Chapter 212 - 212: Welcome, Professor Edward

Words : 1808 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Professor McGonagall suddenly remembered something and quickly added, "Oh right, Professor Dumbledore seems to be looking for you." "Got it!" A few minutes later, they were once again at the Headmaster's office. "Good evening, Edward, Audrey," Dumbledore greeted them with a warm smile. "I believe you'll be able to start teaching tomorrow." Edward shrugged. "In fact, Headmaster, I've already taught for two days." Dumbledore shook his head. "No, no—not Transfiguration. Potions." "Potions?" He blinked in surprise, then quickly realised—he meant potions from the World of Mysteries. "I've already picked out a group of people I think are trustworthy…Of course, the final decision rests with you." As he spoke, Dumbledore handed over a list. Most of the names on it were familiar: Snape, Lupin, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, and Hagrid. "Oh, I suppose the only ones you're not familiar with are the Weasleys. The Weasley twins you know—these are their parents. To be honest, I have quite a few reliable friends, but since this is the first batch, I figured they should all be people you at least recognise...well, aside from the Weasleys." "Hagrid too?" Edward couldn't help but frown. "I can assure you, Hagrid is absolutely trustworthy." "I completely agree, Professor. But I'm sure you also know—when it comes to keeping secrets, Hagrid's…not exactly our best bet." Dumbledore fell silent for a few seconds, then sighed. "Fair enough." "I have no problem with the rest," Edward said. "I'll get started right away." He paused, then added, "Professor, once secrecy is no longer necessary, Hagrid will be the first to get the potion." Dumbledore smiled and nodded. "Very well. I'll thank you on his behalf." ——— At dinner that evening, the students from Durmstrang hadn't arrived yet, but the Great Hall was already buzzing with speculation. The boys were wondering whether any beautiful girls would be coming from Durmstrang, while the girls gossiped about the possibility of handsome wizards. Meanwhile, the Weasley twins roamed between all four houses, energetically organising betting pools—wagering on why the Durmstrang students were visiting Hogwarts, how long they would stay, and other such curiosities. "You know what, Harry?" Ron muttered through a mouthful of chicken leg, "At Durmstrang, they openly teach the Dark Arts! That's why it's the school in Europe most likely to produce Dark wizards. Even Grindelwald came from there!" Harry was stunned. "But…Dark Magic is so dangerous. Aren't they afraid something terrible might happen?" Hermione, flipping through a copy of A History of Magic in Europe, pointed at a specific page. "In fact, things do go wrong there pretty often. The biggest disaster of all was that global war more than forty years ago, started by none other than Grindelwald himself." Ron patted Harry's shoulder, reassuring him. "Don't worry. We've got Dumbledore—the greatest Light wizard of the century!" At the staff table, Edward was in the middle of eating when Cedric rushed over excitedly. "I just got some news!" "What is it?" "Apparently, this evening a group of Durmstrang students got into a massive brawl at the Hog's Head—no one knows why. They're all at the Hospital Wing now, getting treated." Edward raised his eyebrows. "Who were they fighting?" "Each other." "Huh? Why?" Cedric shrugged. "No clue. Some people are guessing it might be a side effect of studying Dark Magic at Durmstrang." "Ugh." As a seasoned user of the Dark Arts, Edward fell silent. Lilith, nestled beside him, quietly shrank her head down. "What do you think Durmstrang's doing here this time?" "Probably just some kind of magical exchange program?" Cedric crossed his arms, rubbing his chin. "But it's all so sudden. I heard their headmaster came along…and they're staying here until Christmas—and not leaving until June next year!" "Just imagine—if one day, Dumbledore showed up with a dozen students and suddenly moved into another magical school for half a year… wouldn't that seem totally unreasonable?" Hmm…if nothing changed, something very similar would happen again three years from now—with two visiting schools at once. Some aspects of the Harry Potter world really didn't make much logical sense. But then again, perhaps…that's just magic? ——— Meanwhile, elsewhere. Durmstrang Headmaster Igor Karkaroff was pacing back and forth along the edge of the Black Lake, rubbing his hands together. He was tall and imposing, dressed in a silver-white fur cloak—soft and shiny, much like his hair. "Damn it, this place is even colder than Durmstrang." Crunch…crunch… Footsteps in the snow approached from afar. It was none other than Severus Snape, wrapped in his long black cloak like a giant bat. His face was grim, as though someone owed him hundreds of Galleons. "Snape! You're the one who arranged this meeting, and yet you're the one who's late!" Karkaroff's voice rose in irritation. Snape, unbothered, spoke in his usual slow and detached tone, "Tell me—what's your real reason for suddenly coming to Hogwarts under such a flimsy excuse?" Karkaroff faltered for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Severus, you know, don't you? You know he is back." Snape's face remained expressionless. "So what?" "So what?" Karkaroff let out a humourless laugh. "Don't forget, Severus—we're not like Lucius and the others. You and I, we're traitors. Once the Dark Lord