The Pen of Acceptance seemed to acknowledge all who possessed even a trace of magic, recording every name it detected into the Book of Admission.
However, the Book of Admission was far stricter. It immediately erased the names of those who exceeded the enrollment age, then reclassified the remaining names, arranging them neatly according to admission year.
The very first page displayed the list of new students set to enroll in September, Year 2961.
Among them were not only young wizards from Sylas's own lands, but also Elven children, Dúnedain, and even skin-changers, totaling nearly a hundred students.
Speaking of the Dúnedain, this proud race descended from the Númenóreans possessed remarkable longevity, living more than three times the lifespan of ordinary Men, and also carried within them traces of ancient magic.
One famous example was Aragorn, the foster son of Elrond. His ancestor was Elros, Elrond's own twin brother, and through that lineage Aragorn inherited both Elven blood and extraordinary magical potential.
In the year 2951, when Aragorn turned twenty, Elrond revealed his true heritage and entrusted him with two royal heirlooms of Arnor, the Ring of Barahir and the shattered Sword of Narsil.
At Elrond's request, Sylas personally crafted a wand for Aragorn as well.
Aragorn had even attended the engagement and wedding of Sylas and Arwen, and afterward, upon reaching adulthood, he returned to the northern Dúnedain to assume his role as Chieftain. At the same time, he began wandering Middle-earth as a Ranger, guarding its wild lands in secret.
The northern Dúnedain, under Aragorn's leadership, lived quietly across the Eriador region. They moved constantly, seldom revealing their settlements, and were known by common folk as the Wanderers.
As the descendants of the fallen Kingdom of Arnor, they regarded it as their duty to protect its former lands and preserve the peace of Eriador from the shadows.
Yet since Sylas established his dominion over Weathertop, the surrounding lands had become remarkably peaceful. Forces of darkness such as Orcs and other corrupted creatures no longer dared to encroach.
With the birth of the wizarding community and the founding of the Ministry of Magic, Aurors stationed at Weathertop expanded their patrols, purging every trace of the Dark Arts from the region.
From the North Downs to the South Downs, west to the Barrow-downs, and east to the Last Bridge, all became part of their watch.
Whenever Orcs, Trolls, or Wargs appeared, the Aurors struck swiftly and without mercy, eradicating them entirely.
Even the Trollshaws, once infamous for their monsters, were purged. The Trolls were either slain or forced deep into the mountains, too terrified to descend again.
Many of the Aurors had once been villagers rescued by Sylas from the Trolls, and they fought with personal vengeance, cutting down every creature they found.
The Trollshaws, once a place of dread, fell silent. Travelers could now journey the East-West Road unimpeded, passing safely between Weathertop and Rivendell.
With Aurors now protecting the entire Eriador region, the Dúnedain found themselves with little work left to do. They gathered in a quiet river bend south of the Trollshaws, between the Hoarwell and Loudwater rivers, choosing to live in seclusion.
In the Book of Admission, Sylas noticed several Dúnedain children listed, all marked with addresses from that river bend.
The Pen of Acceptance and Book of Admission were now complete, and the student list finalized.
With enrollment secured, Sylas turned his thoughts to the teachers.
It was midsummer of 2961, only a few months before the opening of the first Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The most pressing task was to appoint the inaugural professors.
As in the Hogwarts of another world, Sylas planned to offer the same foundational subjects.
First-year courses would include Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, Herbology, and Flying Class.
This meant at least eight professors would be needed to teach the first-year students.
These were only the compulsory subjects. Beginning in the third year, students would also have access to elective courses such as Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Alchemy, all of which would require additional professors later.
But for now, Sylas's focus was on the first-year faculty.
For Potions, the choice was obvious: Elenhis, the most skilled potion-maker in his realm.
As for the other subjects, Sylas decided to recruit openly, selecting from among the graduates of his Magical Crash Course.
For History of Magic, he planned to use Elven historical texts, allowing students to study the long chronicle of Middle-earth from the Years of the Lamps and Years of the Trees, through the First, Second, and Third Ages.
Naturally, the Elves, being the oldest and most knowledgeable of all races, were best suited to teach this subject.
Thus, Sylas resolved to invite an Elf scholar to serve as the Professor of History of Magic.
After finalizing his decision, Sylas immediately issued a recruitment announcement.
Wizards in Hogsmeade, Bree, and Isengard, upon hearing that the Lord was recruiting Professors for various subjects, immediately became lively and eagerly signed up.
Even Mayor Graeme of Bree City, Mayor Luke of Hogsmeade, and Brog, chose to apply.
After layers of assessment and selection, by early July, eight course Professors stood out.
Among them, Butler Edward defeated a host of competitors to become the Transfiguration Professor.
Luke resigned from his position as Mayor of Hogsmeade to become the Charms Professor.
Brog became the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.
Elenhis, with the best Potion skills, became the Potions Professor.
The Herbology post was taken by Margarethe, a witch who had long tended Sylas's gardens and herb plots.
The Astronomy chair was unexpectedly won by Aldamir, a Dúnedain.
Sylas was genuinely surprised, he hadn't expected Aldamir to apply for Astronomy, much less win. Aldamir held standing among the northern Dúnedain; Sylas had first met him at the Prancing Pony during the journey to the Lonely Mountain and had once traded him a barrow-sword for living herb stock.
Aldamir had magical talent as well; after the wand shop opened in Diagon Alley, he obtained a wand and bought basic magic texts to study. From there he shuttled between Hogsmeade and Bree, seeking out graduates of the accelerated program for guidance, and through diligence surpassed many of them in practical ability.
Combined with his deep knowledge of the stars, he outclassed the field and earned Sylas's trust, and the chair.
For History of Magic, Sylas originally intended to invite an elder Elf from Rivendell.
But Arwen volunteered to take the post herself.
Seeing Arwen's subtly rounded belly after a year of pregnancy, Sylas meant to refuse; yet when he met her hopeful gaze, he hesitated. At last Galadriel spoke and persuaded him, promising to assist Arwen with the course.
Only then did Sylas relent and agree.
As for Flying Class, Sylas had planned to find a gifted flyer.
That was when Gandalf arrived, on a broom.
"Gandalf, do you really want to apply for the Flying Class Professor position?" Sylas asked, half-astonished, half-amused.
...
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