bacchusnovels Chapter 176 The Future of Hogwarts is in Your Hands
Chapter 176 The Future of Hogwarts is in Your Hands
Chapter 176 The Future of Hogwarts is in Your Hands
"You can't take Dumbledore with you!"
Sean and Hagrid shouted almost at the same time, and their voices were so loud that the big hunting dog in the basket, Tooth, trembled all over, curled up into a ball, and let out a mournful howl.
It seemed as if it was also protesting this unfair treatment.
"If we take him away, there will be no way for Muggles to survive! There will be murders soon!" Hagrid argued.
"Without Dumbledore, Hogwarts can't function properly!" Sean chimed in.
"Calm down." Dumbledore's tone was unusually serious, but his eyes revealed a hint of tenderness.
He slowly turned around, his gaze piercing through the crowd before finally landing on Lucius Malfoy's cold and calculating face.
"If the Board truly believes I am no longer fit for this position, Lucius, I will naturally relinquish the position of Headmaster without complaint," Dumbledore said calmly, each word seemingly carefully considered.
"But—" Minister Fouchi hesitated, his face filled with uncertainty and unease.
"No!" Hagrid growled again, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at Lucius. "Don't you understand? Dumbledore is not just the headmaster of Hogwarts, but the very spirit of Hogwarts."
Lucius smirked. "Oh, Hagrid, you're exaggerating. Hogwarts has a long history and a powerful faculty; it's not something one person can easily shake. I admit, Dumbledore was a great wizard, but his departure doesn't mean the end of the world. We have the capability to maintain order at the school and protect the students' safety."
"You're wrong!" Sean stepped forward excitedly. "Decades ago, when Grindelwald was still around..."
Dumbledore has proven his abilities through his actions; without him, we would be like ships adrift at sea, without direction.
After hearing Sean's words, Lucius sighed softly, "If that's the case, you should thank me. The Board of Trustees has found a captain who is a better fit for this ship."
"What do you mean?" Hagrid asked incredulously, his eyes wide, as if trying to find more clues in Lucius's expression to confirm his suspicions.
Dumbledore frowned slightly and turned his gaze back to Lucius.
"What I mean is," Lucius said slowly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, "that I have reached an agreement with the Board of Governors, and we have decided to temporarily elect a new acting headmaster to replace Dumbledore."
After confirming that everyone's eyes were on him, Lucius paused slightly.
He continued, "This new headmaster not only enjoys a high reputation in the wizarding world, but also possesses the outstanding ability and unwavering determination to lead Hogwarts into a new future."
Finally, he fixed his gaze on Sean. "Professor Phillips, or rather, Headmaster Phillips from now on, the Board of Directors has unanimously decided that you will serve as the acting Headmaster of Hogwarts."
As he spoke, Lucius pulled out the pre-prepared letter of appointment from his pocket and slowly unfolded it.
After showing it to everyone with his right hand, he solemnly placed it into Sean's hand.
When Ron, who was hiding in the shadows, heard this extremely shocking news, he almost couldn't help but exclaim.
At this critical moment, Harry, who had been on high alert the whole time, quickly reached out and accurately covered Ron's mouth, successfully preventing the scream that could have exposed their whereabouts.
At this moment, everyone in the room, including Ya Ya, had their eyes fixed on Sean.
But Sean, the protagonist, was stunned at this moment.
His composure wasn't feigned; it came from the depths of his heart, a genuine feeling.
Becoming the headmaster of Hogwarts had always been his deepest ambition.
Just like many college entrance examination candidates who have already received their admission lists, they are still overwhelmed with excitement when the admission notices are actually delivered to them.
The same goes for Sean.
At that moment, the cold, discreet voice of the cheat device pulled him back to reality.
"Ding, host identity has been detected. System update is in progress."
"The update time is uncertain. During this period, the system will be temporarily unavailable, but existing skills will still be usable."
"Thank you for using this system. Thank you Akabur, thank you Silver Studio, and thank you everyone for your contributions and support. We wish you a happy life."
With this series of notification sounds, Sean also came to his senses.
Skilled at identifying keywords, he successfully captured the most crucial information in the above passage: "The system is temporarily out of service."
You should know that all his life-saving scrolls are in the system inventory.
Sean silently repeated the name of the cheat device several times in his mind, but there was no response.
His face turned extremely pale, his brows furrowed, and the corners of his mouth turned down, forming a deep arc, like the sky before a storm, gloomy and oppressive.
His embarrassed expression was interpreted in different ways by different people.
Fudge and Lucius, who had already seen through the whole affair, inwardly praised Phillips' superb acting skills; the former looked surprised, while the latter stood there with a smile on his face.
Hagrid saw the anger in Sean's gloomy expression, and his own expression grew even angrier.
Harry and Ron were still visibly shocked. They were oblivious to Sean's expression; in other words, their minds were blank, and they were incapable of thinking.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore, the other protagonist of this "drama," stared at Sean expressionlessly, his expression revealing nothing of his thoughts.
Sean forcibly suppressed his inner emotions, preparing to finish this grand performance.
