NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Decided
Chapter 5: Decided
The headmaster's office was once again shrouded in silence.
After a while, Dumbledore seemed to come back to his senses. He had made a decision.
Dumbledore chose his words carefully, "I'm sorry, Felix, Professor Babajee has no intention of retiring yet…"
Felix's expression showed disappointment.
"However," Dumbledore quickly continued, "it's clear that you excel in ancient magical texts."
"Yes, Headmaster," Felix thought of something, suppressing a glimmer of hope rising within him. He stared at Dumbledore with unwavering eyes.
The old man across the desk didn't beat around the bush. He straightforwardly revealed his idea, "I would like you to teach Ancient Runes, Felix. Are you willing?"
"Of course, I am!" Felix blurted out, then slowed down his speech, "Yes, I am willing. But, Professor Babajee..."
"Ah, Bathilda," Dumbledore sighed as if reminiscing, then explained, "She has served Hogwarts for over fifty years. In recent years, she's been wishing to take a break and see how the world has changed."
"A break? Are you suggesting I temporarily teach Ancient Runes? For a whole school year? Or just a semester?" Felix slightly furrowed his brow. This wasn't exactly what he wanted.
The library at Hogwarts was immensely rich, and being a professor at the school came with numerous conveniences. He didn't want just a year or two. He wanted at least five, maybe ten years.
Dumbledore chuckled, his silver beard trembling slightly. He pointed out earnestly, "Felix, Bathilda is not a pure wizard. She has a magical lineage that sets her apart—her perspective on time is different from ours."
Another lineage? Felix recalled Bathilda's appearance. She seemed unchanged from her time as a student to her graduation...
Could she be a half-blood? A mix of other humanoid races?
That was possible. The wizarding world had its share of such individuals. The most common crossbreeds were between humans and giants, veela, dwarves, and fairies. He knew that there were more than a few at the school.
Before he could come to a conclusion, Dumbledore continued, "In Bathilda's view, taking a break for ten or twenty years is perfectly normal. In fact, when she complained to me about not getting a break, she suggested a few names to replace her, including yours, Felix."
Felix realized in a moment. His relationship with this professor was indeed quite good. Though he couldn't take Ancient Runes in his sixth and seventh years, he had been self-studying with her guidance. Even after graduation, their correspondence hadn't stopped.
It could be said that, apart from Dumbledore, Bathilda was the professor he stayed in touch with most after leaving school.
Professor Dumbledore went on, "Your arrival will make Bathilda quite happy. Over the years, she's been accumulating wishes she wants to fulfill. She's almost filled an entire parchment."
Seeing this as a stroke of luck, Felix nodded eagerly.
Stepping out of the headmaster's office, Felix let out a long sigh. Although the interview process had its twists and turns, in the end, the result was positive. He had finally returned to this place.
The heart of the British wizarding world—Hogwarts. This time, as a professor.
Calming his emotions, he returned to Professor McGonagall's office. He caught a glimpse of the fading silhouette of a phoenix guardian, and it struck him. Dumbledore must have conveyed the outcome through the guardian to McGonagall.
Indeed, Professor McGonagall raised her glasses, "I've received Dumbledore's message, Felix. No, I should call you Professor Harp now."
"You can still call me Felix. I'll forever be your student."
McGonagall gave a slight hum, "Professor Snape might not be so pleased."
Felix scratched his head. He had managed to infuriate Snape considerably back in the day. However, McGonagall swiftly moved on from that topic. She waved her wand, and from the large cabinet in her office, several rolls of parchment flew out. These parchments were neatly arranged into a stack, reflecting the serious and earnest nature of their owner.
"These are your class schedules, student rosters, duties and powers, procurement details, and things I personally believe you might need. Of course, the most urgent question is whether your teaching materials need any changes."
"Teaching materials?" Felix was a bit perplexed.
"Yes, teaching materials," McGonagall repeated, "Many professors have their own teaching philosophies. In principle, Hogwarts encourages this. Therefore, they can decide how to conduct their classes, the balance between theory and practice, and, of course, the selection of teaching materials."
McGonagall looked at him, "I know you've written a book on Ancient Runes."
Felix understood and pondered for a moment, then decided not to make any changes. "Professor Babajee's teaching materials are excellent. I gained a lot from them during my time as a student."
"Very well." Professor McGonagall seemed nonchalant about his decision. However, Felix thought he heard her mutter something under her breath, but the voice was too soft for him to catch. It seemed to involve another professor.
"If... only the professors were like that..."
Felix didn't press further. As a new professor, he didn't want to stir up trouble before officially starting his position.
As a Slytherin, he was very goal-oriented in his actions.
After a while, Professor McGonagall looked up at the motionless Felix and said, "Professor Harp, you may leave. We will send you the official appointment letter and the start date. If there are additional details, they will be included in the letter."
Felix smiled, "Professor McGonagall, I would like to do some more preparation. You see, even though I've made some progress in the field of magic, I'm still quite young, and I don't have relevant teaching experience. In this regard, you're experienced, and I greatly need your guidance."
Whether it was an illusion or not, Felix noticed a brief smile from Professor McGonagall. Of course, it could have been a twitch of the lips; he'd heard that people who rarely smiled were prone to facial tics.
Felix's mind was filled with disjointed thoughts.
"Felix, you've always been so polite," McGonagall seemed to sigh with emotion, but she stopped her work by the desk, giving him face. "What would you like to know?"
"I'd like to start by looking at student information, such as their academic records, the number of students in each house by year, some exceptional or well-known young wizards. If there are evaluations for each student, that would be even better."
McGonagall gave him a sideways glance and waved her wand soundlessly. The doors of the large cabinet opened with a clatter, and countless rolls of parchment flew out. Felix quickly pulled out his wand and conjured a long table from the feathered quill on the desk.
McGonagall understood and piled the rolls of parchment onto the long table. "Impressive Transfiguration."
"Couldn't have done it without your teaching," Felix said modestly.
"I remember you didn't have high marks in Transfiguration for your first three years."
Felix blushed a bit. At the time, he was busy taming the little snakes in his seventh year, and he didn't have enough time to practice spells, let alone Transfiguration. As long as it was passable, it was good enough.
It was only later that he picked up Transfiguration.
McGonagall didn't linger on his grades because she knew very well the circumstances Felix was in back then. To be honest, she always had reservations about using the Sorting Hat to place Felix. For a long time, she believed he should have been placed in Gryffindor.
Just for that recklessness—ahem, bravery—how could he not be in Gryffindor!
Even among the lions, he was the most impulsive one!
"These are the materials you asked for, but there are no evaluations. As for some exceptional young wizards, I can only speak from my Gryffindor perspective and mention some names from our house."
"That's still very useful." Felix wasn't picky.
"Oliver Wood and Percy Weasley in sixth year, Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson in fourth year, Hermione Granger in second year," then, McGonagall pursed her lips, "Of course, there are also the Weasley twins, Fred and George. Merlin, if they put half the energy they use for pranks into studying..."
"Is that all? I recall that the famous Harry Potter also started school. Isn't he in Gryffindor? I'm curious, the name Harry Potter rings a bell across lifetimes."
"Harry..." It was clear that this name brought even more mixed feelings.