Hogwarts: Don't call me Wandmaker

Chapter 450 Professor Black?

The foyer was brightly lit by torches. Professor McGonagall used a Whirlwind Charm to dispel the sour smell in the Great Hall and told the students to hurry inside and take their seats.

The sound of students' footsteps echoed around them as they crossed the stone-paved ground and entered the right-hand door leading to the auditorium, preparing to attend the opening banquet later.

Inside the auditorium, above four neatly arranged long tables, was a low, gloomy sky; not a single star could be seen on the enchanted ceiling.

The professors were already seated at the front, with Dumbledore sitting in the very center, smiling as he watched everyone walk in.

"Ah, it's that time of year again for the riddle game," Fred said, looking at the three empty seats in front of him.

The empty seat next to Dumbledore undoubtedly belongs to Professor McGonagall, but she's currently waiting in the outer foyer to greet the first-year students for the Sorting Ceremony.

The one on the far right is Hagrid. His large size would look out of place sitting in the middle. And the last one, the empty seat next to Professor McGonagall, was originally the seat for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

“Poor Professor Moody,” George said softly. “He was the one with the best chance of breaking the curse, but alas…”

"Yes, the Ministry of Magic is really short-handed. They actually have the nerve to send a retired old wizard to deal with those Death Eaters."

"Fudge also wanted to hide the truth about his injury."

"what……"

The two laughed at the same time, but it sounded more like a mockery.

"I wonder what the new professors are like this year?"

"Hopefully it won't be too outrageous..."

The group settled down at the Gryffindor table and continued their discussion about the new professor.

Lee Jordan believes that Dumbledore will probably do what he did last year and find an Auror to fill the position.

"Don't forget there are still three Death Eaters roaming freely outside. We definitely need some means to protect ourselves, don't we?"

“I don’t care who the professor is,” Seamus Finnigan said. “I just want to know if there will be another batch of Dementors guarding Hogwarts this year.”

Upon hearing his words, people instinctively thought of this time two years ago.

Similarly, during the Death Eaters' escape, the entire Hogwarts was almost surrounded by Dementors, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

“I hope they don’t come back this year,” Dean Thomas said. “Those Dementors are completely useless; they didn’t even touch a hair on Sirius Black’s head.”

Siren didn't participate in the conversation; he noticed Hagrid had just appeared behind the teachers' table. This meant that the first-year students had already crossed the Black Lake.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the auditorium doors opened, and a long line of seemingly shaken freshmen followed Professor McGonagall into the auditorium and headed to the front bench.

On it sat a very old wizard's hat, patched upon patched, its original color no longer discernible.

As they entered, the buzzing conversations in the auditorium gradually subsided, and the first-year students stood there trembling under the gaze of the entire school.

Then, a tear in the old hat opened like a mouth and began to sing loudly.

"I was once a new hat too,"

"I have witnessed the wonders of magic countless times,"

……

The Sorting Hat creates a new song every year; it's not particularly good, but it's not bad either... probably because it has a whole year to create it.

Of course, it's hard to ask for more from a hat.

After the Sorting Hat finished singing, applause erupted all around. The freshmen all stared in disbelief, as if they hadn't yet recovered from the shock of the hat singing.

Professor McGonagall then began taking attendance. Once the freshmen whose names were called sat down and put on their Sorting Hats, they would know which class they had been sorted into.

“Hufflepuff!”

"Slytherin!"

……

"Hufflepuff!"

"Gryffindor!"

……

Gradually, the group of new students began to shrink. Finally, Rose Zeller was sorted into Hufflepuff. Professor McGonagall picked up the Sorting Hat and a stool and strode away. At that moment, Dumbledore stood up.

"coming soon."

Fred immediately sat up straight and craned his neck to look at the small door next to the teachers' table, the one through which Professor McGonagall had just left.

"According to tradition, Dumbledore should announce who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is at this point."

"Strange, why can't we see anyone yet?"

"Could it be that Dumbledore just couldn't be found?" Neville asked.

“Possibly.” George pondered for a moment, then nodded seriously. “Now all wizards know that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts is unlucky, even a legendary Auror like Alastor Moody has suffered from it, so it’s normal that they don’t want to come.”

“If that’s the case, I hope Dumbledore will teach us this course. I dare say he would be the best.”

"Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Finnegan." Dumbledore, who was on the platform, had actually heard their conversation and smiled and nodded in their direction.

"But unfortunately, I haven't taught a class in decades. I hope you can understand that this is quite a challenge for someone over 100 years old."

A burst of good-natured laughter immediately followed.

Of course, no one would really think of Dumbledore as an ordinary old man.

“The good news is, however, that I have found someone willing to replace Professor Moody.” He pointed to the small door and said loudly, “Let’s welcome Professor Black, who offered to help me when I was at my wit’s end.”

Wait, who did he just say?

Xiren paused for a moment, and then he saw a familiar brown robe enter the hall.

Sirius?

Moreover, it was an image he had never seen before... His naturally flowing curly hair was neatly combed back, and the stubble on his chin was cleanly shaved.

Siren instinctively looked at Harry, only to find that he was even more shocked than he was, practically slumped over the table.

So that's what Sirius was talking about, the 'surprise'.

Sirius recalled what Harry had said before... Sirius said he wanted to give Harry a surprise, and if everything went well, they could spend a long time together.

At the time, both he and Harry thought Sirius was referring to capturing the Death Eaters to prepare for next year's holidays.

Now it seems that this is not the case at all.

Sirius Black has become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, so Harry can see him anytime he wants as long as he's still at Hogwarts this year.

And the brown robe he was wearing, if Xiren wasn't mistaken, it wasn't for the celebration party that day, but for this moment.

This outfit made him look much more composed, which was more in line with the identity of a professor.

……

(End of this chapter)