Chapter 416: Greetings, I'm the New Professor

Chapter 416: Greetings, I'm the New Professor

After Vold stepped down from the stage, two exceptionally attractive male and female wizards took the stage to demonstrate the usage and various functions of the Communicating Pea.

There were many more segments planned for the launch event, but Vold no longer had any interest in them.

Originally, there was going to be a reception afterward to boost sales, and as a renowned Alchemist, Vold could have used the opportunity to network.

However, when Marchioni asked for his opinion, Professor Mori directly declined on his behalf.

"This level of exposure is sufficient. Those greedy merchants are the type to take a mile if you give them an inch!" Professor Mori spoke bluntly in front of Marchioni, who showed no self-awareness as a 'greedy merchant' himself. He nodded, stroking his chin.

"Indeed... What if they take advantage of Vold's good nature and trick him into signing some unbreakable contracts?"

He joked, "If Vold gets lured away by some cunning adults, I wouldn't even have a place to cry!"

Vold, already impatient with such events, immediately nodded in agreement, secretly relieved.

As his speech concluded, he could now spend the remaining time freely with his friends. Stepping off the stage, his pace lightened, and he lifted the curtain to enter backstage, only to pause in surprise.

Professor Mori was looking at him with a particularly gratified expression, his eyes slightly moist.

"Oh my, I am so proud of you! You were simply amazing! I can hardly believe it! Seeing you grow from such a tiny child into the outstanding person you are today... Your hard work and achievements bring me immense joy and happiness. I feel that all the hardships and efforts were worth it..."

Marchioni stood beside Professor Mori, speaking in an exaggerated tone while dabbing the corners of his eyes with a small handkerchief. He then winked at Professor Mori.

"Isn't that what you wanted to say, Professor? It's okay, don't be shy! Frankly tell Vold how moved you are... I've already set the example for you, so come on, let's begin!"

Professor Mori's lips trembled, and he snapped, "Get out!"

"Yes, sir!" Marchioni responded with an awkward bow. As he passed by Vold, he patted his shoulder and said sincerely, "Today was truly amazing, Vold!"

Vold smiled lightly, "Thank you."

Marchioni continued hosting the launch event, leaving Vold and Professor Mori alone backstage.

Looking at his most outstanding student, Professor Mori's eyebrows relaxed, and a slight smile lifted the corners of his mouth, unintentionally revealing his joy.

He had indeed wanted to say a lot, but the words stuck in his throat, unsure where to begin. Marchioni's interruption had calmed his emotions.

"Although Marchioni is a jerk, he did say something right—” Professor Mori paused, then continued, “I am truly proud of you, my child."

"Thank you for your recognition, Professor," Vold said, bowing slightly. "I will not let you down."

Professor Mori looked at the young man, who was almost as tall as himself, and felt a surge of emotion. He wanted to pat his head but hesitated and ended up placing his hand on Vold's shoulder instead.

"You have already achieved more than I ever did, but there is still a broader world ahead. Maintain this passion, continue striving, and don't let the temptations along the way hinder your progress."

"Yes, Professor," Vold replied.

"Speaking of which, why did you change the latter half of your speech?" Professor Mori asked. "I remember you had prepared something more understandable."

"Well... With so many people, I momentarily forgot my words," Vold said, feeling embarrassed. "I was worried about an awkward silence, so I just shared my design ideas instead."

Professor Mori laughed, "There were quite a few peers in the audience! I was about to interrupt you, but fortunately, the core part wasn't revealed."

He was already satisfied with the young man's performance in his first major event, and this minor slip-up didn't bother him.

Moreover, although Vold's speech might have been a bit unfriendly to the audience, it proved that he had genuine talent. Considering the audience's overall reaction, Professor Mori still considered it a successful presentation.

"Alright, your friends are probably waiting for you, aren't they?" Professor Mori said affectionately. "Go on, hurry up! Don't let those annoying fellows catch up to you."

...

Vold left the venue through the back door, feeling a bit guilty.

When they parted ways, Professor Mori cast a spell to unlock the door, and Vold noticed his wand. Suddenly, he remembered that Professor Mori's original wand was still in his possession.

