Chapter 180

The Hogwarts Teaching Hearing was held at the Wizengamot as scheduled.

Three board representatives of the school board, as well as Headmaster Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, were invited to attend the hearing and made a report on the issue of Hogwarts' teaching quality.

The three school governors pointed out at the meeting that there were indeed certain problems with Hogwarts' teaching methods and teaching level. For this reason, the school board decided to send a governor—Murphy Darkholm—as a resident governor to participate deeply in school affairs in the capacity of "Hogwarts Teaching Investigator," to understand, supervise, and guide Hogwarts' educational work, in hopes of improving Hogwarts' teaching level.

Murphy also spoke at the hearing, promising to do his utmost to improve the school's teaching quality, discover problems, solve problems, and proposed that in order to improve the "practical ability" that Hogwarts students lacked, he would serve as a "Practical Class" professor and directly participate in the school's teaching work.

The Ministry of Magic agreed to the school board's decision and announced that the hearing would be reconvened in a year to accept the results of the improvements.

Just like that, four years after graduation, Murphy Darkholm became a bona fide Hogwarts professor.

……

"Dumbledore," the door to the headmaster's office was pushed open, and Professor McGonagall walked in; she looked a bit unhappy, "Although I know you must have your own ideas, but, why? You want to allow an outsider to point fingers at our professors? Is there anything in this matter that I don't know yet?"

"Minerva," Dumbledore took a bag of things from the table, "Would you like to try these popping candies? Murphy gave them to me; they will crackle and explode in your mouth, very interesting..."

"No, thank you," Minerva glanced at the gaudy packaging, "Is this Muggle candy? Murphy gave it to you? I'm even a bit worried about whether it might be poisoned."

"Oh, that's a truly interesting witticism," Dumbledore said, "But please forgive me, I didn't hear where the punchline was?"

"That's not a witticism! Murphy Darkholm's reputation is not good right now, Dumbledore. You also know what he did to the Aurors."

"No, the strange thing is, I don't particularly know, Minerva." Dumbledore stroked the feathers of Fawkes on the bird stand nearby, "Of course, I received some letters; Scrimgeour, Kingsley, and some other friends, they expressed concern about some things."

"But, I am far away at Hogwarts, and I don't really understand what happened in the Ministry of Magic, or what they said happened in the Muggle world."

"Did Murphy really do anything? Or, how did he do it? Why did he do that? What is his purpose? No one really knows, and after passing through several relays, the news I get is even more distorted."

"At my age, Minerva, even if I am unwilling, I will always maintain a certain degree of skepticism about other people's words."

"I am not sure that I understand what kind of person Murphy Darkholm is."

Speaking of this, he asked, "When he was still studying here, what kind of student did you think he was, Minerva? Do you still remember him?"

Professor McGonagall thought for a while, "Of course, of course I remember; he was a very diligent child, and also very smart; his effort and perseverance were impressive. But he had some strange prejudices about magic; perhaps it was these prejudices that limited his ability; otherwise, he should have performed even better."

"Prejudice?"

"He had always been trying to 'understand' magic; he once came to me very puzzled, saying that he felt magic was full of contradictions and he couldn't understand it. I told him that he should try more to feel it with his heart, but, he seemed to find it very difficult to do."

"Have you encountered such a child before?"

Professor McGonagall shook her head, "Some Muggle-born children will also ask some strange questions when they first enroll, but most of them can adapt quickly. And Murphy... he is like someone who has always been fighting against something in his heart..."

Dumbledore fell into deep thought, his gaze fixed on a set of astronomy teaching aids that would rotate automatically on the cabinet, not knowing what he was thinking.

After a while, "Professor?"

Professor McGonagall had to speak up to interrupt his deep thought.

"Oh, sorry, Minerva, I seem to have been a bit distracted." Dumbledore handed over the popping candies in his hand, "Are you really not going to try them?"

"You accepted Murphy's supervision suggestion, is it because you want him to come to school so you can observe what kind of person he really is?" Professor McGonagall thought of a possibility.

"Oh, we can indeed do that." Dumbledore said, "However, I feel that what he said to the school board is not unreasonable; perhaps I have been too willful in my governance of the school; you have all been too accommodating to me, unwilling to go against my decisions, which makes me use my power too unscrupulously."

"This is not a good thing."

"Phillips had a point; Hogwarts is a school, and I should be more responsible to the students, not the professors. I feel that accepting some proper supervision is beneficial to us."

"Of course, if we can see Murphy's true colors because of this, that is also an extra gain."

