Chapter 326: Another Battlefield
Lockhart's movements were extremely sharp!
He was like a forest sprite, dancing gracefully in the dark night.
At this moment, no one noticed a figure lurking in the darkness.
From entering Barty Crouch's old house, calmly obtaining the Philosopher's Stone fragments, and then withdrawing and leaving, everything was so natural.
All of this seemed so incredible.
Clearly, if it were Lockhart himself, he couldn't possibly have reached this level. But at this moment, since Voldemort was standing behind him, it meant all of this could have been planned in advance.
With Voldemort's plan and guidance, it was no longer difficult to understand how Lockhart could achieve all of this.
At this moment, the Minister of magic, as well as many Ministry of Magic officials, were at Hogwarts watching the Triwizard Tournament final. Most of the guard force was also deployed around Hogwarts Castle.
And here, the old house, being the former residence of the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, seemed to have fallen into obscurity, with no one willing to pay attention to it.
Ostensibly, it was precisely because of this that Voldemort took the initiative to come here to seek the Philosopher's Stone, which could strengthen him.
But in reality, this scene was consciously created and pushed forward by Dumbledore. The purpose, of course, was to lure the other party out using the Philosopher's Stone fragments.
Going a bit deeper, did Voldemort know this was a trap deliberately set by Dumbledore? Perhaps he had suspicions about it.
But he was an extremely confident person; he believed he had recovered a significant amount of strength and was not afraid of Dumbledore at all. Therefore, when faced with the Philosopher's Stone, which could greatly enhance his power, Voldemort would certainly not miss this opportunity.
Of course, Dumbledore also seemed to understand Voldemort very well, so he used this opportunity to set up this trap, which was very likely to be 'seen through'.
As Lockhart, with light steps, re-entered the attic, a figure appeared silently from a distance.
Using the cover of night, he blended his body into the shadows, looking more like a ghost than Lockhart.
Getting closer, one would notice he held a wand, his white beard reaching down to his chest, and he was looking with a serious expression at the spot where Lockhart entered the attic.
Clearly, he was Dumbledore, who occasionally appeared at Hogwarts on the surface but had actually been hiding in the shadows all along.
Arriving before the attic, Dumbledore extended his wand and tapped his chest, then a dark mist appeared, obscuring his body like water vapor.
Afterwards, like ripples on water, a wave spread through the air and quickly subsided.
Immediately after, Dumbledore's body, like drifting clouds, wavered and rose from the ground as a gentle night breeze passed by, floating towards the second-floor window.
"Did you get it? Gilderoy!" a cold voice rang out.
"Yes, my master, there were no protective Charms or traps set there!" Lockhart's tone was full of flattery.
"Very good, Gilderoy, you haven't disappointed me! With it, my power will be even greater than before!" The cold voice paused. "What do you think I should do next to carry out my plan?"
"Whatever my master needs me to do, I will give my all!" Lockhart seemed very aware of his situation, showing no hint of presumption, and quickly expressed his loyalty.
"Very good!" The owner of the cold voice seemed very satisfied with his answer. "Some of my servants believed I was finished, thinking I was done for, so they snuck back among my enemies, claiming ignorance and that they were bewitched... But I still have many loyal servants; they wouldn't betray me even if they were locked away in Azkaban.
When Azkaban is broken into, they will return to my command and receive rewards they could never have dreamed of... Dementors will join us; they are our natural allies... I shall recover all my loyal servants—who?"
The owner of the cold voice seemed extremely shocked. After glancing around, he saw a figure had appeared in the shadows near the window at some point.
"Dumbledore!" He gasped, then seemed to remember something and immediately calmed down. "Yes, that's right, I expected this! Is this your scheme? Ha!"
A green light shot out from Voldemort's wand, flying towards Dumbledore like lightning. Dumbledore turned and shifted his feet, dodging the green light like a leaf dancing in the wind.
In an instant, Dumbledore extended his wand and made a thrusting motion, and then a brilliant red light shot out from it, colliding with the wand Voldemort had raised.
Two beams of light of different colors continuously emerged from the tips of their respective wands, as if they were unleashing their ultimate moves against each other, creating a crackling roar that illuminated the entire suite as brightly as day, like lightning tearing through the air.
"Tom, it's been many years. You're still so arrogant and foolish—" Dumbledore said calmly. "I expected you might see through my scheme, but you would definitely show up!"
"Do you want to kill me, Dumbledore!" Voldemort stared at Dumbledore with his scarlet eyes, glaring fiercely, as if trying to kill him with his gaze.
However, his movements were not slow; as he spoke, green lights continuously shot from the tip of his wand. But Dumbledore always deftly twirled his wand a few times, the Charm shooting from the tip blocking the opponent's attacks.
"Salazar Slytherin's wand? That won't prevent your defeat!" Dumbledore looked at the wand in Voldemort's hand, as if he had expected it long ago.
A golden light suddenly appeared, like a laser beam, striking towards a large snake in the corner.
That's right, ever since entering this room, Dumbledorehad felt an extremely familiar aura from that large snake. Before the exchange was even over, he had already realized that Voldemort must have turned that snake into a Horcrux.
"Gilderoy, take Nagini and go first!" Voldemort shouted, rapidly waving his wand, and a silver shield appeared out of thin air, successfully blocking Dumbledore's attack.
Loud bangs continuously echoed in this confined space, making it clear how fierce the battle between the two was.
Whoosh, whoosh—
Voldemort's figure suddenly vanished, then abruptly reappeared beside Dumbledore. After his wand began to dance, green lights shot towards him.
And Dumbledore's combat experience was also extremely rich; facing Voldemort's attacks, he seemed utterly unconcerned, merely watching the other party calmly, then casually deflecting all the attacks with his wand.
Gilderoy and the large snake coiled in the corner took the opportunity to hurriedly leave the room.
"You can't kill me, Dumbledore!" Having seemingly achieved his goal, Voldemort showed a sinister expression towards Dumbledore. As he spoke, a green light appeared out of thin air from behind the shield in front of him, aiming to catch Dumbledore off guard.
"Yes, I know, otherwise, why would I attack that snake?" Dumbledore seemed entirely unconcerned that the snake had escaped. "I must admit, merely taking your life wouldn't satisfy me!"
Beams of red and green light intertwined, colliding intermittently and bouncing off the surrounding walls, hitting nearby bookshelves, cabinets, and other objects.
Hissing sounds continuously filled the air; it seemed to be the sound of Charms being released and friction with the air as they shot out.
From these sounds, it was evident that the Charms unleashed by both were extremely powerful. It was a power that made countless people's scalps tingle.
"There is nothing worse than death!" Voldemort roared.
Their attacks were continuous, as was their conversation, as if they were discussing whether breakfast at Hogwartswas plentiful; an air of elegance was added to the intense atmosphere.
"You are gravely mistaken!" Dumbledore waved his wand, red lights continuously appearing from the tip, and then he forcefully waved his other hand; the surrounding broken wooden boards seemed to be infused with life, twisting and transforming into stone statues that converged on Voldemort.
"In fact, your greatest failure is your inability to understand that there are things worse than death—" Dumbledore said unhurriedly. The red light emanating from the tip of his wand gathered and transformed into flames, twisting like a whip, closing in on Voldemort.
"Don't thank me, Tom, I've already taken care of all the little trinkets you left outside!" As if sensing something, Dumbledore paused, a hint of mockery appearing on his face.
Boom—
A roaring sound suddenly came from outside, shaking the entire room. Immediately after, a piercing scream echoed, then quickly cut off, like a flame being extinguished.
"Ah—" Voldemort suddenly screamed, as if he had suffered some injury, staggering back a step and leaning against the wall. Subsequently, even his movements to defend against Dumbledore's Charm stiffened for a moment.
Flames shooting from the tip of the wand wrapped around Voldemort like fiery tongues, seemingly intending to burn him to death directly. If it were any other Witch, after suffering such heavy damage or being attacked by Dumbledore like this, he would likely have been defeated instantly.
But as a villain boss, Voldemort still had some tricks up his sleeve.
Without any unnecessary movements, he simply waved his wand, suppressing his pain. The flames wrapped around him quickly transformed into a venomous snake, then detached from his body and counter-attacked towards Dumbledore.
The venomous snake rapidly expanded, seemingly about to burst the entire room. It opened its foul-smelling mouth, revealing its fangs, and lunged to bite Dumbledore.
"Dumbledore, I will return! You cannot stop me!"
Bang—
Using the moment Dumbledore dealt with the venomous snake, Voldemort roared and then completely vanished from his spot. It seemed he had used Apparition to leave.
"Reparo—"
Glancing at the miserable scene where the entire room was almost completely destroyed, Dumbledore didn't show the slightest concern. Then, he waved the wand in his hand and cast a spell.
Immediately after, this attic, which seemed to have been through a battlefield, was quickly restored as if time were reversing. Collapsed brick walls were rebuilt, broken wooden boards were restored to their original state, incomplete bookshelves became whole, and so on. After casting the repair spell, there was no trace of damage visible in this attic suite. Even the previous battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort seemed as though it had never happened.
