Harry and Hermione slowly sat down. The class would start in a few minutes and they felt a little giddy. This was something new and exciting, like last year when they had been to their first creatures, and Harry thought- a little distraught, Divination. To think he once had been excited to take Divination, made him feel stupid these days. His bushy-haired friend had her book in front of herself, parchment ready like always, still skimming through the book just to remember something Harry was certain she knew anyway. He sometimes wondered whether his best friend had a perfect memory or just was really good at learning facts and all that. He shook his head smiling slightly. Hermione turned her own head, frowning a little.
"What are you chuckling at Harry?" She asked with a serious voice. He just smiled, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Nothing important. It just you look always so excited at the start of a new class, it is a little heartwarming." Harry's whisper deepened the frown on Hermione's face, huffing a little.
"Excuse me for being interested in learning more." She said crossing her arms in front of her chest.
Harry chuckled even more and shook his head. "No, no, I didn't mean it as a dig at you. It is something that is just you, you know? Your eyes just light up when you talk about knowledge or what book you last read it is really nice seeing it. It's cute." He stated with a soft smile and then looked confused when Hermione stared at him for a moment with her mouth open before she turned her head away. He didn't see the red blush that crept on her cheeks and the little panic in her eyes. At least she didn't have to answer him, because at that moment the door opened and in walked the tall handsome new professor. His back was straight and he carried himself with a lot of grace. His black slightly grey hair was smoothed out and his moustache was well looked after. He had a gentlemanly air about himself, that just hung in the air. He was good looking, like really good looking, some of the girls leaned forward a little and felt little smiles rise in their eyes. But it was a sophisticated look, different from Professor Lockhart and his dashing looks. He wore a pinstriped suit and a slim, well-tailored dark grey robe. With a calm and yet firm stride, he walked up to the front turning, folding the hands behind his back. He had a little smile on his face.
"Good morning class. My name is Professor James Cambridge and I will be teaching "Wizarding World and Etiquette.". You all are muggle-born witches and wizards or halfbloods who were raised in the muggle world. All of you here have entered our fine world four years ago without much of explanation and guidance. That is rather unacceptable in my opinion. The wizarding culture has much more to offer than just magic but one has to be told to be aware. I often meet muggle-born, and I'm shocked how little they know about things they should know." Professor Cambridge waved his hands slightly walking up and down. "Now this isn't only their fault since no one has ever explained anything to any of them, but still shocking. Now since you all have been more or less thrown in the deep end and come into contact with different parts of our society, there will be parts you know and others you don't. We will start with the layout of our society, how the legal system works, what the correct conduct is around here and some more obscure bits and pieces. Do not hesitate to ask any questions."
The class listened, only the scratching of Hermione's quill was added to the speech. The Professor nodded to himself, then he said. "All right, let's get right to it. Now, everybody here will know that our country is governed by our Ministry. So can anyone tell me what the Ministry is made up of?" He still had a small smile on his face and folded his hands in front of him. Hermione's hand darted to the ceiling in an instant, while a few others rose too. Professor Cambridge smiled, pointing at Hermione.
"Yes, Miss..."
"Granger."
"Right, Miss Granger, what can you tell us?"
Hermione took a deep breath and started talking. "The Ministry or Ministry of Magic is formed of departments. Each department controls a different branch of society. There are six large departments, so-called the Major Departments, namely the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Transportation, International Cooperation, Control of Magical Creatures, Magical Accidents and Catastrophes and the Department of Mysteries. These six are the major influences in the Ministry and also make up the bulk of the staff, some with over a hundred workers. Then there are smaller departments, also known as the Minor Departments, as the Department of Muggle Affairs or for goblin relations. Some of the Minor Departments are more like branches of the major once like the Department of Childcare is part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The other part is the Ministers Office. This isn't part of any Department but rather a separate body, consisting of the Minister and his undersecretary." Her speech was quick and to the point and they could hear more quills scratching. For a long time, no one ever waited for a professor to confirm anything Hermione Granger said in class, at least when she had this tone. It had never been wrong. Professor Cambridge smiled clapping his hands for a moment.
