Chapter 23
Belvina's Revenge
It was still the fifth floor of the castle, still that Muggle research classroom.
The excitement and curiosity of the third-grade students have disappeared, replaced by bewilderment and worry.
Belvina Black stood at the classroom door, watching each student leave. Looking at their bewildered faces, she knew she had achieved her goal, and the effect was even a little too good.
Destroy the students' preconceived notions, and then help them rebuild themselves, to face themselves and to face Muggles.
Whether the students will continue to look down on (discriminate against) Muggles after their views have been reshaped is their own business and has nothing to do with Belvina.
To open one's eyes to the world—this was the ultimate goal that Belvina didn't explicitly state. Even if only one or a few people in a grade realized this, it would be acceptable to Belvina.
According to this former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Magic, the wizarding community should learn from Muggles' strengths to control them, rather than trying to kill Muggles.
Salazar Slytherin, one of the Big Four, lived a thousand years ago. His views have their own reasons and are also limited by the times. You have to know that Europe a thousand years ago... well, I can't mention it, or I won't be able to eat lunch.
But Europe is different now, yet the wizards are still clinging to outdated ideas from a thousand years ago. How can they not fall behind? Falling behind means being vulnerable to attack.
Pure-blood wizarding families like the Black and Malfoys, clinging to the old ways, refused to change. Anyone who dared to change, anyone who wanted to change, would be subjected to a torrent of abuse.
When Otalene Gamble proposed using the Muggle train, the pure-blood families strongly protested.
They claimed that this method was "unsafe, unhygienic, and degrading," which is like an old lady crawling into bed—it made me laugh.
Faced with the condemnation from pure-blooded families, the outstanding Gamble responded quite harshly: the students should either take the train to school or stay at home and not go anywhere.
The result was obvious: the Hogwarts Express has been in use ever since, and no one objects to it anymore.
Therefore, what the wizarding community needs most right now is a leader, a visionary leader, a great leader with the courage to make changes and the ability to annihilate the enemy, who will lead his people to a better tomorrow.
For the greater tomorrow! ! !
Thinking about this, Belvina's right hand began to stir restlessly.
The first Muggle Studies class had ended, but its impact was only just beginning. In just the time it took to eat lunch, Belvina's views and the video were already spreading like wildfire among the students.
Surprisingly, the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff students didn't think Belvina was crazy, had no intention of writing to their parents to complain, or think the new professor was exaggerating. Instead, they were even more excited for their first Muggle Studies class.
They wanted to know what the first lesson would be about. Would it be that video that made the third-grade kids collectively break down?
They wanted to know the new professor's true thoughts and her motives. Professor Black was a Ministry of Magic official; was her outrageous behavior authorized by Fudge?
The Minister of Magic, far away in London, sneezed, indicating: No, it wasn't me, don't talk nonsense.
Of course, there were also some students who wanted to refute Belvina in class, not to prove that wizards were superior, but simply to use the name of the former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Magic to climb the social ladder and show off.
As we all know, Hogwarts has four houses, and students from three of them are participating in Muggle Studies discussions. What are the Slytherin students doing?
Like Hermione Granger on the train, the Slytherin students, living in their own little world, knew nothing about what was happening at school or what they were doing.
Anyone with a modicum of sense wouldn't discuss Muggle issues with Slytherins.
As for Professor Black herself, people subconsciously overlook the fact that she also came from Slytherin, even though she was of purer blood than many self-proclaimed Slytherins.
While the students were having a heated discussion about Muggle Studies, Professor Black, who had finished his day's work, appeared at the Black Lake.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, making her feel warm and comfortable. Belvina's fair skin glowed in the sunlight, but she was still a notch below Professor Paul Bernard beside her.
This busy yet leisurely alchemy professor is incredibly fair-skinned; his skin reflects light even without sunlight.