Speaking of which, the last time they returned from the island would have been a good opportunity to return the wand. But Mabel's sudden transformation into the Silent One was so shocking that Vold, being busy, forgot about it.

Voldemort's thoughts turned to the group of people seated in the hall, and his heart sank.

He knew he would eventually cross paths with them again... He'd find an appropriate opportunity later.

Over the past few years, Aslan Magic Workshop had grown significantly, bringing changes to many places, but Gringotts remained unchanged.

After reuniting with Lupin and the others, Voldemort arrived at the wizarding world's only bank. They were all there to withdraw some pocket money, and Harry also needed to exchange some Muggle pounds.

Lupin now had a vault at Gringotts, and with the substantial commission Voldemort had given him, his vault was filled with piles of Galleons and Sickles.

While waiting outside, Voldemort watched as Lupin packed almost all his money into a bag, leaving only a few inconspicuous Knuts in the corner of the vault.

"Lupin, what are you doing with all that money?" Harry asked curiously.

"There's something I want to buy," Lupin replied, his expression slightly unnatural.

"Will that be enough?" Voldemort asked. "If not, I can lend you some."

Lupin smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's just enough."

As the little cart carrying them back to the ground level sped off, they saw a worried-looking man being escorted out of the hall by a goblin and into the stone corridor.

The man climbed onto the cart they had just vacated, and a young goblin jumped on as well, taking the driver's seat. "Vault 716, sir? Please take a seat, we're off!"

Voldemort turned to look back instinctively and saw the cart clattering away. It picked up speed, making a sharp turn and disappearing along the winding track.

"What's going on?" Michael asked. "Do you know that man?"

Voldemort shook his head. "No, but I remember that vaults starting with '7' have high rental fees. That man didn't look like he could afford it, so I found it a bit strange."

The vaults in Gringotts were numbered from top to bottom, with lower numbers closer to the ground and cheaper rent, but also less secure.

Perhaps influenced by the incessant chatter of Macioni, Voldemort unconsciously observed the man's attire.

He noticed the man's simple clothing—a black wizard's robe that was barely presentable. But upon closer inspection, the cuffs were frayed, and the pocket for his wand was worn and shiny.

"Maybe he's from an old wizarding family?" Michael speculated. "His ancestors might have rented the vault for centuries, so even if they're broke now, they can still use it."

"Hmm, that makes sense," Voldemort nodded, agreeing that it was likely the case.

...

Standing on the bustling street, Lupin checked the time and said, "You guys go buy your gifts. I want... erm... to buy something too."

Lupin hurried off, and Harry furrowed his brows. "Lupin seems strange... Do you think he's being scammed?"

He recalled the occasional news stories he'd seen at the Dursleys' about people losing everything to gambling or fraud.

Harry became increasingly concerned and started to follow Lupin. "Let's go see what's happening."

But after taking only a few steps, Michael grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

"Don't bother," Michael said. "Lupin might be buying a Christmas gift for his girlfriend! He wouldn't want us there."

"Girlfriend?!" Harry exclaimed.

"Yeah, look at his expression, as if he wants to say something but can't. And that uncontrollable smile—he must be thinking of some girl!" Michael insisted, pointing to the people nearby. "Look, even Voldemort noticed!"

Voldemort: "..."

He hadn't noticed anything, but when Michael mentioned a girlfriend, he immediately thought of 'Tonks,' whom Lupin had mentioned the day before.

She was Lupin's future wife, the kind who would stand by his side through thick and thin, and they would eventually have a son together.

Harry glanced at Voldemort, who indeed showed no signs of surprise, leaving Harry feeling annoyed with himself for being so slow on the uptake.

...

Lupin arrived at the Aslan Magic Workshop with a bulging money bag and was relieved to see the light-red waistcoat still displayed in the glass cabinet.

He placed the money bag on the counter and said, "I'd like to buy this waistcoat."

"Sorry, this is a display item, and we haven't started selling it yet..." Before the shop assistant could finish, they looked up and recognized the customer. "Mr. Lupin?"

"Yes," Lupin pulled his scarf down a bit and said gently, "I know this item isn't officially for sale yet, but could you sell it to me?"

