"So, he hasn't turned fifteen yet?" Harry was stunned for a moment and said, "Can someone under fifteen be a professor at Hogwarts?"
"Whether he can be a professor has nothing to do with age!" Hermione shook her head and said, "It's about ability! As long as he has enough skill, he can handle the job perfectly!"
"Yes, exactly." George nodded in agreement, then patted Harry's shoulder. "If you had experiences and skills like Zickrein's, you could be a professor too. Our great Professor Harry, leading us through dangers and hardships."
"Of course, you definitely can't right now." Fred winked and laughed, "You'd probably lead us right into a ditch."
"Hahahaha!"
As soon as the words were out, everyone burst into laughter. Harry Potter scratched his hair in annoyance and said, "Okay, okay. I admit his legendary background really qualifies him to be our professor, but what subject do you think he'll teach?"
"With his skills, any subject would work." George rested his chin on his hand, thought for a moment, and said, "But I think Defense Against the Dark Arts is the most likely."
"Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Harry Potter paused and said, "Is he good with Dark Arts stuff too?"
"Simple Ways to Fight Dark Magic—that book was written by him." Hermione replied in a teacher-like tone, "The content is easy to understand. You all should read it more."
"Forget books. Practice is what matters!" Ron predictably disagreed with her and said, "Right, Harry?"
"Ah, yeah." Harry Potter nodded along.
Deep down, Harry agreed with Hermione on this—some books were worth reading. But since he was on Ron's side right now, he didn't argue.
Hermione paused, then said loudly, "How do you practice without knowledge? Don't be foolish!"
"Thanks for the tip." Ron glanced at her, then looked away. "But this doesn't concern you. Mind your own business."
"You..." The girl turned red with anger and stopped herself.
Just then, Dumbledore slowly rose from his seat. He raised both hands and gently pressed them downward.
In an instant, all the chatter stopped. Every young wizard stared wide-eyed at the headmaster on stage.
"It's a new school year. Hogwarts welcomes all you new students." Dumbledore looked around, speaking at an even pace. "Of course, it's not just the cute new students—we have new professors too."
New students and old ones all held their breath, waiting for what the headmaster would say next.
"Let me take a moment to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart!"
The words had barely landed.
Lockhart, in a bright green robe and dressed very flashily, jumped up and waved to the young wizards. "Hahahaha! What an honor to see you all here! Yes, I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor! I hear this job carries a lot of weight, but who else could do it? After all, I've truly faced all kinds of dark creatures..."
Hearing his boasting, Snape nearby showed a look of strong disgust and annoyance.
He had wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job for a long time. But Voldemort had cursed the position, so Dumbledore always turned him down.
Today, seeing this fool Lockhart bragging in the role, you can imagine how revolted he felt inside.
"Hey, how long is he going to keep talking?"
"We weren't waiting for his speech anyway!"
"But you have to admit, he has some real talent. The wizarding world agrees."
"His smile is really charming."
Lockhart's nonstop rambling drew complaints from the male young wizards. The females had stars in their eyes and looked full of admiration.
"It's rude, but please let me interrupt, Professor Lockhart." After a while, Professor McGonagall, seated to his left, finally spoke up, unable to take it anymore. "We're short on time."
"Oh, of course." Lockhart paused, then nodded lightly. "Becoming a Hogwarts professor has me so excited, I talked too much."
"We understand." Dumbledore smiled and nodded at him. "But if this continues, the students will head to their dorms on empty stomachs."
"Hahahaha!"
Laughter filled the hall. The male students' laughs clearly carried sarcasm. Dumbledore waved it off and continued, "Next, our new Astronomy professor! Zickrein Pastor!"
"Wow!"
The hall exploded in gasps. Some young wizards hadn't been sure it was really him before. Now, with Dumbledore saying it himself, they finally knew for sure.
Zickrein Pastor! The legend among legends was really coming to teach at their school. This was thrilling in a way that left them speechless.
Clap clap clap.
Someone started applauding. The hall soon filled with thunderous applause.
Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff students—boys and girls—all wore joyful smiles.
Not just the students; the professors clapped happily too.
They had all taken part, to some degree, in Zickrein's legendary feats. They felt proud of what this boy, like a god of magic in human form, had achieved.
Even Lockhart clapped along, though it was hard to tell how sincere he was. His smile looked wide and happy, as if he'd helped shape Zickrein himself.
In this heated, upbeat mood, Zickrein stood up slowly. "Thank you for the welcome. I'll work hard to guide you through Astronomy's secrets. I'm back at Hogwarts today not just as a professor, but as a student too." He sat back down after his short speech.
"What? A student?"
"No way! Are we going to classes with Zickrein?"
"Oh my god! Which house will he join? Can I be his roommate?"
"Calm down—you're a girl!"
"That's exactly why I want to be his roommate!"
Zickrein's words sparked all sorts of guesses and heated talk among the young wizards. The whole Hogwarts was as noisy as a busy market.
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