Chapter 410: Abigail of the Panther College
Chapter 410: Abigail of the Panther College
Several students glanced at Vold, then at Abigail, and obediently left the room.
As they left, Professor Abigail casually cast a "Silent Spell" towards the door and asked, "Vold, what's the matter?"
The professor maintained a smile, but her expression seemed slightly tense.
Vold sat across from her and said, "Actually, it's not that important. I just wanted to say thank you—fortunately, you arrived just in time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have lasted much longer."
Abigail raised an eyebrow.
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she felt that the emphasis in Vold's words was on "just in time" rather than "thank you."
Was she suspicious of why Abigail could arrive just in time during the crisis when none of the other professors had made it?
Maybe she was overthinking it... But Abigail still felt the need to explain herself.
"Actually, I was already on the train... Remember? I mentioned that I wouldn't be staying at school during the holiday."
The professor winked playfully and said, "I wasn't a student at Hogwarts, but I've heard a lot about this school, including this unique magical train. Since I had the chance, I wanted to experience it for myself."
"But last night, I was so excited that I fell asleep shortly after boarding, so I didn't appear at first."
"Oh, I see," Vold said with a relieved smile. "Thanks to your curiosity, everyone was saved... Is your Patronus a Doberman?"
"Yes... yes..."
For some reason, Abigail's smile stiffened at this ordinary question. She awkwardly changed the subject, "Is yours an eagle? It's very handsome and suits you well. Who taught you?"
"It was Remus," Vold replied. "Remus Lupin, he's my private tutor."
Hearing the name Lupin, even though Abigail managed to control her expression, the brief glance she gave Vold revealed her thoughts.
Vold could almost read her mind—'You hired him as a private tutor? Do you know he's a werewolf?'
His heart sank slightly as he lowered his gaze and asked, "Did you attend Ilvermorny before, Professor? What's that school like?"
"Oh... Ilvermorny..."
Abigail unconsciously adjusted her hair and said, "Ilvermorny was established with Hogwarts as a reference, and it's also divided into four houses—Thunderbird, Wampus, Horned Serpent, and Pukwudgie. The Sorting Ceremony is similar to Hogwarts..."
"Which house were you in, Professor?" Vold asked.
"Me? I was in Wampus House. When I stood above the Gordian Knot—oh, that's the Sorting Ceremony at Ilvermorny—both the Wampus and Thunderbird statues responded to me, but in the end, I chose Wampus House..."
As if reminiscing about her pleasant house life, Abigail smiled unconsciously.
Vold responded with a few words here and there while silently observing her.
In truth, he wasn't entirely unfamiliar with Ilvermorny—among the countless books in the Hogwarts Library, there were many wizarding travelogues and magical notes that mentioned other magical schools around the world.
Hogwarts was widely acknowledged as the oldest and best magical school, but each school had its unique characteristics. Ilvermorny, as an imitator, was mentioned the most.
Some praised it as the most democratic and inclusive magical school, while others scorned it because one of its founders was a Muggle, a Muggle named James Stuart who even became the school's headmaster.
In comparison, Ilvermorny's Sorting Ceremony received high praise, and people generally believed that its two-way selection mechanism was superior to Hogwarts' Sorting Hat.
Vold remembered that Ilvermorny's Wampus and Thunderbird houses were equivalent to Gryffindor in Hogwarts, with Wampus symbolizing bravery and Thunderbird representing a love for adventure.
Although this might be an oversimplification, the house one chose did, to a large extent, represent the qualities a student possessed, and these qualities would be constantly reinforced through years of study and interaction with others.
Wampus... Bravery...
Vold secretly speculated: Was Dumbledore's patient wait also because he realized that Abigail was a 'Gryffindor' at heart? Those who can cast a Patronus can't be all bad... Umbridge, who took pleasure in evil, must be an exceptional case...
Vold pondered as he asked, "Does Ilvermorny not have a train to take students to school?"
How do students get to the school?" Abigail asked with a smile. "Iffley Academy is built on a mountain, surrounded by dense forests, and transportation like trains can't reach it."
"Students usually arrive at a nearby village using Floo Powder, then ride brooms up the mountain. In recent years, magic carpets have also become popular... As for Muggle-born students, the school has special magical carriages to pick them up..."
As Abigail spoke, she lost track of time until the train's announcement reminded students to prepare for arrival. She suddenly snapped back to reality.
"Oh, it's already this time... You'd better start packing your things," Abigail said.
"Yes, Professor. See you next semester," Vold replied. "I'm looking forward to the new format of the Dark Arts Defense class."
Due to Dumbledore's extended absence, the Chamber of Secrets' renovations were not fully completed, and the werewolf and vampire puppets, among others, never had the chance to meet the students.
By the next semester, this class would undoubtedly become even more exciting.
Hearing his words, Professor Abigail paused for a moment before laughing. "Happy holidays, Vold."
"Happy holidays to you too, Professor."
...
The train slowly arrived at King's Cross Station, which was already bustling with people.
Despite the parents already knowing of the train's safe arrival through the Friend Account, they still rushed to the station, anxiously awaiting their children.
"Anthony, dear, are you alright?"
"Miles... Miles... Has anyone seen Miles Bletchley?"
"Ginny, my dear, let me see how you are."
Even before the train came to a complete stop, the parents on the platform started calling out, desperately searching for their children in the crowd.
As soon as the doors opened, students poured out, running towards their parents. Some even buried their faces in their mothers' arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
In the crowd, Vold also spotted his father, standing close to the tracks and stretching to look inside the train, his eyes searching anxiously.
