Chapter 345: 0344 The Attention
It was 9 o'clock in the evening, a time when the studious young students of Gryffindor Tower would typically be getting ready for bed. However, on this particular night, the warmly lit Gryffindor common room remained abuzz with activity, as hordes of eager witches and wizards engaged in lively discussion. The subject of this heated discussion was none other than the highly anticipated upcoming physical education class to be taught by the Professor Watson. Even the Gryffindor prefects forgot to remind everyone to maintain order, joining in on the heated discussion.
In such situations, when a matter of hot topic arises in the wizarding world or Hogwarts itself, 'natives' like Ron are often more sought after for their insights. Because they are born and raised in the Wizarding world, they have a deeper understanding of the Wizarding society and possess more magical knowledge than young wizards like Harry who grew up in the Muggle world. Of course, there are also "oddities" like Hermione.
However, this time, the situation was different. The students born and raised in the wizarding world flocked around those like Harry, Hermione, Dean, and Seamus, who grew up in the Muggle world, eager to learn about this 'physical education' class.
Amidst the indistinct buzzing, the Fat Lady's portrait swung open, and Percy Weasley, the Head Boy, squeezed his way in. Upon witnessing the 'commotion' in the common room, he instinctively frowned, intending to reprimand them. However, considering the special circumstances and the fact that he was also breaking school rules, he ultimately swallowed the rebuke that had risen to his lips.
"Don't block the entrance, Mr. Head Boy!" came a boisterous voice, followed by the arrival of Percy's twin brothers, Fred and George, who squeezed their way through the portrait hole. They grasped Percy's arms, forcibly pulling him aside to clear the path for their younger sister Ginny, as well as Colin Creevey and a few others trailing behind them.
"How is it?" Ron called out, waving to them from his position near the flickering flames of the fireplace's candlelight.
"Easy-peasy," George responded nonchalantly, tousling his hair in a show of bravado. "Didn't take much effort, did it, Fred?"
"Excuse me, coming through, make way–" Fred interjected, yanking Ron from the sofa he had occupied and plopping down upon it with an exaggerated exhalation. "We did have to put in some effort to convince her to sign the application form, though. Professor McGonagall didn't have any issues with Ginny's application, but she clearly wasn't too keen on George and me joining as well."
Fred shook his head regretfully, his expression one of mild disappointment. "She's worried this might cause our OWL scores to become even more dismal. But honestly, who cares about that stuff? You don't care, do you, George?"
"Nope, don't care," George replied bluntly, his casual indifference evident in his tone and demeanor.
Ginny giggled at her brothers' antics, while Ron, unable to secure a seat, glared at her discontentedly.
"Speaking of which, why did you apply to join? You're only in second-year, and you're a girl, aren't you?"
"Do you have any prejudice against girls, Ron?" Ginny retorted, displeased by her brother's attitude. Yet, upon noticing Harry's watchful gaze upon her, her pale cheeks immediately flushed, and her tone became markedly less confrontational.
"Professor Watson must hope his class will gain more support, right? He rescued me from the Chamber of Secrets; I should be grateful. Plus, I think this class will be really interesting!"
This was indeed a compelling reason. Professor Watson had done their Weasley family a great favor, a point Ron couldn't argue with.
"Interesting? Well, maybe not," Ron muttered under his breath, his skepticism remaining undiminished.
"I chose to join for the same reason," Percy interjected, his tone serious. "You probably don't realize how much I have on my plate right now. I have classes, NEWTs to prepare for, order to maintain, and my future to plan for."
It was no secret that Percy's ambitions lay in joining the Ministry of Magic, he didn't shy away from discussing it.
"I thought it was for your girlfriend!" Ginny retorted, her grin revealing her mischievous intent. "I overheard her talking with friends in the entrance hall. She's interested in Professor Watson's class and plans to get Professor Flitwick to sign her application form!"
Percy's face visibly reddened at his sister's teasing remark, making it abundantly clear to all present that this might, in fact, be the true catalyst behind his willingness to dedicate time to the seemingly trivial physical education class.