Looking at the scene before him, Dumbledore showed a satisfied expression, then floated down from the window.
The night was deep!
The low-hanging dark clouds in the night sky had been dispersed at some point, and moonlight streamed down, adding a touch of coolness to the silent night.
Logically, the commotion caused by the battle just now should have attracted attention from the surroundings long ago, but looking at it now, the surrounding area was still exceptionally quiet, just as usual!
"Professor Dumbledore!" As Dumbledore emerged from the room and landed outside, he saw a figure standing near a corner of a hedge wall not far behind the attic.
A corner of the ground outside the hedge wall seemed to have been blasted into a large pit by something, with traces of scorching and charring at the edges. It looked as if it had been baptized by some kind of shell and fire.
"Lupin, how did it go?" A smile appeared on Dumbledore's face.
"It's done!" Lupin nodded with a smile. "By the way, Professor, you don't seem worried about Voldemort escaping? Also, is the Philosopher's Stone fragment he took really useless?"
"Don't worry, didn't you just take care of Gilderoy and that snake? He no longer has his reliance, I believe we can deal with him soon!"
Although Voldemort had escaped, Dumbledore didn't seem to care at all at this moment. It was as if he had already anticipated this situation.
"Moreover, that fragment of the Philosopher's Stone has my magic mark on it. If Voldemort wants to gain great power through it, he must activate it with his own magic. But if he does that, I will be able to sense where he is—"
"But, Professor! Even without those dependencies, Voldemort's strength is not something an ordinary Witch can withstand. Now that he's been exposed, will he—" A look of worry appeared on Lupin's face.
"You mean he will appear in the public eye and create new chaos?" Dumbledore's expression turned serious, then he nodded. "What you said is very possible. He mentioned earlier that he seemed to want to break into Azkaban and rescue all his servants..."
"If that's the case, then the entire Wizarding World will be in great chaos!" Lupin's expression immediately changed.
"Don't worry, Voldemort's last Horcrux was just destroyed by you; he will fall into weakness again—" Dumbledore said calmly. "He won't act easily without complete certainty. And once he decides to use the power of the Philosopher's Stone fragment to recover, I will be able to find him in advance!"
"That's right, he wants to use the power of the Philosopher's Stone to recover, but he doesn't know at all that only fragments of the Philosopher's Stone are left, and it no longer has those magical functions!" Lupinnodded, seemingly relieved.
"By the way, Professor, to prevent Voldemort from causing new chaos in the Wizarding World, shouldn't we inform the Ministry of Magic about this?"
"Perhaps the Ministry of Magic already knows about Voldemort's return, they just refuse to believe it." Dumbledore shook his head slightly. "But you're right, I will speak to Fudge—"
"Professor, should we gather those old friends?" Lupinasked next.
"No, the situation is still good now, it hasn't reached that point yet!" Dumbledore said, a hint of a smile appearing on his face.
"Alright—"
...
Above the Quidditch Pitch at Hogwarts School, Aisen sat on a flying broom, leisurely watching the maze below.
Including Aisen, everyone here was unaware that while they were joyfully holding the final of the Triwizard Tournament, another place had experienced a battle that could be said to determine the future direction of the Wizarding World.
The combatants were Hogwarts Headmaster Dumbledore and his old adversary, Voldemort.
What? Fighting the boss doesn't involve Aisen, the protagonist? Aisen is just a background Professor—oh, well, never mind then!
Almost no one knew about this battle, but after hundreds of back-and-forth rounds, the result was quite clear.
First, Voldemort lost his last Horcrux—Nagini! That's right, Dumbledore had completely destroyed all of Voldemort's horcruxes!
Although Aisen provided a tiny, insignificant bit of help, it must be said that Dumbledore was truly amazing, worthy of being the most widely recognized great Witch of his time.
Cough, cough—
Second, Voldemort lost the opportunity to create horcruxes and continue to cling to existence!
That's right, Horcrux creation is an extremely evil method, even for a Dark Wizard. After all, it requires splitting one's soul. However, Voldemort's soul had already been split to its limit when he made horcruxes previously.
After creating Nagini, this last Horcrux, if he were to try and create more horcruxes, his remaining soul would likely collapse completely.
Therefore, even if Voldemort was still alive, he had lost the ability of "immortality".
Uh—, looking at it this way, if left unchecked, perhaps Voldemort might just die of old age a hundred years later.
Of course, besides the two points above, there is one last point, which is that Voldemort became weak again.
The reason for his weakness, naturally, is because the Horcrux was destroyed, which means a part of his soul was destroyed. This implies that Voldemort's strength might suffer a permanent decline.
Well, maybe Voldemort might even sneak into the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts to poach Unicorns, but it's basically impossible for him to become powerful again.
Dumbledore was very clear about these matters.
Therefore, even though Voldemort successfully escaped, he didn't feel the slightest bit of frustration or discouragement. Because he knew that the time to completely deal with Voldemort was not far off.
Of course, these situations were nothing to Aisen. After all, his strength far surpassed Voldemort's, and even if Voldemort recovered to his peak strength, it wouldn't be a big deal.
The power went out, which is a bit tragic. I did this chapter on my phone, it was awkward. The formatting might be poor, I'll revise it later.
Chapter 327: The End and the Conversation
'Oh, well done, Cedric, he's almost reached the Triwizard Cup, there's only one obstacle left in front of him!' Bagman's surprised and cheerful commentary echoed throughout the stands amidst the cheering and applause of the Little Wizards.
Unlike the intense and elegant atmosphere of the other battlefield, the atmosphere at the Triwizard Tournamentfinal seemed even more enthusiastic. The air around the stands and above the hedge maze seemed filled with overflowing flames!
With a shift of his gaze, Professor Aisen's eyes fell upon Cedric.
He was seen darting past a Sphinx, quickly moving towards his destination. Arriving at the end of the path, a fork appeared before him.
Cedric cast a pointing spell, letting his wand indicate a direction for him, and then he plunged into the path on the right.
Seeing this, Professor Aisen immediately understood that the outcome of the Triwizard Tournament final was basically decided.
Because from Professor Aisen's perspective, it was clearly visible that Cedric had already spotted the light emanating from the end of the path.
A hundred meters away, on a pedestal in the center of the hedge maze, lay a trophy shimmering with golden light.
That was the champions' goal.
The moment he saw the trophy, the excitement on Cedric's face was inexpressible. With hardly any thought, he accelerated and sprinted towards the trophy.
One step, two steps, three steps...
When he was only a foot away from the trophy, Cedricstopped.
Then, as if remembering something, he took a deep breath and looked around. Immediately after, a smile returned to his face, and he reached out towards the trophy.
Bathed in the golden light, Cedric's face was very excited. He grabbed the Triwizard Cup and successfully hugged it to his chest!
'Wow—, Cedric has got the Triwizard Cup, what a spectacular match, let's cheer for him!' Bagman's loud voice reached everyone's ears.
'Fantastic! Cedric!'
'I told you so, Cedric is definitely going to win!'
'Cedric, you're the best!'
...
Deafening sounds clamored around the stands, and all the Little Wizards were screaming.
Professor Aisen said nothing, smiling as he descended from the sky, landing at the edge of the stands, and returned the broomstick to Professor Flitwick.
Professor Flitwick jumped up and down happily, as if celebrating with a dance. On the other side, Professor McGonagall was so excited she even threw her hat onto the ground.
'Look, that's my son! He helped Hogwarts win the Triwizard Cup!'
'He's Hufflepuff's best student! We are proud of him—'
On the other side of the stands, after a tight embrace, the Diggory couple waved their arms around, wishing everyone in the world knew that was their son.
Evidently, a child achieving such honor was definitely something that brought pride to their parents.
On the other side, Bagman was saying something in front of Fudge, and then nodded towards Percy on the other side.
Immediately after, Percy vigorously waved his wand, as if sending some signal, and some patrol personnel wandering outside the maze entered from the maze entrance and went straight in.
Climbing onto the stands and approaching the Trio, Professor Aisen found that they were also jumping up and down and cheering loudly.
'Professor, Cedric got the trophy!'
'Fantastic, Hogwarts has won the Triwizard Tournament!'
Harry, Ron, Dean, and others started talking all at once. Although this honor wasn't won by Gryffindor, as members of Hogwarts, they were equally exceptionally excited.
'Oh, right, Professor, nothing unusual happened on our side!' Hermione, whose face was a little red, seemed to remember something, took out a pocket sneakoscopefrom her pocket, and showed it to Professor Aisen.
'Okay, I understand!' Professor Aisen nodded with a smile.
For him, it was a good thing that nothing unusual happened. This indicated that the security force arranged by the Ministry of Magic had played a role in deterring the enemy.
A few minutes later, some employees from the Ministry of Magic led the champions out of the maze. When they came out, both Krum and Delacour looked very dejected, while Cedric, holding the glittering trophy, was overjoyed and vigorously waving his arms towards the stands.
Whoosh—
A flash of red light streaked across, and Dumbledore's figure appeared on the stands, attracting the attention of many people.
