Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 200 The Principal's Trust

Cadogan suffered a complete defeat in his first encounter with the bipedal dragon; his warhorse was devoured, and his wand, lance, and armor were damaged. But Cadogan did not give up. He mounted a chubby pony from the nearby grass and charged again. As he was swallowed, the broken stump of his wand pierced the dragon's tongue, causing an explosion of dragonfire, and he narrowly won a victory.

The story consists of only two parts, not taking up too much of the banquet time. By the time the moon emerges from the clouds, the stage has reached its final act, and the lines are delivered with resounding force.

Even if my spear is melted by lava and my warhorse falls, I am still willing to charge!

"Hey little pony over there grazing, let's charge at the bipedal dragon together!"

"..."

The dinner party hadn't started serving food yet, but there was plenty of milk, pumpkin juice, and butterbeer. The young wizards sipped from their porcelain cups, watching the performance on stage with great interest.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat facing each other across the Gryffindor house table, their expressions slightly different.

Ron and Hermione were completely absorbed in the story, one being a child raised in a pure-blood family who grew up listening to the stories of Sir Cadogan, and the other having read the books and knowing about Sir Cadogan's experiences.

Harry seemed a little lost. No one in the Dursleys told him wizarding stories, and he didn't read much in his spare time. In the past two months, he had only occasionally heard his roommate Neville mention some plot points.

Sitting in the audience watching the film now, the background of the drama club's story is not explained clearly enough.

"Merlin's friend, one of the Knights of the Round Table..."

Harry asked in a low voice, "Was Sir Cadogan one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table? I've never heard of him."

"His name has been removed."

Hermione explained to him in a low voice, "Sir Cadogan came from a pure-blood family in the Middle Ages, graduated from Gryffindor, and his wand was made of blackthorn wood with a troll's whiskers as a core. This made him short-tempered, rebellious, and impulsive, leaving behind many brave and crazy stories during his post-graduation travels. Even after becoming a Knight of the Round Table, he only obeyed Merlin's orders. In his later years, he argued with King Arthur many times, and once pointed his wand at a princess, angering King Arthur..."

Harry nodded thoughtfully: "And then he was expelled."

"Yes, but King Arthur's power cannot restrain the magical world. In the stories passed down among wizards, he is still ranked alongside Lancelot, Bedivere, and Percival. Even now, some old wizards use 'riding Cadogan's pony' to describe dealing with a difficult problem."

Hermione gestured toward the stage, saying, "His most famous feat was risking his life to defeat the two-legged dragon."

"You're wrong, Hermione..."

Ron, standing nearby, said mysteriously, "Sir Cadogan is not most famous for his Knights of the Round Table, nor for defeating the two-legged dragon, but for having been married three times and having 17 children."

Hermione ignored his trivia, while Harry glanced at his friend silently, opened his mouth as if to speak, but then stopped himself.

Actually, the Weasleys had quite a few children.

"..."

On the stage, the bipedal dragon was made of dark blue hardwood, with orange flames spewing from its mouth and nostrils. The villagers scattered and fled. The only one facing the dragon's mouth stood straight, while the short, fat pony, looking unwilling, swayed its hooves and ran at the knight's urging, turning into a blur and crashing into the bipedal dragon's mouth.

The fearless charge that sacrificed its life was blessed by Lady Luck. The black behemoth trembled and cried out in pain, blood spurting from its mouth and nose. Its wings and claws flapped wildly as it covered its mouth, then it looked up and spewed dragon flames into the sky.

The knights were launching a fearless charge, sacrificing their lives. The students at the academy tables gasped and applauded, while the professors at the head table watched intently, praising their handling of the transmutation and their ingenious use of the Fire Charm combined with the Whirlwind Charm to create the dragon flame effect.

In a corner of the auditorium against the wall.

Hagrid took a swig of mead and asked curiously, "Professor, the performance is over, why are you still leaning against the wall?"

"fine."

Kettleburn rubbed his leg: "I was so engrossed in watching that I stood for too long and forgot to change my cane. My leg is a little numb."

"Shall I help you back?"

"Never mind, I'll just rest for a while."

"Then I'll wait with you."

"Never mind, let's just walk and wait."

Kettleburn nodded, slowly making his way to the head table, supporting Hagrid with one hand, and sighed with emotion, "The drama club is back."

……

In the picture frame next to the window frame.

