NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 43: Class Begins
However, the price of rediscovering the non-magical world after nearly four centuries was—
Saturday
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM, Physics—Classical Mechanics, taught by Professor Alexander.
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM, Astronomy, taught by Professor Mikhail.
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM, Chemistry, taught by Professor Nikolai.
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM, Elementary Mathematics, taught by Professor Valery.
Sunday
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM, Life Sciences, alternately taught by Professors Boris and Victor.
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM, Meteorology, taught by Professor Yuri.
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM, Computer Science, taught by Professor Pavel.
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM, Elementary Mathematics, taught by Professor Valery.
Faced with such a terrifying weekend schedule, the Gryffindor students—and indeed, all students who had chosen to join the Research Institute—were left utterly stunned. It wasn't until a full five minutes after receiving their schedules that wails of despair erupted one after another from the four house tables.
"What about our Quidditch matches? What about our weekend Quidditch time?! And why do we have to take a full schedule of classes on weekends?!"
Almost immediately, three out of the four Heads of Houses received a flood of withdrawal requests from students. As for why Slytherin had almost no such requests?
Well, that was because most Slytherins had never been particularly interested in learning about Muggle "gimmicks and tricks" in the first place.
The four Heads of Houses generously approved the withdrawals without argument. Thus, when Saturday morning arrived, while a small handful of students rushed off toward the Research Institute, a far larger number remained comfortably nestled in their dormitories, still soundly asleep.
Upon arriving at the Research Institute, the young witches and wizards followed the signs on each building and soon located the lecture hall in the upper right corner of the institute. However, as they stood in front of the structure—barely 50 meters long and 25 meters wide—many students from non-magical families couldn't help but be puzzled. How could such a small building possibly accommodate over a hundred students at once?
After all, when these buildings had been constructed last semester, many of them had explored—or secretly used—their interiors for various… private meetings. They were well aware that the rooms behind these doors were barely three meters by three meters, smaller than the bedrooms in their own homes.
But as soon as the non-magical students stepped through the door, they were startled by the sudden expansion of space within. Had it not been for the two professor-like figures standing at the podium, they would have torn the entire room apart trying to figure out its secret.
Meanwhile, students from wizarding families looked on with a casual air of indifference. What was the big deal? It was just an Undetectable Extension Charm. Who hadn't seen that before?
--
Alexander Vasilyevich Belyayev was a tall and well-built young man with deep brown hair and sharp blue eyes. In his home country's physics community, he was considered a rising star.
At the start of the year, through a mutual acquaintance, he had fallen deeply in love with a young woman from his own country. Though he occasionally found her parents' behavior and attire peculiar, he was so enamored with her that he paid little mind to such trivialities.
Four months later, with the blessings of both families, they walked hand in hand into marriage. They rented an apartment in a coastal city, striving to build a happy life together while balancing their careers.
Although the currency was devaluing rapidly, food supplies were limited, and daily necessities were often scarce, they managed to get by through hard work. Despite the hardships, their life was still bearable.
But then came that nightmare of a day, and everything took a drastic turn for the worse.
First, his wife's company announced its closure. Then, a month later, the research institute where he worked also shut down. With their meager savings, surviving in what had become a post-apocalyptic society was nearly impossible.
One day, after spending the entire day unsuccessfully searching for work, Alexander returned home to find two strangely dressed men hurriedly leaving his house. On impulse, he followed them. However, after turning just one corner, they vanished from sight—as if they had never been there. Just seconds earlier, they had been no more than ten meters away.
Troubled, Alexander returned home, his agitation not escaping his wife's notice. Under her gentle reassurance, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to confide in her. But there was one thing he was determined to uncover—who those men were.
His wife hesitated for a moment before finally coming clean.
"I'm a witch," Natalia Anatolyevna Romanova said, looking him straight in the eye.
"A what?"
"A witch." Natalia pulled out a small wooden wand and flicked it toward the dishes in the sink. Instantly, they began washing themselves.
Alexander felt his brain short-circuit.
"Wait… so those two men who just left our house…?"
"They're officials from our country's Ministry of Magic. Ever since our nation dissolved, not only has the non-magical world fallen into chaos, but so has the magical world. Recently, for reasons unknown, a certain magical school from another country has stepped forward, offering to take in some magic-affiliated researchers and their families. Those men were here to assess our situation."
"You people have schools? I thought wizards were all like those mysterious loners in movies, living in isolated places far from society."
"Well, those types exist too, but most of us actually enjoy interacting with people. It's just that, because of the International Statute of Secrecy, we usually keep to our own," Natalia sighed.
"You have laws?!"
--
Reflecting on the past nine months, Alexander Vasilyevich Belyayev felt as if he had been living in a dream—a dream where he had lost his savings, his home, his country, and even his sense of purpose.
But now, as he stood in front of the classroom, looking at the faces of the students filing in—some young, some mature, all curious—he suddenly felt as if he was beginning to reclaim what he had lost.
"Good morning, class. I am your physics instructor, Alexander Vasilyevich Belyayev."
With fluent English, he turned to the blackboard and wrote down his name: Alexander Vasilyevich Belyayev.
"And standing beside me is our assistant instructor, Mrs. Natalia." Alexander gestured toward his wife.
"Now, open your textbooks, and let's step into the world of physics."
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