Standing on his shoulder was an exceptionally beautiful large bird—Fawkes. Everyone knew that this magical creature could take Dumbledore to Apparate within Hogwarts, so they weren't surprised by his sudden appearance.
Professor Aisen looked up and saw that Dumbledore's gaze had also fallen upon him. Their eyes met, and a smile appeared on Dumbledore's face, after which he looked at Cornelius Fudge beside him.
Nodding thoughtfully, Professor Aisen withdrew his gaze.
'Dumbledore, it's a great pity you didn't see this wonderful match.' Fudge came up to Dumbledore. 'However, I still want to congratulate you, Hogwarts has won this Triwizard Tournament!'
...
The match was over!
After a conversation, Bagman announced the results of the Triwizard Tournament on behalf of the judging panel.
Compared to the champions from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, Cedric, representing Hogwarts, successfully obtained the Triwizard Cup. And this meant that Cedricsuccessfully kept the highest honor of this competition at Hogwarts!
The Little Wizards in the stands gradually dispersed, but it was clear there was something particularly wonderful waiting for them to do.
They chased after Cedric, eager to know what he had encountered in the maze and how he had obtained the Triwizard Cup!
Not only the students from Hufflepuff, but even Harryand the others eagerly gathered around Cedric, talking loudly and laughing happily.
As if anticipating that the students would use the Great Hall as a celebration venue, the Professors had no interest in dampening their spirits. Fred and George, the two brothers, took out their stock of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs and set them off directly in the Great Hall.
...
Early the next morning, when Professor Aisen arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast, he found that the atmosphere in the Great Hall was still very cheerful. Everyone was discussing yesterday's match, talking about how amazing Cedric was, and so on.
The Professors at the staff table were also grinning and smiling continuously while discussing this matter.
Clearly, for the Triwizard Tournament, which had been suspended for over a century, it was truly very satisfying that Hogwarts was able to take first place in this competition this time.
During breakfast, everyone gathered around the Hufflepuff table, listening to Cedric recount what had happened in the maze.
'Yes, Hagrid put Blast-Ended Skrewts in the maze, they were a full ten feet long!' Cedric said with a smile on his face. 'My main goal at the time was to get to the center of the maze and get the Triwizard Cup, so I didn't intend to tangle with it, I just used a Barrier Charm and a Shield Charm!'
'To block the Blast-Ended Skrewts' movement?'
'Exactly, using these two spells was mainly to strengthen my own defense and block the opponent's actions!'
...
Time slowly flowed by!
After breakfast, Professor Aisen passed through the Great Hall, entered the entrance hall corridor, and after descending the stairs, arrived at the Quidditch Pitch. However, at this moment, the hedge maze that had stood on the Quidditch Pitch had disappeared.
Clearly, as soon as the match ended yesterday, the Ministry of Magic employees cast spells to dismantle the maze here, returning the Quidditch Pitch to its original state.
'Professor Dumbledore!' Professor Aisen saw the figure standing at the edge of the pitch.
Professor Dumbledore stood there quietly, the rising sun shining down, dyeing the beard on his chest like gold. At his feet, a shadow stretched across the grass, extending a long distance.
Slowly stepping forward, Professor Aisen came to Professor Dumbledore's side, stopped, and looked in the direction where his gaze was focused—the sky was clear for miles, a wisp of mist lingered at the horizon, and through the golden sunlight, it seemed to be brewing something!
'Professor Aisen!' Professor Dumbledore suddenly spoke.
'Hmm?' Professor Aisen's face showed a surprised expression.
At this moment, Professor Dumbledore's expression made him feel a little strange, as if he was contemplating something, or perhaps struggling with something!
'What is your view on Black magic?' Professor Dumbledore pondered for a moment before turning to look at him.
'Black magic?' Professor Aisen's eyes narrowed slightly, looking directly at the sun above, yet feeling no discomfort at all.
Strands of sunlight fell upon him, absorbed and assimilated... Energy surged through every cell in his body, as if ready to trigger a new round of evolution at any moment.
"Yes, Black magic!" Professor Dumbledore nodded. "An evil force?"
"Perhaps not entirely so—" Professor Aisen said, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
"Oh?" Professor Dumbledore looked over in surprise.
"Before I entered the Wizarding World, I lived in the Muggle World for a long time," Professor Aisen said calmly. "That experience taught me a truth: defining good and evil is not a simple matter."
"Of course, that's not what I want to say. What I want to say is that a tool or, rather, a power, is not inherently good or evil. Like a knife, some use it to protect their family, while others use it to harm someone else's family. Clearly, where it is used depends on the person using it."
"I think Black magic should be the same!"
"You mean that Black magic is just a tool or power, and if the person using it is Just, it represents Just, and if the person using it is evil, it represents evil?" A smile appeared on Professor Dumbledore's face.
"To some extent, that is indeed the case!" Professor Aisenraised an eyebrow. "Otherwise, why hasn't Cornelius Fudge locked Moody up in Azkaban?"
"However, this power of Black magic erodes a Witch's soul!" Professor Dumbledore's tone was calm.
"Is it possible that some people don't have enough rich positive emotions, so they can't withstand the frequent use of this power of Black magic?" Professor Aisennodded, then proposed a possibility.
The magic in this world is very wondrous, but Black magic is quite off-putting. While it's said to be powerful, delving deep into it not only erodes the soul but also the mind.
To say it's unsolvable seems wrong, as there appears to be a counterexample: Snape.
Of course, Professor Aisen is quite clear on how Snapeperforms at Hogwarts.
With his perpetually cold demeanor, earning him the honorary title of "Old Bat" is most fitting.
Perhaps his appearance is a side effect of studying Black magic. However, his ability to cast the Patronus Charm is enough to distinguish him from other Dark Wizards.
And the requirement for casting the Patronus Charm is to concentrate on recalling one's happiest memories.
Clearly, this positive, active emotion seems to have counteracted the erosion of Snape's soul after his deep study of Black magic.
"Positive emotions?" A hint of surprise appeared on Professor Dumbledore's face.
"Just a guess. For example, casting Avada Kedavrarequires filling your heart with hatred, malice, etc., while casting the Patronus Charm requires recalling the happiest things, and so on," Professor Aisen shrugged.
"Emotions!" Professor Dumbledore said slowly.
"The impact of emotions on magic is too direct!" ProfessorAisen nodded. "Perhaps, a Witch's ability to cast spells is itself because emotions can guide the magic within their body—"
"A very astonishing idea!" Professor Dumbledore nodded, offering no opinion of his own.
"If a person can control their emotions, then delving deep into Black magic might not cause any problems," Professor Aisen continued.
"That's a very interesting subject. I think there should be someone willing to try!" Professor Dumbledore said, a look of interest on his face.
"You asked for my opinion on Black magic. Are you planning to teach students more about Black magic at Hogwarts?" After a moment of silence, Professor Aisenchanged the subject and voiced the doubt in his heart.
Hearing him talk about Black magic so early in the morning made Professor Aisen somewhat unable to understand his thoughts.
To be honest, he basically had no objections to Hogwarts' teaching philosophy. However, the fact that Hogwarts School produced something like Voldemort always exposed some issues.
For example, the method of making a Horcrux, such forbidden knowledge, was openly placed in the Library. If Professor Dumbledore hadn't removed it after becoming Headmaster, it's hard to guarantee that a second ruthless person daring to split his soul wouldn't have appeared.
Although Professor Aisen has always adhered to the view that "power is not divided into good and evil; only the people who use power are," the age of entry for first-year students at Hogwarts is eleven.
At this age, it is actually very difficult for them to distinguish between good and evil.
Unless a new course is offered at Hogwarts. For example, a moral character course—ahem, well, that's a bit far-fetched.
But what Professor Aisen wanted to say was that even if more Black magic content were to be taught to students, it should only be taught to students in their third year or above, or even fifth year or above.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts—" Professor Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "In the Conquering Dark Magic course, there are parts involving Black magic. Do you think it would be more appropriate for students to learn some Black magic?"
"That's for sure. If Little Wizards learn more Black magic, they might understand the Conquering Dark Magic course more deeply," Professor Aisen nodded.
Just like Professor Lockhart teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to Little Wizards by reading in class, what can students learn from such a teaching method?
But if students learn some Black magic knowledge related to Vampires, banshees, etc., or even interact with them directly, they might gain a deeper understanding even by listening to Lockhart read.
"You are right!" Professor Dumbledore nodded, then shook his head again. "The concept in the Wizarding World has changed now. In England, not many people want their children to learn Black magic."
"That's right, people's concepts will change in the future. But for now, Hogwarts cannot focus on Black magicteaching like Durmstrang," Professor Aisen said calmly.
Hogwarts is different from other magic schools. Although it is a magic school with a long history, the key is that it is divided into four houses, each with its own tradition.
If a parent attended Hufflepuff, they hope their child will also enter Hufflepuff. If a parent attended Gryffindor, they hope their child will also enter Gryffindor.
If the tradition were changed to include more Black magiclearning content, those parents would definitely have opinions.
"Perhaps, that's a matter for the next Headmaster," Professor Dumbledore smiled.
"The next Headmaster—" Professor Aisen looked over in surprise. "Are you retiring?"