"Very well Miss Granger, down to the point. One point to Gryffindor." Hermione nodded and got her little smug teacher's pet smile. It was part of the reason she had problems with the other students from time to time. It looked a little arrogant. Cambridge didn't comment more but turned around.
"Now, the Ministry is one of the important bodies in our society. The other is the Wizengamot. Can anybody tell me what the Wizengamot is made of and what their purpose is?" Again Hermione's hand darted towards the ceiling but Harry also raised his own, this he knew quite well. Cambridge smiled, nodding at him.
"Very well Mister...Oh, I'm sorry. Please, Lord Peverell."He said after his eyes darted to Harry's scar for a brief moment mid-sentence. Harry hated when people stared at it but he continued anyway.
"The Wizengamot makes the laws and is our court. It consists of the Minister, the Heads of the Major Departments, members of the Order of Merlin as well as the noble Lords." His explanations were rather short but true. Cambridge nodded. "Very well Lord Peverell. We are quite fortunate for you to be here with us my Lord. It will be rather rare in the future to have someone from the inside here in this class with us I think." Harry nodded in agreement. Cambridge smiled pleasantly then he turned to the class.
"That is right. The two parts are split for a simple reason. Before there was a Wizengamot and a Ministry, there was the Wizards Council, formed by Merlin himself. The problem was all the power was concentrated in one place and it caused problems, therefore it was split to prevent someone from getting all the power again so...Yes, Miss Granger?" He stopped for a moment when he saw the rising hand in the front row. Hermione had a conflicted look on her face.
"I have a question, sir, regarding this topic." She said in a nervous tone. Cambridge didn't look like he was used to people interrupting him, but he nodded, letting her continue.
Hermione frowned a little. "Professor what you describe has the means for each part keeping the other in check."
Cambridge nodded slowly as he waited for her point. He wasn't glaring but he looked suspicious. "That is correct Miss Granger, a division of power."
"But that isn't a real division after all," Hermione stated. Everyone around her watched as she disagreed with a professor. That happened rarely, basically never. The eyes wandered from her to the professor who bristled a little, before frowning.
"Would you elaborate that point, Miss Granger?" He asked with a little strained voice. He wasn't prepared for a discussion in the first few minutes of his first-class, in particular not with a fourth year. James Cambridge wasn't opposed to discourse, but he liked it when he wanted it to happen.
Hermione nodded, folding her hands in front of her. She raised her chin slightly and started lecturing.
"A division of power is a concept, like you stated sir, to prevent misuse of power. But if one party is the ministry and the other the Wizengamot, how come that the Minister, as well as all the department heads, sit in the Wizengamot? Even more, Lord Rookwood works as head of one of the minor departments. How can he sit in the Wizengamot at the same time? Also if we come back to the Minister, he should be a leading role in our society and can command the entire ministry but is also elected by the Wizengamot, would that cause people to support his election with the prospect for favours and control? What keeps the Wizengamot in check Sir?"
Cambridge raised his eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. "That would be the Grand Warlock, Miss Granger."
Hermione frowned again, shaking her head. "But the Grand Warlock is also elected by the Wizengamot itself and can be pushed out if needed. He can easily be put on the spot if the ruling group wants someone else."
The silence was heard in the room and professor Cambridge eyed her with new interest. He stepped closer. "You have an interesting point of view, Miss Granger. Would you consider staying after class and we talk about it in more detail? It would get out of hand at the moment to discuss this more. We are just at the overview at the moment. Would that be agreeable?" She nodded in response.
"Okay class, now the Wizengamot is one part of..."
Ron stretched and slumped against the chair. It felt weird being here. Ever since he had been to Hogwarts, he hadn't had a class without Harry. It was strange looking to the right and seeing Neville there. Also, this was a class that Hermione didn't attend so he would have to work by himself for this and that was weird too. He was so used to being around those two, that he didn't really know what to do. Since most half-bloods took the Etiquette course, the pureblood course was rather small and their entire year was together for this. Ron had come across a smirking Malfoy on his way to a free spot. The blond-haired git had smirked at him and Neville, playing with a piece of parchment. Of course that damn bitch Parkinson was next to him, clinging to his arm. Ron really disliked that girl. His mom had said you should always be nice to a girl but Pansy just made his blood boil. She had often insulted Hermione, more than Malfoy even. She seemed to really hate his bushy-haired friend and that made him angry. All over the room people were talking quietly.
