"Apply for a Magical Creatures Club?"
Hearing Evans's request, Professor McGonagall was first stunned, then nodded slightly.
"No problem. I thought you would have formed this club last semester, considering you seem to have quite a few interesting things to teach."
"That wouldn't have worked. Last semester I hadn't figured out what exactly I should teach them. Although I know quite a bit of magical creature magic, it is, after all, a Magical Creatures Club, not a Charms Club." Evans shook his head.
"Besides, last semester I needed to prepare to help those fifth- and seventh-year students pass their career exams. Their foundations were really too poor, so I had no time to think about what content to teach in the club."
Hearing Evans's words, Professor McGonagall nodded and showed a smile.
"Your choice was correct. Teaching clubs isn't a mandatory requirement. You shouldn't put the cart before the horse."
Saying this, she waved her wand, and a piece of parchment flew into her hands. The stamp and quill on her desk automatically floated up and began working.
After everything was completed, Professor McGonagall took the parchment and handed it to Evans.
"Write the young wizards you want to invite at the bottom of this paper, then write the date and time for the first meeting in the date section at the end, and your club will be officially established."
"Remember to design a nice-looking badge for your club."
"I will. Thank you." Stuffing the parchment into his pocket, Evans nodded seriously.
Having finished the official business, Professor McGonagall casually asked. "Besides the Magical Creatures Club, do you have any other teaching plans this semester? Could you tell me about them?"
She asked this question purely out of curiosity, since Evans's teaching results from the previous academic year had been perfect. The complete pass rate for O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams was the best proof.
But after she asked this question, the young man across from her suddenly looked somewhat panicked.
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Professor McGonagall slowly withdrew the smile from her face and resumed her serious, stern expression.
"You haven't prepared lesson plans again this year, have you?"
"No, no such thing, Professor. Oh right, I suddenly remembered I haven't fed my Niffler yet, so I won't disturb your work any longer!"
Having said this, without waiting for Professor McGonagall to speak again, Evans turned and quickly left the Deputy Headmistress's office, even closing the door behind him.
Looking at the closed door, Professor McGonagall opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing, just shook her head helplessly.
Never mind, no lesson plans meant no lesson plans. Evans's classes were taught well enough anyway. Let him do as he pleased with everything else.
With his hands behind his head, Evans walked leisurely through the wide corridor.
Having successfully obtained club permission, he was in quite a good mood.
"What should I eat tonight to reward myself..."
Suddenly, a semi-transparent shadow passed through the wall in front of him, quietly floating toward a corridor in the distance.
"Professor Binns?"
As if remembering something, Evans's eyes lit up. He called out to the spectre, who didn't seem to know where he was floating to, and asked:
"Do you have anything to do next? If not, I'd like to discuss some questions about the Arthurian period with you."
The floating spectre slowly stopped. The ghost professor turned around and said in his emotionless voice:
"Nothing. Do you want to go to the library?"
"Let's just talk as we walk. It shouldn't take very long." Evans shrugged. "After all, the history of the Arthurian period is really too scarce."
So scarce that when Professor Binns had lectured him on this period of history, it had only taken him about an hour.
Nodding without saying anything more, the ghost professor floated in mid-air, quietly waiting for Evans to pose his questions.
"It's like this. A few years ago when I was travelling in the Orléans Forest, I once found a scabbard..."
Evans laid out all the information he knew related to that scabbard, then looked expectantly at Professor Binns floating in mid-air.
"A scabbard buried at the bottom of a lake that can prevent its bearer from being harmed..."
After pondering for a moment, Professor Binns shook his head.
"I haven't seen that scabbard with my own eyes, so I can't make a judgement."
"But even if I did see that scabbard, I probably couldn't give you an accurate answer."
"After all, when I was born, the Arthurian period had already passed by nearly 600 years. Most of the related historical materials had already been buried in that dark age. If not for some remaining artefacts, we couldn't even prove that era truly existed."
Hearing Professor Binns's words, Evans thought for a while, then asked softly:
"Do you think those Muggle legends about the Arthurian period would help us understand that era?"
After learning about the magical history of the Arthurian period, he had specifically gone to London bookstores to buy a complete set of books related to Arthurian legends and memorised them.
It had to be said, those books were quite interesting. Although they contained some content that didn't align with magic, since they had content that matched magical history, their authenticity couldn't be denied.
"Muggle legends?" The ghost professor thought for a while, then said again in his emotionless tone. "I believe they have certain reference value, but they would definitely differ greatly from actual history."
"However, if the scabbard you mentioned really is the scabbard of that King's Sword, then the place where it's buried and the surrounding area must have related clues. For great wizards on par with Merlin, over a thousand years of time cannot completely erase the traces they left behind."
"You might be able to look for clues from this angle."
"That's what I plan to do." Evans nodded.
He had actually originally planned to carefully study that scabbard and the seal that had once bound it together with Sothea after finding the Cait Sith.
But afterward, they had gotten a bit carried away with their fun and forgotten about this matter.
"If you really find related clues, remember to tell me." Professor Binns's voice carried some subtle emotion. "Regarding the Arthurian period, our records are really too scarce. If you could find some related historical materials, it would greatly enrich the magical history of this era."
"I will, Professor."
Afterward, the person and ghost discussed the Arthurian legends recorded in Muggle sources for a while longer but still didn't reach any particularly valuable conclusions.
As the conversation neared its end, Evans was about to take his leave when another semi-transparent shadow floated out from a nearby wall.
It was a particularly tall female ghost with a proud expression on her face. She didn't even glance at them as they talked, floating straight toward a distant corridor.
The Grey Lady?
With just one look, Evans recognised this ghost, since her characteristics were really too distinctive.
But didn't she usually prefer to quietly crouch in corners and never wander around the castle?
Speaking of which, this lady seemed to have lived quite a long time too? Might she have some unique insights about the Arthurian period?
His eyes flickering, Evans looked at that departing figure. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke softly.
"Grey Lady, would you be interested in joining our discussion about the history of the Arthurian period?"