"As you know, I have been the Headmaster of Hogwartsfor over fifty years!" Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Perhaps, I should also get some rest!"
"Voldemort—" Professor Aisen asked directly. "Has he been dealt with?"
"I saw him last night. His last Horcrux has been destroyed," Professor Dumbledore's tone was relaxed. "He has also become weaker because the Horcrux was destroyed."
"You didn't kill him?" Professor Aisen looked at Professor Dumbledore, a puzzled expression on his face.
"His strength has recovered a lot. It's not hard to understand that he was able to escape," Professor Dumbledore said calmly.
"You said you destroyed his last Horcrux. Did he make another Horcrux after resurrecting?" Professor Aisennodded and didn't press further, changing the subject to the Horcrux.
"Yes, Voldemort made a snake into a Horcrux, a brilliant idea, but unfortunately, he failed completely!" Professor Dumbledore nodded without going into detail.
"Alright, but Voldemort is not dead yet, this matter—" Professor Aisen frowned slightly, not knowing what to say.
Saying that Voldemort without a Horcrux is like a tiger without claws? That's clearly inappropriate.
After all, Voldemort's own strength is quite strong, and even if his strength is weakened because the Horcrux was destroyed, he's probably not someone an ordinary Witch can compare to.
Furthermore, Voldemort is a reckless Dark Wizard who doesn't hesitate to use spells like Avada Kedavra.
Therefore, Voldemort hiding in the shadows is actually still very dangerous.
"I will be careful!" Professor Dumbledore's expression sterned, and he said no more.
Chapter 328: Chat Group Goes Online
After a conversation with Professor Dumbledore, Aisenreturned to the Castle.
Going up the steps and entering the entrance hall, then passing through the main doors into the Great Hall, Aisensaw the Little Wizards still chattering excitedly about something.
Many students sitting next to Cedric looked at him with envy. Over at Gryffindor, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, and others also looked at Cedric with envy.
Nodding towards the Trio, Aisen smiled and sat down at the staff table.
"This is too much of a failure!" Suddenly, Fred slapped the table in frustration and shouted loudly.
"Exactly, if we had successfully signed up, that thousand Galleon prize money would have been ours!" Georgeechoed with a conflicted expression.
"Don't dream! If you had successfully signed up, maybe the Triwizard Cup would have been taken by Krum!" Ronsaid, looking enviously at Cedric, while scoffing and pouting at the Twins.
"Don't worry, you can sign up for the next Triwizard Tournament. By then, you'll definitely be over seventeen!" Lee Jordan said with a grin.
"Are you kidding?" George looked at him strangely.
"The Triwizard Tournament is held every five years. One was just held this year, so to sign up for the next one, it's probably a matter for the First or Second Grade students." Fred shook his head, showing a look of helplessness.
"Yes, First or Second Grade students will be Sixth or Seven Grade students by the time the next Triwizard Tournament is held. As for us, we'll have already graduated!" Harry pushed up his glasses, a hint of something unusual on his face.
For Harry, although the Triwizard Tournament was not as appealing as Quidditch, after watching the three events, he still developed a great interest in the competition.
If he were old enough, he would definitely sign up. But regrettably, the gap between the two Triwizard Tournaments happened to make him miss the opportunity.
Eating his food unhurriedly, Aisen, who heard their conversation, couldn't help but nod slightly.
How should I put it? There are always pros and cons to everything.
The Triwizard Tournament was founded over seven hundred years ago and was a friendly competition held by Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang, the three largest schools in Europe.
At that time, the competition held every five years was actually relatively more "fair". Because at that time, there was no requirement of being seventeen years old to sign up.
In other words, students of every grade were eligible to sign up. Of course, whether they could become champions was another matter, but at least everyone had the eligibility.
But the result is clear to everyone. Because some events in the Triwizard Tournament were too dangerous, it was forced to stop due to too many deaths.
This time, after coordinating with various parties, Hogwarts reopened the Triwizard Tournament, but in order to protect the safety of the champions, they placed restrictions on age.
As a result, students under seventeen years old were directly disqualified from signing up.
This means that the Triwizard Tournament, held every five years, can only be signed up for by students of a specific grade, which is indeed very "unfair".
For example, the Weasley Twins, they wanted to sign up for the Triwizard Tournament, but regrettably, they lost the eligibility to sign up because they were not old enough.
And unfortunately, they have to wait five years for the next Triwizard Tournament. But Fred and George can only stay at Hogwarts for two more years before graduating.
Thus, it is naturally impossible for them to ever sign up for the Triwizard Tournament.
Moreover, it's not just the two of them, but all students in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grades are like this. By extension, it is clear that in the future, if the rule that you must be seventeen years old to sign up for the Triwizard Tournament remains unchanged, then which students are eligible to sign up has actually already been determined.
"Aisen, will you be going out during the holiday?" Professor Flitwick suddenly asked.
"Uh, yes, I have some things to go out for this summer!" Swallowing a bread roll, Aisen hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright, then forget it!" Professor Flitwick shook his head.
"Is there something?" Aisen looked over in surprise.
"If you're not busy, I'd like to recommend you try the Witch Duel Competition!" Professor Flitwick smiled slightly.
"Uh, maybe Sirius can try it--" Aisen's tone shifted, and the topic turned to Sirius Black.
"Forget it, I'm not going. During the holiday, I'm going back with Harry!" Black quickly waved his hand. It was clear that he, like Aisen, was not interested in the so-called Witch Duel Competition.
"Where is the Witch Duel Competition held?" Aisen asked with interest.
"Same as before, in the Ministry of Magic Atrium!" Professor Flitwick said calmly.
The Witch Duel Competition is held in the Ministry of Magic Atrium? This--
Okay, this is not a big deal. Maybe Witches who achieve excellent rankings in the Witch Duel Competition will be recruited by the Ministry of Magic.
Seen this way, the location of the Witch Duel Competition being at the Ministry of Magic is a very reasonable arrangement.
...
In the evening, when Aisen came out of his office and arrived at the Great Hall, he found it lively, and everyone seemed to have smiles on their faces.
During the usual end-of-year feast, it would be decorated in a unique style to celebrate a certain house winning the House Cup. But this year, everyone's attention was on the Triwizard Tournament, so the decorations in the Great Hall were completely new.
The ceiling was enchanted, with twinkling stars constantly flashing on it, and wisps of ethereal mist emerged from it, transforming into flying butterflies dancing above the heads of the Little Wizards.
Perhaps because Cedric of Hufflepuff won the Triwizard Cup for Hogwarts, those dancing butterflies would change their forms at intervals, combining to form banners of the Hufflepuff badger hanging in mid-air.
Everyone was laughing, everyone was celebrating. Of course, the biggest winner this year should be Cedric of Hufflepuff.
Surrounded by the Little Wizards, Cedric grinned, eating, drinking, and talking with everyone.
At the staff table, several Professors were also laughing heartily, and Hagrid and Madam Maxime were talking about something.
On the other side, where Karkaroff's seat used to be, sat Yorgen Nanor. Although Durmstrang did not win the Triwizard Cup, his smiling face seemed to still feel the atmosphere here.
Sitting next to Professor McGonagall was Snape, his expression calm at the moment. On the other side, Professor Dumbledore seemed to be instructing him on some matters, and he listened quietly.
A moment later, Dumbledore and Snape finished speaking and stood up with a smile.
As if receiving a signal, the laughter in the entire Great Hall gradually faded.
"I am delighted to tell you that another year has come to an end," Dumbledore scanned the room and said with a smile, "I believe you all know what happened this year!"
As Dumbledore finished speaking, he turned his gaze to the Hufflepuff table—specifically, to Cedric. The emotions around Cedric immediately became intense.
"That's right, I am pleased to announce that Cedric of Hufflepuff, representing Hogwarts, has successfully won the final victory of the Triwizard Tournament!"
"This is an unimaginable honor, and I would like everyone, like me, to raise a glass and congratulate Cedric Diggorybefore enjoying this feast together!"
After speaking, Dumbledore raised the cup in his hand, a satisfied smile on his face.
Everyone stood up and gave Cedric a warm round of applause. After the applause, everyone raised their glasses and congratulated Cedric.
"What a wonderful year... There is a whole summer waiting for you ahead, and I imagine you are all eager. Well, then, enjoy yourselves now--"
All sorts of food appeared out of thin air, making everyone cheer.
The Little Wizards devoured the delicious food in front of them while excitedly discussing Cedric's victory in the Triwizard Cup.
Their eyes shone with envy, wishing they could participate in the Triwizard Tournament like him.
...
Perhaps because the honor of winning the Triwizard Tournament was so rare, the entire celebratory feast lasted for a full two hours before the Little Wizardsreluctantly dispersed.
The summer holiday was approaching, which was a sufficiently leisurely and interesting time for the Little Wizards at Hogwarts. However, when the final exam results were announced, some Little Wizards were still quite disheartened.
The Trio were doing alright; Hermione, as usual, got the top rank in the entire grade. Harry and Ron, due to being trained by Aisen all year, had already reached the middle ranks of their grade.