As the two were talking, an owl flew in from outside the window and delivered a letter into McGonagall's hand.

The latter opened the letter with slight confusion and looked at it, saying: "The Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters discovered a Muggle-born little wizard while dealing with an incidental event; he is also an orphan. They hope we can send a professor to pick him up, help him buy some things, and complete his enrollment."

"Oh?" Dumbledore was slightly confused; such things were not common in the past; most children with magical talent were usually discovered by Hogwarts first, "Is his name on the Book of Admittance?"

"I checked it more than two months ago, and this child was not there." McGonagall raised her head, "I'll go check it right now."

In a locked tower, Professor McGonagall hurried over with the letter in her hand.

In the center of the circular room was a stone platform, on which a thick, large book was spread open, and a bright green quill was floating beside the book.

This is the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance.

The magical creation that determines Hogwarts' admission list.

Every enrollment season, Professor McGonagall would come here to check the list in the Book of Admittance to see if any new little wizards had entered the list, to ensure that admission letters were sent to each of them.

This situation where the Ministry of Magic discovered an age-appropriate little wizard, but she hadn't noticed it yet, had never happened before.

However, soon, Professor McGonagall saw a line of new text at the bottom of the page.

They seemed to have indeed been written recently.

"Lucas Tom Brightson. Born April 1, 1980."

This line of text seemed much blurrier and dimmer compared to other handwriting, but it could still be identified.

Perhaps because this little wizard's magical talent manifested too late, the Book of Admittance didn't really want his name to be written on it?

But, since the name had already been written and the age was also appropriate, this child should indeed join the school.

She returned to the headmaster's office and handed the letter to Dumbledore, "His name appeared in the Book of Admittance; it wasn't there when I sent the notices, it must have been written recently."

Dumbledore looked at the name on the letter.

"Lucas Tom Brightson."

Tom.

He was slightly stunned for a moment, and then glanced at the name of the orphanage, "Reed Children's Welfare Home."

He let out a sigh of relief, thinking that he was overthinking it; getting old, one is always burdened by memories, as if there are no fresh things around, and everything seems familiar.

"School is about to start, the professors all have their own arrangements, I will go personally..."

Dumbledore hadn't finished speaking when another owl flew in.

He took the letter and looked at it, "Oh, the Ministry of Magic hopes I can go over again in the next two days to confirm the content of the hearing..."

"But, school is about to start..." Professor McGonagall said.

"Is there any other professor who is free?" Dumbledore asked.

"Filius hasn't returned from visiting relatives, Severus is busy with the protection arrangements for the Magic Stone... the other professors are either busy revising the syllabus or have their own tasks. Oh, by the way, Professor Quirrell said he is not feeling well, so I'm afraid I have to find someone else to pick up Miss Granger..."

The little girl is Muggle-born; although I told her where to go to take the car when I took her to Diagon Alley before, if she hasn't been there, Platform 9 and 3/4 is indeed not that easy to find; in order to ensure that students can all get on the train, the school needs to send a professor to provide security.

However, this is not a tradition, but an arrangement made after a Muggle-born governor raised an opinion during the teaching review not long ago, believing that Hogwarts lacked attention to the various difficulties faced by Muggle-born students, and was ordered to rectify it.

"Oh!" Speaking of which, Professor McGonagall seemed to have remembered something, "Murphy. Isn't he also a professor?"

"Murphy?" Dumbledore hesitated for a moment.

He hasn't even taken office yet, and we're already arranging work for him?

Is it a bit too disrespectful to his status as a school governor?

But on second thought, the position of professor was also something he applied for himself, so treating him differently would seem deliberate.

Professor McGonagall said: "I'll write him a letter and ask for his opinion."

"That's fine, ask him first."

……

On the last two days of August, Murphy received a letter from Professor McGonagall.

He agreed immediately—given Tom's current state, Murphy wasn't sure if Dumbledore could see anything, so it was better for him to go himself.

However, also have to pick up Hermione Granger along the way?

That's not impossible; anyway, it's just a trip to the station.

Murphy didn't plan to run around more; considering the Hogwarts Express didn't leave until 11 o'clock, it would be in time to go to Diagon Alley to buy things and then catch the train, so he decided to pick people up on the morning of September 1st.

……

Reed Children's Welfare Home.

Lucas Tom Brightson was reading a book when he suddenly felt something and opened the black notebook that he had never left his side for the past few days.

He saw a line of text slowly appearing on it.

"September 1, 9:00 AM. I met the person who changed my destiny."

(End of chapter)