Chapter 585: The Unscathed Professor
Chapter 585: The Unscathed Professor
Upon hearing this, Kyle shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Harry, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but I can't. Sirius' home is protected by the Fidelius Charm. Unless you're a Secret-Keeper, you won't be able to find it, even if someone tells you the address."
Hearing Kyle's response, Harry looked utterly disappointed. He had been looking forward to this for a year—an escape from the Dursleys and a chance to live with Sirius.
Now, a year later, he was headed back to Privet Drive as if nothing had changed.
"Don't be glum, Harry," Fred said beside him. "At least Sirius is fine, right?"
"And Professor Moody..." George added, "The school year is over, but they're all in one piece. No injuries, no Dementors, and no arrests by the Aurors. They're unscathed."
"Yeah," Cedric chimed in. "I wonder why this year felt a bit lacking. In previous years, we never had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who lasted this long."
At that moment, everyone seemed to perk up, even Harry temporarily forgetting about his disappointment regarding Sirius.
"Do you think it's because we had two professors this year?" Ron asked excitedly. "Maybe the curse can only target one person. When there are more, it becomes ineffective."
"I don't think so," Hermione said thoughtfully. "From what I've read, Hogwarts has had over fifty Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. If it were that simple to solve the problem, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would have figured it out by now."
"What if he doesn't know?" Fred suggested. "I mean, maybe he just can't find two professors. Finding one for a full year is already a challenge."
"Yeah," George nodded, "I remember Bill telling me that in his second year, they only found a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher a month after the school year started."
"And then," Fred continued, unable to hold back a laugh, "that professor was sent to St. Mungo's by Christmas due to a spell mishap caused by drunkenness."
"And after that, they never had a new professor for the rest of the year."
At this, everyone burst into laughter.
Indeed, Dumbledore's biggest headache each year was finding a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for the school.
And during the holidays, he became the "unwelcome Dumbledore."
If that were the case, it was understandable if he couldn't find two people for the job.
Harry laughed as well. If he had to choose, he would definitely pick having Sirius as his professor next year over spending the holidays with him.
After all, the holidays were only two months long, but a professor could be with him for an entire school year. When he thought about it that way, the latter option was definitely a better deal.
Of course, having both options would be even better.
"Don't worry, Harry," Ron said, patting him on the shoulder. "Mum will definitely convince Dumbledore to let you stay with us this summer, just like after the Quidditch World Cup."
"I hope so," Harry said.
Not being able to live with Sirius was disappointing, but the Burrow was a wonderful place, and he wondered if they would have time for it this year.
After all, the Weasley family would likely be busy helping to prevent Voldemort's return... That wasn't going to be an easy task, and Harry didn't want to burden them with his own problems.
As they spoke, the train began to slow down.
"We're here," Connor said, glancing out the window.
Soon, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform 9, and everyone began to disembark, the corridor once again filled with chaos and noise.
"Harry."
As they lined up to pass through the barrier, Kyle suddenly spoke to Harry, who was ahead of him. "Be extra careful this year and stay vigilant."
"I know," Harry nodded. "Because of Voldemort, right? Sirius told me the same thing. He said Voldemort might come after me, and that I should notify Professor Dumbledore immediately if I notice anything unusual."
"Because they might cause you trouble." Kyle explained, "Remember that article in the Prophet, the one that said you were seeking attention?"
Harry nodded; there was no way he could forget.
"That was just the beginning... if you continue to insist that Voldemort has returned."
Kyle lowered his voice. "They don't want to believe that Voldemort is back, and they don't want others to believe it either. So, by continuing to say so, you're going against the Ministry. They will find ways to make your life difficult and try to turn you into a lunatic in everyone's eyes. That way, they can discredit your claims."
"But it's the truth!" Harry exclaimed, his face reddening as he stuck out his neck. "You saw it too!"
"But Cornelius Fudge didn't." Kyle said calmly, "Unless you can drag Voldemort to the Ministry and expose him to everyone, Fudge won't believe it. I think you realized this during your stay in the hospital wing."
Harry remained silent, knowing Kyle was right. Fudge's reaction after hearing about Voldemort had been extreme, even going as far as arguing with and possibly parting ways with Dumbledore.
"But why me?" Harry still couldn't quite understand.
"It's simple," Kyle replied. "They can't deal with Professor Dumbledore, or perhaps they dare not. But you're different; you're just a student, at most a student with a bit more fame.
"However, fame doesn't equal power. They have plenty of ways to deal with you... like sending a magical creature or something else to Privet Drive, forcing you to use magic in self-defense.
"And once you use magic outside of school, you'll be violating the rule about underage wizards not using magic during the holidays. They could even expel you for that."
"Expulsion?!" Harry tensed up at the thought.
"You must be joking, right? Professor Dumbledore is the Headmaster; they can't expel me."
"Yes, but only if you don't break any rules." Kyle said, "The notice before the holidays was clear. If a student is found using magic outside of school, expulsion is a possibility.
"Of course, you don't need to be too worried. The Ministry does have some shame. Even if they have such thoughts, they won't be too blatant about it. Just be extra cautious and aware of your surroundings."
"What should I do?" Harry asked.
"Try to stay in crowded places or neighborhoods as much as possible." Kyle thought for a moment. "That's the simplest way to ensure your safety. As long as there are other people around, you'll be fine.
"Or you could buy a camera and carry it with you. That way, you can take pictures of anything strange as evidence for later.
"Of course, this might be a bit troublesome and could slow you down if you need to escape."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Harry said, lowering his head as he seriously considered the feasibility of these suggestions.
Before they knew it, they had passed through the barrier and arrived at King's Cross Station.
Mrs. Weasley was already waiting for them.
"Goodbye, Harry." Kyle said, "Remember what I told you before. No matter what, it never hurts to be careful."
"I will." Harry said, "And thanks, by the way."
"You're welcome."
...
They parted ways at the station, and Mr. Weasley appeared with a brand-new car.
It was clearly not a Ministry car, probably borrowed from someone else.
Once everyone was inside, the car spun in place and headed toward the village of Saint Ketchibor.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