Aisen felt very pleased about this.
Early the next morning, before the Hogwarts Express left the school, Hermione knocked on Aisen's office door.
"Hermione, is something the matter? Oh, right, I was just about to look for you about something!" Aisen welcomed Hermione in, looking at her with a smile.
"Ah? Professor, you speak!" Hermione's face flushed, and she stared intently at Aisen.
"Do you still remember the contract we made last time?" Aisen's lips curved slightly, and as he spread his right hand, a book appeared out of thin air in his hand. It was the book of aisen, which could merge into his body at any time.
Hermione nodded vigorously, looking at him curiously.
"Using the connection between the contracts, I've developed a small function. You can try it!" Aisen said with a smile. Then, with a thought, a Chat Group interface appeared before his eyes.
In the column on the right, besides Aisen, Hermione's name was also listed below.
He activated the power of the contract, extending its connection to her name. Immediately after, Aisenextended his left hand, and a sliver of silver light flickered at his fingertip. After a moment, it turned into a point of light and floated towards Hermione.
A silver point of light flashed on Hermione's brow and instantly disappeared.
Then, her eyes were covered with a fine sheen, which lasted for a moment before receding.
"How do you feel?" Aisen didn't speak, but simply sent a message in the Chat Group with a thought.
"What's going on?" Hermione exclaimed, waving her hand in front of her as if trying to touch the Chat Groupinterface, her pretty face showing a look of surprise. "Professor, are you speaking?"
"That's right. You gave me a Double-sided Mirror last time. I thought about it and felt that I could use the contract connection to talk to you. So I developed a communication chat interface!" Aisen said aloud. "You try it. As long as you think of what you want to say in your mind, you can tell me through it."
"Really?" Hermione said excitedly.
Then, a message sent by Hermione appeared on the interface in front of Aisen: "Professor, can you see what I want to say?"
"That's right, I can see it here. How is it? Isn't it convenient!" Aisen replied with a smile.
"Professor, this is too convenient!" Hermione said in surprise, and as if she thought of something, her face turned red.
"Yes, from now on, no matter where you are, you can talk to me through it, anytime, anywhere." Saying this with a smile, Aisen reached out and rubbed Hermione's head.
For Aisen, the first version of the Chat Group was officially launched.
After he helped Hermione "download" the Chat Groupand sent the first message, in the Dream World, Aisenwas solidified in a luxurious suite inside a spaceship. On the desk, the high-tech virtual time frame, the time inside automatically started flowing.
In the future, if he wanted to view the chat records at a certain time, he could do so by accessing a certain time node to view the chat data at that time.
"Oh, right, Professor, can it only communicate through text?" Hermione's emotions calmed down, and then she showed a thoughtful expression.
"For now, it can indeed only communicate through text." Aisen shrugged.
"Okay, well, text communication is actually enough, it's too convenient!" Hermione smiled and nodded.
"Actually, it's not impossible to transplant the function of the Double-sided Mirror onto it." Aisen put away the book of aisen, waved his hand to turn the chair into a sofa, and sat down.
"You mean, you can communicate like with a Double-sided Mirror?" As Hermione spoke, she naturally sat down next to Aisen.
"That's right, just like talking face-to-face, but it will take some time!" Aisen said with a smile.
"What is this?" Hermione leaned against Aisen, reaching out and pointing at the air. "Skills? Isn't this a Charm?"
"I've inscribed some of the Charms I know. You can cast them directly through it." Aisen reached out and put his arm around Hermione, his gaze fixed on the chat interface.
On the chat interface, clicking on a person's name will bring up a new interface.
At the top of the interface is personal information, and below it is a skill bar, where the Charm skills that Aisenhas added are placed. Obviously, this is what Hermionewas talking about at the moment.
"But, there are many Charms I haven't learned yet?" Feeling Aisen's movement, Hermione's face flushed.
"Those are the Charms I've mastered. If you want to cast a certain Charm, you just need to click on it with your mind, and you can cast it!" Aisen said lightly, his expression becoming serious. "However, I must remind you of one thing, if it's not necessary, it's best not to do this?"
"Professor, you want me to master them myself, rather than rely on it to cast them?" Hermione rubbed her head, seemingly understanding Aisen's meaning.
"That's right. Although you can cast some very powerful Charms through it, I think you shouldn't rely on it!" Aisennodded with satisfaction. "Of course, if you encounter any difficulties or dangers, you must use it if necessary."
"Understood, Professor!" Hermione nodded, responding softly.
"Oh, right, did you come to find me for something?" Aisen's face showed a smile again.
"Ah—, yes, Professor Aisen!" Hermione immediately jumped up from the sofa, and then, feeling her movement was too abrupt, she sat back down with a red face. "You said last time that you were going to travel during the summer holidays, I—"
"Hmm—, that's right. So, I want to ask again, are you willing to go with me?" Aisen sat up straight and looked at Hermione, saying seriously.
"Of course, Professor!" Hermione said loudly, then shrank her head. "So, Professor, where are you planning to go?"
"Cough cough—to travel all over the world, what do you think?" Aisen showed a thoughtful expression.
"Uh, Professor, if we go abroad, will we need to get various visas?" Hermione said, a hint of hesitation appearing on her face.
"Hmm, you're right. If ordinary people do that, they need to get visas. But we are Witch, aren't we?" Aisen smiled.
"You're going to use magic?" Hermione widened her eyes and looked at Aisen.
"It will be much more convenient this way, won't it?" Aisen nodded indifferently.
Although he was in the Wizarding World and had to abide by the rules of all parties, Aisen wasn't going to cause trouble, so even if he went quietly, it was no big deal.
"Okay!" Hermione pursed her lips.
The two of them didn't say anything more, and for a moment, the office fell silent.
"Oh, right, the train is about to leave for London. Are you going home for a bit?" After a moment of silence, Aisenasked.
"Yes, I need to go back and tell my mom and dad!" Hermione nodded, a strange look appearing on her face. "Professor, are you coming to my house?"
"To your house?" Aisen looked at Hermione in surprise.
"Just think of it as a home visit!" Hermione's face flushed, and she said trying to act calm.
"Uh, you're right! Home visit? Reasonable and logical!" Aisen said seriously.
Speaking of which, he had already been to Ron's house and Harry's house. So, going to Hermione's house next was also a matter of course, right!
Cough cough—, that's right, that's how it is!
A few minutes later, when Aisen and Hermione, who had already packed her luggage, arrived at the entrance hall, they found many Fourth Grade students crowded there.
Apparently, they were waiting for the carriages to arrive to take them to Hogsmeade Station.
Harry, Ron, and the others were talking about something. When they saw Aisen and Hermione, they greeted them happily.
"Hermione, you're here! Professor Aisen, are you also taking the train?"
"That's right!" Aisen smiled and nodded.
Chapter 329: Home Visit?
"Professor Aisen!" A clear and pleasant voice called out. Aisen turned his head and saw it was Fleur Delacourfrom Beauxbatons.
She hurried up the steps, came before Aisen, and extended a hand to him: "Professor, what do you think about me finding a job here to improve my English?"
"Your English is already quite good!" Aisen said with a smile, shaking her hand.
"Hello, Fleur, if you want to improve your English, I can help you!" Hermione squeezed over, standing in front of Aisen and lifting her head towards her.
"Thank you!" Delacour smiled at Hermione, then waved at Aisen, "Professor, goodbye!"
She hurried down the steps and ran across the lawn towards Madam Maxime. Over there, Hagrid was still helping Madam Maxime harness the horses.
On the Black Lake, the large ship moored by the shore also slowly started moving.
Evidently, the Beauxbatons carriage and the Durmstrangship were both leaving Hogwarts.
Creak, creak—
Carriages slowly drove along the path towards the entrance hall, making faint sounds as they rolled over the grass.
"Oh, hurry up!"
"Quickly, keep up!"
Students who had been waiting in the entrance hall for a long time boarded the carriages one by one and headed towards Hogsmeade Station.
A few minutes later, Aisen and Hermione got off the carriage and arrived at Hogsmeade Station with the others.
The sky was cloudless. Beside the empty platform, a deep red steam engine was parked. Some Little Wizards were arriving by boat from the Black Lake, coming in twos and threes, chatting as they boarded the train.
Although the weather was completely different from when they arrived at Hogwarts last September, the train was still the same train, looking unchanged.
"Let's go, the train is about to leave!" Aisen said with a smile, gesturing for the Trio to board.
After dawdling for a while, Aisen took the Trio to the back of the train and found an empty compartment to sit in.
Hermione sat by the window, Crookshanks curled up in the corner beside her, like a fluffy yellow cushion. Harryand Ron sat opposite, their pet owls placed aside, dozing.
"Any plans for the holiday?" Aisen asked, sitting next to Hermione and looking at the two opposite.
"I'll probably go help out at Fred and George's shop!" Ronleaned back, a hint of surprise on his face. "It's hard to imagine, the joke stuff they made is actually selling quite well! My mum doesn't even scold them anymore—"
"That's great!" Harry said with a smile. "Fred and George, they'll be graduating in another year, and then they'll definitely spend more time on it."
