A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 611: Bonfire Banquet - (1)

Chapter 611: Bonfire Banquet

Around the last week of July, several significant events unfolded.

Firstly, the Ministry of Magic officially declared an end to the state of war. This announcement brought a sense of relief to the wizarding community, who had been silently celebrating for some time. The news marked the official conclusion of the war, and people took to the streets once again to celebrate peace.

Accompanying this announcement was the revelation of investigations and evidence gathering against wizard criminals who committed crimes during the war.

Some pure-blood families breathed a sigh of relief.

The second event surprised everyone who heard it for the first time, and its impact was even more widespread – Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, voluntarily stepped down from his position as the President of the International Confederation of Wizards, citing old age.

"No wonder," Hagrid said in a booming voice, seated on the sofa in the Black family's living room, occupying two spaces by himself. "Those blokes kept whining at the international meetings, talking about how much they suffered. It's all nonsense! The time the Dark Wizard wreaked havoc outside didn't even add up to two months."

"What were they demanding?" Bill asked.

"Quite a lot," Mr. Weasley said, wiping his glasses. "As you all know, the mysterious figure first stole the Snake-wood wand from the Ilvermorny School of Enchantment and then killed their headmaster at the school gates. After a period of silence, he reappeared, robbing treasures from various countries..."

"Exactly," Mr. Weasley continued. "It's clear that the mysterious figure is extremely interested in magical items rumored to have extraordinary powers – the invisibility cloak passed down for centuries, the immortal mask from Africa, the coffin of the death god from Egypt, the fountain of elves from Scandinavia..."

"Do these things really exist?" Harry, who had been silently listening, spoke up. "I thought they were all fake, like, fairy tales."

"More or less," Mr. Weasley said with a furrowed brow. "I doubt any of them lives up to their big reputations; they're all... exaggerated. But the problem is, these things are now missing. They can't be found."

"Missing?" Mundungus repeated in a low voice, his eyes gleaming with cunning. "Could the mysterious figure have hidden them somewhere in Britain, creating a massive treasure trove?"

"Or maybe he destroyed them or threw them away," Bill said. "Remember that incident in Switzerland? In a black market there, the fairy leader claimed to have vampire fangs that could put people into a fake death state, a story that spread like wildfire... only to be revealed as werewolf teeth. The mysterious figure went on a killing spree, and only a few survived in the end..."

Mundungus let out a sound, a mix of mocking and sympathetic.

"It's obvious that the mysterious figure wants real items. The old fairy got the short end of the stick."

"But Voldemort took away quite a few treasures too, didn't he?" Harry asked. "Maybe that means those things are real, or at least effective."

Bill shrugged.

"I guess it's more likely that the mysterious figure couldn't immediately determine their authenticity and needs to go back and study them carefully. It's a delicate task. But... we can only speculate. In the end, only a few items were found – on Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Ah," Ron said.

"Yes, those third-rate tabloids, led by Rita Skeeter, fabricated a sensational story about an illicit affair between the Dark Lord and his most loyal follower... nonsense. They should have seen what that woman turned into in the end..."

"I heard..." Mundungus said in a hushed voice, "it was Professor Snape – Professor Snape discovered her, right on the edge of the battlefield where Dumbledore and the mysterious figure fought, deep underground for hundreds of feet..."

"Don't entertain bad ideas," Mr. Weasley kindly warned him.

"I know – I wouldn't dare," Mundungus muttered. "Professor Snape himself is a great alchemist and inherited Nick de Mimsy's fortune. How could he be interested in those rubbish... Although, he knows that Snape is interested in old items; he plans to ask him later. If Professor Snape has any intentions of 'disposing of stolen goods,' he wouldn't mind returning to his old trade, doing some dirty and tiring work, and making a profit out of it. That's what these big shots need, right..."

"Besides the recovery of stolen goods, I heard that some small countries, from who knows where, learned that the mysterious figure didn't die and are requesting to join the trial. In short, the situation is a mess. Oh, by the way, didn't they also establish an International Auror Team at that time, resulting in quite a few casualties? These are all problems."