returns, he will never let those who betrayed him live!" "And?" Snape curled his lip into a sneer. "So that's why you came to Hogwarts under some ridiculous pretence? You want to use Dumbledore as your shield? Ha. You're even more cowardly than Wormtail." "..." Muscles twitched on Karkaroff's face. "Those...those Death Eaters who still fanatically serve the Dark Lord—they've already started moving. They've attacked me multiple times. One time, I was this close—this close—to dying!" He yanked open his robes, revealing a fist-sized, festering wound. "I didn't have any other choice!" But Snape remained unmoved, his tone cold and detached. "If you really are just here to seek refuge, then behave yourself. Keep your head down. But if I discover you're up to anything else—well, you won't need those Death Eaters to kill you. I'll gladly send you to hell myself." With that, he swept his cloak and turned to leave, leaving Karkaroff behind, trembling with impotent rage. ——— The next morning at breakfast, everyone noticed that the Great Hall looked quite different from the day before. Strange new decorations floated overhead, and glowing magical words danced across the ceiling: "A Warm Welcome to Durmstrang Institute of Magic!" For once, Dumbledore appeared publicly in the Great Hall. Soon after, Karkaroff entered, leading a group of over a dozen students dressed in red wizard robes. Every student in the hall turned to stare, curiosity blazing in their eyes. Dumbledore warmly shook Karkaroff's hand and invited him to sit beside him. The Durmstrang students were led to a separate section of the hall, and once they were all seated, Dumbledore raised his voice. "Beginning today, eighteen Durmstrang students will be spending the next six months at Hogwarts as part of a magical exchange. They'll be split among year levels, staying in the Slytherin dormitories and attending classes alongside everyone else. There's no need for formality—treat them as fellow students." "Now, let's welcome our friends from Durmstrang." Clap clap clap— Warm applause echoed throughout the Great Hall. Dumbledore turned to Karkaroff. "Igor, is there anything you'd like to say?" Karkaroff paused, then looked sternly at his students. "Remember what I told you before we left—no dark magic is to be used while we're here. Is that clear?" Though visibly disgruntled, the Durmstrang students responded in unison: "Yes!" "That's all, Albus," Karkaroff said, sitting down. Dumbledore nodded with a smile. "Very good. Then let's not waste anyone's precious time. Once you've finished breakfast, head off to work. Shall we, Igor?" The two headmasters left the hall together. No sooner had they departed than the Weasley twins leapt from their seats, excitement shining in their eyes, and began collecting winnings from students who had lost their bets. Meanwhile, the Durmstrang students became the centre of attention. Yet despite the curiosity, no one approached them directly. Until a redhead walked over. Ron groaned, covering his face. "Oh no, Percy's sticking his nose in again. I really hope he doesn't get picked as Head Boy next year." Over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy was bragging loudly: "Before I even started school, my father took me to visit Durmstrang. Honestly, I think it's way better than Hogwarts. There, everyone's allowed to learn Dark Magic! Unlike this place, where all we do is play around with silly little spells." Just as he finished speaking, he noticed Audrey stand up and instinctively snapped his mouth shut. But Audrey merely offered him a mild smile and walked away. "…Malfoy, I think you're even more scared of Audrey than you used to be," Goyle mused aloud. Malfoy's face flushed scarlet. "I am not! I've never been scared of her!" Crabbe started counting on his fingers. "You were scared just now. Seven seconds ago." "..." "Shut up!" Malfoy snapped. "My father's already making plans to deal with her. She'll be kicked out of Hogwarts soon enough!" Goyle and Crabbe exchanged glances—clearly, neither of them believed him. ——— Edward taught a Transfiguration class to the first-year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws that morning, but had no other classes for the rest of the day. In the meantime, he visited Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher, to ask about the goblin rebellions. Unfortunately, he didn't gain much new information. The day passed quietly. The arrival of the Durmstrang students didn't cause much disruption to life at Hogwarts—after all, there was no Triwizard Tournament this time, no Goblet of Fire. Once the initial curiosity wore off, there wasn't much left to talk about. In the end, wizards were just people—heads, two eyes, same as anyone else. And if the Durmstrang students weren't allowed to use Dark Magic at Hogwarts, then what made them so different? After dinner, Dumbledore approached Edward and Audrey. With the help of the phoenix Fawkes, he Apparated them—along with Lilith and Susie—to the entrance of a familiar room. "This is the Room of Requirement. I imagine you two know it far better than I do." He stepped forward and opened the door. Inside, several individuals were seated like students, spaced out in various chairs. Dumbledore smiled and said, "Good evening, everyone." "Now, please rise—and welcome your new teacher, Professor Edward." ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.

Chapter 212 - 212: Welcome, Professor Edward

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