Chapter 172

In August, Murphy Darkholm donated 50,000 Galleons to Hogwarts to improve the salary and food and accommodation conditions of the school teachers.

And donated another 100,000 Galleons as the Hogwarts Express train repair fund.

In the same month, because Albert Runcorn had been missing for nearly two months, and it was rumored that he had been killed by Pettigrew, Lucius Malfoy, a school governor of Hogwarts, proposed to the board of governors to re-elect a school governor to replace Albert Runcorn, who was likely unable to continue his duties.

The proposal was quickly passed, and Murphy Darkholm, who had made outstanding contributions to Hogwarts' school career recently, naturally became a key candidate.

The board of governors held a plenary meeting and talked to all candidates in turn.

Although several other candidates showed full enthusiasm for the cause of education and proposed many insightful school education reform plans, Murphy still easily defeated them.

When asked what method Murphy would use to improve the school's teaching quality, Murphy said: "I will increase investment in the school."

When asked what method Murphy would use to improve the teachers' teaching enthusiasm, Murphy said: "I will double their wages."

When asked how the board of governors could play a better role in school management, Murphy said: "Every school governor's hard work should be rewarded."

Murphy did what he said, and immediately donated 10% of the Supreme Potion Shop's revenue as a management fund to maintain the various expenses of the board of governors.

In mid-August, Murphy was elected as a Hogwarts school governor with a high vote.

But Murphy had just taken office when he encountered trouble.

First, the Daily Prophet published a commentary article titled "Employment Rate Continues to Fall, What Happened to Our Education?"

The article pointed out through strict data investigation that the employment rate of Hogwarts graduates had fallen from 30% in 1945 to less than 15% this year.

A large number of students faced the predicament of unemployment upon graduation. This employment rate was not only far lower than the 27% of the American wizarding school Ilvermorny, but even worse than Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, which are also the three major magic schools in Europe.

"Is it our society that has a problem, or is it the school's education that has a problem?"

Although The Quibbler quickly pointed out that the size of the American wizarding society far exceeds that of the British wizarding world, Ilvermorny's high employment rate cannot be used as a comparison standard. And Durmstrang and Beauxbatons are more like international schools. Compared to Hogwarts, which mainly recruits and exports students to the UK, employment problems are easier to solve, etc.

But Rita Skeeter's article still caused a lot of discussion.

Soon, to deal with this matter, the Ministry of Magic decided to hold a hearing at a later date and required the Hogwarts Board of Governors to report and explain.

Under Murphy's proposal, the board of governors launched a comprehensive investigation and assessment of the performance of all Hogwarts faculty and staff.

August 19, four years later, Murphy returned to Hogwarts again.

Hogwarts Astronomy Tower, which was arranged as a venue. Twelve school governors formed a review panel, sitting in a ring, listening to the Hogwarts faculty and staff sitting in the center position reporting their duties in turn.

The first to accept the review was Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts.

"Mr. Filch, your main job is to guard the gates of Hogwarts and be responsible for the cleaning and patrolling of the school, right?"

Filch dressed up hard today, wearing a hat that looked like it was over a century old, "Yes, yes, respected director."

"What do you think of the situation of students observing discipline?" a governor asked.

"Oh, those little things are too rampant! They don't take school rules seriously at all, wandering around the school in the middle of the night, male and female students dating shamelessly, and using a lot of items that violate regulations, especially the Weasley family's..."

"Do you mean that the school is not doing well in terms of student discipline?"

"Ah... I don't mean that, sir, I mean... they are not obedient enough..."

"Do you have any suggestions on how to make students observe discipline?"

"I, my opinion, I think, must be severely punished! Sir, must not let them go, hang the students who made mistakes, whip them a few times, they will realize their mistakes..."

"Do you mean, corporal punishment? Abuse of students?"

"This, I, I think..."

"What's going on with the handcuffs and torture tools in your office? Have you used them on students?"

"No, no, although I want to give them a lesson, but Dumbledore..."

Several governors looked at each other, some shook their heads, and others asked: "You are a Squib, right?"

"I, I... I am not, I..."

"Alright, gentlemen," Murphy suddenly spoke from the governor's seat, "He is just a poor caretaker who is old, I think he can't hurt the students, let him go."

The second to accept the review was Professor Sybill Trelawney.

"Professor Trelawney, I heard that your ancestor was the famous prophet Cassandra?"

"Yes, yes," Trelawney was obviously a little nervous, "She was my great-great-grandmother."

"So, you do have the blood of a prophet," a female governor opened her mouth, "Sorry, because of prophecy, we haven't really seen it for many years. Can you show us?"

"Of course... of course..." Trelawney nervously picked up the crystal ball, muttering to herself. After a while, she showed a scary expression, raised her face and looked at the crowd around her, "Thirteen people, gathered together, the first person to stand up will die."

The female governor frowned, "Are you threatening us?"

"No, no," Trelawney became even more nervous, "I have another prophecy, the person with two faces has appeared, he will surely bring disaster and death..."

She said, her voice high, the governors were almost deterred, even Murphy frowned, thinking that a real prophecy had appeared, but at this moment, because Trelawney's movements were too large, the crystal ball fell from her hand, smashed on the ground, and shattered with a bang.

"Oh! Omen! This is an omen! We are all under evil gaze!"

"Enough!" the female governor stroked her chest, "I don't want to listen to this crazy woman continue to talk nonsense anymore."

The third person to be questioned was Professor Binns.

"A ghost?"

The fourth is Professor Flitwick.

"A goblin?"

Then there is Hagrid.

"Giant!"

Finally, Quirrell.

"Merlin's smelly socks! He can't even say a sentence clearly!"

After the review, the faces of the governors were as black as the bottom of a pot.

"I think the reason for the declining teaching quality of Hogwarts has been found."

"Gentlemen, I think you have some misunderstandings about the true level of the professors..." Dumbledore still wanted to explain a few more words.

This kind of questioning is very unfair to these professors of his. They are mostly lonely guys, and they can't show their best state to deal with this occasion at all.

However, the opinions of the governors were very unified. An elderly governor said:

"Albus, we trust your ability, but we cannot agree with the teaching level of these professors of yours! Hogwarts' reputation is being ruined! And all this is because of these unqualified professors!"

"We demand that you immediately fire these guys. Hogwarts is a school! Not a place for you to be merciful and adopt homeless people! We must be responsible for our students!"

"My professors are not homeless people, Phillips, they are just a bit lonely..." Dumbledore tried hard to defend.

"Lonely, is this a personality suitable for a professor?" a governor questioned.

"And that Snape," a governor also said, "He looks like a dark wizard! Let such a professor teach the children, what will the British wizarding world become in the future?"

"Gentlemen!" Just as Dumbledore was exhausted, Murphy suddenly spoke.

"Gentlemen! We just came to the school today, and our contact with the professors is limited to these short ten or twenty minutes. Based on their performance in these ten minutes, denying their teaching achievements, I think it may be very unfair to them."

(End of chapter)