Chapter 643: Before Leaving
Chapter 643: Before Leaving (Please Subscribe, Favorite, and Vote)
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, Liam and Hermione headed straight to Professor Mcgonagall's office. The corridor was quiet at this hour, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing on the stone floor.
"I feel a bit sentimental", Hermione suddenly stopped, reaching out to touch the small gargoyle statue on the banister at the stairwell. "It's been six years, and now we're leaving here."
"We don't have to. We can stay in the castle for a long time", Liam said. "Don't forget, I'm now a Board Member of Hogwarts, which gives me the right to live here. I checked it out; behind a bunch of empty classrooms on the third floor, there's a place specifically for Board Members. It's quite spacious, and I'm sure it will be very comfortable after the Pixies clean it up."
"Eh, that's not what I meant, never mind—" Hermione was about to move on when Liam suddenly pulled her back. "I was just joking. I understand what you mean. By the way, I have a gift for you."
With that, Liam pulled a small photo album from his Spatial Bag and handed it to Hermione. Hermione took the album and flipped through it, noticing that the first few pages contained a mix of old and new parchments with gilded letters and numbers.
"These are—Hogwarts Express tickets!" After a closer look, Hermione immediately recognized what was inside: tickets from their first year all the way to this year.
"This gift is amazing, thank you!" Hermione carefully put the album away. "Thank you for helping me keep these wonderful memories."
After this small interlude, the two knocked and entered Professor Mcgonagall's office. Professor Mcgonagall was, as usual, buried in a mountain of paperwork. She looked up when she noticed them.
"I am pleased to see my students pass the N.E.W.T. exams with excellent results and receive their certificates", Professor Mcgonagall said, removing her glasses. "Thankfully, with you two, I won't have to feel embarrassed when discussing this with the other professors if no one had passed."
After praising Liam and Hermione, the conversation turned to more serious matters. Professor Mcgonagall cleared her throat and asked, "Liam, Hermione, can you tell me what you plan to do after receiving your N.E.W.T. certificates?"
"We want to stay at Hogwarts and run our shop for a while. We've noticed that the products we produced have been very useful in the recent battles against the Death Eaters. We believe that if we improve them further, they could have an even greater impact, potentially saving more lives in the war."
"Oh, that's a commendable goal", Professor Mcgonagall nodded. "However, Professor Dumbledore asked me to convey that he hopes you will temporarily work for the Ministry of Magic—"
At this, the professor raised her hand to stop Hermione from interrupting. "I know it would be a waste and foolish to have you two do mundane paperwork at the Ministry. However, Professor Dumbledore has found a different role for you."
Professor Mcgonagall opened a parchment, revealing a blank appointment letter from the Ministry of Magic. The letter offered a position as a Special Consultant in the International Magical Cooperation Office.
"The pay for this role is minimal, so you won't need to go to the Ministry of Magic every day, and it won't interfere with your plans. Headmaster Dumbledore believes that having this title will make certain tasks easier for you", Professor Mcgonagall explained. "For more details, you can visit the Ministry of Magic in Hogsmeade and ask. Once you have all the information, you can make your decision."
"Alright, we'll go to the Ministry of Magic this afternoon", Liam nodded. After listening to Professor Mcgonagall share a bit about her early career, they took their leave. Since Professor Mcgonagall had a lot of work to finish, it wouldn't be appropriate to stay any longer.
"Are you about to leave Hogwarts?" Ginny asked Hermione, who was sitting across from her, in a low voice during lunch. "Does this mean I won't see you for the rest of the term?"
"Of course not", Hermione explained. "Just like your father is now a Board Member at Hogwarts, Liam is also a Board Member. As a Board Member, he has certain special privileges, such as having a room in the Schoolcastle and enjoying the same House-Elf services as the professors."
"Is that true?" Ron’s eyes widened. "Why have I never heard of this? My parents didn’t tell me."
"That's because there's a restrictive clause", Liam said to Ron. "The clause states that only the Board Member and the person they designate, who is not a Hogwarts student, can enjoy these benefits."
"What do you mean by 'the person they designate'?" Harry leaned in, curious. As an orphan, he considered Hogwarts his home, and he was naturally interested in anything related to Board Members, especially after seeing Draco Malfoy’s arrogant behavior when his father was a Board Member.
"Each Hogwarts Board Member has two slots, including their own, for living in the castle", Liam explained. "In addition to the Board Member themselves, they can designate a direct family member to use these slots and enjoy the Board Member's living conditions in the castle. However, a Board Member’s seat can only accommodate two people in the castle."
"I see", Harry, Ron, and Ginny nodded in unison. Then Ron added, "So, does that mean we'll still see you two in the castle for the rest of the year?"
"Exactly", Liam nodded. "We'll be staying in the empty classroom at the end of the corridor past Lockhart's office on the third floor. There's a wall with lion relief carvings; behind the carvings is the house prepared for Board Members. If you need to find us, just tap the lion's left paw with your wand, and we'll open the door if we're there."
"Does that mean you won't be able to come to the Common Room anymore?" Ron asked, curious.
"Yes", Hermione nodded. "According to the notice we received from Professor Mcgonagall, after passing the N.E.W.T. exams, we are considered to have graduated from Hogwarts. According to the rules, we can't enter the Common Rooms of the houses without the permission of the Head of House or the Headmaster. This is for safety and other considerations."
"I'll come to find you, so don't you dare not open the door!" Ginny said to Hermione, who nodded vigorously, assuring her friend that she wouldn’t forget.
As the two girls chatted quietly, Liam leaned in and whispered to Harry, "Harry, how’s the magical ritual in the Headmaster's Office going these past few days?"
"Very smoothly", Harry replied quickly, then hesitated. "There's one thing I'm not sure about. Why do I feel a growing connection with the black straw effigy? Is something wrong?"
"Don’t worry about it", Liam reassured him with a wave of his hand. "This is part of the magic. The special bond between you and that person is why Professor Dumbledore and I chose you to complete the next steps. This connection is an essential part of the magic."
"I see, thank you for explaining", Harry said, visibly relaxing. The magic had been a source of stress for him over the past few days, and Liam’s reassurance helped him feel much better.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
