A few days later, a tawny owl tapped on the window of Shafik Manor.
Willy untied the envelope bound to its leg; on the back was a wax seal imprinted with a shield coat of arms, where the capital letter "H" was surrounded by an eagle, a lion, a badger, and a snake.
His name was written on it in emerald green ink. Willy tore open the envelope and saw that the letter read:
Dear Professor Willy Shafik:
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted for the position of Professor of Alchemy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please enter the school via Floo Powder on August 20th at ten o'clock in the morning (Location: Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress's Office). If you choose another method, please inform us in advance.
Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall.
"August 20th? So early?"
Willy felt a bit surprised; he frowned and folded the letter.
In his memory, many Professors seemed to make their official appearance only on the eve of the start-of-term feast on September 1st. Having him go to school ten days early suggested there was plenty of preparatory work to do, or perhaps some special arrangement.
However, Willy wasn't against this; in fact, he even felt a slight sense of anticipation.
After an absence of twelve years, returning to this Castle as a Professor felt quite wonderful.
For Willy himself, Hogwarts held a special significance.
During his student days, the First Wizarding War was in full swing. The outside world was in a state of constant fear due to Lord Voldemort's rampaging, and only Hogwarts, under Dumbledore's protection, became one of the few pure lands in all of Britain.
There, there were no shadows of the Dark Mark from the war, nor the nauseating schemes of politicians in the Ministry of Magic that came later. Others might not know, but for Willy, it was definitely a pleasant period of school life.
"Hiss—!"
"Hah—!"
A cacophony of hissing interrupted Willy's nostalgia.
He turned his head and saw a mess on the long sofa; Otto was fighting again.
The left head and the middle head seemed to have reached some sort of strategic alliance, ganging up from two directions on the right head, which was the most short-tempered and often the one to start trouble.
"It seems you have plenty of energy."
Willy was in a great mood. He didn't tie Otto's three heads into a knot to force a reconciliation through close contact as he usually did. Instead, humming an ancient wizarding tune, he gave his wand a light flick.
"Pop, pop, pop."
After three soft sounds, three brightly colored hoods printed with funny clown patterns appeared out of thin air, precisely fitting over Otto's three heads.
The world instantly became quiet, leaving only three hooded snake necks swaying confusedly in the air... August 20th, 9:55 AM.
Willy stood before the massive stone fireplace, checking himself in the mirror one last time as he straightened his deep blue robes embroidered with silver patterns.
His father, Richard, had gone out early in the morning to attend a gathering without even notifying Willy. At this moment, only the House-elf, Locke, stood by, his large ears drooping as he bowed with a face full of reluctance to see Willy off.
"Locke," Willy said, picking up the suitcase containing Otto while looking at the elf with a half-smile, "are you really not considering coming with me? Hogwarts' kitchen is large, but I'm afraid I won't get used to the food there."
"As long as you nod, you won't have to spend all day accompanying a tiresome old man in a boring retirement."
Locke trembled all over, his large eyes filled with panic and hesitation. He shook his head, his large ears flapping loudly.
"Oh, no, Master, Locke cannot go," he squeaked. "The Master specifically called Locke last night and very sternly warned Locke to stay and look after the manor, and absolutely not to go anywhere with the Young Master, no matter what reason the Young Master uses."
"The Master also emphasized that this is an order, the most severe order, overriding any of the Young Master's instructions."
Seeing the elf's look of facing a great enemy, Willy's lip twitched slightly. He hadn't expected his father to have guarded against this move long ago.
"Alright, relax, Locke, I was just joking."
Seeing this, Willy immediately changed his tune, shrugged, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, and tossed it into the fireplace.
Green flames surged up, instantly engulfing the entire fireplace.
"Hogwarts, Deputy Headmistress's Office!"
Carrying the suitcase that was shaking slightly due to Otto's struggling inside, Willy stepped into the spinning flames.
After a bout of dizziness, Willy's feet landed firmly on solid ground.
He stepped elegantly out of the fire, flicked his wand, and cleared away a few specks of dust from his robes.
This was a circular office filled with a scholarly atmosphere. Outside the window was the familiar Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch. Behind the desk, a stern-looking Witch wearing square glasses was buried in grading something.
Hearing the noise, she looked up. That face, which was always tense, softened slightly upon seeing Willy.
"Good morning, Professor McGonagall," Willy greeted warmly. "I hope I'm not late."
"Very punctual, Mr. Shafik—or perhaps I should call you Professor Shafik now."
Minerva McGonagall stood up and quickly assessed her former student. Willy's appearance was somewhat unexpected.
Previously, she had estimated Willy's changes based on Snape's condition, since the two were in the same year. But now it seemed that Willy's appearance hadn't changed much since graduation.
Over a decade of time had not left many marks on this man, even though Snape, who was the same age, already looked like he was well into middle age.
"It's good to see you, Willy."
From her tone, Willy could hear Professor McGonagall's pleasure at this meeting. This wasn't surprising; although Professor McGonagall was known for her strictness, she never withheld her appreciation for truly outstanding students.
And Willy Shafik was undoubtedly one of the most memorable students of her teaching career.
After all, a student who could obtain ten 'O's in both the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s exams was rare even in Ravenclaw.
"I'm also honored to be back here, Professor," Willy responded humbly.
"According to the procedure, I should have first taken you to familiarize yourself with your office and explained the curriculum and staff regulations," Professor McGonagall said, walking around the desk to stand before Willy. "However, Dumbledore specifically instructed that as soon as you arrive, you should go see him first."
"He's arranged a meeting, so I can only wait until you've finished talking to proceed with the subsequent work."
"Dumbledore wants to see me?"
Willy was somewhat surprised.
It was Dumbledore who had taken the initiative to have Snape find him. Since it was an active invitation, it usually meant the vetting process was over.
If he still had to have a conversation before starting, like an interview, it seemed a bit redundant.
"Yes, right now." Professor McGonagall nodded, but her expression gave nothing away. "He's waiting for you in the Headmasters Office."
"Alright, I'll head over there now."
Although Willy was puzzled, he didn't show it. He picked up his suitcase and followed Professor McGonagall out of the office.
The two passed through familiar corridors and came to a large stone Gargoyle on the second floor.
"Chocolate Frog."
Professor McGonagall spoke the password to the stone beast.
The massive Gargoyle immediately leaped aside, and the wall behind it cracked open, revealing a spiral stone staircase moving slowly upward.
"Go on up, Willy," Professor McGonagall gestured.
Willy nodded and stepped onto the stone stairs. As the stairs spiraled upward, he came to a gleaming oak door with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.
He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked gently on the door.
"Come in," a gentle voice came from inside.
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