The voice was the kind that grated on one's nerves the moment it was heard—shrill, fake, and unbearably irritating. Even Lilith couldn't help but cover her ears with her little paws.
Then came an old woman: short, pudgy and unpleasant-looking, with short curly hair pinned with a black velvet bow. She wore a fuzzy pink cardigan—open-fronted and soft-looking.
This look—this unmistakable outfit, this affected posture—Edward didn't need Dumbledore to introduce her to know who she was. She had to be the one person most Harry Potter readers despised more than even Voldemort himself: Dolores Umbridge.
But what was she doing here?
Wasn't it supposed to be in Order of the Phoenix that she got parachuted into teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts?
The smile on Dumbledore's face faded. He introduced her coolly, "Edward, Miss Hall—this is your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Madam Umbridge."
"Call me Professor, Headmaster!" she immediately snapped in that bizarre, nasal tone.
Edward was taken aback. "But what about Professor Lupin…?"
"For certain reasons, he had to leave Hogwarts," Dumbledore said.
Umbridge let out her strange little giggle. "Oh yes, certain reasons...I simply couldn't believe Hogwarts would ever hire a werewolf as a teacher. It made the Ministry—and Minister Fudge himself—seriously question whether this school is a safe place for young witches and wizards. So, I was sent to replace that werewolf and make sure nothing so preposterous ever happens again."
Dumbledore replied calmly, "Lupin would never harm anyone. He is a victim of lycanthropy, not a threat."
"Well, I wouldn't be so sure of that."
She turned her beady eyes on Edward and Audrey. "Oh~ you must be the two exchange students I've heard so much about—Mr. Edward and Miss Hall. Such a pleasure to finally meet you."
They both responded with polite reserve, "Pleasure to meet you, Professor."
Umbridge turned back to Dumbledore with a forced smile. "I'll be submitting my reform proposals very soon, Headmaster. I do hope you won't disappoint me—or the Ministry."
With that, she spun around and made for the door, stopping at the threshold to throw one last comment over her shoulder, "Oh, and by the way—your so-called 'special privileges' have now been revoked. No more skipping class, no more being late, and certainly no more of this ridiculous 'foreign exchange' nonsense. Thank you."
The two of them: "…"
"Apologies. That was…rather embarrassing," Dumbledore said with a wry smile as he removed his half-moon spectacles. "How should I put this…Not long ago, after confirming that Peter was still alive and Sirius had been wrongly accused, I tried once again to speak with Cornelius. But before I even mentioned re-opening Sirius's case, he flew into a rage—like a kettle at full boil. I think he suspects I'm simply trying to stir up trouble."
Ah. That explained it.
In the original books, Cornelius Fudge, while incompetent, was never truly evil. In the beginning, he and Dumbledore had a cooperative relationship—until Voldemort returned and Dumbledore's stance changed. That was when Fudge began to fear Dumbledore was trying to oust him and take his position. Combined with his terror of Voldemort, he began making a series of truly idiotic decisions.
"But how did Professor Lupin's identity get exposed? Don't tell me it was Professor Snape…"
Dumbledore sighed. "Severus resents Lupin, yes, but he knows where the line is. While you were away, Lupin had been tracking Peter. He nearly succeeded once—in the Forbidden Forest. Two days later, he was reported."
"So it was Wormtail who did it?"
"That's my guess."
"Where's Professor Lupin now?"
"I imagine he's still searching for Peter. Honestly, ever since he learned the truth about the betrayal of James and Lily Potter, he's had no heart left for teaching. Perhaps leaving Hogwarts is for the best. I only hope he finds Peter soon—then Sirius's name can be cleared."
"Just a moment," Edward said.
He took out a coin and flicked it into the air. "Is Peter Pettigrew still at Hogwarts?"
The coin landed with the reverse side up—negative.
"Not here?"
He flipped the coin again. "Is Voldemort currently at Hogwarts?"
The coin fell, rolled along the stone floor…then stood upright, perfectly still.
A failed divination—too little information?
Dumbledore quickly put his glasses back on and stared at the coin, intrigued. "Is this…some kind of divination magic you've learned?"
"Well, sort of," Edward replied, eyes shining. "Professor, would you be interested in experiencing, let's say...a different kind of magic?"
It was time to bring Dumbledore up to speed.
The old man blinked in surprise—then smiled. "The fact that you're hesitating tells me you have concerns about it, don't you?"
"Exactly. This form of 'magic' isn't entirely safe."
Edward explained the risk of losing control after taking the potion.
Dumbledore's brow furrowed. "More dangerous than I expected, indeed. To be honest, at my age I no longer fear death. But…if I lost control and became a monster that harmed those around me—that is something I could never accept."
"Actually, Professor, I believe with your strength of will and temperament, the likelihood of you losing control is virtually zero," Edward continued.