Paul was very busy because he had many alchemy experiments to do and didn't even have time to eat breakfast; he was also very free because he only needed to teach sixth and seventh grade students, and his course schedule was enviably light.
"Darling, are you possessed by a Gryffindor spirit?" Bassheda Bablin asked. "You're acting too recklessly, and it'll cause you unnecessary trouble. Those old guys are all so bored they're practically rotting away."
Bassheda has a deep understanding of this.
As a professor of ancient runes, she frequently published related papers. Whenever she put forward a new viewpoint, someone would jump out and hurl insults at her. These people who barked at her probably hadn't even read her articles.
“I don’t think so,” said Paul, whose face was reflecting light. “Those old guys wouldn’t dare to criticize what Professor Black presented in his lecture. It’s too much of a deal; they’d make themselves deaf and dumb.”
Paul picked up a flat pebble and threw it into the lake, where it bounced and created ripples.
He continued, "Professor Black's background also makes them hesitant to speak out; after all, it's the noble and ancient Black family. However, because of Professor Black's background, he will certainly suffer more attacks from his own kind."
traitor.
Belvina's actions were tantamount to treason, especially for families that held pure-blood supremacy.
"Let them say what they want, they don't dare come to the school and hit me!" Belvina picked up a flat pebble. "I'm a Hogwarts professor now, shouldn't Dumbledore be protecting me?"
As she spoke, Belvina twisted her body and threw a pebble, causing ripples to spread across the lake surface that had just calmed down.
That's true, but Belvina has made a big blunder and may attract retaliation from some pure-blood wizards. Writing a letter to complain is a trivial matter.
Belvina is not afraid at all. The more these people criticize her and the fiercer their retaliation, the more stable her public image becomes.
My heart is set on the great Albus Dumbledore!
Now that she's already at Hogwarts, she's forced to jump into the trap set by Dumbledore and Fudge. How could the vengeful Belvina not retaliate? She'd have to cause some trouble to keep her conscience at peace!
So Belvina chose to enter the pit in a fancy way, splashing water everywhere like the Fishbomb team, at least enough to get Dumbledore and Fudge's faces wet.
Get down here, everyone! Nobody's going anywhere!
"If the sky falls, someone tall will hold it up. I think Dumbledore is quite tall, so he's a perfect fit," Belvina continued, without a trace of worry on her face.
As expected of you, Belvina, a remarkable woman who excels at jumping into pits and even more so at digging them. And this pit is no ordinary one either, a large pit containing smaller pits, a deep pit containing an old pit, and there's water in the pit, with nails hidden in the water.
"You really put Professor Dumbledore in a difficult position," Paul remarked. "He's probably regretting it now."
Even someone like Dumbledore can have regrets, but his regret shouldn't be about bringing Belvina back as a professor, but rather about not understanding the little devil's temperament.
"I don't think Professor Dumbledore will regret it," Bassheda countered. "Our headmaster is probably the wizard closest to Muggles; he might even approve of Belvina and offer her support?"
Bassheda was somewhat uncertain, after all, Belvina had gone a bit too far this time, essentially putting Dumbledore on the hot seat.
"Whatever, I didn't say anything," Belvina said, still seemingly unconcerned. "I was just showing the students a movie and casually asked a few tricky questions. Besides, wasn't I telling the truth?"
Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.
The higher the opponents jump, the more it proves that Belvina's views are correct, that the wizarding society is facing a terrible state of affairs, and that the wizarding society urgently needs to change.
"If someone were to sneak into Hogwarts and challenge me to a fight, that would be even better!" Belvina exclaimed, almost excitedly. "If I don't beat him to a pulp, I'm not a Black!"
Throughout Britain, anyone who underestimates Belvina because she is a young witch is bound to suffer a great loss at her hands.
This could very well be the last time you suffer a loss in your life—Welcome to Azkaban (San Mungo)!
Do you really think the Ministry of Magic sent Belvina to protect another minister just because she's pretty? You wish!