"So it is you and me then Neville, right?" Ron asked, trying to pull his mind away from the snakes. The boy nodded a little shy and turned to him.
"I guess. I don't really know much about muggles, do you?" He asked a little nervous, looking around. Ron shrugged, not really caring for this class.
"Not really. I mean my dad really likes muggles but he isn't too well versed and the only real muggles I know more about are Harry's Aunt and uncle and you know how that went." On his own personal shitlist, the Dursleys came close after the snakes in means of people he could live very well without and wouldn't shed a single tear if they left forever and had disasters headed their way. Neville nodded in agreement. He hadn't talked with Harry about his family, but he knew the Dursley's weren't nice people and that the young Lord Peverell had been a victim of abuse at the hand of his living family which had made the cover of the Prophet shortly after the famous Wizengamot session.
"Y-You don't think all muggles are that bad, am I right?" Neville asked carefully, making Ron look up. The redhead nodded, smiling at his friend.
"Of course not. Muggles are people like you and me." He said quickly because behind himself he heard the door closing and Professor Burbage walked down the centre of the class. He was a plump man with light hair and a full beard. His clothes were nothing special, pretty average really. He was the type of guy you talked to, and about two minutes later you forgot who he was really. The man smiled and turned in front of his desk.
"Welcome to Muggle Studies. I am Professor Burbage and I-" He began but a snarling voice from the back interrupted.
"Excuse me, professor." Ron turned his head seeing Draco Malfoy standing up with the smuggest grin on his face. Pansey, Goyle and Crabbe sniggered a little, hiding their glee. Professor Burbage looked surprised for a moment, then he nodded.
"Yes, Mister...uhm. Excuse me young man, what is your name?" He asked with a soft voice and smile. Draco frowned a little like he expected that the man knew who he was. Then he raised his chin, proudly exclaiming his name and couldn't keep the grin off his face.
"Malfoy, Sir." He said with a little edge in his voice. Burbage only smiled.
"Ah yes, Mr Malfoy, right, now I see the resemblance to your father, my apologies. Oh yes, please people, it will take me a while to learn your names, so please state your name when you are called upon. Okay? Splendid! All right, Mr Malfoy, you had a question?" The man was just warm but in a disarming way. He either ignored Malfoys sneer or he didn't notice. The blond boy looked a little startled.
"N-Not a question Sir, no. I am ordered to give you this at the start of this lesson." Draco stated, walking up to the teacher's desk. Inwards the blond boy was grinning. Just the slip and he had two classes free while others would have to endure this bullshit.
He handed the slip to the professor and made his way back to his desk, picking up his satchel. All the way he grinned at the other low lives around him. He was a Malfoy after all. Draco turned to the door when he heard a voice behind himself.
"Mr Malfoy, where do you think you are going?" The soft and peaceful man smiled at him when Draco turned. Huh?
"I'm leaving Sir, as stated on the note I gave you just now, signed by my head of the house and my father." He said in an annoyed tone, crossing his arms. He was right in front of Pansy who stared at both him and the professor. The man shook his head, before pointing at a blond girl in the front row while leaning against his own wooden desk.
"You Miss uhm." He trailed off while Draco groaned. Had he never taught a class? What an idiot?
"Greengrass, Sir." The blond said with a cool and careful voice. Draco frowned, looking a little irritated at Pansey. The girl shrugged confusedly.
"Ah, wonderful. Greengrass, yes. So Miss Greengrass, is it possible to be excused from Potions if your head of the house, pleases?" He asked with a smile. Daphne shook her head, frowning a little.
"No, Sir."
Burbage nodded, still smiling. "What about Transfiguration or charms?" He asked still smiling. Ron and Neville looked at each other, frowning. What was going on here? Daphne frowned too, confused, shaking her head slowly.