"For the first time, he felt a flush of embarrassment as he asked for special treatment due to his identity, but he maintained his composure and spoke up.

The salesperson hesitated and stepped out from behind the counter, saying, "If it's you, of course, there's no problem... But if you're looking for Mr. Grey, wouldn't it be easier to obtain it from him? This armor was also invented by Mr. Grey and the two Weasley gentlemen."

—And without spending so much money in vain.

"This is a gift I'm preparing for someone, and I want to acquire it myself," Lupin explained.

Currently, Aslan Magic Workshop's entire sales focus was on the Communicating Pea, and only a few samples of the Defensive Armor had been produced.

Machiogni foresaw that this would also become a best-seller, so to avoid squeezing the profit margins of both products and to ensure sufficient stock, the Defensive Armor hadn't even been given a name yet. It was displayed in the shop with a high price tag, and if anyone inquired, the salesperson would mysteriously indicate that it was not for sale, and it wouldn't be sold even if offered a price.

But Remus Lupin was an exception; to some extent, he represented Vold, and even the contract with the Weasley brothers for the Magic Workshop was signed with his help.

Therefore, when the salesperson saw Lupin's insistence, although he was very surprised, he still took the armor out of the cabinet, wrapped it in a gift box, and presented it to Lupin.

Lupin emptied his pockets to pay, then used his last few Sickles to hire two owls at the post office. Watching them fly into the sky with the unsigned gift box, he felt a faint joy in his heart.

She didn't need to know who the gift was from... The job of an Auror was dangerous, and he only hoped that this armor would keep her safe...

Lupin's heart was filled with both joy and a twinge of sadness.

...

Vold and his group spent more than an hour in Diagon Alley, buying everything they wanted. During this time, Vold and Harry kept their scarves wrapped around their faces to avoid being recognized.

It was cold outside, and their attire was not unusual, especially as they blended in with the students who had come to buy Christmas gifts during the holidays, ensuring they attracted no unwanted attention.

However, this disguise did have a drawback—their vision was inevitably limited. Harry had just picked out a book for Hermione and was about to leave after paying when he accidentally bumped into someone behind him.

The person was standing on tiptoe to reach a book placed high on a shelf. With the collision, he fell and knocked over several bookshelves, creating a loud crash. Like a row of dominoes, four or five bookshelves toppled over, one after another, until the last one hit the wall.

Hundreds of books fell to the ground, creating a messy pile. Fortunately, these were ordinary books, preventing an even worse disaster.

The bookstore clerk, who was in the process of checking out another customer, was stunned. He stood there like a wooden chicken, holding a few Sickles in his hand, completely forgetting to react as if he had turned into a stone statue.

Michael instinctively took a step back and muttered, "I... Let's run..."

Harry stared at him, then at the mess in the bookstore, feeling bewildered for a while. Just then, he heard the person who had fallen on the bookshelf moaning in pain.

Harry was startled and quickly took two steps forward to help the person up. But when he saw the books scattered on the floor, he froze again.

"Don't be afraid, child."

The person who had been bumped into held his waist and good-naturedly took all the blame upon himself.

"It's my fault—I should have been more steady on my feet. But fixing this situation is quite simple, you see—"

He waved his wand, and several bookshelves stood up on their own. The books on the floor floated and returned to their places on the shelves, as if time had reversed.

In the few steps it took for the clerk to leave the Sickles and run over, the bookshelves had already returned to their original state. He stood there with his mouth agape, looking rather foolish.

"We're lucky that no books were damaged," the passerby said slowly. "In that case, we won't have to take responsibility, right?"

"Ah... Of course, of course..." The clerk replied awkwardly.

"That's amazing!" Harry exclaimed in admiration, sincerely saying, "Thank you, sir. I thought I had caused a huge disaster."

"Don't be so polite. Are you a student at Hogwarts?" The passerby looked at their heights and asked.

"Yes," Harry nodded.

The passerby smiled and said, "Then I'll be your professor soon. I hope we'll get along well in the coming semester... By the way, my name is Ryan Trocar."

"A new professor?"

The group looked at each other in confusion and said, "But we don't have any classes without a professor?"

"Hmm?" Ryan Trocar scratched his head and said, "I heard that the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professor resigned. How come?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end