Chapter 575: The Next Headmaster of Hogwarts
Inside the Great Hall, many students were busy unwrapping presents. But strangely, the usual boisterous chaos had been replaced by an eerie, focused silence. A large portion of the student body sat with their heads bowed, fingers moving excitedly over shimmering surfaces.
[System: Administrator 'Minerva McGonagall' has added 'The Daily Prophet (Magic Hand Mirror Special Edition)' to the Localized M-Net.]
[Daily Prophet Mirror Bulletin: PETER PETTIGREW STILL AT LARGE—The Ministry confirmed today that the notorious murderer Peter Pettigrew remains at liberty. Gawain Robards, Head of the Auror Office, has ordered increased Dementor patrols nationwide. Pettigrew is wanted for the murder of thirteen Muggles with a single curse. NOTE: The Azkaban guards have been withdrawn from Hogwarts; the mysterious Mr. Hermes has expressed satisfaction with this measure.]
[Lee Jordan: Is anyone seeing this? Does this thing actually work?]
[George Weasley: We see you, Jordan. You'd better say something profound; this log might end up in the history books.]
[Fred Weasley: I bet someone is 'Lurking' right now... By the way, I'm naming the act of secretly reading the mirror 'Lurking.' Thoughts?]
[Angelina Johnson: So the whole school can see this? What are we even supposed to talk about here?]
[Fred Weasley: I just want to know one thing—does Filch have a mirror?]
[Admin] Minerva McGonagall: Mr. Filch does not possess a mirror, but if you believe I am not monitoring this channel, you are gravely mistaken.
[George Weasley: Morning, Professor! We're just helping test the network integrity...]
[Admin] Minerva McGonagall: Perhaps. Merry Christmas, Messrs. Weasley.
"Merlin's beard..." Ron whispered, staring at his mirror so intently he forgot to take a bite of the ham on his fork. "You all see this?"
"Of course!" Harry replied, his eyes bright with excitement. Anyone could see how addictive this was.
At that moment, the messages in the Hogwarts M-Net began to roll in like crashing waves. The students quickly realized that if they wanted to read a specific thread, they had to pause the feed, or the messages would scroll past and vanish before they could even blink.
"Blast it, I missed what Seamus said!" Ron grumbled, frantically swiping at the glass.
Harry and the others were struggling with the same issue. It wasn't just them; looking around the Hall, Sean saw dozens of students scowling or scratching their heads in frustration.
[System: Hogwarts Localized M-Net has opened Sub-Channels—]
The notification flared on every mirror simultaneously. The Great Hall went quiet for a few seconds as everyone read the prompt.
**[Six sub-channels are now online. Please select a destination:
The Great Hall (General)
The Sword of Gryffindor (House)
The Ravenclaw Knocker (House)
The Hufflepuff Kitchens (House)
The Slytherin Scepter (House)
Faculty and Staff Lounge (Restricted)]**
"What's this?" Ron shouted. "Why can't I get into the last one?"
"I'm already in the Hall channel, what are you on about?" Hermione asked, her mirror displaying: [Entered 'The Great Hall.' Current Users: 332. You may now select a wizard to create a Private Sub-Link.]
"I joined the Hufflepuff Kitchens," Justin noted. "Wait, can I join more than one?"
The group huddled around Ron's mirror. Sean leaned in too, though he was mostly checking to see if his Third-Gen hardware was glitching.
[System: Access Denied. You do not have the required clearance for 'Faculty Lounge,' Mr. Ronald Weasley.]
"Oh, honestly, Ron," Hermione said, giving him a look of pure exasperation before turning back to her own screen.
"Does the mirror actually know who we are?" Justin whispered to Sean.
"Mmm. But it's mostly for administrative purposes," Sean explained. "The 'Administrator' tags for the Professors aren't meant for policing—they're just to remind the students that the staff is present. I didn't want the Gryffindors accidentally getting a month of detention because they forgot Snape was reading their jokes."
The dungeons can't hold that many people, Sean thought dryly.
"I see..." Justin nodded. It was a clever way to maintain order while allowing freedom. "What about you, Sean? Which one did you join?"
Justin caught a glimpse of Sean's mirror and froze. Next to the name Sean Green were four words that stood out in a shimmering gold font:
[WEB AUTHORITY: HERMES]
"Sean... what is that?" Hermione asked, having leaned in as well. Her mouth hung open slightly.
"Look at the Hall chat!" Ron yelled, interrupting her.
[The Great Hall]
[Roger Davies: Cho, are you free this weekend?]
[Cho Chang: No.]
[Pansy Parkinson: Slytherins, watch your language. The whole school is reading this. Don't embarrass the House. Also, Draco, are you there?]
[Draco Malfoy: Here. Haven't seen Potter yet. Shame the Azkaban guards left so early; I was hoping they'd finish the job.]
[Harry Potter: Shut it, Malfoy.]
[Draco Malfoy: Ah, Potty's arrived. See the Prophet article? The murderer Peter seems quite interested in you. Do you sleep with the lights on now?]
[Ron Weasley: Shove off, Malfoy. Stop making things up.]
[Michael Corner: I was just looking at the member list... guess who I found?]
[Anthony Goldstein: Dumbledore? Yeah, I saw him too.]
[Michael Corner: Better than that, Anthony!]