"No, Sir." The professor smiled, nodding once more, waving with the piece of parchment. "Correct. And why may I ask is that the case?" His voice still was soft, like he was asking about the weather.
"Because these are mandatory." She said and then you could see the realization dawn in her face. Burbage jumped from the table, startling the class with his sudden movement.
"That is absolutely correct, one point to Slytherin. They are mandatory classes and while you can be excused from these, you need a very valid reason, like an allergy to certain potions ingredients. And that brings me back to you Mister Malfoy. Please sit down, this is a mandatory subject and I am sorry to inform you, but your request for being excused is denied." With that the old man just placed this piece of parchment down, turning to the blackboard. He started writing the word muggle down. Then he turned, seeing Draco still standing in the middle of the room. The professor raised an eyebrow.
"Is something the matter Mister Malfoy?" He asked with the same warm smile he hadn't stopped smiling since entering. For a moment it was silent, then the professor tilted his head slightly.
"Please sit down Mister Malfoy, so we can start, would you?"
With a seething mind and sniggers from a few Gryffindors, a very red-faced Draco slumped down on the chair he just left, with a loud huff. The professor ignored it completely. He held out his chalk.
"So, let us all start over. Welcome to Muggle Studies. I'm Professor Burbage and I hope we will learn a lot together. I know muggle-studies is a rather snubbed on-topic but I can guarantee you, it is actually really interesting and diverse." A few snorts by parts of Slytherin and one or two Ravenclaws were ignored again. "There are vast differences between muggles and wizards, in society, culture, history and etiquette. There is so much, I will never be able to show you everything but I will try to give you a good overview. Now, who can tell me the most important difference between a wizard and a muggle?" He asked. Nobody answered. All just stared at him. Was this a trick? What kind of question was this? Finally, Susan Bones raised her hand carefully. She glanced over at Hannah Abbott unsure. The professor pointed at her.
"Susan Bones, Sir." "Thank you, so your guess?" She bit her lip a little, stating the obvious. "The magic?" Her voice was careful and around were a few chuckles. Burbage smiled and shook his head.
"No, but not wrong. It is the most defining difference, but not the most important one. Still, one point to Hufflepuff, because answering when you think you are being tricked in class is still a good thing to do. No, now someone else?" For a moment it was quiet, you could see the people think. Another girl raised her hand.
"Yes? Miss?"
"Parkinson. We are supreme to them." She said with finality in her tone and a smug look on her face. Around her, a few nodded. The professor yet just sighed.
"I would believe you are the daughter of Lord Parkinson?" He asked, getting a nod. He sighed again, shaking his head.
"No, that is just wrong. There is no indication of wizards and witches being supreme over muggles what so ever. No, the answer is simple." The man turned and wrote something on the blackboard. Number 16000. He turned back, pointing at the number with his index finger.
"This. This is the most important difference between us and the muggles." The class frowned. What was he talking about? He wrote two other numbers. 500.000 and 8000000000. He pointed at the first. "This is the estimated number of wizards and witches around the globe. Every child and adult. This," his finger wandered over to the much larger number, "is the number of muggles. So in this world for every wizard and witch, there are 16000 muggles." Silence followed the man's words. The entire room just stared at him, looked a little confused and exchanged surprised and unbelieving looks. So professor Burbage continued talking.
"I would imagine you are rather surprised. Most of my students are. Yet this is the truth. Muggles outnumber us magical folk far more than most people believe. Especially in Asia, it is much more extreme. Also, this has quite a few consequences. First, the muggles are much faster at creating new things. Especially in the last two hundred years, their technology has made large strides. You all have seen a little bit of it when you ride with the Hogwarts Express." Some of the students nodded, remembering a few odd things they had seen through the windows when they left London. Large poles with strange strings like a huge clothesline. Sometimes these large muggle things flying overhead apparently called aeroplanes. They had seen cars too, yet most of them never sat in one. Ron nodded more than most, his father knew quite a lot after all and had told them ever so often.
