A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 186: The Feast

Chapter 186: The Feast

"Harry! Harry! Are you okay?" Someone was slapping his face.

Harry opened his eyes. Everything was back to normal—the train was still moving, the lights were on. He sat up from his seat, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, looking around the train in confusion.

Ron and Hermione were closest to him, Neville was looking at him with concern, and Ginny was huddled in a corner.

Hagrid took a chocolate bar from his pocket and broke it to share with everyone.

"This one's for you, Harry. And excellent Disarming Charm, by the way."

Harry took a large piece of chocolate and suddenly asked, "Did I pass out? No, that woman... did she get saved?"

"Who?" Hagrid asked casually.

"The woman, the one who came out with the hooded thing. From the sound of her voice, she should've been an adult. She..." Harry suddenly stumbled over his words. There was only one adult woman on the train, the witch pushing the food trolley.

But what he heard was clearly not that voice.

Hagrid's hand froze in place, and he mumbled, leaving a sentence behind: "I'll go have a word with the driver, sorry..." and hurriedly left.

The door slammed shut.

"Harry?" Hermione looked at him anxiously.

He forced himself to calm down, sat back in his seat, took a bite of chocolate. A warm sensation spread through his body, making him feel happy again.

"Can someone tell me what just happened?" Harry asked.

"We felt a chill, like falling into an ice hole. Then we saw your spell, the bright red light... the cold eased a bit, and then you fell to the ground. Professor Lupin said to whoever it was, 'Sirius Black isn't here,' and he raised his wand, a silvery light shot out, and the cold disappeared completely, and the train continued." Hermione described what she saw.

Harry chewed the chocolate in silence. He didn't really care about all this; he just wanted to glean any clues about the woman's voice from the others. But the result disappointed him.

Everyone's expressions weren't good. Ginny was sobbing softly, Neville muttered on the side, "It's so frightening, it reminded me of the worst memories."

"It's like all the happiness has been drained from you," Ron continued, though he punched Harry lightly. "Your spell was really impressive, Harry! We gave Malfoy a good lesson. Just thinking about him rolling out and flying away makes me feel happy again."

"It wasn't my doing..." Harry shook his head, rallying himself. "What was that cloaked thing?"

"I think it's a Dementor. I've seen something similar in comic books, like a rag without bones." Ron described.

Harry looked at Hermione. Among the three of them, Ron was the most familiar with the magical world, but his knowledge was quite shallow. Hermione, on the other hand, had gained most of her knowledge from books, so she could provide more accurate information.

Hermione recalled the information she had read, "Dementors guard Azkaban. They feed on human emotions, especially happiness. Regular spells don't work on them, only the Patronus Charm."

"The Patronus? Like Professor Lupin's Patronus, and Professor McGonagall's?" Harry asked.

"Exactly."

"Exactly."

Hermione and Ron said respectively. Hermione had seen Lupin's Patronus, while Ron had seen McGonagall's, and Harry was familiar with both.

After that, everyone fell silent. After a dozen minutes, the train came to a stop.

But they didn't wait for Professor Lupin. "Let's go, he should've disembarked already."

The Great Hall.

Hagrid was dressed very formally, in a suit, with his hair and beard neatly groomed. "How do I look, Felix?"

"...Fantastic."

Tears welled up in Hagrid's eyes. He switched the umbrella in his hand to his left side and pulled out a dirty handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his eyes. "It's wonderful... I've been looking forward to this day."

Today, he would not only be appointed as the professor for Care of Magical Creatures, but also clear his name. Dumbledore had presented a complete chain of evidence, from the creature and culprit behind the Chamber of Secrets incident, to Myrtle's testimony. The Ministry had no reason to object anymore and had to lift the fifty-year ban.

Hagrid had been subjected to two punishments for being the "alleged culprit behind Myrtle's murder": dismissal and having his wand snapped. Some even suggested sending him to Azkaban, but thanks to Dumbledore's intercession, that fate was avoided.

And now, with the ban lifted, he could openly use his wand.

Felix looked at the big red umbrella in Hagrid's hand. "Is your wand hidden inside there? I've been meaning to say, it's a brilliant hiding idea."

Hagrid raised his hand slightly. "Dumbledore fixed it for me. I've been worried about it, you know... theoretically, my wand was snapped by the Ministry."

