Case of the Cintimani Stone: A Hammer Mystery

Chapter 12

Hagrid had distracted them long enough for Harry to realize what time it was. The Hammer took a look at his watch and politely told Hagrid that they were expected for a club meeting back up at the castle. He and Hermione took their leave, walking back up to the front entrance with a few rock cakes in their pockets they had been too polite to decline, bantering about the new developments in the case that Harry hadn't filled her in on yet. The Muggle Studies classroom was on the first floor of the castle, the two rooms dedicated to the subject tucked amongst the rest of the others. The Hammer had passed by it in his original cartography expedition, but the doors had been locked.

The light from within the class along with the noise of friendly chatter told them that people were already there. Opening up the door to the classroom revealed it full of students - more than the standard class size, which resulted in some having to stand in their cloistered groups. The Hammer caught glimpse of some bunny-ear antennas sticking out from behind a group of students, the tinny speakers of a wood-framed television playing the noises of what he immediately recognised as the "Knight Rider" theme.

"Wow, I didn't realize there were so many muggle-born students at school!" Hermione gasped as she took in the room. From a different huddle around a disassembled crystal radio, Neville looked up and waved at the two before walking to them.

"Hammer, Hermione! You made it! This muggle stuff is just so weird!" He greeted them, "You should come meet Professor Longbaugh!"

Neville wove them through the crowd of students towards the teacher's desk where the Professor was lounging with his feet up on the table, cowboy boots stacked one atop the other. Longbaugh noticed the trio walking to him, taking his feet down and standing up.

"Professor, these are my friends, Harry and Hermione." Neville began.

"Pleased to meet you," the Professor shook Hermione's hand before turning to Harry.

"Nice hat." Harry tugged on the rim of his hat to the Professor before extending his hand to shake.

"Same to you." Longbaugh said with a smirk, "anyway like I told Neville before, feel free to browse and socialize - there's some food on the table over yonder since I know y'all are missing dinner to come to this."

The Professor gestured toward the corner where a spread of food that looked like it had materialized straight from the kitchen was laid out. Looking at the food, Harry's stomach growled and the two gladly accepted his offer, going over and loading up a plate full of sandwiches and sides before wandering between the various huddles. Aside from the television and the radio, there was a small group reading through letters, newspapers, and magazines their parents had sent with the latest developments from the outside world, most of it encompassed in heated discussion about football. There was a pang of distant nostalgia - despite the fact that they had only just left the regular world behind there was something to the pieces that were being toyed with around the room.

"Professor, how'd you get these things to work here? Before I came, they told me that muggle technology doesn't work here." Harry walked over to ask, indicating the television set and the radio.

"Oh? That was actually a weekend project, I had to run some enchantments through them so they'd work here on the school grounds." Longbaugh moved some items on his desk so that Harry could set his plate down and with a flick of his wrist pulled a chair over to them from the other side of the class.

"So you're Harry Potter?" The Professor asked.

"Potter-Mason, actually. My aunt adopted me after my birth-parents died. She and her husband Grant raised me. But you can call me The Hammer."