"That's right, their talent for joke products is outstanding!" Aisen nodded. "What about you, Harry? Any plans for the holiday?"
"I'm going back to the Dursleys for a bit—" Harry took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on. "I told Sirius about it, and he thinks for my safety, I should stay at the Dursleys for two days first, and then he'll pick me up!"
"Harry, why don't you stay at my place during the holiday? My mum would be absolutely thrilled if she knew!" Ron reached out and put an arm around Harry's shoulder, winking at him. "Of course, there's also Ginny, if she knew, she'd be even happier!"
"Okay, I'll talk to Sirius about it then!" Harry looked a little embarrassed.
"Fantastic!" Ron patted Harry hard on the shoulder.
"Professor, I suddenly realised that the Triwizard Tournament doesn't seem very fair!" Hermione beside him seemed to have thought of something, and her words drew their attention.
"Of course it's not fair, I've said it before, since you have to be seventeen to participate, they should have a rule that Professors can't participate!" Hearing Hermione's words, Ron pouted.
"That's not what I meant—" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"In this world, no matter what competition it is, believe me, there is no such thing as absolute fairness." Aisendidn't seem to mind this.
Whether a competition is fair or not is clearer from the perspective of a non-participant. But for participants, rough fairness is enough.
"Then Quidditch matches are better!" Hermione pouted and turned her head to look out the window.
"Quidditch matches!" Aisen smiled and nodded, then, as if he had thought of something, looked up at Harry. "Next school year, Quidditch matches will resume as usual, but the Quidditch team should be re-selected, right?"
"Re-selecting players?" Harry was stunned for a moment, then seemed to remember something and looked enlightened. "That's right, I almost forgot, the GryffindorQuidditch team captain, Oliver Wood, has left. There were no Quidditch matches this year, so there was no re-selection for the Keeper…"
"Without a Keeper, that will have a big impact on the team, won't it?" Hermione turned her head and asked.
"Of course it will, he was a very good Keeper!" Harry's face showed a hint of worry.
"It's alright, adding some fresh blood isn't bad, right?" Ronshrugged indifferently.
"You haven't played Quidditch for a whole year, hasn't your skill declined?" Aisen smiled as he looked at Harry, a meaningful smile on his face.
"Well, I think I'll have to attend more training sessions after school starts." Harry scratched his head, then said in a determined tone.
"Then your tasks will be much heavier—" Aisencontinued.
"What?" Ron looked at Aisen in surprise.
"Fifth year is the O.W.Ls year, I think you should prepare in advance!" Aisen shrugged.
"Like Fred and George?" Ron said carelessly.
"That's right, you'll probably have to deal with endless exams!" Aisen said calmly, a slight curl to his lips. "But I think, with my help, you shouldn't have any problems!"
Hearing Aisen's words, Harry and Ron exchanged glances, then their faces fell, and they opened their mouths, unsure what to say.
The train slowly travelled south with the students. As noon approached, the snack trolley passed by outside the carriages, and Aisen and the Trio bought many snacks from it.
"Oh right, during your time at school, I haven't seen Malfoy and his group bothering you?" Casually popping a chocolate frog into his mouth, Aisen glanced at Harry and Ron opposite him and said slowly.
"Uh—yeah! He probably really changed!" Ron said quietly. "While at school, I noticed he was actually avoiding Harry—"
"Whatever he's like, as long as he doesn't bother us, it's fine!" Harry said casually.
...
Time flew by in the blink of an eye. When the Hogwarts Express arrived at King's Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4, a noisy commotion erupted in the train corridor.
"Let's go, you have a full two-month holiday ahead!" Aisen said, joining the crowd and walking down the train through the corridor.
The Trio followed Aisen and came together to the charmed barrier.
Although the barrier was charmed and wouldn't be noticed by Muggles on the other side, for better secrecy, the students here couldn't crowd together when returning there.
Otherwise, too many people appearing at once would still arouse suspicion.
A few minutes later, Aisen, Harry, and the others stepped through the entrance and returned to the Muggle World.
Outside the barrier, besides the Weasley family who were greeting Ron and the others, stood a slightly overweight middle-aged man. Uh, that was Harry's uncle—Vernon Dursley!
Seeing Harry, Mrs. Weasley's eyes lit up, and she came forward warmly and hugged him. "Oh, Harry, I think you'll be coming to our place in the summer, won't you! Keep in touch, Harry!"
"Harry, see you later!" Ron patted Harry on the back, then waved at Aisen, "Professor, goodbye!"
"Goodbye, Harry!" Hermione waved at Harry.
"Professor, goodbye! Hermione, goodbye!" Harry winked at Aisen and the others, and left the station with the fat man.
After stepping forward to say hello and chatting for a few sentences, Aisen left with Hermione. However, just before leaving the station, Aisen stopped.
"What's wrong, Professor Aisen?" Hermione's face showed a puzzled expression.
"Is it appropriate for me to just show up like this?" Aisenhad a hint of a smile on his face. "Or should I come over early tomorrow morning?"
"Ah?" Hermione pouted, then seemed to think of something and nodded vigorously. "Okay! I'll go back and tell Mum and Dad first—Professor, see you tomorrow!"
Aisen smiled and nodded, waving to Hermione. The two parted outside the station.
...
In Manchester, Stone District, Lily Street, at the end of the street in a three-story detached house, Hermione got out of a taxi with Crookshanks in her arms, walked through the large garden outside, opened the door, and went inside.
In the living room, Ms. Granger was watching TV, and Mr. Granger still had a newspaper in his hand.
"Hermione, you're back?" Seeing his daughter return home, Mr. Granger couldn't help but smile.
"How was school?" Ms. Granger stepped forward and hugged her daughter for a moment, then said gently.
"Of course, it was fine!" Hermione put Crookshanks down and sat directly on the sofa.
"Oh, right, do you have any plans for this holiday?" Mr. Granger folded the newspaper and placed it on the table, focusing his attention on his daughter.
"Uh, yes, I plan to go out with Professor during the holiday!" Hermione glanced at her parents, then said softly.
"Professor?" Mr. Granger looked at his daughter in surprise.
"Yes, a Professor from Hogwarts. He's coming to visit us tomorrow morning and then take me out for practical training," Hermione said without blinking, having already come up with a reason.
"You're planning to come tomorrow?" Mr. Grangercouldn't help but rub his hands. "Then we need to prepare properly so we don't offend the Professor."
"That's right, Hermione, is there anything we need to pay attention to?" Ms. Granger looked at her daughter.
"Don't worry, Professor is very nice. He's different from other Witches. He used to live in the Muggle World too!" Seeming to sense their unease, Hermione immediately comforted them.
"He?" Mr. Granger looked over in surprise.
"Yes, he told me that he didn't live in the Wizarding World before, and he only applied for a Professor position at the school a few years ago," Hermione blinked.
"Oh, right, the Professor you said is coming to visit, what does he teach?" Ms. Granger sat next to her daughter, looking curious.
"Uh, Astronomy!" Hermione said, looking conflicted.
"Astronomy Professor?" Mr. Granger looked at Hermionewith suspicion. "Is this the Professor who teaches you the Astronomy you're learning?"
"Astronomy at Hogwarts is like that," Hermione couldn't help but say loudly. "Besides Astronomy, Professor is very good at other things!"
"Okay, okay, I'm not doubting the Professor from Hogwarts—" Mr. Granger spread his hands. "It's just, an Astronomy Professor is taking you for practical training? Practical training for what?"
"Professor is taking me to the Moon, understand?" Hermione was a little annoyed and embarrassed.
"Are you serious?" The Grangers were almost simultaneously startled.
"Is that difficult?" Hermione continued with a forced smile. "More than twenty years ago, astronauts landed on the Moon. Witches can do magic, so going to the Moon is a very simple thing for them, you know?"
"Uh—okay, Hermione!" Mr. Granger was stunned for a moment, his expression becoming serious. "Then, tell Mum and Dad, this isn't dangerous, right?"
"Of course, there's no danger. Professor's strength is very powerful in the entire Wizarding World!" Hermioneraised her head.
"Okay, okay, we know magic is amazing, you've shown Mum and Dad already!" Ms. Granger stepped forward and hugged Hermione again.
"So, Hermione, when you go to the Moon with Professorduring the holiday, can you bring back some Moon soil?" Mr. Granger's eyes showed strong interest.
"What do you want that for?" Hermione broke free from Ms. Granger's embrace, a hint of speechlessness on her face. "Dad, you're a dentist, not a scientist!"
"Just curious!" Mr. Granger smiled sheepishly.
The family chatted warmly, and then Hermione told her parents some interesting things that happened at school over the past year.
...
The next day, early in the morning.
"Hermione, are you awake yet?" Mr. Granger leaned against the stairs on the second floor and shouted upwards. "When is the Professor from Hogwartsarriving?"
"Probably in about ten minutes, they'll be here soon!" Hermione rubbed her fluffy and thick hair and walked down with a clatter in her pink slippers.
"Oh, you two, did you get dressed up specially?" Seeing her parents dressed exceptionally primly, as if attending a formal meeting, Hermione looked surprised.