He maintained his extremely somber expression, staring intently into Lucius's eyes.
"Acting Principal?" he repeated, his voice clearly tinged with doubt and displeasure. "Lucius,"
What kind of trick are you playing? I've never heard of such a proposal, nor have I accepted any discussion or invitation regarding this position.
Sean then looked around, seemingly seeking support from others.
The only response he received was Hagrid's furious voice, "Yes, Lucius, what the hell are you doing?!"
"I think this is an irresponsible provocation that strains our relationship," Sean said angrily.
Almost through gritted teeth, he said, "I respect every colleague and am dedicated to teaching and research at Hogwarts, but to put me in the position of acting headmaster in this way is undoubtedly a serious disregard for my personal wishes and a disrespect for Hogwarts."
With that, Sean waved the appointment letter in his hand lightly, as if it were a hot potato. "I refuse this appointment. What Hogwarts needs is not an acting headmaster who is manipulated from behind the scenes, but a leader who is more competent than me."
"I hope this matter can be given a reasonable explanation; otherwise, I will have to consider my position and my future role here."
After saying that, Sean took a deep breath, stared intently at Lucius, and waited for his response.
To be honest, his inner self is far more profound than he appears on the surface.
These are two extremes.
The moment he gently waved the letter of appointment in his hand, his heart almost broke.
Despite my deep reluctance...
His reason prevailed over his greed, and he took control of his body to make this decision.
He roared inwardly:
The stage is now yours, Lucius.
You must learn from Narcissa and not let me down!
Lucius's expression was somewhat blank, then turned to embarrassment and anger.
All these changes in expression seemed so natural that it appeared as if he hadn't expected Sean to refuse at all.
In fact, he had not expected this to happen.
According to his plan, the normal drama had gradually come to an end, and his role from now on would mainly be to mock Dumbledore.
Unexpectedly, Sean added a scene for him without permission.
With his brain racing, Lucius cursed Sean a hundred times in his mind in just a few seconds. When he decided to recount what had happened that day to the Dark Lord verbatim, he spoke.
"Professor Phillips, or rather, you who are about to become the acting principal, it would be unwise to refuse this appointment," Lucius said in a low voice. "You should be aware of the power and influence that this appointment represents."
He approached Sean, his voice lower, "In this position, you can not only protect the students of Hogwarts and investigate the truth of the Chamber of Secrets, but also bring unprecedented changes to Hogwarts. But if you choose to refuse, then I must remind you that some doors, once closed, can never be easily opened again."
Lucius's gaze deepened, as if he were trying to persuade (curse) Sean with his eyes. "You know, if any other professor had been acting headmaster, things might have turned out very badly. If an unworthy professor had gained real power in the school, Hogwarts would likely have descended into unprecedented chaos. Can you bear to see that happen?"
When Lucius refers to the "professor who is not worthy of his position".
Harry and Ron, who were hiding in the corner, shuddered instantly.
The same name came to mind—Gidero Lockhart.
They couldn't imagine what Hogwarts would become under Lockhart's leadership.
Perhaps every corner of the school will be covered with his self-portraits, and even the Hogwarts crest will be replaced with Lockhart's portrait, his smug and self-absorbed appearance as if the whole world should revolve around him.
Such thoughts sent a chill down their spines and even lessened Dumbledore's sadness at his impending departure.
Compared to Lockhart, Professor Sean is almost equal to Professor Dumbledore.
Sean turned and glanced at Dumbledore.
The best response he expected from Dumbledore was a nod, after which he would "reluctantly" accept the appointment.
However, Dumbledore remained standing there expressionless.
He remained motionless, like a wooden doll.
If you didn't know better, you'd think he was petrified by the basilisk monster, just like those other unlucky students.
So Sean had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep watching.
He remained silent for a moment, his gaze shifting between Lucius's resolute eyes, before finally nodding slowly. "I understand, Lucius. I accept this appointment as the acting headmaster of Hogwarts."
"Very good, Professor Phillips. Your wise choice will bring glory to yourself and to Hogwarts." Lucius smiled faintly as he picked up the letter of appointment from the ground and placed it in front of Sean. "I believe that under your leadership, Hogwarts will not only weather the current crisis, but..."
It will usher in a brand new and even more glorious era.
Sean took a deep breath, accepted the letter of appointment, and slowly said, "I will do my best to protect the safety of every student and uncover the secrets of the secret room. However, Lucius, I also hope you can understand that I will act in my own way to ensure that the school's interests are not harmed."
"Of course, Acting Headmaster." Lucius bowed slightly to show respect. "I fully support your decision and look forward to witnessing the transformation of Hogwarts with you."
"If you need any help, whether financial or material, please let me know. The future of Hogwarts is now in your hands."
In their subsequent conversation, it was as if they had forgotten about Dumbledore, as if he had never even appeared.
They talked about the future of Hogwarts, the responsibilities of the acting headmaster, and the challenges that were to come.
But they seemed to completely ignore Dumbledore, who stood silently to the side.
His presence seemed to become a deliberately ignored background, standing there quietly, yet no one paid him any attention.