bacchusnovels Chapter 295 Three New Teachers
Chapter 295 Three New Teachers
Chapter 295 Three New Teachers
"Oh," Harry said softly to the person next to him, watching the Sorting Hat being taken down, "we missed the Sorting Ceremony."
The two had just returned from Professor McGonagall's office.
Professor McGonagall insisted that Mrs. Pomfrey take him to the medical room for a check-up, but he strongly refused.
The two then chatted about what happened on the train. After he left, Professor McGonagall kept Hermione behind to discuss the timetable—and Hermione left Professor McGonagall's office with a smile on her face after only a few minutes.
Honestly, she looked much better than she did in the carriage.
After entering the Great Hall, the two carefully made their way to the Gryffindor table.
As they passed the back of the Great Hall, many students turned to look at them, and some even pointed at Harry and whispered among themselves.
Harry couldn't help but wonder if news of his fainting in front of the Dementors had already spread throughout the entire school.
Ron had already reserved seats for them, with Harry and Hermione sitting on either side of him.
"What exactly happened?" Ron asked Harry in a low voice.
Harry was about to explain when Headmaster Dumbledore stood up, and the Great Hall fell silent. Harry had to stop and turn to look at the podium.
Despite his advanced age, Dumbledore still exuded an aura of boundless energy. His long, silvery hair and beard reached his waist, he wore half-moon spectacles, and his slightly crooked nose gave him a somewhat eccentric appearance.
"Welcome!" Dumbledore's booming voice sounded especially warm in the candlelight. "Welcome back to Hogwarts! I have a few things to share with you, one of which is very important, so I've decided to make it clear before you enjoy this delicious meal, lest the food dull your minds—."
He cleared his throat, his gaze turning serious, and continued, "First, as you may already know, the Ministry of Magic has sent some Dementors from Azkaban to guard our school. They have already searched the Hogwarts Express."
Dumbledore paused, and Harry immediately remembered that Mr. Weasley had said that Dumbledore was extremely unhappy about the arrival of the Dementors.
"These Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the school," he continued. "I want to make it clear that no student is allowed to leave the school without permission while they are on duty. The Dementors will not be fooled by tricks, disguises, or any magic—including invisibility cloaks."
At this point, he gave Harry a casual, warning look, while Harry and Ron exchanged a quick glance.
Dumbledore continued, "Their nature does not understand explanations, pleas, or forgiveness. Therefore, I implore you not to give them any reason to harm you. I hope the prefects and the newly elected student council presidents will ensure that no student risks approaching the Dementors."
Percy, sitting a few seats away from Harry, straightened his back again upon hearing this, glancing around smugly as if eager to display his new position. Dumbledore paused, and the atmosphere in the Great Hall became incredibly heavy, utterly silent.
"Alright, let's change to a more pleasant topic," Dumbledore suddenly smiled, his tone becoming lighter. "I am pleased to announce that we have two new professors joining the Hogwarts family this semester."
"First, there's Professor Lupin, who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."
A few scattered claps came from the auditorium, sounding rather lukewarm.
Only the students who were traveling on the train with Professor Lupin applauded enthusiastically, and Harry was among them.
"Look at Snape!" Ron whispered in Harry's ear.
Harry looked up and saw Professor Snape staring intently at Professor Lupin.
His face was grim, and his eyes were filled with hatred.
Snape had always wanted a teaching position in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and at this moment, his expression was not just angry, but even filled with obvious hatred.
Harry was very familiar with this – Snape always had that same expression on his face whenever he looked at him.
"As for our second new teacher," Dumbledore continued after the sparse applause welcoming Professor Lupin had subsided, "I regret to inform you that Professor Kettleburn, who taught the Conservation of Magical Creatures class, retired at the end of last term."
He hopes to have more time to enjoy his later years, after all, his old arms and legs also need some rest.
