A Certain Scientific Harry Potter 21

He finally understood a little why Filch was so hysterical.

As a member of Hogwarts who could not cast magic, yet had to face a group of young wizards who could learn magic freely every day, Filch had naturally developed a distorted psyche after spending so long in such an unfriendly environment under such repression.

He appeared stern, as if every student feared him, but that was ultimately nothing more than a fox borrowing the tiger's might, hiding behind school rules.

That was why, when Harry ignored the school rules and threatened him, Filch's emotions had suddenly spiraled out of control.

And just a moment ago, Harry had inadvertently torn away the last shred of his dignity!

"Mr. Filch, I said some very excessive things just now, and I offer you my sincere apologies! Regarding your magical situation, I swear I will keep my mouth shut and never let a single word leak out!!" After Harry apologized to Filch sincerely, he also extended an invitation, "Also, if you don't mind, how about joining me for dinner? Consider it my way of making amends~"

"Hmph! I don't need your... wait! What exactly are you cooking, and why does it smell so good?!" Filch had been in the middle of a grumpy refusal, but his senses were immediately hijacked by the aroma, and he couldn't help but turn his body around.

"This is a delicacy passed down from the great Celestial Empire, hot pot!" Harry grinned and shoved a set of bowls and chopsticks into the man's hands, "Come on, try it, Mr. Filch. I guarantee this is a deliciousness you have never experienced before~"

"Hot... pot?" Filch struggled to repeat the words Harry had used from the Celestial language, "Does that mean a very hot pot?"

"Please, Mr. Filch, you really should practice your pronunciation~" Harry corrected him patiently, "Its name is 'hot pot', and furthermore, this is a name that shouldn't be translated into English!"

To be honest, Harry particularly disliked hot pot being translated as 'Hot Pot', and the same went for a whole series of other traditional delicacies, cultural terms, and so on.

Why is it that things like sofas and montages from other places can be directly transliterated as imports, yet when it comes to our own cultural output, we must have these nonsensical translated names attached to them?

Hot pot is hot pot, not some braised electric pot; dumplings are just dumplings, don't always think they are rice balls or fruit pudding!

If your tongue gets tied and you can't speak the Celestial language clearly, then put in some effort and read it a few more times!

(p.s. Hmm, I suddenly got all patriotic while writing this~)

Chapter 36 Flitwick Can Be a Friend

On his first night at Hogwarts, Harry slept very comfortably with Filch and Mrs. Norris.

Although he hadn't been to the Ravenclaw dormitory yet, Harry didn't necessarily think it would be better than Filch's office. At the very least, Filch, the caretaker who often had to patrol at night, certainly didn't have bad habits like grinding his teeth, passing gas, snoring, or talking in his sleep.

What's more, Harry had a cat to pet. Although Mrs. Norris was currently resisting his further advances, Harry believed things would slowly get better.

After all, one is soft-mouthed after eating someone else's food. For instance, after Filch stumbled through a meal of Harry's hot pot, the relationship between the two had clearly eased. He even agreed to pick up a broom and a rag after the meal to help Harry clean the room, which was full of strange odors.

He believed that as long as Mrs. Norris ate a few more meals of the various cat foods Harry had brought, her favorability would definitely skyrocket.

By then, let alone petting, hugging, and lifting her up, Harry could even successfully shave and bathe Mrs. Norris without having to endure the threat of cat claws!

So, there is nothing that a hot pot can't solve; the guest-hosting culture of my great Celestial Empire is just that awesome~

The next day in class, Harry was almost the first to arrive at the classroom.

This even surprised Hermione, who arrived shortly after, thinking she had been very early.

"How did you find the classroom so accurately?" After pulling Harry's ear to take a seat in the front row, Hermione asked, puzzled.

The terrain inside Hogwarts Castle was very complex; there were over a hundred and forty staircases, and it was said that they sometimes changed direction. For a first-year student, getting lost was definitely a common occurrence.

Even Hermione had relied on the guidance of upperclassmen to find the right classroom.

"Mrs. Norris brought me here. She is the pet kept by Mr. Filch, an impeccable cat~" Harry explained with a smile.

Perhaps it was because she couldn't get anything good to eat while following Filch, but Harry only had to offer a set of specially made freeze-dried fish, and Mrs. Norris had happily led him to the Charms classroom.

"Hmph, can she be as good as Crookshanks?" Hermione pouted haughtily, "Also... you are not allowed to use Crookshanks' rations to cozy up to other cats!"

"It's just some cat food, don't be so stingy. I'll just make more when it's gone~"

Harry shrugged indifferently. He knew Mrs. Norris's potential, and he believed that with his own care, it wouldn't be long before she turned back into a sleek, shiny beauty.

As for Crookshanks, whether she was good or not depended largely on her owner.

