A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts
Chapter 623: Key Figures - (2)

"Can someone tell me," Ron lounged comfortably in the common room's soft chair, saying, "we attended the same class, but why is Hermione so busy?"

Harry lifted his head from a parchment and saw Hermione seemingly buried under a stack of thick books—she disappeared for a while after the Defense Against the Dark Arts class and came back like this.

Harry shrugged; it felt like Hermione.

So he lowered his head, continuing to ponder Quidditch tryouts. Currently, there were only three members left on the team—himself as captain and seeker, Ron as the keeper, and Chaser Katie Bell. He needed to recruit at least four more players.

Maybe Ginny could be considered.

Harry thought subtly and quickly became fascinated with the idea. Ginny had a chance to join the team last year; she flew quite well, and Harry was confident in her ability to pass the tryouts.

But Ginny was in her fifth year this year, preparing for O.W.Ls; he wasn't sure if she could spare the time.

Harry wrote and doodled on the parchment, deciding to find a chance to ask. It seemed like it had been a while since he spent time alone with Ginny...

"Bang!" A pile of books in front of Harry toppled, revealing Hermione's irritated face. Ron sheepishly withdrew his hand; it seemed like he was about to pull out one of the books from that thick pile.

"Hermione, you didn't secretly get a Time-Turner again, did you?" Ron preemptively asked.

"Of course not!" Hermione retorted, snatching the book back from Ron, "But with so many tasks to complete..."

"Tasks? I haven't seen any," Ron said.

Hermione replied, "Ancient Runes essay—"

"No need to write, I can meet the professor's requirements," Ron proudly interrupted, "Well, not right now, but have you noticed that successful people have one thing in common? They all mastered the Lumos charm. Actually, I've got a feeling already, with a bit more practice..."

"There's also Defense Against the Dark Arts—"

"I don't believe anyone would go to Professor Bathsheda for homework; that's just asking for trouble," Ron said without hesitation, then looked suspiciously at Hermione, "You're not doing that, are you?"

Hermione pouted; she had a strong urge to say yes.

"Besides, you don't even know what assignments are due now," Ron added.

Harry nodded in agreement; he was planning Quidditch tryouts over the weekend, so the fewer assignments this first week, the better.

"We can prepare early," Hermione suggested, "Advanced Ancient Runes focuses on practicality. Just look at Professor Heap, and you can guess what we'll study this year. And Defense Against the Dark Arts, don't you think the new professor's statements have depth?"

"You mean that," Harry interjected, feeling empathetic, "Many people were discussing that class during lunch. I feel like Professor Bathsheda has a grudge against Muggles."

Ron suddenly enlightened, "So, there might be something to it... I thought it was just his twisted sense of humor."

"Perhaps related to his background, facing discrimination," Harry speculated, thinking of Filch's experiences.

Then inspiration struck, "Maybe Professor Bathsheda was lured here by a specific wand, the timing could match! And he might have suffered a lot in his own country, so upon hearing the news, he immediately came to the UK—"

"He's a foreigner?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Didn't I mention it to you guys?" Harry hesitated, "He said he's from Austria."

"Austria? So, he might have graduated from Durmstrang?" Hermione said with interest.

"It's also possible he never went to school," Ron muttered, "Don't forget, he's—," he cleared his throat, "mute."

"Impossible," Hermione firmly rejected, "You saw today; he displayed advanced human transfiguration skills in class, using a non-verbal spell! If he were mute, he couldn't reach this level in a short time—"

She looked thoughtfully at the scattered books before her, "But it's possible he's been injured, some magical experiments can have serious consequences... or he may be subject to spell restrictions."

Soon, lunch break was almost over, and they were getting ready for Potions class.

"Oh no, I don't have my Potions textbook," Ron slapped his forehead, "I thought Snape would be teaching this class again this year."

"I have a spare one," Harry said.

"Half-Blood Prince?" Ron's eyes lit up, but then he frowned, "The handwriting is too messy; only Professor Heap's notes are readable."

None of them mentioned that the book used to belong to Snape, rather they tacitly accepted that Professor Heap was the owner. Harry went back to the dormitory, pulled out the tattered "Advanced Potion Making," and the three of them headed to Potions class.

"I wonder how good the new professor is," Ron grumbled.

"He should be fine," Harry said, "Dumbledore spoke highly of him."

In fact, they were not unfamiliar with Professor Slughorn.

Harry had dealt with him during the summer of his fourth year, and Ron and Hermione had been invited to Slughorn's small gathering on the Hogwarts Express this year. However, apart from stuffing themselves with fruit preserves, they listened to the professor boast about the outstanding students he had taught and their current achievements.

Therefore, the trio still knew nothing about the new professor's teaching abilities.

...

In the evening, Felix finished today's teaching tasks.

He returned to his office, "Remember to keep watch," he told Valen the Niffler. Then he opened the door to the bedroom, walked along the magical connection, and entered Classroom Seven. Voldemort still floated lifelessly in the air, and the serpent gently rotated. With Harry injecting a new guardian last night, the serpent looked vibrant.

Felix sat cross-legged on the empty floor.

When he opened his eyes again, he had awkwardly appeared at the entrance of a small, undecorated room where a boy sat on a blanket-covered iron bed, reading a book.

This was Wool's Orphanage, and the boy was the yet-to-be-enrolled Voldemort.

"Hello, Tom," Felix walked to the bed. He hesitated for a moment and said, "I am Professor Dumbledore."

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