Dumbledore then changed the subject, "However, I am pleased to announce that none other than Rubeus Hagrid will succeed him. He will not only continue to serve as the gamekeeper, but has also gladly accepted the teaching position."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged surprised glances, then joined in the applause. A particularly enthusiastic cheer erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry leaned forward and saw Hagrid's face flushed red, his eyes downcast, staring at his enormous hands. His broad smile was half-hidden by his unkempt black beard, making him appear both proud and shy.
"We should have known!" Ron slammed his fist on the table, his voice almost drowning out the applause. "Who else but Hagrid would ask us to prepare a book that bites?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were among the last students to stop clapping; they were still happy for Hagrid.
At this moment, Dumbledore spoke again, and they noticed that Hagrid was secretly wiping his eyes with a tablecloth, clearly moved by everyone's support.
"As for our third new teacher," Dumbledore paused, surveying the entire Great Hall with his halo, before continuing, "I am very pleased to announce that the professor for our new elective course, 'Wizard Duels,' will be none other than Nymphadora..."
Tonks.
A murmur of surprise and whispers erupted in the auditorium.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione's eyes immediately fell on Tonks, who was sitting at one end of the teachers' table, her hair dyed a bright purple as usual, and her face bearing her signature mischievous smile.
She looked a little embarrassed, even pursing her lips and blushing slightly, but then waved and gave the students in the auditorium a big smile.
"Tonks will teach you an elective course on wizard dueling," Dumbledore continued, his voice warm and encouraging. "It's an important course on defensive and offensive skills, designed to help you better protect yourselves when facing danger."
Yes, this semester the Duel Club has successfully been upgraded from a "club" to an "elective course".
"Alright, that's all the important stuff," said Dumbledore. "Let's begin the feast!"
Suddenly, the gold plates and goblets in front of them were filled with food and drinks.
Harry's appetite was immediately whetted, and he took a portion of everything he could reach and began to eat heartily.
Sean felt much more relaxed when he saw the sumptuous feast that had suddenly appeared in front of him.
Golden roast chicken, crispy mashed potatoes, steaming hot beef pies, and large pumpkin pies—all the dishes exuded an enticing aroma.
The stemmed glass was filled with sparkling pumpkin juice, its sweet aroma making one want to take a sip.
Sean unceremoniously reached out and picked up a roasted chicken leg, feeling its crispy skin and tender meat.
After taking a small bite, the aroma immediately filled my mouth.
Then he left a spoonful of mashed potatoes, the smooth texture of which perfectly complemented the rich flavor of the roasted chicken.
So fragrant!
Sean exclaimed sincerely.
At the last table of the faculty and staff seating area, Tonks was enjoying her meal, completely unaware that Sean had walked up to her.
She was stuffing a large piece of roasted chicken into her mouth when she suddenly felt a familiar presence approaching.
She looked up and saw Sean standing next to her, a faint smile on his lips.
"Professor Tonks," Sean said, "come to my office at ten o'clock tonight. We have something to discuss."
Tonks paused for a moment, his fork almost stopping in mid-air.
She swallowed unconsciously, her smile becoming somewhat stiff.
"Uh—okay," she stammered, her voice lower than usual, tinged with an unintentional shyness.
A hint of a smile flashed in Sean's eyes. Seeing her reaction, he calmly took out a small piece of paper from his pocket and gently slipped it into her hand.
When his fingertips touched her hand, his movements were natural and unhurried; everything he did was so effortless.
"Don't be late. Let me celebrate your successful promotion to professor," he said softly, giving her a meaningful look before turning and leaving with an unhurried air.
Tonks stood frozen, watching Sean's figure disappear into the crowd, his heart inexplicably racing.
She looked down at the note in her hand, her fingertips still feeling his warmth. Opening it, she saw a few simple words: "See you at ten, don't be late—Sean."
Her face flushed involuntarily again, and some beautiful images suddenly welled up in her mind.
Despite her best efforts to calm herself down, the scene of the two of them in the office kept flashing through her mind. One night, alone in a quiet environment, Donx felt her ears burning and quickly shook her head, trying to banish these images that made her heart race.