Chapter 712: The Start of School
Chapter 712: The Start of School
"You're really brave", Neville said, giving Harry a thumbs-up from the bottom of his heart. He sat beside Harry, with Hannah and Susan Bones joining them.
"I just thought of it on the spot", Harry mumbled, feeling his face start to heat up. He hadn't really thought much about it and hadn't even intended to set an example, so he kept quiet. Hermione was the one who noticed his intentions in time.
"That's the spirit, leading by example", Ernie Macmillan said loudly, leaning forward to pat Harry's shoulder, eyeing the badge on Harry's chest with envy.
"By the way, I wonder if there have been any changes in the faculty this year?" Harry quickly interjected.
He glanced toward the professors' table, which wasn't fully occupied yet. He could see Snape and Professor Slughorn sitting together. Slughorn was openly admiring Harry, his hands folded, while Snape's expression remained inscrutable. A few seats away, Professor Sprout and Astronomy Professor Aurora Sinistra were having a quiet conversation, their faces beaming with smiles.
"Not everyone has arrived yet. I guess we're a bit early", Susan said, stretching her neck. "But at least we can be sure that the Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Astronomy positions won't change much."
"It's surprising that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor hasn't changed", Ernie said, exchanging a meaningful look with the others. Harry knew that the names of the various Defense Against the Dark Arts professors over the years were flashing through everyone's minds.
But Harry didn't find it strange at all. Voldemort was dead, and the shadow that had loomed over Hogwarts had naturally dissipated.
"Do you think Slughorn and Snape might have swapped positions? Snape continuing to teach Potions, and Slughorn taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"That's unlikely", Harry said immediately.
"Why?" Hannah asked curiously.
Harry's gaze became distant. Why was he so sure? He couldn't provide concrete evidence; he just felt that such a change wouldn't happen. He suspected it might be due to his frequent recollections of what he had seen in the stone Pensieve. "Why ask? He must have gotten inside information", a voice interjected.
It was Mafalda, holding a small notebook and a ballpoint pen, her eyes fixed on him, sensing the scent of an exclusive story.
"Tell us", Mafalda said eagerly. "I think the most likely changes will be in Ancient Runes and Transfiguration. Professor Hepworth was recently appointed as a special envoy for the International Confederation of Wizards, visiting over a dozen Ministries of Magic. He probably won't have much time for teaching. And as for the other—Professor Mcgonagall won't be teaching students this year, will she? She's the Headmistress now, right?"
She blurted out everything she knew, then looked at Harry with an inquisitive gaze.
Harry glared back at her, knowing that every word he said would likely end up in the Quibbler. Therefore, he decided to say nothing at all—especially since he didn't really know the answer. But that didn't stop him from coming up with a plausible-sounding response.
"You'll find out soon enough, and it will be a surprise", he said in a vague, all-knowing tone. In the next moment, Harry realized he was mimicking Trelawney's manner of speaking, which made him slightly uncomfortable.
Neville clearly took Harry's words as a clue and began to ponder deeply.
"Who could it be?" he asked, furrowing his brow and looking at Harry cautiously. "It should be someone I know, but not someone who would immediately come to mind, to make it a real surprise..." Harry watched him nervously, afraid that his bluff would be called, but with Mafalda there, he couldn't give any hints.
Sometimes Harry thought that Ron's distant cousin wasn't here to study, much like some artists who carry their easels around, collecting useful material for their work.
"Could it be Mr. Longbottom? If so, that would be quite a surprise..." Hannah Abbott speculated.
Harry's heart skipped a beat. It was indeed a possibility.
"No", Neville shook his head firmly. "Professor Mcgonagall did approach my dad, asking him to teach at the school."
"Professor Mcgonagall invited Mr. Longbottom?" Harry said, surprised.
"Yes, but Dad declined. He doesn't want to be separated from Mum. They're currently working on finding a new location for a Wizarding town", Neville explained.