The portraits of the Fat Lady, the Sisters, Violet, and others are crammed into one frame. The frame of Wolfling's "The Principles of Magic" is the best viewing spot. The numerous portraits are squeezed together, making it a little narrow. Cadogan even brought his little pony, refusing to move it despite the complaints of others.

Just like the brave and stubborn figure on stage.

"Hey, how do you guys feel? I think it's pretty good. You only showed half of my heroic spirit, but it's still pretty good," Kadogan said with a smile, his mouth almost reaching his ears.

“You didn’t say that before. When Professor Levent was choosing Marietta and that other person to be in charge, you clearly said that the drama club would have a hard time in the future, until they chose to perform your story, and then you actively participated.” Violet rolled her eyes.

"Do you think the drama club will adapt our story in the future?" the plump lady asked.

"What's your story? Was your life eventful?" Kadogan's smugness was annoying.

"..."

The other portraits stared absently at the actors bowing on stage. Wolflin watched them leave and said quietly, "I think my life was quite interesting. Those traditional wizards suppressed my teachings, but I wrote down the principles of magic amidst their slander and boosted Hogwarts' reputation."

After a brief pause, he continued, "It can not only be brought to the school stage, but also to the screen."

……

"So touching, so incredibly touching, this is the courage of Gryffindor..."

Dumbledore sniffed, his deep blue eyes glistening with tears, seemingly deeply moved.

Snape gave him a wistful look. The drama club students were, after all, just a bunch of kids. Their performance wasn't exactly spectacular, and the plot of defeating the bipedal dragon wasn't particularly dramatic. He didn't understand what was so moving about it.

Melvin also felt that the old headmaster's acting was a bit clumsy. After all, he was a wizard who was over a hundred years old. How could he possibly make him cry?
"Ding ding..."

Dumbledore tapped his wine glass with a silver spoon, cleared his throat, and said, “Thank you for the wonderful performance by the drama club. I know you have a lot to say, but now, let’s begin to enjoy the delicious food!”

The headmaster waved his wand, illuminating the entire auditorium with the light of the crystal chandelier. The starry sky above the magical dome shimmered with light, and hundreds of candles hovered above the dining tables, their flames flickering. Suddenly, various dishes and delicacies appeared on golden plates, emitting a fragrant aroma.

After the drama club actors returned to their seats, the discussion about the performance reached its peak.

The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff kids were already talkative, and when they got together, they chattered even more. The lead actors and the person in charge were sitting nearby, and it seemed like the roast meat on the table didn't smell so good anymore. They all surrounded Cedric and Neville, asking them questions about the performance.

"That performance was amazing! Hannah screamed when you jumped into the dragon's mouth! How did you do that?"

"Aren't the flames for heating blue? How do you manage to spew out orange-red flames without burning yourselves?"

"And another thing, how was that big explosion accomplished?"

"That charge was so cool! Can we keep the silver armor as a souvenir? I want the helmet!"

In the wizarding world, where there are no movies or TV shows, the last time students felt a similar sense of awe was last year when Harry and his friends were protecting the Philosopher's Stone. Today, the Knights of Cadogan evoked a different kind of awe.

It directly presents a battle scene of wizards fighting against fire dragons, no longer the levels of dark wizards and professors, no longer the convoluted puzzles and chess games. Wearing silver armor, holding a lance in one hand and a magic wand in the other, they charge towards an invincible enemy. Explosion scenes are presented without any concealment, and the brilliant flames and gorgeous fireworks stimulate the senses.

It might seem a bit rough to the professors, but for the young wizards, that's the kind of cool they're after!

"They all say the performance will be shown in the Mirror, is that true? Will you be on screen?" Seamus was extremely envious, his words tinged with jealousy. "Like Harry and the others last year, you'll be in the newspapers, and the whole wizarding world will be talking about you."

Dean chimed in, "They were already in the Daily Prophet's newspaper when they did their Basilisk series!"

……

"Yes, Principal, this performance will be shown on a screen, not the screens in taverns around the world, but home screens connected through the Filo network. No tickets are needed, you can watch it at home, and it will be played repeatedly."

Melvin took a sip of mead and answered the principal's question, "Moreover, the names of all the actors and backstage members of the drama club will be played on a loop in the prologue list, not only in Britain, but also in Romania and Hungary."

