Chapter 762: Persuasion
Chapter 762: Persuasion
"When will the gathering start?"
"What gathering?" Albert asked, puzzled.
"The gathering for the Defense Association, of course. You haven't forgotten about it, have you?" Sana stopped in her tracks, turned to face Albert, and glared at him, as if expecting him to confess that he had deliberately forgotten about the matter.
"What about the others? Have they heard about it?" As Sana walked, she continued, "They're all wondering when it will start."
"Don't tell me," Albert ventured cautiously, "by 'others,' you mean a whole bunch of girls?"
Sana couldn't help but giggle. "What's wrong with being popular among the girls?"
"They can be a handful sometimes," Albert replied.
"If they heard you say that, they'd be heartbroken," Sana chided, her expression suggesting that she thought he was ungrateful.
"You won't go blabbing about this, will you?" Albert asked, only half-joking.
"Well, there are some girls," Sana admitted, quickening her pace to match Albert's. "Most of them are fifth-years, and the Defense Association is mainly to help everyone achieve better results in their Dark Arts Defense exams."
"That's good to know," Albert said with a hint of relief. "But... I haven't been able to find a suitable venue for the gathering yet. I'm not sure if Professor McGonagall will allow us to use an empty classroom in the castle."
"What will you do if she doesn't?" Sana frowned, deep in thought as she tried to come up with a solution to this problem.
Even as they reached the door of the Dark Arts Defense office, no brilliant idea had come to her.
"What about the Great Hall?" she suggested.
Albert shook his head. "That won't work. We need enough space to practice magic. Trust me, if we start casting spells in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall will have me locked up in the dungeons."
"But isn't that where you hold your Wizard's Chess Club meetings?" Sana asked, confused.
"That's different," Albert explained.
"Okay, but we're running out of time. It's already March, and we have less than three months left," Sana said, beginning to understand why Albert had been hesitant about taking on the Defense Association in the first place. Finding a suitable venue was a challenge in itself.
"Don't worry, we'll find a solution," Albert reassured her.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you then," Sana said, sounding slightly more relaxed. Now that Albert had promised to handle it, she suspected that he probably already had a backup plan in mind.
That guy was definitely keeping secrets, and it was infuriating! Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Sana raised her hand and knocked on the door of the Dark Arts Defense office.
"Mr. Anderson, Miss Wilson, what can I do for you?" Professor Lupin asked, sounding a bit surprised to have visitors at this hour.
Albert noticed that Lupin looked pale and his clothes hung loosely on his frame, indicating that he had indeed been unwell.
"We heard you were sick, Professor," Sana said, holding up a basket filled with treats and flowers.
"Thank you. Would you like to come in?" Lupin offered with a kind smile, clearly pleased that his students had come to check on him.
The three of them chatted about the previous day's Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and Lupin likely surmised that they were there because of concerns about the O.W.Ls Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, or perhaps more specifically, because the Gryffindor students were worried about it.
"Don't worry," Lupin assured them, "I'll dedicate the next few lessons to covering the key points from the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum. That way, you'll have ample time to review the material during the Easter holidays." He didn't seem disappointed; on the contrary, he appeared relieved that they were taking the initiative to address the mess that the subject had become.
"Is there anything else, Miss Wilson?" Lupin asked, noticing that Sana seemed to be struggling with something she wanted to say.
"Professor Lupin," Sana began, "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but have you ever considered resigning early or perhaps taking on a different position?"
Sana hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Why... why don't you resign early?"
Professor Lupin was taken aback by the suggestion. "Resign? Why would I do that?"
"This class is cursed, and I think you know that," Sana said earnestly. "Almost none of the professors teaching this subject have lasted more than a year. Early resignation has proven to be the best way to break the curse."
Professor Lupin fell silent, his gaze shifting between a nervous Sana and a calm Albert. "I'm aware of the rumors of a curse, but I believe resigning now would be irresponsible to the students."
"Maybe you think this is absurd, but have you looked into the situations of your predecessors?" Albert asked.
Albert then proceeded to recount the fates of Professor Lupin's predecessors. "When we first enrolled, our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was Professor Broad. He learned about the curse on the position on his first day, and he told us about his plans to resign early during the very first class." Albert recalled, "Professor Broad is the only known case of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who remained unscathed after leaving the position."
"In our second year, we had Professor Rowena Smith, an excellent witch. However, she suddenly disappeared without a trace, and despite everyone's efforts to find her, she hasn't been seen since. Many believe she's dead," Albert continued.
"As for our third year, it was Professor Quirinus Quirrell. It's said that he was possessed by a mysterious entity at the back of his head, and he died in the dungeons by the end of the term, turning into a pile of ashes. Potter was the last one to see him," Albert added.
"And last year, we had Gilderoy Lockhart, a fraud who somehow turned into an imbecile. He's currently in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and it's said that he'll have to spend the rest of his life under someone's care," Sana chimed in.
"I don't think the so-called curse is just a rumor or a coincidence," Albert said, his implication clear.
"We all sincerely hope that you'll stay on as our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Sana said, biting her lip nervously. "But we also don't want anything to happen to you. I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but I couldn't help but bring it up..."
"No, don't apologize," Professor Lupin said, not taking offense at all. "I'll give it some serious thought. You're right, this curse is... unsettling."
"Do you think Professor Lupin will resign early?" Sana asked curiously as they left the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.
"No," Albert shook his head.
"Why not? Now that he knows about the curse, wouldn't he be worried about suffering the same fate as his predecessors?" Sana was perplexed. If it were her, she would have resigned without hesitation.
"Perhaps Professor Lupin has his own reasons for staying," Albert said, though he knew his words would be of little comfort. "We've done what we could. Ultimately, it's his decision, and we can't force him one way or the other."
"What a pity." Sana sighed, still looking a bit glum.
Changing the subject, Albert said, "I've decided on a location for the gathering."
"Oh? Where?"
"It's a secret for now," Albert said with a smile. "First, help me figure out how many people plan to join our club. I'll notify you all later."
"No problem," Sana said, then suggested, "It would be best to set a fixed time for the meetings, maybe on Saturdays or Sundays, whenever most people are free."
"Then let's make it Saturday evenings from eight to nine o'clock," Albert suggested after a moment's thought. "That way, we can use the school library after it closes at eight."
(End of Chapter)
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