After the Longbottoms were healed by Professor Hepworth, they traveled abroad for a while. When the Wizarding War broke out, they immediately decided to contribute their share. After the war, they had no interest in joining the Ministry of Magic and instead chose to open a small shop, planning to live a quiet life. Recently, they were invited by the Ministry to act as experts following the major exposure of the wizarding world. Harry had heard that they participated in the raids on the black market and smuggling operations in the UK, but he was only now learning what they were up to recently.
"New Wizard Town — what's that?" Mafalda looked up from her little notebook, her face sharp with curiosity.
Harry thought about the recent hot news. If Wizards and Muggles were to engage in trade, they would definitely need a fixed location. Could this be related? But he quickly realized he was off track. "It's for settling the Wizards who have recently moved in from abroad", Neville said.
"The radio did mention it..." Mafalda mused.
"Auntie is really struggling with them", Susan Bones interjected. "The number of registered people has already surpassed three hundred. To prevent them from causing trouble, the Ministry has urgently dispatched a batch of personnel."
"It's not surprising. Many of them are related to our Wizards in some way", Ernie Macmillan said nonchalantly. "My dad says — during the First Wizarding War, many people fled abroad. Now the situation is just reversed. I'm sure there are quite a few familiar surnames among them, like Shafik."
"I remember they came back before everything was exposed in the Wizarding world", Hannah Abbott said slowly.
Ernie shrugged. "I haven't paid much attention..."
Mafalda left, satisfied, and then buzzed over to another group like a busy bee — Hermione was chatting with Luna and Ginny. Following Mafalda's back, Harry saw Ron looking listlessly in their direction, his expression eager, as if he wanted to join them.
When Felix and Professor Mcgonagall appeared together, they immediately noticed the seating chaos in the Great Hall. They sat down in the large chairs and scanned the four long tables with serious, inquiring eyes, like lions and snakes patrolling their territory.
"Are you pleased with the surprises brought by the new Head Boy and Head Girl?" Snape said softly, his tone suggesting someone had invaded his private storeroom and rearranged the familiar potion jars.
"I am indeed, Severus. I'm glad to see this change during my tenure", Professor Mcgonagall said, then looked at Felix with a peculiar expression. "But Felix — I must remind you, you have an important mission today, so don't act like nothing is happening."
Felix, who was discussing potion formula improvements with Slughorn, turned his head, looking quite innocent.
"The Sorting, Felix, the Sorting", Professor Mcgonagall reminded him.
"Oh, I almost forgot I have to preside over the Sorting Ceremony — thanks, Minerva." Felix stood up cheerfully, reaching into the air to pull out a dirty hat, shook it vigorously, and then strode toward the entrance hall.
Just as he was waiting for Hagrid to lead the new students in, he encountered Firenze.
"Hello, Firenze", he said to the Centaur, knowing that Firenze had put in a lot of effort to persuade the Centaurs to join the Pan-Magical Alliance.
"Ah, I didn't plan on showing up", the Centaur said sorrowfully. "I can't stand human food."
"Don't worry, the House-elves have prepared fresh vegetables, all natural", Felix said. He watched as Firenze entered, his tail swishing back and forth, unsure if it was from irritation or nervousness. A few more minutes passed, and he heard heavy footsteps.
Hagrid's tousled, bushy head appeared in his line of sight, followed by a group of young wizards who were curious about everything, like sprouts that could walk on their own.
"Everything go smoothly, Hagrid?"
Hagrid was taken aback, clearly having forgotten, like Felix, about the Sorting Ceremony. "Oh... yes, smoothly..." He turned to shout at the group behind him, "Don't crowd, line up and come in one by one! Felix, I'm handing the new students over to you, not a single one missing." He said to Felix.
"By the way, I put the little house by the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Grawp is quite happy about it."
Hagrid was referring to the temporary home for Grawp during Bill Weasley and Fleur's wedding. After the wedding, Felix had turned it back into a painting, which Hagrid had brought back.
Felix blinked and said, "That's good."
Once Hagrid left, Felix led the first-year students to a separate room, where he introduced them to the Sorting rules and the basic situations of the four houses. Under the soft white light of the magical lamps, their excitement and anticipation were clearly visible. Felix smiled.
"Sir?" a new student spoke up with a trembling voice, "Are you Felix Hep? I read about you in the newspaper."