Felix stared at him, his expression quite peculiar, and said in a low voice, "Dumbledore fixed your wand? The one that was snapped?"

"He's quite a wizard, isn't he?" Hagrid said happily.

"Yes, he certainly is," Felix echoed.

After a while, Hagrid emerged from the Great Hall to welcome the new students, while the professors made their final preparations. Professor McGonagall was conversing with a house-elf from the kitchen about the dinner arrangements.

"Everything is ready, Professor."

"Very well, you've done a great job."

Before long, students from second to seventh years poured into the hall, filling it with lively chatter. It felt to Felix as if hundreds of excited baboons were making a ruckus.

However, his gaze was fixed on one particular wizard—

He was wearing a tattered robe, covered with patches at every corner, hinting at the poverty of the owner. He appeared worn out, as if he had just gotten rid of a troublesome matter. His face was still young, but strands of white were already interspersed in his brown hair...

Professor McGonagall walked up to the wizard and warmly welcomed him, leading him to the teachers' seats.

A powerful gaze of hatred landed on the wizard. In the corner of Felix's eye, he noticed Snape's silver fork bending in half.

Professor McGonagall introduced the wizard to the others, deliberately avoiding Snape.

Soon, she stood in front of Felix.

"Felix, this is Lames Lupin, once my student. He's a very friendly and gentle person; you two will get along well." Professor McGonagall said.

Felix and Lupin locked eyes, a hint of curiosity flashing between them.

Felix's lips curled slightly, and he extended his hand. "Hello, Professor Lupin. Professor McGonagall mentioned you before. You must have been one of her most exceptional students?"

Lupin also extended his hand, "I was just the inconspicuous one. On the train, though, I heard a lot of rumors about Professor Harp..."

"Hopefully, nothing too peculiar."

"No, not at all. They praise you a lot, almost made me jealous."

They shook hands until Lupin let go first.

Soon, Hagrid appeared with the drenched first-year students. Oddly, the Sorting Hat ceremony was not conducted by Professor McGonagall. Felix looked around but didn't see her.

Professor Flitwick held the Sorting Hat and a roll of parchment, followed by a small stool hovering behind him.

He walked past each student in turn. With a wave of his wand, their wet clothes dried and became comfortable, as if basking in noon sunlight.

"Form a line and follow me."

One by one, the young wizards approached based on their surnames, awaiting their Sorting. But first, they were greeted with a song carefully crafted by the Sorting Hat. The young newcomers watched in astonishment as the Sorting Hat emotionally sang its verses.

Perhaps, thus far, it was the most profound impression that Hogwarts had left on them.

The Sorting began.

"Newman Balk."

"Gryffindor!"

"Oliver Dana."

"Hufflepuff!"

"Greenthorne Fawley."

"Ravenclaw!"

"Astoria Greengrass."

"Slytherin!"

"Romilda Vane."

"Gryffindor!"

...

At the end of the Sorting Ceremony, Felix noticed Harry and Hermione slipping from the corner to their seats at Gryffindor table. Professor McGonagall appeared shortly after.

Subsequently, Headmaster Dumbledore stood up to speak. His welcome speech was as succinct as ever.

Getting to the point, he somberly mentioned the presence of Dementors. "They will be stationed at all entrances of the school to fulfill the Ministry's duties. During their stay, no one is allowed to leave the school without permission."

"Dementors don't accept any tricks or deception, including invisibility cloaks. They can't distinguish between legitimate reasons and excuses. So, don't give them any chance to harm you. Heads of Houses and the two student prefects, ensure that no student gets into conflict with Dementors."

Once the young wizards had absorbed this information, Dumbledore introduced the two new professors with enthusiasm, using his words—

The former was the "generous substitute for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Lupin." The latter was "Rubeus Hagrid, who takes on the position of Care of Magical Creatures Professor while fulfilling his duties as the Keeper of Keys and Grounds."

At the same time, Dumbledore expressed sympathy and apologies for the unjust treatment Hagrid had endured. "We've overlooked this for half a century. It's time to correct this mistake."

Hagrid stood up excitedly, waving his hand. A series of red sparks shot out from the tip of his umbrella. The students responded with warm applause, particularly fervent from the Gryffindor table.

"We should've known!" Ron shouted, pounding the table, "Who else would make us get a book that bites?"

After the feast, the students filed out of the Great Hall, accompanied by lively discussions.

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