In the afternoon, more people arrived.

Some stayed for a chat, while others greeted and used the fireplace to go to the shabby dwelling.

With the conclusion of the war, the Order of the Phoenix also completed its mission. They had volunteered for the noble cause, and now, it was time for them to quiet down again, just like the end of the first war.

Before parting ways, they planned to hold a bonfire party.

"Are we going to dance with torches in the living room?" Tonks asked cheerfully. "I don't mind—"

"I don't mind either," Sirius said. "But this is the place for chatting. The formal banquet is over there in the dwelling. I just went to take a look, and Molly and the others are busy. I took the opportunity while chopping wood to come out and get some fresh air."

"Mom must be bossing everyone around," Ron sighed in understanding.

"Don't say that," Mr. Weasley said with a slightly reproachful tone. "Your mother is thrilled. She keeps saying it's a blessing from heaven that no one in the family got hurt—"

"Then, what am I?" Ron complained, "I still have the scar from the curse on my chest."

"No, you don't," Harry said instinctively.

The people in the room burst into cheerful laughter. Harry, realizing his mistake, repeatedly apologized to Ron. He had just sorted out some things in his mind and wasn't in the right state of mind.

Tonks also chuckled and said to Lupin, who was holding his arm, "I'll go over there and take a look, lend a hand or something... dear."

Lupin nodded with a smile. As he watched her disappear into the fireplace, his expression became melancholic. Sirius walked over, put his arm around Lupin's shoulder, and loudly said, "Don't think too much! Today is a joyful day. Harry and I are planning to go on a trip in August. Do you want to join us? He also wrote a book..."

"You wrote a book?" Hagrid roared.

"You wrote a book?" Ron widened his eyes.

Harry looked at Sirius with anger in his eyes. He had promised not to reveal it! However, Sirius had already taken his best friend upstairs, saying they should have a good drink. Under the curious gazes of others, Harry awkwardly nodded.

"About what?" Bill asked with interest.

"Patronus," Harry said reluctantly. It wasn't just about Patronus; it included his thoughts on other aspects too, like the Disarming Charm, the Lumos spell, Rune magic, Quidditch flying, his understanding of combat, and even the knowledge he received from Voldemort's mind. These thoughts had emerged in his mind a few days before the holidays. If death was waiting for him in the near future, he wanted to do something, leave something behind.

But the Patronus Charm was what he was most confident about, so he spoke about it with more assurance.

Not hearing any mocking laughter, Harry secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, Mr. Weasley chuckled, "I heard that the examiners from the Examining Authority had a hard time this year. Besides Harry's revolutionary understanding of the Patronus spell, which left them uncertain, many students wrote down unpublished Rune spell knowledge, making it challenging for the examiners."

"Is that so?" Harry asked, eager to steer the conversation away from dangerous waters, even though he saw Ron's gaze and knew he would ask sooner or later—because Ron understood him better than even Sirius.

"Think about it, and it's not hard to understand. The Ancient Runes field is evolving rapidly, and many research results are achieved by students. I heard that more than half of the invited crowd for the Ancient Runes Annual Review in mid-August is under twenty years old."

Harry and Ron were amazed.

"You received an invitation?"

"We did," both of them admitted.

"That explains it."

Mr. Weasley and Bill chatted for a while and then left. Afterward, Sirius, with a slightly flushed face, left with Remus. Harry and Ron stayed behind, watching time pass. Finally, a commotion came from the entrance hall of the old house, and then they heard Hermione's voice.

She rushed in like a gust of wind.

"Harry! Ron! Oh, how was your holiday?" Hermione's face lit up, and she spoke rapidly, "I just returned from abroad a couple of days ago. I'm interning at The Burrow now, and I almost forgot the time. The things there are fascinating, and I didn't expect the things I discovered to be so useful... Oh, by the way, how did you guys do in your exams—"

Harry and Ron exchanged a smile.

"I knew you would definitely ask that question."

