William pushed open the gleaming oak door, revealing a spacious and beautiful circular room.
It overlapped almost perfectly with the memories from his student days; it seemed nothing had changed in over a decade.
The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, most of whom were gently snoring in their frames. On spindly-legged tables sat a number of curious silver instruments that whirred and puffed out small clouds of smoke.
A magnificent phoenix with brilliant plumage perched on a gilded stand behind the door, cocking its head to survey the new visitor.
Behind the enormous claw-footed desk in the center of the room, Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet.
He was wearing purple robes covered in stars. His long silver hair and beard hung down almost to his waist, and behind his half-moon spectacles, his azure eyes twinkled with wisdom.
"Welcome back, William." Dumbledore walked around the desk and extended his hand warmly. "Although your status has changed, I trust you will enjoy this place just as much as you did when you were a student."
"I hope so too, Headmaster Dumbledore."
William shook the long, slender hand, then, at Dumbledore's gesture, sat in the soft armchair across the desk.
"Care for a drink?" Dumbledore waved his wand, and several exquisite teacups and a teapot floated over. "Mead? Pumpkin juice? Butterbeer?"
"Lemon black tea is fine, thank you. Just a little sugar."
William replied politely, feeling that he and Dumbledore likely had very different standards for sweetness.
The teapot automatically filled his cup with black tea. William took the steaming cup but didn't drink immediately; instead, he tapped the side of the cup lightly with his wand.
A layer of frost appeared, and the hot tea instantly transformed into iced lemon tea. He took a sip, feeling the cold, sweet-and-sour liquid slide down his throat, and wore a satisfied expression.
"A very creative way to drink it; perhaps I should try that myself," Dumbledore praised with a smile, then set down his own cup, his tone turning slightly apologetic. "I apologize for interrupting your pleasant summer holiday, William. You weren't supposed to receive your official appointment notice for another few days, but because there are some additional matters to discuss with you, I had to call you to the school early."
"It's fine, Headmaster." William waved his hand, his posture relaxed. "As you know, I've just honorably retired from the Ministry. I'm a man of leisure now. Please, speak your mind."
Dumbledore sighed, interlaced his fingers on the desk, and looked at William over his half-moon spectacles.
"Actually, some time ago, I intended to visit and invite you personally. However, it just so happened that besides Alchemy, the position for Defense Against the Dark Arts professor also became vacant."
Dumbledore looked somewhat helpless. "You know the situation with this subject. I had to personally go out and search for a wizard willing to take on the post, which is why I asked Severus to pass the message on my behalf."
"So..." William put down his teacup, a sudden ominous feeling rising within him. "Did you find someone?"
Hearing this question, Dumbledore immediately put on a distressed expression.
"Regrettably, no." The old Headmaster shook his head, his silver beard swaying gently with the movement. "I traveled across half of Britain, visiting many wizards with achievements in this field, including some reclusive old friends, but the results were depressing."
"As soon as they heard it was the Defense Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts, they either suddenly fell gravely ill or claimed they had sworn an oath never to use a wand again."
William fell silent. The rumor that "the Defense Against the Dark Arts position is cursed by Voldemort" seemed to have a far greater deterrent effect in the wizarding world than he had imagined.
"When I returned and learned from Professor McGonagall that you were willing to take the Alchemy post, I was truly delighted," Dumbledore continued. His tone suddenly became lighthearted, as if he had found a surprise candy hidden in a wrapper. "To arrange your teaching schedule, I specifically looked over the timetable for the new term, and then... I suddenly discovered something very interesting."
At this point, Dumbledore paused.
Those azure eyes gazed deeply at William, holding a trace of anticipation and a hint of cunning.
That look confirmed William's earlier premonition completely.
He took a deep breath and said slowly, "So you mean, in addition to the Alchemy post..."
"It seems we are of one mind." Dumbledore immediately took over the conversation warmly, giving William absolutely no chance to refuse. "I was pleasantly surprised to find that Alchemy, being an advanced elective, usually only involves sixth and seventh-year students. This means you only have four classes a week in total."
"What ample time! This means the Alchemy professor has the energy and capacity to concurrently hold another professorship."
His true intentions were finally laid bare.
William rubbed his temples. "Headmaster, that would be exhausting. As far as I know, Defense Against the Dark Arts is a core subject for first through seventh years."
"Perhaps just a tiny bit more tiring than other professors." Dumbledore indicated a microscopic distance with his thumb and forefinger, his tone sincere. "But the holidays are nearly over, and I still haven't found a suitable candidate. If this class is left empty, it would be terribly unfair to the children."
"It is truly a desperate measure, William."
To prevent William from refusing, Dumbledore quickly threw out the bargaining chips he had prepared in advance.
"Of course, since you are taking on two roles, your compensation will naturally differ from other staff. Your salary and benefits will be doubled; you've earned it." Dumbledore waved his hand. "Furthermore, in addition to the Alchemy office, the Defense Against the Dark Arts office and its two attached staff quarters will all belong to you."
"I imagine, as an Alchemy professor, you must need space for experiments? One office might be a bit small. No problem—how you wish to renovate those rooms is entirely up to you. The school fully supports it."
Saying this, Dumbledore leaned forward and offered his final promise: "Besides that, if you have any other requests, whether regarding teaching or daily life, you can discuss them with me. As long as they are within reason, I will do my best to satisfy them."
Hearing this, William fell silent.
In his original impression, being a Hogwarts professor was never an easy job—grading homework, handling student disputes, preparing lessons... Now he had to shoulder two hardcore subjects simultaneously, one of which was compulsory for the whole school.
If it were just about teaching, there was no need to exhaust himself for a so-called double salary; his family vault did not lack Galleons.
But...
William's mind raced.
Precisely because of the System's existence, his goal wasn't just to be a professor. To earn points, he needed to carry out drastic "construction" at Hogwarts and intervene in the young wizards' education.
Before coming, he had drafted countless plans on how to ask Dumbledore for the authority to intervene in Hogwarts' affairs. After all, the likelihood of a new professor being rejected for trying to dictate how the whole school ran was quite high.
But now, the situation had changed.
Now, it was Dumbledore who needed a favor from him.
This "Defense Against the Dark Arts" position delivered to his doorstep, though a massive burden, was also a massive bargaining chip.
If he took over this mess, he would have the capital to haggle with Dumbledore. Plans that wouldn't have been approved originally now had room for negotiation.
It was all because of the System, for better or worse.
Watching William, who was silent and seemingly weighing the pros and cons, Dumbledore waited patiently.
Just as he was about to ask how the consideration was going, William suddenly spoke.