Hogwarts: I'm Truly a Model Wizard

Rita Skeeter's report may have caused a brief stir, but it didn't last long.

From the second week onward, rain settled over Hogwarts, mostly incessant. The gloomy skies and relentless drizzle dampened everyone's spirits, while the damp cold seeped into the castle walls, leaving many young wizards with colds. Madam Pomfrey had to prepare a large quantity of Pepperup Potion much earlier than usual. Although the potion worked instantly, it made those who drank it puff like old steam locomotives for several hours afterward.

George, who caught a cold, joked that he now looked like an actual steam engine. Fred found it amusing, and although he was perfectly healthy, he went to Madam Pomfrey to ask for a dose of Pepperup Potion as well. The two of them then walked around together, billowing steam in sync.

Under these wet, gloomy conditions, Kyle finally had his first Ancient Runes class.

The Ancient Runes classroom was on the third floor of the West Tower. The professor in charge, Bathilda Babbling, was a witch in her forties with grayish eyes. Rumor had it that she'd been teaching at Hogwarts for more than fifty years, though no one knew if that was true.

As the most challenging subject at Hogwarts, Ancient Runes attracted few students. Only sixteen people filled the classroom—this was everyone who had chosen the course from all four houses.

When the class started, Professor Babbling surveyed the group, a bit surprised.

"So many students this year?" Her voice sounded as if it were coming through a long tunnel.

"This is a large number?" whispered Kanna, who had also chosen the course. "Are there usually so few people?"

Though Kanna's voice was barely audible, Professor Babbling caught it. "Last year there were nine, and the year before that, just seven," she replied. "This classroom is rarely full, even with ten."

Professor Babbling wasn't as stern as she appeared. After answering Kanna's question, she added, half-jokingly, "Sometimes I wonder if I should combine all five years into a single class so I'd only have to teach once a week. Then, the rest of the time, I could go on holiday to other countries. But, alas, your Headmaster Dumbledore always refuses."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Once the room quieted down, Professor Babbling addressed the class. "Alright, who can tell me what Ancient Runes are?"

Cho, seated next to Kanna, raised her hand first.

"Ancient Runes, also known as the study of ancient magical scripts or Runic writing, were commonly used in books before the Middle Ages. Also, when different Runes are arranged into special symbols, they can produce specific magical effects, so they were widely used in alchemy as well."

"Precisely. Ravenclaw earns two points," Professor Babbling said, nodding. "Runes have applications in alchemy, which involves more advanced knowledge. Most of the time, however, they're used to translate ancient documents. But if you're interested…"

She tapped the desk.

Symbols along the walls of the classroom began to glow, and a bright orb of light appeared at the center of the ceiling.

"…I can teach you that, too."

Everyone's eyes gleamed with excitement. The ability to cast Charms without a wand was a skill they'd all dreamed of mastering.

"Professor, I want to learn this!" a Gryffindor student said eagerly.

"Is that what you all want?" asked Professor Babbling, eyeing the class.

Everyone nodded in unison.

"Very well, I can teach you the basics, but be prepared," Professor Babbling replied, smiling.

"Just get on with it, I can't wait…" said one student confidently, patting his chest.

But half an hour later, he regretted it. It was incredibly difficult! There were so many magical words, each with at least five or more meanings—some even had ten. Just memorizing them was enough to make his head spin.

And then there was the challenge of arranging them correctly to form those intricate symbols. The same runic script could be written in different ways, depending on the intended meaning. After half the class, he felt as if he hadn't remembered anything—or that whatever he did remember had slipped away minutes later.

Now he understood why so few students enrolled in this class. It was just too complex...

When the lesson finally ended, he lifted his head from A Simple Introduction to Ancient Magic Script with an expression that suggested he'd forgotten who he was, where he was, and what he'd just read.

Of course, the other students looked much the same.

"That's about it for alchemical applications," Professor Babbling said cheerfully from the lectern. "But don't worry; normally, there's no need to memorize letter order or how to write them for this class. Just focus on understanding the meaning of each rune. That's much simpler for you."

The room fell silent. Clearly, the professor's definition of "simple" was different from the students'.

As everyone silently packed up their things, preparing to leave, Professor Babbling seemed to remember something.

"Oh, yes, one more thing," she said casually. "If any of you feel this class isn't for you, you can speak with your Heads of House to request a class change. I'll allow it until October."

Several students perked up, looking thoughtful.

After leaving the classroom, Kyle turned to Kanna and Cho. "What do you think? Want to switch classes?"

"Of course not," Kanna replied without hesitation.

"Why would I?" Cho said, smiling. "It's challenging, sure, but the runic scripts are fascinating. No wonder Cedric recommended this class to me so strongly. And besides…" She glanced at Kyle and Kanna, raising her eyebrows playfully. "I'm a Ravenclaw. I can't let you Hufflepuffs beat me."

"Oh, I see how it is, school rivalry!" Kyle responded with mock impatience.

"Of course not," Cho said, still smiling. "I just meant that Ravenclaws never shy away from knowledge. The more complex it is, the more interested we get."

"That's true…" Kyle shrugged. "Half the students here are Ravenclaws."

"But I do think there's something odd about Professor Babbling," Kanna said thoughtfully. "In other classes, the first lesson is usually the easiest, but she did the opposite. I read Ancient Runes Made Easy, and writing in Runes is the last topic covered—it's barely mentioned."

"Yes…" Cho nodded. "Ordinary Ancient Runes aren't nearly this difficult, and there was that last comment from Professor Babbling... I keep feeling like she actually wants her students to switch classes."

"But there are already so few students taking this class."

"That's only how it seems to us," Kyle whispered. "Remember what she said before class started—this room rarely has more than ten students."

"Maybe we should ask Cedric and Fred if they felt the same way when they first took Ancient Runes."