A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 128: The Empty Castle

A new week had begun, and young wizards found themselves surprised by the changes in their classrooms.

Charms class.

Professor Flitwick took out a stack of parchment and stood upon a pile of thick books. "Young wizards, today you will be introduced to a new instructional tool, and I believe many of you have heard of it..."

Potions class.

In the fifth-year classroom, Snape calmly gazed at the young wizards below. "For the sake of your OWLs scores, I need you to pay more attention to theory. I've said this many times."

The young wizards resembled quails, not daring to utter a word.

He suddenly raised his wand, and dozens of parchment sheets flew out like swift swords, landing before the young wizards one by one. Magical sparks danced upon the parchment, creating a spectacle.

The well-informed young wizards couldn't wait and pressed their wands against the parchment, exclaiming, "Secrets of Magical Script."

Yet, the parchment remained still.

Snape said in a deliberate tone, "Very well, Miss Campbell has given us an incorrect demonstration."

Transfiguration class.

Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze swept the room. "Several professors have put in significant effort. I hope you take this seriously."

"Now, take out your wands and repeat after me: Magic's mysteries, forever in my heart."

The young wizards began chanting...

Ancient Runes class, sixth year.

Felix Harp had a smile on his face. "You will find that the new version of the 'Answer Parchment' has more functions."

"Including the leaderboard you've all been eagerly anticipating."

The young wizards couldn't wait to try it out. Apart from the activation phrase departing from the realm of 'Ancient Runes,' the scene also changed—

Across rolling mountain tops, a castle emerged and quickly advanced: the Great Hall, spiraling staircases, courtyards, towers, the library, the Forbidden Forest...

It seemed to be the perspective of a newcomer entering Hogwarts, with simple lines outlining the most familiar scenes.

This tableau froze upon Hogwarts Castle, with the banners of the four houses fluttering at the main gate—the serpent, the badger, the lion, and the eagle vividly depicted.

When their gaze rested upon them, they'd notice the corresponding creatures moving—slithering, standing tall, roaring, or soaring.

The young wizards who had chosen Ancient Runes class had long completed their bindings, and now they looked at the latest interface.

It was a top-down view of Hogwarts, with symbols twinkling amidst the clouds, each representing a different subject.

For Ancient Runes, the symbol was a line of runic script, embodying the original incantation—"Secrets of Magical Script."

Representing Transfiguration was a fiery lion, its form in constant flux.

For Potions, a boiling cauldron emitted hot steam ceaselessly churning...

Apart from these symbols, the young wizards were most interested in the leaderboard feature.

They carefully scanned, and to the right of their names on the parchment, a new symbol appeared—a simple sketch of a magical scroll.

With practiced motions, the young wizards tapped their wands on the scroll. A jackdaw with scythe-like wings swooped down, carrying the magical scroll to the center. It began to enlarge and slowly unfurl...

At the top, a row of words appeared—House, Year, Name (Codename), Subject, Challenge Level, Points—in a total of six categories.

Besides that, it remained empty above.

Felix Harp looked at the group and explained, "There are a few points that you need to pay attention to."

"The rankings on the leaderboard do not reflect your grades; they measure your accumulation in this course. Several professors, including myself, believe this will help you find your interests early and benefit your future employment prospects."

"In the leaderboard's challenge section, corresponding subcategories can be found for each subject. Inside, you'll find questions set by professors based on their expertise, with new content added at regular intervals."

"I believe some of you have noticed that the leaderboard can be used with codenames and the option to hide your rank. This is designed for those who prefer not to stand out."

The young wizards listened attentively.

"Besides the leaderboard, there are two more areas you need to pay attention to: the section for incorrect answers is split into different subject categories, and you can preview or review subjects from other years, highlighting content marked by professors."

"Now, as an example, let's explore the specific functions with Ancient Runes..."

...

As the weather grew warmer, Hogwarts enjoyed increasingly sunny days.

Even after a day's classes, the sun stubbornly held on to the horizon.

In the castle corridors, Ron kept muttering under his breath, "Crazy, everyone's gone crazy, not a single person..."

Harry cast a sympathetic glance at him; Ron seemed just as out of sorts.

With a parchment in his hand, he had been fixated on the rankings all the way—

On the second-year leaderboard, Hermione Granger held the first place in all subjects. The highest level achieved in Charms was at level 37. Apart from this, he saw many familiar names: Cedric Diggory, Cho Chang, Percy Weasley, Penelope Clearwater...

The castle was sparsely populated—a mere smattering of people. Everyone was holed up in the library or common rooms, engrossed in challenge games.

Even they couldn't stand the atmosphere of the common room; they came out to stroll around.

Ron grumbled, "I can't wrap my head around how 'challenge' and 'game' are connected."

Harry said, "Give it a few days; people will come to their senses."

Ron said something Harry fully agreed with, "Hermione definitely won't. She's completely absorbed."

Harry and Ron had no intention of returning to the common room. They wandered the castle and soon bumped into familiar figures—

"Fred, George!"

"Oh, it's you two," said one of the twins.

"Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be in the common room playing the challenge game?"

"That's not for us," the twins grinned, "Today is a rare sight, so of course we want to remember it."

"So, you're night roaming? It's way too early for this time..." Ron questioned curiously.

"No, Percy's confident he'll take the top spot in sixth year, so we're preparing some Butterbeer and Honeydukes candies," Fred said.

"Exactly, whether it's a success or failure, it's worth celebrating," George said, grinning mischievously.

"So—do you plan on sneaking out, using the secret passage to Hogsmeade? Can you take us along?" Ron asked, somewhat excitedly.

Harry couldn't help holding his breath.

"George, we might've spilled the beans," Fred said.

"It was you who spilled the beans," George retorted.

"I agree, but we still need to do something about it," Fred winked.

"Like... Obliviate?" George suggested knowingly.

Instantly, the twins' gaze landed on Ron.

Ron swallowed hard and took two steps back.

But the twins dashed away quickly. As they disappeared from their view, Harry and Ron could still hear their laughter.

On the other end, Felix Harp also strolled through the castle. He entered the courtyard and saw a ghost floating quietly in the air, gazing at the verdant plants, lost in thought.

"Lady Grey."

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