The last day of January happened to be a weekend. The weather was pleasant today, with bright sunlight at eight or nine in the morning scattering across the shimmering lake. The newly grown buds of the willow trees lining the lake shore and the lush green lawn swayed in the spring breeze, and the air was filled with a sense of peaceful contentment.
On the Quidditch pitch, the four house teams, dressed in jerseys of various styles and colors, appeared simultaneously. After some difficult and even fierce negotiations, they each occupied a corner of the pitch, practicing their team tactics. However, to avoid revealing core secrets, aside from the simple-minded Hufflepuff, the other three houses didn't reveal their true capabilities for their opponents to gauge.
Amosita, who had finally adjusted his body clock after two days, stood by the window. He gazed at the vibrant Hogwarts, letting the gentle breeze ruffle his soft gray hair. His mood was unusually pleasant. He made up his mind that from now on, if he encountered any commission that required continuous night shifts, the commission fee would have to be twenty percent higher than the market rate.
As he walked through the castle, the young wizards he met along the way cast surprised glances at him. This was because almost everyone knew that the investigator dispatched by the Board of Governors was someone with living habits similar to a bat, never appearing during the day, preferring to be active at night. The probability of seeing him during the day was even lower than finding a troll in the castle.
In the Great Hall, a sparse number of late-rising students sat scattered. At the faculty table, Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and Snape were sitting together, chatting in low voices. When they saw Amosita walking towards them, Professor Flitwick immediately stood up from his stool and congratulated him.
"We were just discussing you," Flitwick said in his squeaky voice, lowering it. "We've heard the wonderful news from Minerva. Amosita, we all believe you'll be excellent at this job."
"Provided you show your true capabilities, Amosita." Professor Sprout adjusted the patched and dusty hat on her head, chuckling playfully. "Of course, as long as you're willing to display even a thousandth of your strength, you'll definitely be much better than a certain attention-seeking fellow."
The three professors before him were all his revered teachers. Amosita treated them with great warmth. He smiled and expressed his gratitude, then humbly added, "Education is a profound field of study. Possessing knowledge is one thing; effectively imparting it to young wizards is another. Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, I certainly cannot compare to your vast experience."
Amosita's clever compliments greatly pleased the two of them. Flitwick turned his head and chuckled at Snape, who was feigning unfamiliarity with Amosita. "Severus must be disappointed, right? I've lost count of how many times you've failed in this teaching position, and now, you've lost to your favorite student!"
"Perhaps Severus is already accustomed to such defeat?" Professor Sprout's well-placed jab made Amosita, who was eating toast, burst into laughter. Snape's face darkened, and he let out a cold snort. "There's nothing to be proud of in becoming the professor for this class, Amosita. Only those who can safely retire from this position truly have skill."
"What you couldn't do doesn't mean I can't either, Professor." Amosita's smiling response made Snape's face turn even darker.
After a pleasant breakfast, they all dispersed, agreeing to meet up for a drink at the Three Broomsticks sometime. Amosita did not return to his own quarters but went to Professor McGonagall's office. This meeting was clearly pre-arranged, as Professor McGonagall showed no surprise when Amosita knocked on her office door.
"Oh, thank goodness, you're finally here!" Professor McGonagall murmured, her lips tightly pursed in complaint. Perhaps because the heir of the Chamber of Secrets had caused no trouble and everything was proceeding smoothly, Professor McGonagall's mood and complexion looked much better than they had during the Christmas holidays.
"No matter what, Amosita, I have to thank you. Several older students in the school have always dreamed of becoming Aurors after graduation... You know, becoming an Auror requires at least five N.E.W.T.S. certificates, including Defense Against the Dark Arts. If they continued with Gilderoy's teaching methods, those children would have to face their shattered dreams prematurely!"
"I can only do my best, Professor McGonagall," Amosita replied with a wry smile, "But please don't expect too much from me. You know, I've never been very good at exams, let alone helping young wizards pass them. And if there are any clues about the Chamber of Secrets, I'll definitely prioritize dealing with those."
"Oh, we've all witnessed your abilities, Amosita," Professor McGonagall said, raising her chin unhappily. "I think you truly need to correct your excessive modesty. As for that Chamber of Secrets, oh, I can't deal with that anymore, Amosita. Let Headmaster Dumbledore worry about it. He needs to do something useful too."
What could Amosita say? He could only continue with a wry smile.
"Regarding the work distribution between you and Gilderoy, this is what I think." When discussing work, Professor McGonagall completely adopted a different attitude. She said with a very serious expression, "Currently, the most urgent need for your help is with the fifth and seventh-year students. They are about to face the two most important exams of their lives, which concern their destinies. Amosita, I hope you and Gilderoy can divide the work: he will be responsible for teaching up to fifth year, and you will be responsible for fifth to seventh year."
Amosita pondered in silence. Professor McGonagall's allocation plan was indeed reasonable, but it went against his original intention for taking this teaching position. If he couldn't interact with the main characters, what was the point of his efforts?
"Regarding this matter, Professor McGonagall, I think it's better if Professor Lockhart and I discuss it first." Ultimately, Amosita did not give a clear answer.
After leaving Professor McGonagall's office, Amosita immediately went to see Professor Lockhart without delay. Tomorrow was the start of a new week, and he had to finalize this matter by this morning. Then he would use the afternoon and evening to make some preparations. Even if his motive for becoming a professor was impure, he didn't want to be a figurehead and ruin his reputation like Professor Lockhart.
Speaking of Lockhart, Amosita couldn't help but feel very strange. What kind of teaching method could earn such consistent "praise" from all Hogwarts professors and most young wizards, to the point where even Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore would swallow their pride and ask him to "come out of retirement"?
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