"So, here's what I'll do: I'll first explain all the known magical Paths that I've come across. You can take your time and think about which one suits you best."
Dumbledore gave a slight nod.
"First of all, I personally think you might be well-suited to the Reader, the Spectator, the Seer Pathways and—this one's a little more peculiar—the Prisoner. That last one matches your personality in some rather interesting ways…" Edward then proceeded to briefly go over all 22 Paths.
What followed was a long silence. At length, Dumbledore rubbed his brow and sighed.
"Edward, you've truly given me a dilemma. May I have some time to carefully consider it?"
"Of course."
"Thank you, Edward. Thank you for your honesty."
Edward replied sincerely, "And thank you, Professor, for your understanding and trust."
———
After leaving the Headmaster's office, the two strolled through Hogwarts. Lilith walked ahead, occasionally breaking into a short run. Whenever she realized she'd gone too far, she'd stop, wait for the two of them to catch up, then scamper forward again—clearly enjoying herself immensely.
It was a Wednesday afternoon, so most students were in class. Every now and then, they passed upper-year students studying diligently for exams.
As they made their way across the grassy lawn in front of the castle, they saw Madam Hooch escorting little Neville Longbottom away.
Nearby, Draco Malfoy was laughing in his usual exaggerated way. "Did you see his face? That great lump! I thought Hogwarts was about to get a new Quidditch prodigy—turns out he's just a big joke! Hahaha, what a dunce."
The other Slytherins joined in with sneering laughter.
Soon, Malfoy spotted Neville's dropped Remembrall, and an altercation broke out between him and Harry. The two boys mounted their broomsticks and took off into the sky. The conflict ended with Harry executing a brilliant dive and snatching the Remembrall from the air.
Then came the sound of hurried footsteps behind them—Professor McGonagall.
She blinked in surprise when she saw the two of them. "Mr. Edward? Miss Hall? You're back?"
Lilith padded up to her and tapped lightly at her shin. "Mrow~"
"Oh, Lilith." For a brief moment, McGonagall's stern expression softened. Then it tensed again.
"Apologies—those first-years are at it again. I must deal with it immediately." She rushed off in the direction of the commotion, voice rising in a fierce scolding.
"HARRY POTTER! How dare you!"
Her rapid-fire shouting left Harry pale as a sheet, convinced he was about to be expelled. Malfoy, meanwhile, looked like he'd just won the lottery.
When McGonagall marched off with Harry in tow like a scolded quail, Malfoy began boasting loudly to his friends about his flying prowess and how Potter nearly wet himself mid-air.
That was, until he caught sight of Audrey standing off in the distance.
His expression shifted several times in a matter of seconds, then he straightened his back and approached, chin lifted as he tried his best to look aristocratic.
"I heard you two were off doing some sort of magical school exchange," he said, trying to sound casual. "I trust you didn't bring shame to us purebloods?"
Audrey gave him a sunny smile. "I suppose not. Looks like you've been doing well while I was gone, huh, Mr. Malfoy?"
He immediately shrank back a little, eyes narrowing. "I didn't mess with you this time."
"And I never said I was going to mess with you," she replied sweetly. "So? What about the thing I asked you to look into before I left?"
Malfoy scowled. "You say it like you were giving me orders. I was just…helping out of interest, that's all. I'm warning you—if you get uppity with me again, I'll tell Father to have you expelled!"
"Oh really?"
Audrey let her white-bone wand slip into her hand. "I didn't quite catch that—would you mind repeating it?"
"…"
Malfoy took two quick steps back, his face flushed red as he grit his teeth. "I found a lead. Fifty-one years ago—"
Before he could finish, Madam Hooch returned, calling, "Malfoy! What are you doing over there? Get back here at once!"
Malfoy turned tail and ran. "Later—we'll talk later!"
Edward couldn't help but ask, "What did you have him looking for?"
Audrey blinked playfully, mimicking Dumbledore's earlier expression. "Secret."
"I hate two types of people most in this world," Edward said, mock indignation on his face. "First—riddle-speakers."
"Oh~~" Audrey gave a teasing nod and looked at him with amusement, saying nothing.
Lilith, however, pricked her ears in instant curiosity.
Half a minute later, Edward couldn't hold it anymore. "Aren't you going to ask me the second kind?"
Audrey bit back her laughter and played along, "And the second?"
Edward turned and walked off. "Secret."
"How childish."
They both burst out laughing.
Lilith darted ahead and blocked their path. She glanced left and right, making sure no one was around, then whispered earnestly, "Second one? What's the second one?"
Edward scooped her up and tapped her little nose with a smile. "Didn't I say it's a secret? Can't just tell you that."
"Oh."
She drooped, disappointed.
A few minutes later, she asked again in a tiny voice, "What is the second one…?"
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.