Douglas led the students into a spacious, well-prepared lecture hall.
For many of the wizard-born students, it was their first time in such a brightly lit classroom. Some stared up, fascinated by the LED lights overhead. Distracted, one student missed a step on the stairs, stumbled, and shrieked as they grabbed for support.
"These stairs are just like the ones at Hogwarts—they vanish without warning!"
A harsh screech suddenly blared from the classroom speakers.
Frowning, Douglas tapped the microphone twice. "Hello, hello—pop pop—testing… If you just watch your step, you'll see these are perfectly ordinary stairs. Find a seat, everyone. If you know how things work, help the others. Percy, Penelope, you two sit up front."
Percy and Penelope exchanged rueful smiles. While most students hadn't noticed, the two of them realized as soon as they entered: the closer they got to the lectern, the more their magic felt suppressed.
It was a wizard's instinct to retreat, seeking a safe zone at the back. But Douglas's sharp eyes had caught them.
Originally, he'd planned to lead the young wizards on a grand tour—departments, library, recreation areas, external labs, and the cafeteria. But as they passed a coffee shop, he noticed the sign flickering erratically.
Only then did he recall a crucial detail he'd overlooked: underage wizards' magic is notoriously unstable, leaking out in unpredictable bursts. A few young wizards together weren't a problem, but a whole group was like a storm of magical energy—sure to wreak havoc on nearby electronics.
This forced him to change plans on the spot. He requested a lecture hall from the university and quickly set it up.
Douglas's decision was a relief to both the university staff and the Ministry of Magic liaison.
As the students settled in, the handful of older students began to sense something was off. They didn't panic. Instead, they glanced back at the classroom door—where Sirius Black lounged casually, ice cream in hand, leaning against the frame.
Catching their gaze, Sirius smirked and nodded toward the podium.
At the front, Douglas picked up the microphone again.
"All right, everyone—quiet down and take your seats. No talking."
"Good. You must remember: right now, you represent the wizarding world. You represent Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the finest magical school there is.
There may not be an audience, but do you know that device up there can record your every word and move?"
He pointed to a camera mounted in the corner of the ceiling.
Some students looked puzzled, but the Muggle-borns whispered, "That's a CCTV camera—it can see everything we're doing."
As Douglas spoke, he switched on the projector. Instantly, the students saw themselves displayed live on a white screen at the front of the room.
Despite the university's cutting-edge surveillance equipment, it could only store about a minute's footage digitally; anything longer still needed to be recorded on tape. But just seeing themselves on the screen, even with a one-minute delay, left most of the young wizards wide-eyed with amazement.
Douglas scanned the room. "Since you entered this classroom, what have you noticed?"
"The classroom is much brighter than at Hogwarts."
"All the chairs and desks are fixed in place."
"Professor, you didn't use a Sonorus Charm—I know Muggles call it a sound system."
"We can't use magic right now."
"We're not supposed to use magic outside school anyway."
Before the discussion could continue, Douglas called out, "Miss Elaine of Ravenclaw, would you stand and share your thoughts?"
The sixth-year girl, startled to be singled out, quickly rose. "Professor, I've noticed our magic feels… suppressed. It's like there's a barrier—I just can't reach it. But from the look Mr. Black gave us, I'm guessing this is your doing?"
Douglas nodded and pressed on. "Correct, it's something I arranged, so there's no need to worry. But why do you think I did this?"
Elaine hesitated. "Is it because magic interferes with Muggle electronics? But we haven't even cast any spells."
Douglas nodded, but didn't comment further. He looked around. "Anyone else want to add? Miss Granger?"
Hermione stood up immediately. "Professor, Senior Elaine is right. This is just like how household electronics don't work at Hogwarts. Even if we're not casting spells, we're surrounded by a kind of field—well, a magical energy field—that interacts with electric and magnetic fields."
Douglas smiled. "Excellent, both of you. There's a real interplay between the two. Wizards' research into Muggle technology isn't as shallow as you might think.
Many wizards have modified Muggle appliances, converting them to run on magical energy. But it's not just a matter of swapping out the power source—you have to understand how the device works, inside and out.
Still, most wizards approach things the wrong way. Has no one ever thought about combining the properties of electricity and magical energy to create something entirely new?
In fact, it's not just magic that can affect electricity—if you have enough electrical energy, it can influence magic, too. Any ideas?"
George and Fred both shot their hands up.
Douglas arched an eyebrow. "Fred, you first."
George immediately pushed Fred down. "I'm Fred. I think the two could be made into a mutual detection—"
"Tool! I'm Fred—the professor picked me!"
Percy, meanwhile, didn't even look up at his brothers' antics, continuing his quiet chat with Penelope. Opportunities like this were rare—at Hogwarts, everyone was too busy for idle conversation.
"Fred first, then George. And don't forget—I can always tell you apart."
Fred straightened his robes. You couldn't blame the twins for competing; they'd come on this trip with a secret mission: perform well, and they could earn the recipe for one or two magical items.
"Professor, I think we could use the properties of electricity to invent a device that detects magical traces nearby.
For example, if Aurors are chasing a fugitive in the wild and the target uses magic to hide. If magic can't find them, maybe electricity can—if the electrical readings go haywire, it means there's magic close by."
"We could even use it to detect magical traps," he added with a grin. "Make a bunch and sell them to the Ministry—we'd make a fortune."
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