[Terry Boot: It's Mr. Hermes. He's on the list.]
For a heartbeat, Sean thought the Great Hall was going to explode. The roar of excitement was deafening. Half the students stood up, and even a few professors were squinting at their mirrors with renewed interest.
[The Great Hall]
[Roger Davies: It's true!]
[Fred Weasley: I don't believe it!]
[Draco Malfoy: Honestly, you lot act like you've never seen a legend before.]
[Ron Weasley: Oh shut up. If you knew he was there, why didn't you say anything?]
[Draco Malfoy: I naturally know more than some people... but why would I tell you?]
[Hannah Abbott: Heavens, is it really Mr. Hermes? Is he... watching us right now?]
[Ernie Macmillan: Watching his creation, more likely.]
[Padma Patil: The Hermes? The Future's Greatest Wizard?]
[Parvati Patil: Who else would it be!]
[Padma Patil: I want to know who he is.]
[Ernie Macmillan: You could try to send him a Private Link request. Maybe he'll accept?]
Immediately, Sean's mirror began to vibrate non-stop. He had created the "High-Authority Admin" tag for himself to ensure network stability and privacy, and so he could cut the signal if things got dangerous. He hadn't expected to become the school's most targeted chat partner.
He quietly set his status to "Invisible" and began declining requests.
"Oh, Sean!" Hermione stood up, holding her mirror. It displayed a message in bold red: [Sean Green has declined your request to join 'The Hope Cottage' Private Link.]
Sean realized his notifications were a disaster. Michael Corner had tried to add him to "Ravenclaw 404"; Slughorn had sent five invites to the "Slug Club"; and then there was one from Dumbledore: "Hogwarts Headmaster Council."
The members listed were: Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Sean Green.
Wait... what?
Dumbledore was the Headmaster. McGonagall was the Deputy. Sean... didn't remember being part of the administration.
[Hogwarts Headmaster Council]
[Sean Green: Headmaster... I think there's a mistake.]
[Albus Dumbledore: Ah, I've been looking to retire for ages.]
[Minerva McGonagall: Stop this nonsense, Albus. He's a student.]
[Albus Dumbledore: Is this your first time meeting him, Minerva?]
[Minerva McGonagall: ...I am standing right outside your office.]
[Albus Dumbledore: A joke, Minerva, merely a joke. But as the current Headmaster, I must consider our long-term succession planning...]
[Minerva McGonagall: HE IS THIRTEEN. OPEN THE DOOR.]
The "Headmaster Council" channel went silent.
Sean sat in his chair, feeling thoroughly muddled. He didn't understand the Headmaster's move. Dumbledore was nominating him as the next Headmaster? Wizards lived for centuries; Albus had at least another fifty years in him.
Maybe it's just a weird Christmas gift, Sean thought.
Outside the window, the snow swirled against the frosted glass. Beyond the twelve towering Christmas trees, the staircase railings were draped in holly and silver tinsel. Long-lasting candles flickered inside suits of armor, and massive bunches of mistletoe hung from the rafters.
Sean's mirror buzzed again. Only a specific few people could bypass his "Do Not Disturb" filter.
[Hogwarts Headmaster Council]
[Albus Dumbledore: Merry Christmas, dear Mr. Green. I hope you enjoy my gift. The Ministry has already approved the contingency. Upon my eventual retirement, Sean Green shall serve as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. I believe no wizard is better suited to manage this ancient school. I know there are some who do not call this a place of work, or a source of Galleons... but a home.]
Sean tightened his scarf. He saw Professor McGonagall's frantic face as she rounded a corridor corner.
"It's madness! The Ministry has gone mad alongside him!" she muttered, her brow deeply furrowed.
"Professor, Merry Christmas," Sean said, stepping into her path. He produced an elegant sky-blue box—his gift for her. She took it with a look of pained relief.
Sean had spent the morning exchanging gifts with half the castle—professors and students alike. It was common knowledge that if you sent Sean Green a gift, he would spend the entire day ensuring you received a thoughtful reply.
"Merry Christmas, child," McGonagall said, her expression softening. "I'm going to the Ministry. I won't have Albus making decisions of this magnitude without consultation—"
"Oh, Professor," Sean interrupted. "I accept."
McGonagall stopped dead. She looked at him with a mix of surprise and caution. "You... you do? I must remind you, Sean, this is a massive responsibility. You might have other things you wish to do with your life."
"I think I understand, Professor," Sean nodded.
The Christmas feast was even more decadent than usual. At Dumbledore's insistence, Sean took a seat at the High Table.
The Great Hall was a riot of color and noise. The students were still buzzing from the M-Net updates. Sean sat to Dumbledore's left, as the other seats were already taken.
"Wizard Crackers!" Dumbledore cheered, holding out the end of a silver-wrapped cylinder to Snape. Snape gave it a reluctant, sharp tug.
With a bang like a cannon blast, the cracker exploded, revealing a large, pointed witch's hat topped with a stuffed vulture. Snape's lips thinned into a white line as he shoved the hat toward Dumbledore.
Dumbledore immediately swapped his own hat for the vulture-topped one, grinning broadly. "Eat up, everyone! And after the pudding, I have one more announcement to make."
"Thirteen at the table again—"
Professor Trelawney had just arrived, looking ready to faint.
"Sybill, honestly—" McGonagall sighed, reaching out to steady her.
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