"However, there are things that are still better in the wizarding world, the muggles have done things deemed impossible for us." Now, this statement created some surprising calls and a shout from Pansy. "That can't be true!" Her face was in a strange expression between surprise and disbelief. She seemed more surprised that somebody would even state this 'utterly stupid thing' as she stated in her mind. Burbage nodded a little in agreement.
"I have heard this quite often before, but let me show you a few examples. Oh and Miss Parkinson, please don't disturb class like that. One point from Slytherin." Pansy frowned a little but also blushed because of her outburst. The professor sat at the edge of his desk again, now speaking with his hands waving. Neville was really confused, this was not what he thought it would be.
"Smaller examples would be things like toasters, used to toast bread without a pan or that it was muggle who created the plumbing which we use here in the castle today, but I think this would be more convincing. "Accio photograph." A large picture flew over from the side and landed in the hand of the professor. He turned it to them. It was odd. A man was standing beside a red and white striped flag. At least it looked like a man but it was wearing something like a white suit of armour or he was extremely overweight. He looked a little like someone who was subjected to the blowing charm. Behind him was just a black backdrop and he was standing on a grey desert. The students tried to figure out what it was.
Susan raised her hand slowly. The professor smiled nodding at her. "Yes, Miss Bones?"
She squinted her eyes a little, trying to gauge the picture. "Is that a person?" She asked tilting her head slightly. Professor Burbage smiled brightly nodding.
"That is completely right. This dear student is a picture of Neil Armstrong, an American muggle and he was the first person to ever walk on the surface of the moon." The people around Ron blinked. Ron blurted out the words he knew all of them were thinking.
"The moon?"
Professor Burbage smiled nodding at him. "You must be Mr Weasley, I know your father, good man. Still, one point from Gryffindor for speaking without permission. But yes, I said the moon." A hand rose in the first row. The professor turned to the girl who was raising it. "Miss Greengrass, you have a question."
She nodded, concentrated like she was thinking fast. "Yes, sir. How is this possible? We have learnt that flooing only works to already existing floo points and port keys have a maximum reach, which even with backup doesn't reach nearly far enough. How can there be someone on the moon?" She said trying to work it out in her head. What could it be? What was she missing? Was the professor joking? He didn't seem the type of jokes or lies.
Burbage smiled nodding. "You are completely right Miss Greengrass. Neither Flooing nor Portkey would bring us to the moon. A broom would be our best try but we would suffocate leaving the atmosphere and also brooms work with a medium they push through, so in the vacuum of space, these don't work either. Yet muggles have no magic at all, but they have brilliant minds and after years of chemical experiments, that's a little like potions, building, planning and calculating, they built a rocket, a little like the ones used at new year but not exploding and way WAY bigger and shot three people up there and got them back safely to earth. We will go farther into this when we discuss recent muggle history, especially an event called the Cold War and the space race, but still, this happened and that was over 20 years ago. Muggle technology moves on and on and on and because there are far more of them than us, they have more researchers and move on much quicker. There is quite a lot to learn from muggles if one is willing to do so." People still stared at him. The Slytherins around Malfoy looked disbelieving and weirded out. Ron frowned. He would ask Harry and Hermione about this Neil Strongarm. It would be big news if a human had been on the moon, they would know.
Then the professor slumped down a bit, sighing. "Of course there are downsides to this as well, pretty big ones even. Mister Malfoy, what is the most important piece of legislation between us and the muggle government?" The blond boy was a little startled to be even called on. He didn't want to participate in this dump of a class, telling them this stupid hoax and lies so they would all become great muggle lovers like Weasley and kiss the feet of all these stupid lower lifeforms. Yet this was okay.
"The statute of secrecy, Sir." He said with a self-assuring voice. Professor Burbage nodded, agreeing. "Very good Mr Malfoy. Now have you ever wonder WHY we have this law, to begin with?"
The room fell silent. The statute of secrecy was so fundamental, none of them ever thought about it. It was part of their daily lives. Like the rise of the sun, like things falling down, it was unquestionable that magic was hidden from muggles. For quite a while no one said anything while they all thought about it.
"Come on, anyone? A guess maybe? It's not unusual, nobody thinks about it really. So just guess."
