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The next morning, Anthony went downstairs for breakfast, then returned to his room to organize his textbooks by subject. His room now looked like it belonged to a fifth-year student on the eve of exams: notes spread across the desk, tall stacks of required reading on the floor, and a densely packed study schedule posted on the wall.
He found Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles, which Professor Burbage had enthusiastically recommended and which would be his textbook for the school year. He didn't plan to change textbooks. As a newcomer with no experience—not just new to Hogwarts, but to the entire magical world—since there was already a classic textbook, he might as well use it.
The book was ninety percent new. The first half showed some signs of reading, while the second half was so clean it seemed the previous owner had never opened it. Anthony flipped through casually. Most of the notes were hastily marked key points before exams, with underlines so wild they could fly off the page. That unknown kind student had simply bought it and let it gather dust, ultimately allowing Anthony to snag this bargain from the secondhand shelf.
He turned to where the previous owner had placed a bookmark. This page might have the most notes in the entire book—its owner had covered it with doodles.
Anthony hoped the magical world had a profession called artist. Given this person's attitude toward Muggle Studies, he couldn't imagine this wizard holding an art exhibition in the Muggle world.
"In recent years, a new technological means has appeared in Muggle society, which they call 'electricity.' Electricity is to modern Muggles what magic is to us. Using electricity, Muggles have changed their way of life and created a series of convenient tools we originally thought could only be achieved through magic, such as the telephone.
"This is a device invented by Muggles that uses electricity for long-distance real-time communication, similar to some functions of the Floo Network. However, unlike the Floo Network, telephones can only transmit sound (and usually with distortion) and cannot allow face-to-face communication, much less be used for transportation..."
The student had listlessly drawn a fireplace next to "Floo Network" and a boarded-up fireplace next to "telephone," with a person standing inside the sealed fireplace, knocking on the boards to talk to someone in the room.
The student circled the boards sealing the fireplace and labeled them: "Electricity."
"Good grief, completely misunderstood." Anthony muttered to himself. Looking at that illustrative fireplace, he recalled the toad-like woman's head that had suddenly appeared in the Ministry fireplace.
I still prefer telephones—at least you can decline calls, he thought.
For the next few weeks, Anthony immersed himself in books. When tired, he'd go downstairs to chat with pub patrons. Tom grew familiar with him too, started calling him by his first name, and taught him kitchen charms like automatic dishwashing and commanding plates to stack themselves by size.
The magical world was much more interesting than he'd imagined. Drinking customers told him various things about the magical community.
He also learned about Hogwarts' four houses.
"Watch out for Slytherin students, Professor." One man's tongue was thick from drink. "There's a bunch of bad boys and girls there."
But when the man heard he taught Muggle Studies, he shrugged. "Then you don't need to worry."
"Why?" Anthony asked curiously.
"Because no Slytherin will take your class." The other said drunkenly, waving his hand with considerable confidence. "And they're usually not stupid enough to provoke you during free time. You can dock points—that's why."
After that customer left, Tom told him the man was a Slytherin graduate.
...
After carefully reading Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles, Anthony decided to make another trip to Flourish and Blotts to buy additional Muggle Studies materials.
He also wanted to buy more Charms books. He'd finished the fifth-year textbook and was ready to work toward N.E.W.T. level. He was actually quite interested in Defense Against the Dark Arts too, but the textbooks for that course always changed, so he didn't buy any. People at the Leaky Cauldron said this was because Defense Against the Dark Arts got a new professor every year.
"All the Defense Against the Dark Arts masters in Britain have nearly been hired by Hogwarts." They said. "Next year they'll probably have to rehire from St. Mungo's hospital beds."
Anthony tapped the brick wall and stepped onto Diagon Alley's narrow cobblestone street.
Perhaps because he'd mastered more formal magical knowledge (rather than his self-taught bone manipulation), compared to the rushed, cold unfamiliarity of his first visit, Diagon Alley now felt somewhat familiar.
I'm a wizard, Anthony thought.
The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked pastries, the strange smell of magical potions, and the scent of exotic spices from distant lands. Shops were decorated with colorful signs and sparkling magic, displaying various magical items, spellbooks, cauldrons, robes, or broomsticks in their windows.
He passed through the bustling crowd, around their cheerful laughter and chatter, heading straight for Flourish and Blotts.
The clerk behind the counter frequented the Leaky Cauldron and was fairly familiar with him. Anthony waved hello from a distance, gestured that he didn't need help, and focused his attention on the shelves.
Perhaps because this school year's textbook list had been finalized, the shop's most prominent shelves displayed many new books. Several children in wizard robes stood beneath the shelves, looking up earnestly to find books.
Anthony walked silently past them toward the secondhand section.
"I really don't understand why we have to change textbooks every time we change professors." A witch standing before the secondhand shelves complained. "Put that down, Fred! We're not buying that!"
"Mum, I found it!" Another red-haired boy called, waving a book. He glanced at the cover again. "Oh, not this one..."
Anthony stood behind this noisy family, studying the chaotic titles on the shelf. The witch seemed to feel she was blocking him, moved aside a bit, and smiled apologetically. Anthony returned her smile.
"School's starting soon." She said. "Defense books change every year, and their brother's books can't be used anymore."
Anthony nodded understandingly. "That's really expensive."
"Yes." She shook her head. "And you? What are you buying?"
"Looking for some Muggle-related materials."
"You're interested in Muggles too?" The witch asked enthusiastically. "My husband's a Muggle fanatic—talks about switches and engines at the dinner table every day... He'd get along with you. You know, we can't understand those things—oh, I'm Molly Weasley—he's obsessed with those Muggle contraptions. Look, he has all those books." She pointed out books in the corner for Anthony.