"Yes, it's the first time a Professor from Hogwarts is coming to our house, we must leave a good impression on them!" Mr. Granger said and looked in the mirror again.
Ten minutes later, there was the sound of a car braking outside.
"Hermione, you said the Professor who is coming to visit used to live in the Muggle World, so he will definitely travel by car, right?" Looking out the window, Mr. Grangersaw a taxi stop at the Entrance.
"That's right, Professor Aisen doesn't mind traveling by car," Hermione smoothed her hair with both hands, and it instantly became much smoother.
"Professor Aisen? Hermione, the Professor you're talking about, he's not a teenager, is he?" Mr. Granger saw a young man get out of the taxi and couldn't help but continue to ask.
"That's right, he is indeed the youngest Professor at Hogwarts!" Hermione changed out of her slippers, washed her face, and nodded.
"Uh, then the person knocking on the door, is that the Professor Aisen you mentioned?" Mr. Granger's face showed a surprised expression.
Knock knock knock—
The knocking sound rang out at the right time.
"I'll get it—" Hermione checked that there was nothing wrong with her clothes and immediately skipped towards the door.
The Grangers quickly stood up, looked at each other, and checked if there was anything inappropriate about themselves.
At the door!
"Professor, come in quickly!" After opening the door, Hermione's face showed a pleasant surprise.
"Hermione, good morning!" Looking at Hermionestanding prettily at the door, Aisen smiled and nodded, stepping inside.
"Professor, don't forget what I told you yesterday!" As Aisen entered the door, Hermione leaned in and whispered.
Giving Hermione a reassuring look, Aisen turned and closed the door.
Yesterday, Hermione had talked a lot with Aisen through the Chat Group. Of course, the most important point was that Hermione told her parents that Aisen was the Astronomy Professor at Hogwarts and also told them about him visiting and taking her out.
As for what they were going out for? Hermione said it was for practical training on the Moon and so on.
Anyway, her point was not to let Aisen spill the beans.
If it were a different Astronomy Professor, Hermione's story might not hold up, but for Aisen, it wasn't a big problem. After all, he had the ability to take people to the Moon.
Turning around and following Hermione into the house, the Grangers walked over together, dressed as if they were attending a grand event.
"Hello, I am the Astronomy Professor at Hogwarts, Eisen Turner!" Aisen immediately smiled and extended his right hand as he introduced himself.
"Hello, Professor Aisen, Hermione told us about you!" Seeing Aisen's ordinary manners, Mr. Granger smiled and shook his hand.
"Come, come, please sit down!" Ms. Granger warmly greeted Aisen.
After they were all seated, Mr. Granger still couldn't help but look Aisen up and down.
"Professor Aisen, you look really young, even younger than we imagined!"
"Witches do have many ways to make themselves look younger," Aisen said with a smile. "However, I'm different, I only graduated from university a few years ago."
"University graduate?" The Grangers exchanged glances and couldn't help but exclaim. Hermione, who was nearby, also looked at Aisen with interest.
Chapter 330: Pleasant Chat
"That's right!" Professor Aisen nodded. "Oh, what would you all like to drink? How about some iced tea in this weather?" As he spoke, Professor Aisen extended his hand and lightly tapped the coffee table a few times.
Subsequently, four cups of tea, emitting faint wisps of cold air, suddenly appeared before them.
"Hmm, magic is truly amazing," Mr. Granger picked up his cup, took a sip, and then exclaimed.
"Yes, magic is indeed amazing in some aspects, but I think Hermione has told you that I used to live in the Muggle World, right? Oh, the Muggle World is the world where ordinary people live," Professor Aisen smiled, and tapped his finger with a little force.
Two cups floated up and flew towards Ms. Granger and Hermione.
"Yes, we know that, Hermione told us!" Ms. Granger said, picking up her cup and nodding.
"Before applying to become the Astronomy Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I had been living in the Muggle World. Oh, regarding university graduation, I graduated from Manchester University."
"Manchester University? Oh my, that's hard to believe, we graduated from there too!" Ms. Granger suddenly exclaimed.
"Well, perhaps this is fate!" Professor Aisen picked up his cup, took a sip, glanced at the delighted Hermione beside him, and said slowly.
"If Hermione hadn't received the letter delivered by an owl, perhaps we would have let her attend Manchester University?" Mr. Granger said, a proud expression appearing on his face as he looked at Hermione.
"Apparently so, Mr. Granger. You may not know this, but at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hermione is also the most outstanding student. In the recent final exams, she ranked first in her entire year!" Professor Aisen did not spare his words of praise.
"You're really giving too much praise!" Ms. Granger smiled so widely she couldn't close her mouth.
"No, I'm speaking the truth. In the entire Hogwarts, Hermione is the most outstanding one!" Professor Aisensaid, glancing at Hermione beside him, causing her to bury her head in her arms out of shyness.
"By the way, Professor Aisen—"
"Uh, actually, you can just call me Aisen!" Professor Aisenwaved his hand, interrupting Mr. Granger, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Alright, Aisen." Mr. Granger crossed his hands. "Hermione told us before that you have to finish Seven Grade at Hogwarts to graduate?"
"That's right, that's basically how it is in the Wizarding World," Professor Aisen mused for a moment and said slowly. "Or rather, it's pretty much the same throughout Europe. Usually, new students enroll at the age of 11, becoming first-year students, and then they continue until they are 17, graduating after completing their Seven Grade coursework!"
"So, what will Hermione do after graduating from Hogwarts?" Perhaps because no one had answered before, Mr. Granger was now looking at Professor Aisenwith great curiosity.
Not just him, but Ms. Granger also looked at ProfessorAisen, waiting for his explanation.
"Uh—how should I put this?" Professor Aisen reached up and rubbed his chin, speaking slowly. "Actually, the scale of the Wizarding World is relatively small."
"The scale of the Wizarding World?" Mr. Grangerrepeated in surprise.
"That's right, the population of England is about fifty-eight million. But the number of Witches in the British Wizarding World, Hermione probably knows this!" Professor Aisen held his cup, took a sip of iced tea, and gestured towards Hermione.
"Is the population of the Wizarding World very small?" Ms. Granger looked at Hermione curiously.
"According to statistics, the population of the British Wizarding World is less than five thousand!" Hermionegestured with her hand.
Hearing Hermione's answer, Mr. Granger and Ms. Granger were stunned for a moment and didn't say anything.
"Hermione, what do you plan to do after you graduate?" After a moment of silence, Mr. Granger seemed to think of something and quickly asked.
"I—I haven't thought about it yet!" A hint of unusualness flashed across Hermione's face, and after looking at Professor Aisen, a blush appeared on her cheeks.
"What is there to think about? If there are less than five thousand people, that's not even as many as the population of a large company?" Mr. Granger's expression became serious.
"Ahem—actually, after entering Hogwarts, the choices after graduation may not be as many as outside, but there are still options. After all, the Wizarding World has existed for many years," Professor Aisen said unhurriedly.
"Then, after Hermione graduates, will she also join a company?" Ms. Granger eagerly pressed.
"Hmm—actually, Hermione has many choices. For example, after she graduates, she can directly stay at Hogwarts to teach. Of course, she can also directly enter the Ministry of Magic—that's an official organization like a government. Besides these, she can also choose to start her own business, and so on. What she wants to do is up to her own choice," Professor Aisen pondered for a moment and briefly stated his opinion.
"Is that so? Hermione—" Mr. Granger's gaze turned to Hermione beside him.
"Of course, I've already started a newspaper now," Hermione lifted her head, showing off with a proud tone.
"A newspaper? At Hogwarts School?" Mr. Granger and Ms. Granger immediately became interested.
"Wait, I'll get it for you to see!" Hermione jumped up from the sofa and skipped upstairs.
"Aisen, Hermione started a newspaper?" Mr. Grangereagerly asked.
"That's right, the newspaper is called the Hogwarts Campus Weekly. It's a newspaper that records various interesting things happening on campus, and the school's teachers and students all like this newspaper!" ProfessorAisen's mouth twitched slightly.
"Does Hogwarts allow students to start newspapers?" A hint of surprise flashed in Mr. Granger's eyes. "I mean, she hasn't graduated yet!"
"Hogwarts is relatively lenient in this regard. The school doesn't have a rule prohibiting students from starting newspapers, so it's not a big problem," Professor Aisenshrugged slightly.
Thump thump thump thump—
Hermione came down the stairs holding a newspaper.
She came over and sat on the sofa, placed the newspaper directly on the coffee table, and then gave Mr. Grangerand Ms. Granger a confident look.
Mr. Granger smiled, picked up the newspaper, and started flipping through it with his wife.
For a moment, the entire room fell silent. Glancing at Hermione sitting on the other side, Professor Aisenquietly opened the Chat Group and started chatting with the other person.
Professor Aisen: Hermione, what do you plan to do after graduation? Have you thought about it?
Hermione: Oh? Professor, didn't I just say that I haven't thought about it yet!
Professor Aisen: In just over two months, you'll be starting a new school year, and in the new school year, you'll have to start preparing for the O.W.Ls. The O.W.Lswill affect what kind of job you apply for in the future. So, you must start thinking about the future.