Ron raised his hand and got permission to speak. He had really no idea but he remembered something he had heard over the years quite sometimes, mostly from the Malfoy direction but still maybe it was kind of true?
"So they don't use the magic? Or some way steal it from us?" Professor Burbage chuckled a little shaking his head with a smile.
"No, I'm sorry Mr Weasley but completely wrong. Or better mostly wrong. You are right, that it was implemented out of fear. Wizards about four hundred years ago were more than a little worried about the muggles and decided in the largest conclave in history that it would be better to hide us and magic from their eyes. The sad truth is would we ever, EVER go to war against the muggles, they would wipe us from the face of this earth."
At that a blond boy in the back jumped up, yelling at the professor. "I have had enough of this! That is complete hoax and lies. Everyone knows a bloody muggle can't win against a wizard in a fair fight and also that the-." Professor Burbage kept calm, yet with a quick switch of his wand, he silenced the raging Malfoy heir and his band of agreeing with friends.
"Mister Malfoy, firstly ten points from Slytherin for inappropriate language in class, ten points for disrespecting a teacher by claiming he would be lying to you and finally one point for speaking without permission. Now sit down. I know, this is a lot to take in but restrain yourself and act like the heir of a noble house Mister Malfoy and the son of your father!" The last part was the first time the professor lost his warm smile and was dead serious. More so the mention of his family made Draco freeze. Professor John Burbage had heard about the Malfoy heir from quite a few of his colleagues and the way he behaved like he owned Hogwarts from time to time. Also, he had this feeling that while Mister Malfoy threw around his title quite often, he would probably be afraid of displeasing his father. By the way, the boy first paled and then blushed and finally sat down it seemed like his feeling had once again been right.
"Now we will calm down and talk about it. Calm, like civilized people. Now Miss Bones, I understand you are one of the practical adept DADA students in your year is that correct?" The girl nodded after a glance at her friend Hannah and a shrug. "I guess, Sir."
Burbage nodded, his smile had returned again. "Now, figuring they would be unarmed and your age, how many people do you think you could take out on your own at the same time?" A blond-haired head in the front row rose and eyes grew wide when someone connected the puzzle pieces.
Susan who had learned a lot about fighting and danger association shrugged a little.
"That depends, professor. My aunt taught me fighting has many factors. Distance, terrain, weather, lighting, fatigue, luck and so on." She said with a confident tone. Aunt Amelia had taught her rather quick when she had been young to identify danger and surrounding. She said it was important because someone could go after her for being heir to House Bones and or for being the niece of the head of the DMLE. So she had been drilled to do this a lot over the years. A life in crime-fighting had made her aunt a little over careful. Professor Burbage chuckled smiling. "Yes, you got me there. A point to Hufflepuff for that. Now, let's say the most optimistic statement."
Susan brushed her index finger over her upper lip. She did this when she was contemplating what to do next when she was playing chess against her aunt, a habit that had worked itself into her. After a moment of thought, she nodded to herself. "Around twenty, maybe twenty-five, under best conditions and unarmed." Burbage nodded. "That would be an impressive number for a fourth-year student. But..." He stepped back tipping under the number he wrote on the board first. "Just a little bit short of the magical one. And that provides they are unarmed and best conditions." He had a grim look on his face and more than one student around the room looked a little pale when they started to realize how far they were really outnumbered here. This wasn't something they ever considered. Even those who were firmly on the pro muggle side had always seen muggles a little bit like children. Fumbling around and a little adorable but still not equal to themselves. They saw their whole society as on top of the world. To learn that you weren't the dominant one but the one who had to be careful was really strange and made a few of them very sick. Ron felt his own stomach turn. He really would have to talk to Harry and Hermione about this, they knew more about it. He almost jumped out of his chair when Professor Burbage hopped from his desk again, the big smile returned to his face. "But enough of this dreadful thoughts, that's why we have the statute of secrecy. Let's turn to the more fun sides. Like sports. There are..." For the rest of the class it was more of a fun one and rather interesting but still some students were thoughtful and pale when they left the room later.