Anthony said cheerfully, "Then I'll buy these."
He helped Mrs. Weasley find several Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks and, upon parting, secured a pen pal: Arthur Weasley. ("The new Muggle Studies professor? Merlin, Arthur will be thrilled! Professor Burbage never replies to his letters. I'll make sure he doesn't send too much nonsense, Professor Anthony.")
Leaving Flourish and Blotts, Anthony had planned to return directly to the Leaky Cauldron but changed his mind when passing the Magical Menagerie, deciding to see if they had any magical cat food.
When living on Holly Street, the skeletal cat had disdained all the food he bought. Only when Anthony poured white wine would it deign to walk to the bowl and immerse its head in the alcohol. The soul-fire in its eye sockets would ignite the white wine, and when the bowl burned dry, it would jump back to the sofa contentedly.
Since Anthony had repaired the skeletal cat's frame after leaving Azkaban, it had been much more docile but still didn't eat much. It didn't particularly like the Leaky Cauldron's sherry, always touching it then walking away disdainfully—for which Anthony insisted the Leaky Cauldron's sherry was watered down, though Tom always denied it.
Perhaps magical world cats ate some magical food that could diversify his cat's diet.
He pushed open the Magical Menagerie. This crowded shop was filled with the flutter of wings and the soft rustle of fur. Owls perched on stands or windowsills surveyed visitors majestically; cats of various colors prowled along shelves, their tails swaying with curiosity.
"Buying a pet, sir?" The clerk asked eagerly. "Owls and cats are most popular with children—they're smart and clean. We also have smaller pets. Here, rats and toads are common Hogwarts pets, while Puffskeins and Crups are very suitable and interesting magical pets..."
"No, no, I just want to look at cat food." Anthony declined. He didn't plan to get another pet.
Perhaps influenced by necromancy, his cat didn't want to see any living creature in its territory... Anthony barely excepted.
Come to think of it, Anthony might not count as a living creature now either. According to magical history, as necromancers researched necromancy, they seemed to gradually exist between life and death. Some radical classification methods even refused to acknowledge necromancers as human, lumping them together with Grindylows, vampires, werewolves, and the like as dark creatures.
Anthony reined in his wandering thoughts and focused on the Magical Menagerie clerk's passionate introduction to the shop's cat food: this one makes fur smooth, this one reduces shedding, that one is a heavy-duty version specifically for long-haired cats, and here, this can temporarily change a cat's fur color to add some fun to life...
Very tempting, especially when you own a skeletal cat.
"Is there anything unrelated to fur?" He finally couldn't help asking.
The clerk paused. "Such as?"
"Such as, um, preventing osteoporosis?"
...
The bemused clerk informed him that if his cat had osteoporosis, he need only feed it some diluted Skele-Gro.
Anthony thanked him and decided to go to an ordinary shop to buy some undiluted white wine for the cat.
Right outside the Leaky Cauldron was Charing Cross Road. He walked a few more steps outside and suddenly found himself among the crowd he knew, his wizard robes clashing with the traffic around him. The once-narrow cobblestone street had become a broader road filled with the vitality of non-magical life. Car horns, people's conversations, and footsteps intertwined, resonating harmoniously with the city's rhythm.
Anthony hurried back to change clothes.
"Sooner or later I'll learn quick-change." He told himself. "I bet someone's invented it. They even use Refilling Charms to add alcohol."
Walking into the supermarket felt quite subtle.
He'd once been part of this world. Seeing those neat, quiet shelves, a warm sense of belonging welled up from his heart, almost like a wanderer returning home.
He touched those simple products: dishwashing sponges, calculators, pens... Some enormous emotion struck him. This utterly non-magical ordinary supermarket's soft electric lighting, large promotional signs, and customers carrying heavy shopping baskets possessed their own unique magic—a magic that was ordinary, civilized, and vibrant.
He handed the wine to the cashier and paid with pounds.
"Have a wonderful day!" The young cashier smiled at him.
Anthony said seriously, "Thank you, you too. Goodbye."
Leaving the shop, he gazed at the sign overhead for a moment, took a deep breath, and turned back toward the Leaky Cauldron.
I just can't live here or work here anymore, he thought optimistically. Life with magic isn't bad either, and Muggle Studies seems quite relaxed.
...
Muggle Studies might not be so relaxed, Anthony thought.
The skeletal cat contentedly burned the wine in its bowl beside him. He lay in bed, looking at the book he'd bought today on Mrs. Weasley's recommendation. She said her husband praised this book highly. Anthony had originally planned to use it as bedtime reading.
"As wizards, we are often drawn to the mystery and wonder of the magical world. However, it is equally important for us to understand and appreciate the lives of those without magical abilities. In this book, we embark on a journey exploring the intricate lives of Muggles and revealing their unique way of life."
"Muggles' daily lives do not include magic." The author wrote enthusiastically in the preface. "Lumos, Reparo, Tergeo, Accio—magic we use daily is quite difficult for them. If they need to light a fireplace, they use tools called 'flint' and 'steel' rather than simple Incendio. If they need illumination at night, they cannot use Lumos to light their wands. Instead, they use candles. Muggles place candles on an exquisite tray and surround them with glass to prevent the flame from being extinguished by wind."
Anthony looked back at the title page in surprise.
Muggle Daily Life: One Book to Understand All the Details
Publication date: November 1753.
"That explains it..." He muttered, writing matches and lighters in the margin beside fire-starting methods, and noting flashlights beside illumination.
If Mr. Weasley was already among the wizards most interested in Muggles, Anthony really didn't know what Hogwarts was teaching.
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