Chapter 232: Why Can You and Not Me?
Chapter 232: Why Can You and Not Me?
The Great Hall was bustling with noise.
The first-years were lined up in a long row, waiting for Professor Mcgonagall to bring back the Sorting Hat.
The older students were seated at their respective House tables, chatting idly or greeting their acquaintances and younger siblings among the first-years.
However, some had already noticed that there were two additional people sitting at the long table reserved for professors, where they did not belong.
Ron pointed out to Harry and Hermione the old man with a magic eye sitting next to Sherlock.
"That's Mad-Eye Moody. He used to be an Auror at the Ministry of Magic and recently retired. My dad mentioned this to us. He has a peculiar temper and not many friends at the Ministry. Most people are a bit afraid of him. But he's a very capable Auror. My dad said that during the darkest years in the Wizarding World, he was one of the top Aurors."
Harry studied the short, fierce-looking old man with one eye. From his appearance, he didn't seem like someone easy to get along with.
However, he seemed to have a good relationship with Professor Forrest, as they were engaged in a conversation.
Just as Harry was about to shift his gaze from Mad-Eye Moody, he caught a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. She had a dazzling smile that could make anyone lose their breath, standing behind Sherlock and watching him chat with Mad-Eye Moody.
"I wonder what this retired Auror will be teaching us this semester."
Before Ron could finish his speculation, Harry suddenly interrupted him.
"Wait, Ron! Look over there!"
Hermione and Ron followed Harry's gaze and immediately saw the person he wanted them to see.
Their mouths dropped open, and they exclaimed in unison.
"Silke!"
Sherlock, after recovering from his initial shock, quickly figured out why Silke was there.
"You really surprised me", he said with a sigh.
Silke leaned back in her chair, her lips still curved into a smile.
"Why can't I see the surprise on your face?"
Sherlock gave her a stern look.
"When did you go to Dumbledore to apply for a job?"
"Right after I bought the house. Dumbledore told me there was an open position at the castle."
"So you took over Professor Victor's position in Arithmancy and Divination?"
"Are you unhappy?"
Silke noticed something was off in Sherlock's expression, and her voice became cautious.
Sherlock sighed deeply and stroked Silke's head.
"I'm not unhappy. It's just that Hogwarts isn't a very safe place, especially this year. I'm glad you'll be a professor here, but you should have told me first."
Silke's smile turned into a frown, but this time she didn't pull her head away from Sherlock's hand.
"If you had known beforehand, would you have stopped me from coming?"
Sherlock thought for a moment.
"Maybe. If Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, I could have taken the position part-time in Arithmancy and Divination."
"You know nothing about divination!"
"I can read the textbook directly."
"You'd corrupt the students!"
"Normal Divination does the same. The students learn the same way."
“This is misleading the young!”
“This isn’t too important of knowledge. Your safety is far more important.”
“Then why can you come over, but I can’t!”
“I can face these dangers, and you don’t need to. It’s not necessary for you.”
“I’m telling you again, I’m not a child. I’m even a year older than you! You don’t need to treat me like one!”
Silke’s voice grew louder, drawing the attention of the other professors seated at the long table. Even Dumbledore, who was sitting in the middle, turned to look.
Sherlock looked at Silke’s stubborn face and was momentarily stunned. He eventually shook his head and smiled.
“Alright, maybe my thinking was a bit off. I apologize. However, I still need to emphasize that Hogwarts will be a bit different from this year on. You need to be more cautious.”
Silke didn’t look at him. Clearly, she was still upset. She coldly replied, “I’ll be careful on my own.”
The surrounding professors tactfully avoided staring at them, but their faces were filled with meaningful smiles as they observed the scene from the corners of their eyes.
In the hall below, some students had also noticed Silke’s presence.
She wasn’t wearing a hood, and her dark green robe made her stand out among the older, seasoned professors.
The students were whispering about the new, beautiful young witch with a black ribbon over her eyes. Harry and his friends also noticed something was off.
“Sister Silke and Professor Forrest seem to be arguing,” Harry said worriedly.
He had chatted with Silke once before the Quidditch World Cup final. Because of his good relationship with Sherlock, Silke hadn’t been cold towards him, which made Harry like her.
Ron was puzzled.
“Weren’t they fine when they first met? How did they start arguing so quickly? It must be that Sister Silke upset the professor!”
Hermione glared at him.
“It’s obvious that Professor Forrest said something that upset Sister Silke. Didn’t you see the professor apologize at the end?”
They discussed this for a bit, but the Sorting Ceremony soon began. Professor Mcgonagall placed the Sorting Hat on a three-legged stool, and it started singing its annual Sorting Song.
First-years were called one by one to wear the hat and be sorted into their respective Houses. The feast began, and Dumbledore introduced the new professors to the students.
“Since Professor Victor from the Department of Arithmetic Divination wishes to try a new life, this year, the position will be filled by a beautiful lady, Miss Vera Silke. As a former employee of the German Ministry of Magic’s Department of Mysteries, I believe she will impart a great deal of knowledge to you.”
“To prepare for a major tournament, we will be suspending the Quidditch House Cup this semester. We have also invited Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody to serve as the castle’s security officer. He will be responsible for the safety within the castle and will assist Filch in enforcing school rules. I hope certain students will take note.”
“Finally, I am pleased to announce that the Triwizard Tournament, which has been on hiatus for a century, will be held again at Hogwarts after Halloween!”
(End of Chapter)
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