a little different from before the holiday..." Harry looked him up and down, scratched his head, but couldn't tell what was different.

Loren observed for a moment and summarized: "I feel more relaxed than before, not so tense anymore."

"That's right!" Harry couldn't stop nodding.

"Perhaps I don't have to think about becoming an Auror anymore." Neville said softly, his tone gentle and relaxed. "My grandmother always wanted me to become an Auror and restore the glory of the Longbottom family. After my parents recovered and were discharged from the hospital, she didn't mention it as often as before, but I know she still hopes that I can become an excellent Auror..."

"and then?"

"She told me in the attic on Christmas morning that I didn't have to be an Auror, that I should choose a job I would enjoy."

"So what kind of work do you like?"

"I'm not sure yet..." Neville smiled and shook his head, "Let's not talk about that. What about you guys? Did you go on any adventures during the holidays? Is there anything new in school?"

"Well..."

Harry and Ron began counting on their fingers:

"Professor Slughorn is hosting a party and has invited vampires..."

"On Christmas Eve, Professor Trelawney drank 37 bottles of sherry, and Hagrid kissed Professor McGonagall on the cheek..."

"The ghost theater troupe split up. Many ghosts chose to support Myrtle. They felt that Nick's story was too unoriginal..."

"By the way, the password to the portrait cave has also been changed. The Fat Lady and her friend Violet visited the portrait of the Drunken Friar, the one next to the corridor of the Charms classroom, and drank all the wine in the portrait, including five hundred years old wine. The Fat Lady has not yet fully sobered up, so the password has been changed to stop drinking."

Neville listened to these anecdotes with great interest and couldn't help grinning.

What a wonderful Hogwarts.

……

The next morning.

Loren and Hermione went downstairs to the Great Hall and found that the spiral staircase was crowded with people and a large group of students gathered in front of the bulletin board.

Considering that Seamus would soon spread the news in the auditorium, the two did not squeeze in to join in the fun. Instead, they walked around the crowd into the auditorium, sat down at the long table of the academy and prepared to have breakfast. When they heard the professors' lectures, they realized that it was about the Apparition teaching class.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were distributing registration forms to the students and explaining the specific arrangements and precautions for this class, including registration requirements, registration fees, school cycle and teaching methods.

Loren and Hermione listened silently, feeling a little weird.

This class is jointly organized by the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. Both parties will send teaching staff. The Ministry of Magic will be responsible for the main teaching, and the school professors will provide auxiliary guidance. Professor Flitwick will also explain theoretical knowledge in the spell class.

There is no academic requirement for admissions, and as for the age limit of 17, considering the special circumstances of the current situation, students who are only a few months away from the required age can also fill out the form to apply.

The course is scheduled on weekends and will not interfere with regular classes. Students must be supervised by teachers during their daily practice and must be assisted by therapists. The teaching class has the right to cancel the assessment qualification for students who do not comply with the teaching regulations.

After the 12-week teaching, the Ministry of Magic will appoint the final examiner. The examiner will score the casting speed, landing accuracy and other aspects during the actual Apparition process. If there is any separation during the assessment, it will be regarded as failure.

Students who pass the exam and obtain the qualification certificate will receive appropriate extra points in the relevant subjects of the Ultimate Wizarding Level Examination.

Judging from the assessment results of the teaching classes in previous years, the pass rate is not very high. Even students in the advanced class of spells cannot be guaranteed to pass. For students who cannot attend the advanced class at all, the difficulty is even higher.

Some people are excited, while others are sad.

“Please tell everyone that those who are interested in participating should submit their registration forms before this Friday.”

"Shall we sign up?" Hermione looked at Loren beside her.

Loren said to her as he spread jam on his bread, "Report it. I had no choice before and could only teleport without a license, but I want to be a law-abiding wizard in the future."

"..."

Hermione lowered her head and ate her breakfast in silence.

I've actually gotten used to his weird and inexplicable words.

"Ugh……"

Ron stroked the registration form in his hand and sighed. He was worried about the 12 Galleons registration fee.

Now there are only two students in the Weasley family, him and Ginny. The family's financial situation has improved a lot. The older brothers all have their own jobs and can occasionally contribute to the family expenses. It is not that the money is not available.

But as a poor student, I always feel a little uncomfortable when I think about spending my family’s money.

Harry sat nearby with a conflicted expression. It was not easy to offer comfort in this situation, nor could he take the initiative to ask for money.

He caught a glimpse of Loren next to him out of the corner of his eye, and decided to use that trick: "Ahem... this Apparition should be fun."

Ron was a little surprised: "Didn't Sirius take you to experience it?"

"My experience with others guiding me was a bit bad, maybe it would be better if I did it myself."

"I don't know. Anyway, when George and Fred first learned it, they showed off this magic throughout the holiday."

"I remember Charlie didn't pass, didn't he?"

"Yes, he is bigger."

"..."

Just as Harry was silently thanking Professor Morgan in his heart, Seamus and Dean had already filled out the registration form and sat next to Loren stealthily.

Seamus asked solemnly, "Professor Morgan, is there any trick to Apparition?"

"In Merlin's name, we promise not to leak it." Dean pursed his lips into a straight line and expressed his determination with his eyes.

"You should ask Professor Morgan about this question! No one knows more about illusions than me..."

