Chapter 585: The Unscathed Professor
Chapter 585: The Unscathed Professor
Kyle shook his head at the thought. "Sorry, Harry, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just not possible."
"Sirius's home is protected by a Loyalty Shield Charm. Unless you're the Secret-Keeper, even if someone tells you the address, you won't be able to find the location."
Upon hearing Kyle's response, Harry looked utterly disappointed. He had been looking forward to this for a year, hoping to escape the Dursleys and live with Sirius.
But now, after a year, he still had to return to Privet Drive, as if nothing had changed.
"Don't be glum, Harry. Think of something cheerful," Fred said from the side. "At least Sirius is safe, right?"
"And Professor Moody..." George added, "The school year is over, but they're all fine—no injuries, no Dementors, and no Aurors taking them away. They're all unscathed."
"Yeah," Cedric suddenly spoke up. "No wonder I always felt like something was missing this year. In previous years, we never had a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who lasted this long."
At that moment, everyone seemed to become more spirited, even Harry temporarily forgot about Sirius.
"You think it might be because of the two professors this year?" Ron asked excitedly. "Maybe the curse can only target one person, and it becomes ineffective when there are more people."
"I don't think that's likely," Hermione said thoughtfully. "From what I've read, Hogwarts has had over fifty Defense Against the Dark Arts professors. If it were that simple to solve the problem, Headmaster Dumbledore would have known."
"Is it possible that he truly doesn't know?" Fred asked. "I mean, maybe he just can't find two professors. Finding one each year is already pushing the limit."
"Yeah," George agreed, "I remember Bill saying that in his second year, they only found a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor a month after the start of the school year."
"I remember that too," Fred couldn't help but laugh. "And then, during Christmas, the professor accidentally cast the wrong spell and was sent to St. Mungo's."
"And after that, they never got a new professor."
Everyone burst into laughter at this point.
Indeed, Dumbledore's biggest headache every year was finding a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the school.
And every year, during the holidays, he became the "Unwanted Dumbledore."
If that were the case, it would indeed be challenging for him to find two people.
Harry laughed too. If given a choice, he would definitely choose to have a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the next year over Sirius, rather than having the holidays with him.
After all, the holidays only lasted for two months, but a professor would be with him for an entire school year. When calculated this way, having a professor would definitely be a better deal.
Of course, if he could choose both, that would be even better.
"Don't worry, Harry," Ron patted his shoulder. "Mom will definitely convince Dumbledore to let you stay with us this summer, just like during the Quidditch World Cup."
"I hope so," Harry said.
Not being able to live with Sirius, the Burrow would still be a great place, but they weren't sure if they'd have time this year.
After all, the Weasley family should also be helping to stop Voldemort's resurgence... This wasn't a simple task, and Harry didn't want to cause them trouble.
As they spoke, the train gradually slowed down.
"We're here," Cona glanced out the window.
Soon, the Hogwarts Express came to a stop at Platform 9, and everyone began to disembark, creating chaos and noise in the corridor once again.
"Harry."
As they lined up to pass through the wall, Kyle suddenly spoke to Harry, who was at the front of the line. "This year, it's best to stay alert and be on your guard."
"I know," Harry nodded. "Because of Voldemort, right? Sirius told me the same thing. He also said that Voldemort might come after me, and if anything seems off, I should immediately notify Professor Dumbledore."
"This is just one aspect," Kyle glanced at the line ahead, "but you also need to be wary of the Ministry of Magic."
"The Ministry?" Harry asked, puzzled. "Why?"
"Because they might come after you," Kyle explained. "Remember that article in the Daily Prophet, the one claiming you were seeking attention?"
Harry nodded; he couldn't possibly forget it.
"That was just the beginning... if you still insist that Voldemort has returned."
Kyle lowered his voice, "They are unwilling to believe that the Dark Lord has returned, and they don't want others to believe it either."
"So by standing your ground, you're essentially going against the Ministry. They'll try to make things difficult for you, to make you look like a fantasizing lunatic in everyone's eyes. That's the only way they won't believe your words."
"But this is the truth!" Harry's face turned red, and he stiffened his neck. "You saw it too."
"But Cornelius Fudge didn't," Kyle said calmly. "Unless you can drag the Dark Lord to the Ministry and expose him to everyone, Fudge won't believe it."
"I think you should have realized this while you were in the Hospital Wing."
Harry remained silent.
Kyle was right; when Voldemort was mentioned, Fudge had reacted strongly, even arguing with Professor Dumbledore and eventually parting ways.
"But why me?" Harry still couldn't quite understand.
"It's simple," Kyle said. "They can't handle Professor Dumbledore, or they dare not. But you're just a student, at most a student with a bit of fame.
"But fame doesn't equal power. They have 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 'No Magic Outside of School' policy. They could even expel you then and there."
"Expulsion?" Harry tensed up. "You must be joking, right? Professor Dumbledore is the Headmaster; they can't expel me."
"Yes, but only if you don't make a mistake," Kyle said. "The notice before the break clearly stated that students found using magic outside of school could face expulsion.
"Of course, you don't need to be too worried. The Ministry still has some decency; they won't be too blatant, even if they wanted to. Just stay alert and keep an eye out."
"What should I do?" Harry asked.
"Try to stay in populated areas or districts as much as possible," Kyle thought for a moment. "That's the simplest way; as long as there are others around, you're safe.
"Or you can buy a camera to carry with you. If you encounter anything strange, you can take pictures as evidence for later."
"This might be a bit more troublesome and could delay your escape."
"Thanks, I understand." Harry lowered his head, seriously considering the feasibility of these two options.
Unconsciously, they passed through the Platform and arrived at King's Cross Station.
Mrs. Weasley was already waiting for them.
"Goodbye, Harry," Kyle said. "Remember what I said earlier; no matter what, being cautious never hurts."
"I will," Harry replied. "Oh, and thank you."
"You're welcome."
...
They parted ways at the station, and Mr. Weasley arrived in a brand-new car, obviously not from the Ministry.
After everyone got in, the car spun around and headed towards Ottery St. Catchpole.
(End of Chapter)
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