Chapter 15: 15: History of Magic

Binns emerged from the wall; his head appeared first, followed by his entire body.

As soon as he appeared, the temperature in the classroom dropped slightly.

Sean noticed that at the front of the classroom, a small portion of the nearby candle flames had turned blue.

"Emmerich was a short-lived but extremely ferocious dark wizard. He was killed by his opponent, Egbert, in an incredibly bloody duel..."

Professor Binns began his lecture as soon as he entered the classroom, without any opening remarks or roll calls; as a ghost, he didn't care for such things.

"The eccentric Yorick was an ancient rogue wizard. He was famous for feats such as wearing jellyfish on his head like a hat... He once slept in a room containing no fewer than fifty Fwooper birds. During an exceptionally damp winter, Yorick, hearing the cries of the Fwoopers, became convinced that he had died and become a ghost. Yorick then attempted to walk through the wall of his own house, an action that resulted in what biographer Radulphus Pitman described as 'ten days of concussion'..."

Professor Binns's voice always carried inexplicable pauses and dragging endings, making it sound quite strange.

"I—heard—that,"

Michael, sitting beside him, suddenly spoke up, mimicking Professor Binns's tone.

Anthony in the back row stopped his pen, and Terry stopped observing the strange runes in his hand.

Even Sean turned his head slightly.

The socially active Michael always had novel information; all three of them knew this.

"Professor Binns has been a professor at Hogwarts for a very long time. One day, this elderly professor of History of Magic fell asleep in front of the fireplace in the staff room. When he woke up, he went straight to his next class, and as a result—he left his body behind!"

Michael described the scene vividly.

Terry whispered a small "Whoa!"

Anthony also raised an eyebrow.

"The Self-Stirring Cauldron is a cauldron enchanted to stir potions automatically, invented by Gaspard Singleton at the end of the 20th century..."

Professor Binns's voice echoed through the classroom, and almost all the young wizards were absent-minded. Some were whispering, while others simply slumped down to sleep.

Sean, having memorized an entire book of History of Magic, was taking notes diligently. He noticed that Western magical history did not seem continuous; Professor Binns spoke more about the deeds of individuals and confirmed legends. As for important events, such as the self-stirring cauldron, they appeared alongside the people involved.

Professor Binns's lectures lacked a clear logic, though it was unclear whether it was because the History of Magic was inherently like that, or if he had lost his capacity for logic after becoming a ghost.

Yet, amidst these fragmented events, Sean still managed to trace a clear thread. For historical subjects, there was always a method that worked well.

He wrote feverishly, and once Professor Binns finished his last sentence, he turned his parchment sideways.

Michael leaned over curiously to look, and discovered that in Sean's notes, a clear timeline ran through all the knowledge points.

"Merlin's beard, Sean, you're a genius," Michael muttered to himself, finding that even those obscure facts could actually be remembered.

Sean didn't pay it much mind; he gave a slight nod, thinking this should be enough to achieve an "Exceeds Expectations."

As soon as class ended, the young wizards woke up automatically. After Professor Binns departed, everyone chattered their way out of the classroom.

"Sean, want to go play Noughts and Crosses?" Michael invited him enthusiastically.

"No thanks."

Sean was curious about this unheard-of thing, but he had to go to the greenhouses.

"Alright then," Michael said, pouting as he watched Sean walk away.

Following Senior Bruce's reminder, Sean stopped in front of the first building.

The towering dome shimmered in the sunlight, reflecting the sky and the drifting clouds. The heavy wooden frame looked ancient and sturdy, with some of the dark green paint peeling away to reveal the dark wood beneath.

As the wooden door pushed open, a wave of warm, humid air rich with the scent of life immediately rushed toward him.

Professor Sprout was waving her wand; her movements were practiced, and in the blink of an eye, the muddy path was cleared clean.

"Mr. Green, you've arrived just in time. Please help me clear away some debris," Professor Sprout said as she picked up a small trowel and placed a black-red plant deep within the greenhouse.

Sean looked closely. The long planting tables were somewhat messy, scattered with small pits of soil, splashed water stains, and some fragmented plant remains—such as the dark green, slimy pieces of Dirigible Plum described in the books.

"Scour—g—ify!"

Sean pronounced the spell accurately and waved his wand according to his experience.

[You have practiced the Scouring Charm once at the Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]

In the next moment, a small section of the planting table in front of Sean was cleaned spotless.

Focusing his mind, Sean began to wave his wand continuously.

"Scour—g—ify!"

[You have practiced the Scouring Charm once at the Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]

[You have practiced the Scouring Charm once at the Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]

[You have practiced the Scouring Charm once at the Novice standard. Proficiency +3]

...

"What a hardworking little sprout..."

Professor Sprout looked at the young wizard working so hard, her face glowing with a warm smile.

Before collapsing from exhaustion, Sean managed to complete the cleaning of the greenhouse. With a wave of Professor Sprout's wand, a cup of honey lemon water floated into Sean's hand.

"Have some honey water and take a rest, Mr. Green."

Looking at the now clean and refreshed planting table, Sean felt a sense of accomplishment—though, of course, more so from the 66 points of proficiency gained in the Scouring Charm.

[Name: Sean Green] [Identity: Wizard] [Titles: Spellcasting Novice, Transfiguration Apprentice]

[Proficiency] [Levitation Charm: Apprentice (4/300)] [Lumos: Apprentice (1/300)] [Scouring Charm: Apprentice (70/300)] [Transfiguration: Apprentice (3/900)] [Herbology Knowledge: Unlocked (27/90)]

[Advancement: Three Novice-level spells can unlock the Novice title in the Spellcasting Domain] [Advancement: Novice-level Transfiguration can unlock the Novice title in the Transfiguration Domain]

[Wizard Talent] [Spellcasting: Green] [Transfiguration: Pale Purple]

Compared to a few days ago, it was a complete transformation.

Sean took a sip of the honey lemon water. The honey bloomed on his taste buds, so sweet it made him squint his eyes.

It was delicious. A hundred times better than the bitter black tea at the orphanage.

Sean put away his wand and sat on the small stool Professor Sprout had summoned. An idea surfaced in his mind: while doing odd jobs was fine, the current priority was to learn herbology processing.

"Professor, may I help you process herbs?"

Sean spoke up quickly, causing Professor Sprout, who was about to walk to another oak table, to pause slightly.

"Welcome! I mean, why not?"

Professor Sprout blinked. Sean stopped drinking his honey lemon water and jogged after the plump professor.

(End of Chapter)