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Chapter 1771: A War Without Winners (Part 221)
Chapter 1771: A War Without Winners (Part 221)
The cheating incident during the exams had caused quite a stir at Hogwarts, but fortunately, it blew over quickly like a passing storm, leaving no lasting impact.
Most students, except for a certain unlucky soul who enjoyed courting danger, were celebrating the end of exams and looking forward to the upcoming holiday break.
At least, the fifth and seventh-year students could enjoy their well-deserved vacation until their exam results were delivered by owl post to their homes.
Many seventh-year students who had taken the advanced Dark Arts Defense class decided to visit Professor Albert together after a brief discussion. They held a small gathering in the Dark Arts Defense office to express their sincere gratitude to Professor Anderson.
It was rare for a professor to receive such admiration from students, but Professor Albert, despite his questionable teaching skills, had given them so much.
Especially during the Advanced Wizarding Level Exams, each question felt familiar, leading many to realize that their good grades were, in part, due to Professor Albert's accurate predictions.
The students had another reason for visiting Professor Albert—they hoped he could offer some advice on their future career plans.
Several years ago, they had sought his counsel on job prospects, and they valued his insights more than Professor McGonagall's.
After all, his Divination prophecies were renowned for their accuracy, and even without a formal reading, his advice was invaluable.
Regarding career guidance, Professor Albert couldn't offer much direct help, nor did he intend to provide individual Divination sessions for each student. Instead, he casually discussed their future careers, sharing the information he had, such as the available positions in the Ministry of Magic, the prospects of certain professions, which ones might be more lucrative, and any potential money-making opportunities.
For students with limited access to information, this was an invaluable resource.
What surprised Professor Albert was that fewer students than expected were interested in joining the Ministry of Magic. During this term, the Ministry had already filled most of its vacant positions, leaving only less desirable jobs.
However, a few Muggle-born witches and wizards showed interest in the Ministry positions related to Muggle affairs.
Perhaps the jobs at the Ministry weren't as glamorous or high-paying as imagined, but they still offered a decent career path, especially for Muggle-born witches and wizards without connections in the magical world. A stable income was essential for them to establish themselves in the magical community.
This was the foundation of the Ministry's control over the British magical realm: they provided the salaries.
After the other students left, Hermione lingered behind and exclaimed, "No wonder Minister Kingsley suggested we join the Ministry directly!"
Under the usual selection process, Harry's group wouldn't have met the Auror standards, so Minister Kingsley discreetly opened a backdoor for them, ensuring they had good jobs even if some couldn't remain in the Auror Office. It was his way of taking care of them.
"I guess I was truly ungrateful," Hermione whispered, reflecting on the day's events.
Professor Albert smiled, offering comfort, "Minister Kingsley has been through a lot and has a broader perspective than you, Hermione. Besides, your luck isn't bad; you don't have to worry about your future anymore."
"
Hermione didn't respond to that, but suddenly said, "I'm planning to move to Avalon directly."
"Isn't it still not ready over there?" Albert felt a bit regretful, as Hermione's fiery passion made him a little infatuated.
"I can stay in the tent for a few days first."
Hermione had considered continuing to dominate Albert and living in their beautiful world, but after recalling Isabella's reminder, she eventually gave up. After all, Albert had many other girls to deal with.
"Shimmer will also help me with the packing. It won't take long to get everything settled."
Ever since moving to Avalon, the house-elf Shimmer had completely emerged from her past shadows and started living a fulfilling and busy life.
Just as Hermione had said to Dobby, the residents of Avalon were very friendly towards house-elves, and Shimmer received the respect she had never had before.
Not long after the end-of-term exams, Hogwarts welcomed the Yule Ball, and Albert, as the school's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, naturally wouldn't miss it.
This year, Ravenclaw won the House Cup, and as the entire Hogwarts' average level was quite outstanding, Ravenclaw's victory was indeed effortless.
One could only say that Slytherin had lost a significant portion of its competitiveness and ability to cause trouble after losing Snape, the doting Head of House.
On the other side, Gryffindor, without Harry's bonus points, was at the bottom of the rankings due to their mischievous nature.
As for Hufflepuff, they were already crying in the toilets.
The entire Yule Ball was a delightful affair. Albert, like the other professors, chatted while eating, and he even broke the rules by having a few drinks with Hagrid. He successfully persuaded the Hogwarts' Gamekeeper to spend his summer vacation in Avalon, and at the same time, he would help check if there were any problems with Hagrid's game reserve.
It seemed unrealistic to expect Avalon's team to solve all the problems on their own.
The next morning, Albert specifically returned to Hogwarts to attend the annual graduation ceremony, which was very simple; all the seventh-year students gathered for a group photo. Then, under Hagrid's lead, they departed on the same magic boat that the first-years had arrived in at the beginning of the year.
As the boat gradually moved away from the shore, Albert withdrew his gaze and bid farewell to the professors around him one by one. Then, under Professor McGonagall's resentful gaze, he turned and left.
There was a reason for Professor McGonagall's resentment. If Albert had continued teaching at the school, she wouldn't have had to worry about the lack of professors at all.
Albert, a genius proficient in all subjects, could easily fill any position, not only solving Hogwarts' troubles in one go but also freeing her from her part-time role as the Transfiguration professor.
Unfortunately, Albert just left like that.
Albert didn't feel any guilt about this; it was just that Professor McGonagall was too picky. He had always wanted to find a competent professor, but finding a qualified one wasn't easy. Being able to teach others and being good at teaching were two different things.
Cedric could temporarily take over, but the problem was that the reputation of Defense Against the Dark Arts was so bad that if Cedric didn't take on the role, the subject might not find a suitable candidate.
Should the Ministry of Magic send an Auror to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at the school?
Well, Cedric seemed to be the professor sent by the Ministry, and he still hadn't completed the official employment procedures.
(End of Chapter)
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