First Lesson

He made his way to the meeting room, where eleven members of the board of governors were waiting. Lucius Malfoy was absent; reportedly ill and resting at home, he was seeing no one.

Dumbledore pushed open the door. Before he could even sit down, a pot-bellied man immediately spoke rudely.

"I heard you changed Hogwarts's teaching methods, Dumbledore. But your statement to the newspapers never said you intended to teach students through an entirely new method. No spellcasting with wands, no cauldrons for brewing potions, even the old subjects are no longer being taught. What is going on?"

"Ah, just as I said, this is an entirely new way of casting spells—the true mystery of magic."

Dumbledore sat down and explained with a genial smile.

"Absurd! Are you saying what we learned before wasn't magic?!" the man demanded aggressively.

"Actually, you could see it that way."

Dumbledore was still smiling, but his tone was resolute. The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly turned strange.

The man's face flushed red. He stood up, his round belly stretching his robes taut into a wobbling sphere.

Panting heavily, he said, "You must be so old you've lost your mind! For thousands of years, wizards have cast spells with wands, and now you're promoting some unheard-of new method, abolishing all the old courses, and even shamelessly claiming this is the true mystery of magic?!"

Another board member, a woman in deep purple robes, chimed in. "Yes, Dumbledore. Even if things are truly as you say, how will those students find jobs to support themselves after they leave without certificates or the corresponding spell knowledge?"

She blinked meaningfully.

"People send their children to Hogwarts not merely so they can understand magic, but so they can learn the skills to make a living."

"You needn't worry about that."

Dumbledore nodded to the woman, his smile gradually fading. "I will show you."

"Show us what?" the man asked.

Dumbledore clasped his hands together. The Magic Power he had prepared long ago surged forth, and a pearly white glow illuminated the entire meeting room. In an instant, all twelve governors fell asleep.

Humming cheerfully, Dumbledore rose to his feet. He could not be bothered explaining things to them, so he might as well use the new magic he had learned and let them experience it for themselves. At the door, he thoughtfully raised the temperature inside a little, then extinguished the candles and shut the door.

If only I weren't the headmaster. I really don't want to waste my time dealing with them.

I've only gotten halfway through the book He finished writing two days ago.

Dumbledore thought this with some annoyance as he prepared to return to his newly recovered office. The sleeping governors did not seem worth worrying about in his eyes. It was as though he was certain that, once they woke, they would definitely support him.

Thinking of that, he smiled.

Of course they would support him.

Harley woke at eight. The Slytherin dormitories were underground—more precisely, beneath the lake.

Through the windows, they could see aquatic creatures drifting through the lake. Under the green glow indoors, the place had a dim, mysterious atmosphere. The prefects said that entering the common room had originally required a password, but for some reason, that rule had been canceled this year.

Harley had a room to herself, with no roommate. Apparently, all the other girls had wanted to room with her and ended up arguing over it. She had no objections. In fact, she could not be bothered dealing with them anyway.

"I hate green," she said gloomily, looking at the green curtains beside her bed.

After breakfast, she wandered through the castle. The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom on the fourth floor was not hard to find. She pushed open the door and entered. The room was spacious and bright, with desks and chairs arranged in tiers. A large silver chandelier hung from the ceiling.

Harley saw that quite a few first-years had already arrived and taken their seats. Rather than sitting with members of her own Academy, she searched through the crowd—then she found Ron. He was dozing with his head on a desk near the back of the classroom.

Harley walked over and sat beside him. He had not noticed her, since he was still dozing on the desk. Harley gave him a pat, and Ron immediately sprang up. When he realized it was Harley, his expression became complicated. "Uh, Harley. I mean, good morning."

Harley did not know whether to laugh or cry. "What's with you? I thought we were friends."

She deliberately put on a wounded expression.

Ron's face went red again. Rubbing his face, he hurriedly said, "That's not what I meant! Uh, but you're in Slytherin. I'm in Gryffindor, so... well."

He gestured wildly, trying his best to explain, but Harley merely smiled and said, "So?"

Encouraged by her attitude, Ron shrugged as well. "I guess it's nothing. You don't seem like a typical Slytherin. My brothers said Slytherins all act like they've got their noses in the air and never give anyone the time of day."

Harley raised an eyebrow. "Watch it! You're saying that right in front of a Slytherin!"

They started chatting again, and the slight awkwardness from before vanished in the blink of an eye. Soon afterward, Hermione arrived as well.

She came over and sat beside them. She seemed completely unaware that Harley was a Slytherin and happily greeted her, which made Ron uncomfortable again.

As all the first-years arrived, the classroom grew increasingly noisy. Then their new professor entered: Mr. He, the man who had become famous for capturing Voldemort.

He brought the cold wind from the corridor into the classroom, and all the first-years immediately fell silent. He walked up to the podium and looked around. A parchment on the podium rose into the air and began calling roll in a booming voice.

Five minutes later, he spoke. "I'm pleased to see that no one is late. My name is He Shenyan. You may call me Professor He or Mr. He."

"This is a brand-new course, and the key by which you will knock upon the gates of true magic. I will not demand that you take it seriously, because learning is your own affair."

"But I hope you understand that watching others hold the key to truth and walk through the gates of truth while you remain shut outside is a very painful thing. Especially when you once had the chance to enter those gates with them."

He spoke calmly, without much emotion. Yet everyone held their breath and listened carefully to every word he said.

"Next, I will distribute the textbooks. Please note that I wrote this book myself. Its material is special, and it cannot be bought elsewhere. So if you damage or lose it, there is no need to panic. Just come to me for a replacement. My office is the third room on the right side of the second floor. If there is anything you do not understand, you are also welcome to come ask me at any time."

As soon as he finished speaking, a rather thin book appeared on everyone's desk. It had a brown cover bearing the title Basic Theory of Magic. Then, without any wind, it opened itself to the first page.

"Please read the contents of the first page carefully. I will begin asking questions in fifteen minutes. You may discuss it and exchange ideas, but please keep your voices down."

After saying that, he left the classroom, leaving the quiet first-years to read.

Harley carefully read the preface, silently reciting, To learn magic, one must first understand the nature of magic.

People are born with varying amounts of Magic Power, a wondrous force stored in the brain. The total amount of Magic Power one possesses at birth also differs depending on individual talent. If, after learning meditation (page 45 of this book), you discover that you do not have much Magic Power, there is no need to be discouraged. All of this can be changed through effort after birth.

On the path of magic, there are no shortcuts and no tricks. You can only solve problems through your own hard work, diligence, and intelligence. Most importantly, you must be serious.

She was soon absorbed in the book. The first page contained only a few hundred words, yet it introduced in great detail the origins of Magic Power, the connection between the body, soul, and will, and how Magic Power was used.

It was not until Professor He entered again that she realized fifteen minutes had passed so quickly.