Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 237 Hermione and Professor Rozier

Hermione's eyes widened. "So you guys don't even touch a single word of your homework, or you waste all your time on Quidditch until the very last day, until you get to school, and only then do you start thinking about catching up?"

Ron was very displeased with her attitude and said seriously, "How can you say Quidditch is a waste of time?"

"Um?"

"I demand you apologize to Quidditch! You've shown such disrespect to this great sport, Hermione!"

'

""

Hermione wondered if this guy had gone mad.

"You want me to apologize? Fine, then go copy Quidditch's homework!"

She stormed off, leaving a dumbfounded Ron and a Harry clutching his head, groaning and complaining.

Hermione was a little angry. She had woken up in a good mood, but just like every time before, Ronald Weasley had ruined it.

What made her feel even worse was that as soon as she stepped out of the auditorium, she saw Vaughn and Professor Isabella Rozier!

They walked together from the tower.

After a summer vacation, Vaughn had grown taller and no longer looked like a child. He had become tall and his face had lost its childishness, beginning to have a deep and three-dimensional profile.

Tall figures draped in velvet robes, Professor Isabella Rozier, petite and with her hair in a ladylike updo, walked through the lingering morning mist and the slanting warm sunlight, emerging from the vibrant, colorful flowerbeds of the castle courtyard.

That scene was just like—the idol drama Mom watches—

Hermione didn't know why, but she instinctively hid behind a pillar, shrinking her head as if trying to tuck her messy hair into her collar.

I stared blankly as they chatted and laughed and walked into the auditorium.

It's terrible!

Moreover, this bad mood was constantly stirred up throughout the morning, starting from the Great Hall, and wherever she went, she always ran into Vaughn and Professor Rozier!

They were taking a walk in the courtyard.

Chatting at Black Lake.

Let's discuss this in the library!

Like persistent ghosts, they followed her wherever she fled, giving her no chance to even find a moment to sort out her chaotic thoughts.

Hermione couldn't quite describe her state of mind. She only knew that she felt uncomfortable, something she had never experienced before. Even though she knew Vaughn liked going to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and was often surrounded by girls, she had never felt this way before.

Was it because they felt threatened?

During Potions class, she stared blankly at the blackboard, her wretchedly excellent memory constantly flashing before her eyes the beautiful and slender figure of Professor Rozier.

Fortunately, as mentioned earlier, the first week of school is not considered a formal week. Professor Snape didn't even come today; he simply instructed the prefects of each house to collect the summer homework.

No one questioned her for daydreaming during class.

The super-long potions class is over.

Harry and Ron, pressing on the last second before get out of class ended, handed their copied homework to Percy, who had rushed over. Then, before Percy could give them a stern scolding, they quickly caught up with Hermione, who had already left.

The two caught up with their friend, panting heavily.

"Hermione, are you feeling unwell?" Harry asked tentatively.

Ron stammered, "I—uh, I shouldn't say that, I'm sorry, Hermione, I—"

Hermione responded with a stunned look: "What?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, sensing something was wrong; they had never seen Hermione like this before.

Last Halloween, Ron was so rude, but Hermione only cried. Unlike now, she looks so dejected.

It's all your fault!

Harry glared at Ron.

Ron glared back: I've already apologized!

Yes, and Hermione didn't seem angry with Ron at all; she completely ignored him!

She seemed to have just woken up from some kind of daze, and said to Harry, "I'm fine, Harry, I'm just—I'm not in a good mood because of something."

How can you be okay when you're in a bad mood!

Harry was worried about her, but not knowing why, he didn't know how to comfort her. After thinking for a moment, he suggested, "Let's go see Hagrid. We haven't seen him all summer, and it'll help us clear our heads, what do you say?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment before nodding sullenly, "Okay—"

"I'm all too familiar with that distraught look on her face. I bet it's got something to do with that Vaughn guy!"

Why?

"There's no reason why. I've seen way too many girls like this since I was little!"

"ha?"

Walking on the stone path to Hagrid's hut, Harry Potter, innocent and never having been in love, stared at Ron, puzzled, not understanding what necessary connection there was between the two.

Ronald Weasley, who had also never been in a relationship, ignored Harry's questioning gaze with an air of "you're still too green."

He didn't really know either, but it was definitely Vaughn's fault!

Hermione walked ahead of the two, seemingly oblivious to her two best friends who lagged behind, racking their brains to figure out why she was so down.

She really didn't notice, and her mind kept wandering from time to time.

She even agreed to go with Harry and Ron to see Hagrid only because it would allow her to get away from the castle temporarily and escape the unsettling figures of Vaughn and Professor Rozier.

Lost in thought, worried, and with their own thoughts, the trio walked along the path outside the castle to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid, having received Yaya's reminder, was already waiting outside wearing an apron.

The tall, burly gamekeeper greeted the three of them warmly, giving Harry and Ron a big hug. His strong body odor nearly made them faint.

"You've come at just the right time! I just finished a pot of rock cakes and some onion soup—hey Hermione, you don't look too well, I suggest you have a bowl, the rich onions will cheer you up!"

"Uh, thanks, Hagrid, but I have no appetite."

Hermione said softly.

But her voice was drowned out by Hagrid's hearty laughter as he opened his massive arms and pushed the trio into the cabin.

As summer vacation passed, just as the trio missed him, he missed them too.