Taking advantage of the gap before class in the morning, Harry chatted with Hermione for a while. Of course, it was mainly to let her know not to worry about his encounter last night.

After most of the students had arrived in the classroom, Harry sat upright with Hermione, waiting for the professor to arrive.

For the first class of his new enrollment, he didn't plan on causing any trouble.

Although he had made up his mind to stir up trouble at school, even bad students had their levels of distinction.

A clever bad kid might constantly break rules, but they must know how to have a sense of proportion and respect. Provoking a professor's authority in class for no reason, or mocking, making fun of, or even bullying weaker classmates, was definitely the lowest of the low~

That's right, Harry was talking about Draco Malfoy.

For the first-year courses, Ravenclaw had many classes together with Slytherin, so Harry soon saw Malfoy, who was holding court with his two lackeys.

He laughed wantonly while describing to his two followers—Crabbe and Goyle—how he had just made Neville trip and fall in the dining hall.

And when he saw Harry, his wanton laughter turned directly into mockery.

"Look, isn't this our hero who burned the Sorting Hat?" Malfoy walked up to Harry, leaned on the table, and sneered, "How about it, Harry? Is the cat poop in Filch's room tasty? Or perhaps, while we were enjoying the banquet, you were being hung from the ceiling by that freak and spanked~"

"Hung up and spanked?" Harry raised an eyebrow with interest, "That might be a good idea. When you fall into Mr. Filch's hands, I will definitely advise him to do just that."

"Oh, you actually call him 'mister' in private?" Malfoy let out an exaggerated shriek, "Harry, you are really becoming more and more degenerate, always liking to take the initiative to associate with such strange guys!"

"I actually think Mr. Filch is a decent person." Harry glanced at Malfoy indifferently, "Malfoy, remember this: one day, you will definitely apologize to Mr. Filch for saying that!"

"Hmph! There will absolutely never be such a day!" Malfoy retorted immediately.

"Alright, children, I think we can begin class. Are you ready to soar through the skies of magic with me?" At this moment, a thin, high-pitched voice drifted into the classroom from the doorway.

Discovering that the professor had arrived, the two rivals, Draco and Harry, both chose to cease their hostilities.

The professor in charge of Charms is named Filius Flitwick. He is a tiny old man whose goblin ancestry is immediately obvious from his height, and he also serves as the Head of Ravenclaw House.

His voice is high-pitched, and because of his stature, Professor Flitwick has to stand on a stack of books while teaching just to reach the top of his desk.

Naturally, the way he wobbles while climbing up draws snickers from many, yet he never seems the least bit annoyed, maintaining a smile throughout.

This behavior lets Harry know that Professor Flitwick likely has a very good temper.

"This is your first class since arriving at Hogwarts, and I feel it is necessary for me to get to know everyone. But before that, I must say..." Flitwick looks around the room, finally focusing his gaze on Harry. "Mr. Granger, that you could come to Hogwarts and be sorted into Ravenclaw, I am truly... oh my!!"

With a dull thud, the overly excited Professor Flitwick accidentally kicks the books beneath his feet and takes a direct tumble.

"Professor, are you alright?"

As the person being praised and the one closest to Professor Flitwick, Harry rushes over to help him up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I was just a bit too excited!" Professor Flitwick brushes the dust off himself haphazardly, then immediately grabs Harry's hand with excitement. "It is truly wonderful that you are here, and Mr. Granger, I particularly admire your actions yesterday."

"Hardly any students dare to challenge the authority of the Sorting Hat. The last student to directly propose dropping out due to dissatisfaction with their house dates back over a decade. And for someone like you to openly protest during the Sorting Ceremony and actually succeed in that protest—that is truly unprecedented!"

"Professor Flitwick, you make me feel quite ashamed." Harry offers a helpless, wry smile. "I did, after all, cause Ravenclaw to lose a hundred points."

"Points are not important," Flitwick waves his short hands dismissively. "Besides, Mr. Granger's persistence has brought a remarkably gifted witch to Ravenclaw."

"Well, I completely agree with that sentiment."

Harry decides that, based on that last sentence alone, he and Professor Flitwick can definitely be friends.

Chapter 37: The Helplessness of the Point Clamp

Although it was only a brief interaction in class, Harry has already determined that Professor Flitwick is an exceptionally good teacher.

He is a knowledgeable wizard who can explain every charm in a simple, accessible way, making it easy for students to grasp the key points of casting spells.

Furthermore, he is a gentle and humorous professor who treats good students and struggling students alike, keeping the classroom atmosphere quite relaxed.

Most importantly, he truly appreciates Hermione, the genius girl.

"As we just discussed, the purpose of the Softening Charm is to make objects pliable. The incantation is 'Soft as Cotton'. When casting the spell, everyone must try to imagine the wood strip after it has been softened... Oh, wonderful! Miss Granger has already successfully altered the texture of the wood chip!"