Loren paused his confident words, frowned slightly, and fell into thought.

hiss……

Professor Morgan learned Apparition several years ago, so long ago that the casting movements and incantation tones have become muscle memory, and he casts spells by instinct most of the time. Asking him to sort out the key points of casting now is like asking a senior high school student what the tricks are for addition and subtraction within 10.

For a moment, I didn't know where to start.

He paused for a moment, then said with a profound look on his face, "The professor will tell you the theoretical knowledge and the key points of casting spells. If you must say there is a trick, it is the mentality. Don't be afraid of being separated. You can put your limbs, legs, and head back together in front of the therapist and the professor. Do it a few more times and you will master it once you get used to it."

"..."

Seamus and Dean opened their mouths but said nothing. They turned around and asked another big boss for advice.

Fortunately, Professor Granger had the habit of keeping notes. He had a thick notebook that detailed his experience in learning Apparition in his early years, analysis of theoretical principles, key points related to spellcasting, and his personal experiences. It contained all kinds of knowledge points.

The two of them held the duplicated notes and shouted sincerely:

"Long live Granger!"

"Hermione, you are much more reliable than Loren!"

Watching the two figures walking away happily, Hermione glanced at Professor Morgan who was misleading his students, and a slight smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

"what are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing at you."

Loren's eyes widened. This man actually admitted it!

……

Professor Flitwick was surrounded or carried into the classroom by students. The students, led by Seamus, placed the short professor on the desk and blinked:

"Professor, tell me something about Apparition!"

"Yes, the class bell hasn't rung yet, so it won't take up class time."

"..."

Professor Flitwick fixed his messy hair and smiled. He understood the thoughts of these students very well. They were not expecting detailed theoretical knowledge, but a preliminary understanding of Apparition.

"Then tell me about it. Apparition is a very ancient magical method of travel. As the distance of Apparition increases, its difficulty will also increase..."

"Professor, will the split injury be fatal?" a girl asked anxiously.

"Under normal circumstances, it is not fatal. If you practice under the supervision of a trainer, you will be able to get treatment immediately even if you are separated."

"Professor, can Apparate across oceans?"

"Intercontinental Apparition can only be used by highly skilled wizards, and is very risky."

"..."

The whole class was talking about this course, and everyone was eager to be able to disappear and reappear at will. Even when Professor Flitwick revealed that the beginners' practice was very bad, they only showed awe instead of losing interest.

The goblin half-blood professor stood on the desk with a smile on his face. He did not stop their noisy discussion until the bell rang. Then he waved his hand and said, "You will learn more detailed knowledge in the teaching class. Today we will continue to practice silent spells. I hope that before the get out of class ends, you can use the clear water like a spring silently. Let's start practicing."

As Seamus clenched his wand, he was still imagining himself mastering the Apparition technique: his cousin Figo always used it to annoy people, and when he learned it,

"He won't have a single moment of peace!"

Seamus cheered in his heart and waved his wand vigorously. A torrent of magic sprayed straight towards the podium. Under the gaze of the whole class, the duel champion Filius Flitwick was immediately knocked to the ground.

There was silence in the classroom.

Then, my good brother Dean cheered at the top of his lungs:

"The second person who defeated the professor appears!"

……

Seamus Finnigan's victory over the Professor was discussed until February.

It was rainy in February.

The sorrow in Seamus' heart turned into dark clouds, floating over Hogwarts Castle. The continuous cold rain made the lawn wet and muddy. The first Apparition class for the sixth graders, which was originally scheduled to start on the field, was moved to the auditorium.

On Saturday morning, Loren brought Hermione to the Great Hall.

The restaurant had been rearranged, with the long tables and stools moved to the walls, leaving an open space in the middle. This time there was no stage or velvet carpet.

It is said that Dumbledore used his authority as the headmaster to temporarily lift the space restrictions in the Great Hall and create an independent space that allows Apparition. The meaning of independent space is that you cannot move out of the Great Hall, nor can you move in from the outside. If you insist on trying, you can only say that the consequences are at your own risk.

All the registered students gathered in the open space, with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Slughorn and Sprout standing in front. The teaching instructor sent by the Ministry of Magic was a short wizard with extremely pale skin, fine hair, transparent eyelashes, and even light-colored pupils.

The students were all discussing that the frequent shifting and reappearing had weakened his physique, or perhaps this frail body shape was most suitable for disappearing.

"Looks like an albino."

Loren stood in the front row of the team, quietly observing the wizard.

"good morning!"

The wizard from the Ministry of Magic looked weak, but his voice was very loud. "My name is Weekey Texcross, and I will be your Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks..."

In the next twenty minutes, Professor Tekros conducted a standard theoretical teaching. He did not talk about the origin and application development like Professor Flitwick did, nor did he analyze the principles of magic in an easy-to-understand way. He just explained the casting movements and spell tones step by step, telling everyone that the key points are goals, determination and composure.

Loren became distracted as he listened.

Hermione frowned slowly.

Then comes the practical exercise session. Yes, that’s right, students are allowed to try practicing in the first class.

Macross waved his wand, summoned a classic old-fashioned wooden hoop as a practice prop, and said in a deep voice:

"Now everyone, stand in position, leave five feet of space in front of you, and focus on the target, which is the wooden circle in front of you. When I give the order, immediately rotate on the spot and enter the void state..."