Magical Studies at Hogwarts

Hogwarts was particularly quiet during the summer vacation. Only Peeves and the ghosts remained in the noisy castle in the past, and even Filch had left.

It seemed that he was attending some training class on how to make a squib use magic.

Occasionally, Professor McGonagall will come back here to deal with some problems of the new students, send them admission letters or provide help, but most of the time she will not be here.Sometimes Dumbledore would come back, mostly at the request of Professor McGonagall. After all, only the headmaster could make decisions on some difficult issues.

"Is that all, Minerva?" Dumbledore signed his name on the agreement with Gringotts, which means that those new students who are particularly poor can receive a subsidy.The amount that each person can get is not much, but it adds up to a huge amount of money.

"That's all for now." Professor McGonagall put away the parchment, rolled it up and held it in her hand.Pushing up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, he asked again: "Have you found a candidate for the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

"Severus will take over that position," Dumbledore replied calmly.

Professor McGonagall stopped pushing her glasses and said hurriedly: "But Dumbledore, that position..."

"Curse, yes, I know." Dumbledore said, "But there is nothing we can do about it. Under the current situation, it is difficult to recruit a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I spent the whole holiday searching. No one has agreed to take over the position."

"But in comparison, I have a very good candidate for the position of Potions Professor."

"Are you talking about Professor Slughorn? Will he agree to return to Hogwarts at this time?" Professor McGonagall looked puzzled. She knew very well what Horace Slughorn was like. It seems that he is not a qualified professor. He only sees outstanding and outstanding wizards, but turns a blind eye to the mediocre ones.

Because of this personality, they had a very good relationship when Voldemort was still at Hogwarts, and could even be called his favorite disciples. However, after Voldemort became the Dark Lord, Slughorn disappeared. He stopped attending the gatherings of his students. For a long time, no one knew where he was.

"With all due respect, the possibility of Professor Slughorn agreeing is not high." Professor McGonagall said, "You may want to think again, Dumbledore."

"It doesn't matter, I'm sure to convince him." Dumbledore shook his head slightly and said calmly, "Besides, there are some things I need to get answers from him."

"About that person?"

"Yes, it's related to Tom." Dumbledore said, a smile suddenly appeared on his face, "Believe me, Minerva, he will agree. After all, now we have Harry, Hermione, Silla Ghorn loves great students, doesn't he?"

"But..." Before Professor McGonagall finished speaking, there was a sudden banging sound from the window of the principal's office, which attracted the attention of both of them.

Dumbledore had doubts in his eyes. He glanced at Professor McGonagall, then at Fawkes on the shelf, and finally stood up and came to the window.

Opening the window, there was a tired-looking owl.There were still water drops on its body, and a feather on its wings was missing.Seeing Dumbledore appear, he hurriedly put the letter in his mouth into his hand, and even picked it up with his paws.

Dumbledore took the letter. There was no information on the envelope. He looked at the exhausted owl again, and his expression suddenly became solemn.

"What's the matter, Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall asked softly.

"Sorry Minerva, I need some private space now." Dumbledore pinched the letter and turned to look at Professor McGonagall calmly.

Professor McGonagall stared at it for a moment, nodded slightly, without saying a word, and left with the signed agreement.

Dumbledore watched quietly as Professor McGonagall walked out of the door, holding the letter in one hand and waving his wand with the other. The two curtains covered the portraits of Brother Zhang on the wall.He hurriedly walked towards a full-length mirror, waved his wand again, and the mirror immediately rotated, revealing a secret room.

It was empty, except for a half-height stone pillar, on which was placed a wide, flat and hollow copper basin - a pensieve.

He came to the pensieve and eagerly opened the letter. There was only a blank piece of paper inside.Dumbledore's expression remained normal, his wand gently tapped on the letter paper, and a ray of silver-white satin-like light was pulled out.

Putting it directly into the pensieve, Dumbledore dived in without any hesitation.

As soon as his face was immersed in the sleep of the pensieve, he felt a sense of weightlessness like a phantom. When he stood still, his appearance had completely changed.

It was an empty living room, with a lonely fireplace leaning against the wall, only a brown sofa and a small wooden coffee table.

A thin old man with white hair was sitting on the sofa, wearing a white robe.

"Albus." He seemed to be aware of it. When Dumbledore's figure appeared here, he turned his head, his eyes were very calm.

"Gellert..." Dumbledore murmured, standing quietly, his eyes firmly fixed on Grindelwald.

Grindelwald also stood up from the sofa, took two steps in the direction of Dumbledore, and almost touched Dumbledore when he stopped.He seemed to be able to see Dumbledore's figure, and he looked up and down. After a long time, he said softly: "This should be the last letter I write to you, Albus..."

"I should be dead by the time you receive it."

"Did it scare you? Did you feel a little sad?"

"Ha~"

A bright smile appeared on Grindelwald's face, and his tone became much lighter.

"A few days ago, I saw some pictures... You know, I have the ability to predict. No one except you can mislead me about the pictures I saw..."

"In that picture, I saw a snake-like person. That should be Tom Riddle, right? The trouble you are facing now?"

"He probably asked me something, but I refused, and then he killed me."

"A green light... Bang! Then I died." Grindelwald gestured with his hands and tilted his head suddenly, but the smile on his face did not diminish at all.

"But it's not important. I won't use my remaining magic power to tell you this boring thing..." He shook his head, his face instantly became serious, and his tone became much heavier.

"Listen, Albus, there was not just one person on the day I died, there was another young guy..."

"You have to pay attention! He is very dangerous, more dangerous than Tom!"

"I have a feeling that I should have predicted something about that young man, but somehow, my memory has no relevant content..." Grindelwald stared hard, his eyes full of solemnity, " You know what I mean, Albus!"

Dumbledore looked at Grindelwald quietly in front of him, at the bloodshot eyes that suddenly appeared, and at his extremely serious face, motionless, like a sculpture.

After a long while, Grindelwald suddenly smiled, his eyes closed and opened, and the bloodshot eyes disappeared completely.He returned to the sofa and sat down, placing the fingers of his right hand together on his temple, with a soft white light shining gently on it.

Suddenly, he turned his head, and there was only water-like calm in his eyes.

"This time, I won, Albus..."