"Let's trade."

Harry took out a crumpled envelope from his pocket, unfolded it, and Hermione and Ron leaned in to see.

Ordinary Wizarding Levels Results:

Outstanding (O); Exceeds Expectations (E); Acceptable (A); Poor (P); Dreadful (D); Troll (T);

Harry James Potter's results:

Astronomy: A

Care of Magical Creatures: E

Charms: O

Defense Against the Dark Arts: O

Divination: P

Herbology: E

History of Magic: D

Potions: O

Transfiguration: O

Ancient Runes: O

...

"Tsk, even though I've seen it, it's still hard to believe. That's five Outstanding grades," Ron said, shaking his head.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Ancient Runes..." Hermione thought for a moment and said, "You could easily get the certification from Madam Pomfrey."

"In one sentence, Harry excelled in all subjects related to practical skills. I did too," Ron frowned, "It seems like we're well-rounded... I really want to break this pattern."

Harry smiled; he was very satisfied with his grades.

"What about you, Ron?" Hermione asked.

"I'm almost the same as Harry, except for Potions. I got an Exceeds Expectations there."

"Oh, well," Hermione said cautiously, "You can take the exam again this year... Don't give up, even if it's for the dream of Auror."

But Ron's face showed no disappointment; on the contrary, he smiled happily.

"Did you forget?" He said joyfully, "I and Harry are official members of the Anti-Dark Arts Alliance. They won't refuse to write one or two recommendation letters... I got the best result, don't have to take Snape's class, and it has no impact at all!"

Hermione pursed her lips but didn't raise any objections. They had discussed this issue a long time ago, and in the end, no one convinced anyone.

"What about you, Hermione?"

"Oh, it's okay." Hermione said quietly.

"Come on! Just tell us which exam you didn't get Outstanding in." Ron insisted, prompting Hermione.

"All Outstanding!?" Ron exclaimed, "Aren't you satisfied?" Hermione quickly shook her head, her eyes curved into crescents.

After tidying up a bit and locking the door, they traveled through the fireplace to The Burrow. As soon as they came out, Sirius and the Weasley twins dragged them away.

"Hurry up and help. We're busy; we need to cast spells around the area. If we don't finish, there won't be any food."

"Defensive spells?" Harry asked, puzzled. Was it necessary?

"Muggle Repelling Charm," Fred said with a smirk, "Tonight, we plan to make some noise. To prevent anyone from the village getting curious and coming over..."

They reached the orchard, where Charlie, Bill, and Lupin were setting up tents. Fleur was leaning affectionately against Bill, "Dear, how about doing the same for our wedding? But we need to add a small fountain and ice crystal sculptures..."

Ginny's face darkened. When she saw Harry and the others approaching, she sighed in relief and ran over, pretending to chant spells.

Everyone scattered, and Fred and George seemed to have found a gnome hole. They crouched down, holding their throats, and greeted, "Is anyone home? I lost some fruits..."

Harry and Sirius huddled together. Harry asked in a low voice, "What did you talk about with Remus?"

"Adult troubles," Sirius lazily waved his wand.

"Tell me about it," Harry insisted.

"Ah, you know about Kreach, right?"

Harry nodded.

"Thanks to our genius Headmaster, using Kreach, we found Bellatrix's precise location through Kreacher. But the matter isn't over. With the death of my cousin, Kreach lost his master again."

"Uh, so he's free?" Harry guessed.

"You got straight to the point, but the process isn't that simple," Sirius said, "According to the tradition of the Black family, Kreacher automatically belongs to the next eligible heir, namely Narcissa Black."

Harry widened his eyes and couldn't help exclaiming, "How is that acceptable? Look at how they treated Dobby!"

"Yeah, so Felix approached them, and the family very amicably renounced the inheritance rights. So... well, Kreacher ended up with Narcissa's sister, Tonks's mom."

"Felix didn't expect it, but it's fortunate that they're acquaintances. Romulus went to explain the situation—"

"Did something go wrong? They refused to let him go?"

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