"If you want to join the Ministry, Percy, I think you should talk to Professor Watson," Hermione suggested, her tone one of earnest helpfulness. She and Percy had always had a good relationship, perhaps the closest among the Weasley siblings aside from Ron himself. Hermione had often consulted Percy on academic matters, and during their exchanges, he had frequently disclosed his aspirations to secure a position within the Ministry of Magic.
While Mr. Weasley himself worked at the Ministry, Hermione was certain that he could not compare to Professor Watson in terms of high-level connections and influence. After all, Mr. Weasley definitely couldn't help her in resolving the issue of her Time-Turner so easily like Professor Watson did.
"Oh, you're right, Hermione!" Percy exclaimed, his eyes widening as realization dawned upon him. "My dad mentioned in his letter that Professor Watson has a very good relationship with the Minister and Madam Bones from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Perhaps he could write me a letter of recommendation to help me join that department. Oh, it's the most powerful department in the Ministry! Thank you, Hermione; I'll go figure out how to persuade Professor Watson!"
With that, Percy hurriedly departed, his figure disappearing up the spiraling staircase that led to the dormitories.
"Tsk, tsk, a creature of power without emotions,"
Fred sighed, shaking his head in mock dismay, and his sarcastic comment made everyone burst into laughter.
"By the way, what were you all discussing earlier?" Ginny inquired, her curiosity piqued by the lively debate.
"Harry and Seamus were telling me about what physical education is like in Muggle schools," Neville said worriedly. "I don't think I'll be very good at this class."
"Don't worry, Neville," Dean said comforting him. "This won't be the only class you're not good at."
"But it does sound rather silly," Ron interjected, his brow furrowed in perplexity. "Harry just told us about some of the activities he did in this class at Muggle school. They don't use broomsticks or bats, just a bunch of people chasing a non-flying leather ball around on the ground, or lifting an iron ball to see who can throw it the farthest. I can't understand why Muggles would enjoy such sports, and is Professor Watson really going to teach us to play these things in physical education class?"
"To be fair, football may not be as exciting as Quidditch, but it's still quite fun," Harry countered. "Many Muggles around the world enjoy the sport immensely. It's not certain, Ron; we all know Professor Watson likes to do the unexpected."
"But no matter what, the name of this class comes from Muggles, doesn't it? And Hogwarts is a school of magic," Ron persisted, his frown deepening as he crossed his arms over his chest in a posture of stubborn skepticism.
"Perhaps..." Hermione began, her expression contemplative as she gave the most plausible explanation thus far. "Professor Watson hopes we can gain a better understanding of Muggles through their sports. Aside from Mr. Weasley, many wizards don't care about changes in the Muggle world. But Muggles are quite remarkable; they've overcome numerous challenges through technology. Professor Dumbledore often tells us publicly that we need to acknowledge Muggle progress, but it has little effect. Maybe Professor Watson is trying to bridge the gap between the two worlds in this way."
Hermione's reasoning was sound, offering a logical justification for the introduction of this unorthodox class. Yet, as some of the students contemplated her words, a nagging doubt lingered – Hogwarts already had Muggle Studies; what need was there for Professor Watson to encroach upon Professor Charity Burbage's domain?
As the heated discussions continued to swirl through Hogwarts, the familiar figures of Professors Black and Snape reappeared at the staff table, their demeanors outwardly calm and ignoring each other as usual much to the disappointment of the few hopeful students who had anticipated a reappearance of the dramatic confrontation witnessed earlier.
In the days that followed, the anticipation surrounding Professor Watson's upcoming physical education class continued to escalate, permeating the very atmosphere of Hogwarts. Although the notice had clearly stated that only third- and fourth-year students were required to participate, there were quite a few of upper-year students from each of the four houses who had submitted applications.
The heads of the respective houses, recognizing the extraordinary nature of the situation, had made the application process a convenient affair for the students. Unless there were truly exceptional circumstances, most applications were swiftly approved, though the students were cautioned that this class might prove to be more challenging than they anticipated, and that they should prepare themselves accordingly, both mentally and physically.
After an agonizingly protracted weekend spent in restless anticipation, all eyes were fixed upon Professor Watson's 'physical education' class as it finally began on Monday morning.
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