For this Charms class, Professor Flitwick requires the entire class to successfully cast the Softening Charm to turn a hard, two-finger-thick wood strip into a material soft enough to bend to an angle of less than ninety degrees.

After some careful study and practice, Hermione is the first to successfully bend her wood chip to an obtuse angle.

"Although I am the Head of Ravenclaw House, I must say, Miss Granger's performance is worth five points!"

"Great, that leaves only 95 points to go!"

Is she trying to win back the points she lost?

Hearing Hermione's low mutter beside him, Harry cannot help but frown slightly.

The tradition of point competitions and eventually winning the House Cup, while sounding prestigious, is something Harry already played out during his own school days.

The so-called rules of adding and subtracting points are essentially just a means to tighten the screws on students, creating team cohesion and collective honor, especially among first-years.

However, Harry now finds it helpless to realize that while he doesn't care about these things, Hermione takes them quite seriously.

But this is no surprise; Hermione has always had that competitive nature, wanting to be first in everything she does.

It was the same with her elementary school grades, and it is the same with the Hogwarts House Cup.

Thinking of this, Harry has to sigh sadly; the point clamp is truly an incredibly effective restriction.

Ever since she received those points, Hermione has been pouting and glaring at him, which is clearly her warning that he is not allowed to cause trouble like he did yesterday.

So, the reason Dumbledore publicly deducted so many points from him yesterday was, in the final analysis, to use Hermione and the entire Ravenclaw House to set a trap, ensuring he would stay at Hogwarts and behave.

However, Harry will not give up just like that.

The matter between him and Dumbledore is definitely not over; we shall see how things play out.

"Mr. Granger, would you like to try casting the Softening Charm as well?"

One has to say, Professor Flitwick is truly a good-natured man. If it were any other teacher, seeing Harry zoning out and not listening, or even too lazy to take out his wand, they would have likely sent him to stand in the hallway as punishment long ago.

"Sorry, Professor Flitwick, for certain reasons, I do not have my own wand." Harry explains with some embarrassment. "So, perhaps I can wait until Hermione has fully mastered the spell, and then I will..."

"Haha! Harry, if you're going to lie, you should at least prepare a draft first!" Malfoy's shrill laughter comes from the next table. "Didn't you go to Diagon Alley too? And you claim you don't have a wand? Don't tell me you're going to say you're a useless Squib? Oh, I get it, you can't cast any magic at all, which is why you had that ridiculous Physical Silence Spell earlier!"

"Malfoy, it's class time. No one will think you're a mute if you don't speak! Besides... how do you know Harry can't cast magic?!"

Malfoy's mockery clearly irritates Hermione. While scolding him, she even shoves her Holly Wand directly into Harry's hand!

"Fine..." Looking at Hermione's warning gaze, Harry knows he cannot hide his skills today.

Besides, this jerk Malfoy really does need to be taught a lesson.

Feeling the call from the Holly Wand, Harry holds his breath and focuses his mind, his entire spirit instantly concentrating!

"Soft as Cotton!"

As he flicks his wrist, the clear, crisp incantation leaves his lips. An invisible ripple suddenly flies from the tip of the Holly Wand, striking Malfoy's chair with precision!

The once-sturdy chair leg instantly softens into a pile of mush under the effect of the spell. Losing his balance, Malfoy tumbles to the floor, making an even more exaggerated sound than Professor Flitwick did just moments ago!

"Ouch! Harry, you... you wretch!"

Malfoy sits on the floor, rubbing his backside in anger, but other than his two lackeys, no one pays him any mind.

The entire class, including Professor Flitwick, was staring at Harry and Hermione in astonishment!

"Mr. Granger, you just... actually used Miss Granger's wand to successfully cast a spell?!"

Being able to instantly transform a hard chair into a pile of cotton, Harry's Softening Charm was absolutely impeccable, even far superior to Hermione's.

But what surprised Flitwick even more was Harry's level of control over the Holly Wand.

That was not the kind of performance one saw when forcing someone else's wand to cast a spell!

The feeling Harry had just given Flitwick was as if he could use the Holly Wand with just as much ease and proficiency as she could.

One had to know that a wand, being a wizard's most private magical object, could be stolen or inherited, but situations like Harry and Hermione both being able to skillfully use the same wand were extremely rare!

Professor Flitwick had only heard of a few isolated cases, such as father and son from the same lineage, twins with a deep connection, or perhaps... couples with an unbreakable bond!

Yet even in those cases, it was doubtful they could reach the level Harry and Hermione had just displayed!

So, these two children...

"Er... I think Mr. Granger's demonstration was perfect, though it would be better if you remembered not to play pranks on your classmates next time, so I cannot award you any points this time."