Hermione: Well, Professor, what do you think I should do in the future?
Professor Aisen: Didn't you start a newspaper? After graduation, perhaps you can continue to do it as a career. As I said before, if you can develop it into an influential newspaper like The Daily Prophet, maybe it can help you fight for more rights for House-elves.
Hermione: Can that really work? The Hogwarts Campus Weekly has been running for a while, but I find that people don't like to hear about that!
Professor Aisen: Otherwise, you could choose to enter the Ministry of Magic after graduation.
Hermione: Enter the Ministry of Magic? What kind of job?
Professor Aisen: Have you considered becoming an Auror? With my teaching, your practical combat level is far beyond that of an average adult Witch!
Hermione: I don't want to go around fighting Dark Wizards or anything like that, running around outside every day is a bit too troublesome!
Professor Aisen: So, do you have any ideas yourself?
Hermione: Professor, what do you think about me being like you?
Professor Aisen: Like me?
Hermione: Yes, staying at Hogwarts and becoming a Professor! Hmm—how about a Charm class Professor? Maybe Professor Flitwick will have retired by then. Or, a Transfiguration Professor would also be fine. What do you think?
Professor Aisen: Why would you think of staying at Hogwarts to be a Professor?
Hermione: Professor, aren't you the Astronomy Professorat Hogwarts? After I stay at Hogwarts, I can be with Professor! Hehehe!
Professor Aisen: Then, what about the Society for the Promotion of House-elf Welfare—
Hermione: Harry and they can help.
Professor Aisen: Alright, that's also a choice. But you still have a few years before you graduate, so think about it carefully!
...
"Is this Hogwarts Campus Weekly the newspaper Hermione started? It's really wonderful!" After a while, Mr. Granger looked up and couldn't help but exclaim.
"This isn't just my achievement. I started this newspaper with a few classmates, and they helped me a lot. Also, Professor Aisen provided some financial support!" Seeing her dad's smile, Hermione's face showed a bit of embarrassment.
"Oh, right, Hermione, how is the newspaper selling?" Ms. Granger couldn't help but interject.
It seemed that, as a mother, she was concerned about whether the newspaper her daughter started could make money!
"It's going well. In just a few weeks at school, it has already earned over twenty Galleons." Hermione's face showed a satisfied smile.
"So, after graduation, will you focus your energy on this?" Mr. Granger asked with an inquiring look.
"I will probably choose to stay at Hogwarts!" As if she had made up her mind after talking with Aisen, Hermionespoke her thoughts.
"Stay at Hogwarts?" Mr. Granger looked at Aisen beside him in surprise.
"Just like Professor Aisen, I can also stay at Hogwartsand be a Professor!" Hermione's face broke into a joyful smile.
"That's good, being a Professor is great, Hermione, Mom supports you!" Ms. Granger gave Hermione a cheering gesture.
"What about this newspaper then? Are you planning to give it up?" Mr. Granger flipped through the newspaper in his hand.
"Being a Professor also comes with free time, so I can still work on the newspaper then!" Hermione said casually.
"That's right, I can also help with the newspaper; there won't be any problems then." Aisen nodded in agreement.
After they started talking freely, the conversation between Aisen and the Granger couple became smoother.
Just as he had said before, he had lived in the Muggle World for many years, so when communicating with Hermione's parents, he knew what to say to avoid making them uncomfortable.
During this time, even when Aisen proactively shared interesting things about the Wizarding World, they would understand the meaning of what Aisen said through Hermione's explanations.
Of course, during the conversation, they didn't just talk about things from the Wizarding World. Aisen also mentioned the profession of dentistry to Mr. Granger.
Although they had long witnessed the wonders of magicdue to Hermione entering the Wizarding World to study magic, they were still amazed again after Aisendeliberately cast a Charm on Hermione, causing her large front teeth to shrink to a normal size.
Seeing this, the Granger couple couldn't help but exclaim that it was fortunate Witches and Wizards were hidden, otherwise, dentists all over the world would be unemployed.
In fact, this was indeed the case.
For ordinary people, wisdom teeth need to be pulled, and decayed teeth need to be treated, and so on. But for Witches and Wizards, it was just a matter of a Charm or a Potion.
More importantly, if treated with magic, it could be fixed immediately and thoroughly. Not only were there no side effects, but it also didn't take too long.
It must be said that in some aspects, magic was indeed very amazing!
When it was time for lunch, Aisen had originally planned to find a restaurant outside and just grab something. But the Granger couple warmly invited him to eat at their home.
Ms. Granger's cooking was good, giving Aisen a great appetite during the meal.
"Go for a walk?" After the meal, glancing at the bright sunshine outside, Aisen made a suggestion.
Despite the hot summer weather, it seemed to be less than thirty degrees Celsius outside today. Such clear weather felt a bit wasted if one just stayed home and read.
"Okay, Professor, wait for me!" Hermione tilted her head and thought for a moment, then ran upstairs.
In a moment, Hermione appeared before Aisen wearing a light blue checkered T-shirt paired with loose jeans. Uh, this outfit, it was completely like an ordinary person, without the slightest Witch aura.
"Good, let's go!" Aisen said with a smile. After greeting the Granger couple, he and Hermione left the room.
Walking through the garden, the two strolled leisurely along the shaded path. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow that swayed on their bodies.
In the quiet environment, a gentle breeze blew, giving a feeling of coolness.
"Professor, are we really going to the Moon?" Hermionestepped forward and looped her arms around Aisen's arm, her face showing a look of conflict.
"Didn't you say you wanted to practice on the Moon?" Aisen's lips curved up.
"But when Dad and Mom asked me, I got anxious and blurted it out." Hermione pouted.
"It's okay, flying to the Moon is very simple for me!" Aisensaid some comforting words.
"Then, Professor, have you been to the Moon?" Hermionestared at him intently.
"Yes, I've been to the Moon once before." Aisen shrugged.
Saying something like this wasn't a big deal in his opinion.
"How did you get there? Was it Apparition?" Hermione's eyes widened.
"Uh, Apparition shouldn't be a problem for me. However, the way I went last time wasn't by Apparition, but by flying directly." Aisen mused before speaking slowly.
"Flew up?" Hermione's face showed surprise, "I remember you said in Astronomy that it's very difficult for Witches and Wizards to go to the Moon. Even Dumbledorecouldn't do it—"
"Cough, cough, he probably couldn't do it—" Aisencoughed lightly, his face showing no unusual expression, "But I'm different, my magic level has been improving rapidly, so I can gradually do it."
"Is that so?" Hermione's face showed a look of realization.
"Exactly!" Aisen nodded, "But I thought about it later and felt that Dumbledore couldn't do it perhaps just because he never thought of it that way. If he wanted to land on the Moon, I believe he would be able to get himself up there through magical means."
"Fawkes could definitely take him up there by flying." Hermione offered her opinion.
"You're right, that's possible." Aisen said lightly.
"Oh, right, Professor, what about breathing if we land on the Moon?" Hermione seemed to have thought of something, stopped walking, and looked at Aisen, "Will we hold our breath like during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament when entering the water?"
"Don't worry, holding your breath is actually fine. Of course, I also have a Charm that can be used on the Moon!" Aisen waved his hand.
"Is it the Bubblehead Charm that Cedric used?" Hermione's face relaxed.
"It's a Charm I developed myself. Its effect is slightly different from the Bubblehead Charm, but both can allow people to breathe in environments where they can't normally breathe—want to try it?" Aisen said unhurriedly, then looked at Hermione with interest.
"Can I perform magic here?" Hermione showed an eager expression but still asked hesitantly.
"Don't worry, it's fine!" Aisen shook his head slightly, a smile appearing on his face, "So, are you ready?"
Immediately after, Hermione pulled Aisen behind a tall oak tree, revealing an expectant look.
With a thought, an invisible shield enveloped the two of them. Immediately after, Aisen took out his wand and waved it, and the air inside the shield was quickly sucked away.
In a moment, Hermione looked as if her throat was being squeezed. Unable to breathe the air, a look of pain appeared on her face.
"Smooth breathing—" Pointing his wand at Hermione, Aisen cast a Charm he had created himself.
This Charm was the one he had created earlier that allowed people to breathe freely. The principle was to use the Water-Making Spell to summon clear water, then separate the oxygen through decomposition, and then directly infuse it into the mouth or nasal cavity.
After the Charm was cast, Hermione's face immediately relaxed.
She waved her hands curiously, and then tightly covered her mouth and nose, but even so, her complexion remained rosy, without the slightest feeling of difficulty breathing.
A few minutes later, Aisen smiled and lifted the Charm, walking out from behind the tree with Hermione.
"What do you think?" Aisen raised an eyebrow.
"A very effective Charm, how does it work?" Hermione's eyes showed intense curiosity.
"This Charm is actually not difficult. Think about it, the Water-Making Spell can summon clear water, and then through..." Aisen hesitated slightly before directly telling Hermione the principle of the Charm.
Strolling slowly along the path, laughter and cheerful voices rippled out along the way.