"Sir Cadogan will probably be basking in his glory until next year," Dumbledore said with a chuckle.

Melvin paused for a moment, then asked with some curiosity, "Aren't you worried that doing this will have a negative impact on the students? They'll become famous before they even graduate, and they'll be overwhelmed by praise, flattery, criticism, slander, and all sorts of letters from unknown sources."

“Melvin, I believe you can handle these things; you’ve proven it.” Dumbledore laughed heartily, looking up into his eyes, which shimmered with candlelight. “I think that’s not what you really want to ask, is it?”

"Okay, that's definitely not it."

Melvin shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable with the principal's trust. "I wanted to ask about Riddle. I've had Professor Gaunt substitute for me for almost a month now, and the students talk about it in the hallways and the auditorium after class. We've also encountered ghosts multiple times, not to mention the portraits on the wall. But you and Professor McGonagall haven't reacted at all. Don't tell me you don't know about this."

"Yes, Melvin, I know about it."

Dumbledore swallowed a piece of beef rib, his face beaming with a smug expression. "But I don't think there's anything to be surprised about. The Assistant Professor Gaunt you hired is extremely dedicated, his classes are very effective, and the children are learning a great deal—not just from the textbooks. Plus, the school doesn't have to pay him an extra salary. He's practically the most dedicated Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in recent years. If I weren't worried about disrupting your plans, I'd even consider giving you the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes for the other grades as well."

Melvin hesitated for a moment: "But he is... Riddle?"

“I know he is Tom Riddle, the Mysterio, the Dark Lord and Voldemort. I even sat in on your class and saw Hufflepuff’s golden cup.”

Dumbledore smiled and said, "I know you've found a new Horcrux, but Melvin, I don't intend to interfere with your actions."

Melvin picked up the mead on the table and took a swig: "Why?"

“Because I’ve personally handled Horcruxes, whether it’s the diary or the diadem, the results have been dismal, and I still have no clues about other Horcruxes. I have to rethink my approach to investigating Horcruxes. Perhaps you’re a better candidate to contact Voldemort.” The headmaster paused briefly, “rather than the wary Dumbledore.”

Seeing that the wine glass was empty, he picked up the wine jug and refilled it: "You found the crown, you found the diary, and now you've found the golden cup. I think you possess a magic that I don't have."

Dumbledore winked playfully, which was slightly cringe-worthy.

Melvin paused for a moment, looking at the wine in the glass with a strange expression.

When I was teaching at Hogwarts, Dumbledore poured me a drink?

……

Mid-April, before the summer solstice.

The weather was great throughout the Easter holiday. The sky and the lake were a bright, light blue, and the sunshine felt warm and pleasant, just the right temperature—warm but not scorching.

After leaving the castle, Harry and his friends walked along the paths in the grounds.

As they passed the greenhouse, Neville parted ways with them and saw Professor Sprout tending a patch of biting cabbage in the distance. The cabbages looked like blooming flowers, clusters of them, but with bared teeth, and they looked a bit scary.

Harry kicked at the pebbles on the ground and said lazily, "I haven't had much time to play after finishing my homework, and the holidays are almost over. Sigh. By the way, have you filled out your third-year course selection forms? Professor McGonagall said they're due Monday morning."

"It's not filled out yet. I think we need to be careful, as it will affect our entire future." Hermione said seriously, her face tense.

Harry turned his head, and Hermione's tone and expression always reminded him of Professor McGonagall: "If only we could give up Potions class."

“I’d like to, but it’s impossible.” Ron sighed. “The original subjects are compulsory, and we have to take them until fifth grade. We also have to choose at least two electives.”

"Protecting magical creatures, Muggle research, ancient runes, arithmetic divination, fortune telling..."

Hermione considered the subjects. "Fantastic Beasts is interesting, and Professor Levent said that Professor Kettleburn is retiring and Hagrid will be teaching it. We have to choose this one."

“Hmm…” Harry and Ron nodded.

“Muggle Studies is Professor Levent’s course, so of course I should take it.”

"Yes."

“Ancient runes are very important, and I’m also very interested in arithmetic and divination. Professor Trelawney, who teaches divination, seems a bit unreliable, but George and Fred highly recommend it, so I’d like to give it a try…” Hermione looked troubled.

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, neither daring to utter a sound.

They don't have that many subjects that interest them.

(End of this chapter)