"You can call me Professor Hep", Felix said gently. "Even if you can't attend my classes yet, you can still call me that. As for your question, yes, I think I'm the only Felix Hep appearing in the newspapers recently. So, what's your name?"
"Lock", the new student said quickly, "Lock Avery."
"…Oh, oh, right, Mr. Avery. You’ve surprised me; your name just happens to be the same as one of my friends", Felix said. "Wishing you a place in your ideal house— I mean— a happy time here."
"Before the Sorting begins, you can take this opportunity to get to know each other. If all goes well, you’ll be spending seven years together."
As the new students sized each other up and introduced themselves, the students in the Great Hall were kept busy with the appearance of several unfamiliar faces.
First was a Centaur— "Hey, it’s Firenze!" Ron shouted from the Ravenclaw table. A few minutes later, the castle caretaker, Filch, brought in two more people. All the students were stunned by the tall, thin old man leading the group. He wore a gray robe, had wisps of silvery-gray hair and a beard, and wore glasses.
Only as he drew closer did some students realize that this man was the bartender from the Hog's Head, and they overlooked the witch behind him, who was draped in a deep green shawl and looked dignified and composed. But Harry wouldn’t miss her; he, along with Neville, Ron, and Hermione at the neighboring table, widened their eyes in surprise.
"It’s Aunt Emmeline Vance", Neville whispered.
Aberforth Dumbledore and Emmeline Vance found seats, and the professors welcomed them. Aberforth chose a spot at the edge, his face expressionless. He picked up a fork from the table and tapped it twice, causing the Centaur Firenze beside him to irritably paw the ground with his hoof.
"Am I bothering you?" Aberforth asked gruffly.
"No", Firenze replied politely but distantly, his keen sense of smell picking up a faint scent of sheep.
The students below, now back in their senses, began to discuss the new arrivals enthusiastically. Many felt that if they had to choose one of the three as the new Transfiguration professor, they would prefer the elegant and poised witch—few knew who Aberforth was. They had initially thought they had seen wrong, but Harry knew better. Aberforth would never be the Transfiguration professor, as Transfiguration was a rigorous magical discipline, and from what Harry knew, Aberforth wasn’t particularly skilled in academic subjects. On the other hand, Emmeline Vance was a highly talented witch, a few years older than Sirius and Amelia, and like the Longbottoms, she had survived two wars.
Felix led the new students into the Great Hall and stopped in front of the professors' table. He conjured a small stool and placed the Sorting Hat on it, and the Hat began to sing. The returning students were familiar with the routine, but—
"Why does the Sorting Hat sound so weak this year?" Ron muttered. But he was just speaking his mind, and as the Sorting began, the enchanted ceiling above them displayed the intricate patterns of the night sky—Firenze looked up in contemplation—Felix pulled out a parchment and called out the first name.
"Lock Avery."
A new student stumbled out of the crowd, put on the Sorting Hat, and after a moment—
"Ravenclaw!" the Sorting Hat announced.
The Great Hall erupted in applause. The new student took off the hat and hesitated before getting down from the stool. Felix said kindly, "Just find an empty seat. Your house only affects your class schedule." So Avery ran to the Slytherin table, where Prefect Draco Malfoy stood up to shake his hand.
The Sorting continued smoothly, with no unexpected incidents. After the ceremony, Professor Mcgonagall, as Headmaster, welcomed the students and announced the new appointments for the year:
"Professor Emmeline Vance will be the new Transfiguration professor… Professor Firenze has just returned from his travels and is well-versed in astronomy and fire divination. He will be a professor for the Divination class, available to students who have passed their O.W.L.s… Additionally, this year’s Ancient Runes class will be held in Classroom 7. Both Classroom 7 and the Underground Playroom will be reopened to students, and Mr. Aberforth Dumbledore will be the caretaker for these areas…"
Professor Mcgonagall’s stern gaze swept across the Great Hall, then she smiled.
"Welcome back once again. In the current situation, I am very pleased to see everyone united, regardless of house. This unity is our strongest weapon. That’s all I have to say. Let’s begin the feast."
(End of Chapter)
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