Suddenly, he saw Vold pulling his suitcase and stopped in his tracks.
The man's lips trembled slightly as he tried to call out Vold's name, but no sound came out. He took a couple of steps forward and almost stumbled.
Vold's body instinctively swayed, and he was already in front of his father, arms open, hugging him.
"Dad, don't worry, I'm fine," Vold said in a steady voice.
He felt his father's body trembling slightly, and then he hugged Vold back with all his might, as if afraid Vold might fly away.
Behind them, Harry, who was pulling his suitcase, looked on enviously at the father and son. Michael, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes.
Unless he was mistaken... Did Vold just Apparate?
When did this guy learn such advanced magic?
Michael immediately looked around guiltily, fearing that someone might have witnessed this. Unauthorized Apparition was illegal, after all.
Of course, the punishment for such an offense was not severe, usually just a fine.
Fortunately, everyone around them was immersed in joy and relief, and there were plenty of crying students and angry parents. No one else noticed Vold's Apparition, not even the loud noise it created.
Many parents had directly Apparated away from the station with their children, and some older students also showed off by using this method to go home.
"I'm glad you're okay... Thank goodness you're safe..." Ferdinand said hoarsely after hearing the news at the station.
Vold deliberately downplayed the incident, saying, "We just encountered a group of hungry Dementors. They're under the Ministry's control and wouldn't dare harm us. They can only suck away some happy emotions at most."
Ferdinand shook his head, still feeling a lingering fear.
He wasn't the type of Muggle parent who was completely unaware of the magical world; he knew how dangerous and uncontrollable Dementors could be.
Not far away, Mr. and Mrs. Granger were quickly comforted by Hermione, who assured them with a smile, "Haha, it's like that... Your mom and I thought something terrible had happened to you!"
"Even Ministry employees shouldn't just intercept a student's train!" Mrs. Granger complained. "That's too barbaric!"
"Alright, alright, I said it's fine!" Hermione said, taking her parents' arms and leading them out of the station. "Let's go, I'm starving!"
After taking a few steps outside, she turned back to wave at her friends.
The commotion caught the attention of the Greys, and after a moment of silence, Vold stepped aside and introduced the two behind him to his father. "Dad, these are my friends—Harry Potter and Michael Connor."
"Hello, boys," Ferdinand finally smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Ferdinand Grey."
"Hello, Mr. Grey!" Harry shook his hand awkwardly and found the man's fingers as cold as ice.
He couldn't help but glance at Vold, feeling a twinge of envy for the concern and attention he received from his parents.
Michael followed suit, shaking hands and saying with a grin, "Hello, Mr. Grey. Thank you so much for the invitation. By the way, this coat looks fantastic!"
"Thank you, Michael, and Harry," Ferdinand said with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you both from Vold."
"Excuse me, gentlemen, would you mind if I interviewed you?" A voice, overly enthusiastic, interrupted them. Vold turned to see a reporter, young and bespectacled, wearing a dark grey vest with numerous pockets, seemingly filled with various items. The letters 'FMC' were emblazoned on it.
Vold recognized the initials as belonging to 'Flowing Mirror Corporation,' a media company established by Marchioni, which had been mentioned several times in his letters, claiming it was thriving.
However, as Vold had been secluded within the confines of Hogwarts, he had little sense of its actual success.
The reporter's appearance was reminiscent of a Muggle journalist, complete with dark circles under his eyes. The only difference was the absence of a camera; instead, a small blue bird perched on his shoulder—the mother mirror of the Daily Prophet, the Ministry's equivalent of a camera.
Upon spotting Harry Potter, the reporter's eyes lit up, and he eagerly pushed forward. "Mr. Potter, could you tell us about the train attack?"
"What?" Harry was momentarily bewildered and stammered, "I... I'm not quite sure..."
Vold raised his hand to stop the reporter. "I'm sorry, but we're not available for an interview, and we'd prefer to keep our names off the Daily Prophet."
The reporter frowned. "May I ask who you are?"
"Vold Grey," he replied.
"Ah... Mr. Grey..." The reporter opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped upon seeing Vold's calm gaze.
Having interviewed many people, the reporter could discern from Vold's eyes that he was not someone easily swayed or manipulated.
"Well, it's a bit of a shame..." The reporter tapped his notebook with his pen and said cheerfully, "Have a wonderful holiday! I hope you'll grant me an interview next time."
Without hesitation, he turned to his next target.
"Hello, I'm a reporter from the Daily Prophet. Mind if I interview you?" This time, he approached Percy Weasley.
At the mention of 'reporter,' Percy's eyes lit up, his face turning as red as his hair. He straightened his clothes and managed a smile, his voice trembling slightly as he replied, "Of course."
In the distance, Mrs. Weasley was still comforting her youngest daughter, unaware that her third son was being interviewed. Ron, standing nearby, commented on his mother's lack of attention towards him.
The Weasley twins, however, immediately noticed the situation and mimicked Percy's mannerisms with mischievous grins, silently mocking their brother.
"Let's go," Vold said.
Pushing their luggage trolleys, they approached the magical wall, with only three or four people ahead of them.
A ticket inspector stood nearby, checking a pocket watch and occasionally glancing at the time, allowing people through one by one to prevent a crowd from drawing the attention of Muggles.
Soon, the small group ahead of them had passed through.
"It's your turn. Be discreet and don't..." The inspector trailed off, his gaze fixing on Harry.
This was a familiar scenario, and they quickly pushed their trolleys, heads down, through the wall and into the Muggle world.
(End of Chapter)
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