From the morning onwards, Hagrid would bake fresh rock bread while knitting at the doorway, gazing towards the castle with longing.

Despite such enthusiasm, both Harry and Ron wanted to say they were not worthy of it.

However, when they entered the small house and saw the large basket of rock-skin cakes on the simple table that made their teeth ache, they were surprised to notice that there were already three sets of bowls and plates on the table.

One of the enormous bowls and plates was clearly Hagrid's; the soup was almost finished, and the plate contained half a rock cake.

The other two also contained soup and flatbread, but they looked untouched; one of the flatbreads even had teeth marks on it.

I wonder which unlucky person left this behind!

Harry thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "Hagrid, did you just finish entertaining guests?"

"Yes, yes—oh, sorry, kids, please find a place to sit, I'll tidy up first." Hagrid hurriedly cleared away the dishes on the table and took out new ones.

Even though Harry and Ron waved their hands repeatedly, saying they didn't need to be polite, he still warmly served the three children soup and took out fresh, hard biscuits.

"Try it! I've improved the recipe; it's much softer now, your little ones' teeth will definitely be able to chew it!"

Ron stretched out his finger and tapped on the so-called improved rock crust.

It's making a thumping sound!

Harry's teeth were starting to ache, so he quickly changed the subject and continued his previous inquiry: "Who is the guest? Dumbledore?"

"How could that be? Dumbledore is very busy—" The simple-minded Hagrid was easily distracted and said happily, "It's Vaughn, and the new professor, Merlin's beard! I didn't expect Vaughn to come to see me on the first day of school, and I didn't expect him to bring the new professor with him. Luckily, I thought of entertaining you and prepared these things in advance, otherwise it would have been too impolite."

Ok?

Hermione, who had been absent-minded, immediately perked up her ears.

Harry and Ron automatically filtered out anything "rude" from their answers: "The new professor? Ms. Isabella Rozier?"

"Yes, Professor Rozier, you heard her self-introduction yesterday, didn't you? A powerful witch who has traveled to many places. It's unbelievable that she's friends with Vaughn—she even brought me a gift!"

With that, Hagrid apologized and got up to rummage through a small book in the corner of the cabin. It looked like a Muggle item, beautifully bound, but it seemed to have been treated with a developing agent. The photos, which should have been still, now showed an animal roaring, running, and playing in them.

"A magical animal photo album!"

Hagrid exclaimed happily.

"Vaughn must have told Professor Rozier that I like these things. Look, they're all species not commonly seen in England and Europe—a venomous horned beast, a venomous leopard—what beautiful little cuties! So thoughtful!"

Looking at the two photos that Hagrid was pointing to, there were purple leopards covered in thorns that looked like they were not to be trifled with.

There was also a gigantic monster, like a tank, that was stabbing its horn into a lion's body and injecting magma-like venom into it.

Harry, whose cuteness was hard to discern, paused for a moment before changing the subject again: "Uh, how long have they been gone? We didn't see them on our way here."

"Not long after, of course you won't see them anymore; they've gone to the Forbidden Forest."

"what?"

Harry subconsciously recalled a series of terrible and dangerous memories from a few months ago in the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid seemed to remember something too, and quickly waved his hand: "They went into the Forbidden Forest with Dumbledore's permission, not by trespassing. Don't you dare follow suit!"

"Dumbledore allows it?"

This time, it was Hermione who asked the question.

Harry and Ron turned around at the sound and saw that Hermione, who had been staring blankly just moments before, had her empty eyes visibly regaining their luster.

Hagrid, oblivious to the obvious, nodded: "Yes, it's said that Professor Rozier has a special teaching plan that requires the use of some rather dangerous magical creatures—oh no, I promised her I wouldn't tell!"

Hagrid was annoyed.

But the trio was very happy!

Harry and Ron were delighted, as they seemed to have heard something incredible: the new professor's teaching plan actually required the use of magical creatures that even Hagrid said were dangerous.

As for Hermione—

The girl's eyes brightened even more as she looked at Hagrid expectantly and asked, "You mean, Vaughn is with Professor Rozier—for the sake of the professor's teaching plan?"

"Of course, I heard Vaughn will be Professor Rozier's assistant—wait, didn't you know?"

Hagrid clutched his head in frustration. "Merlin, my damned mouth!"

Hagrid, standing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, was regretting his mouth.

Vaughn and Isabella had ventured deeper into the Forbidden Forest as dusk approached.

It should be noted that although Isabella was not a law-abiding person, when she was a student, she actually followed the school rules very well and rarely violated the prohibitions by coming to the Forbidden Forest. At most, she would only wander around on the edge.

She values ​​her life more than causing trouble, courting death, or taking risks.

"Back then, my magical abilities weren't as strong as yours. I couldn't even shake off Hagrid's search. He had a good relationship with many magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest, and they were all willing to help him, such as the hippogriff—"

As Isabella said this, a flock of harpies flew overhead from the dense canopy above them.

They seemed to be on their last patrol at dusk—these magical creatures had a strong sense of territory, which was why Hagrid had stationed them on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, making them his most powerful helpers.

They certainly spotted Vaughn and Isabella, but didn't do anything unusual, probably because Hagrid had already given them a heads-up.

Watching the group of magical creatures disappear into the distance, Isabella exclaimed with interest, "What beautiful and fierce creatures, aren't they?"

Vaughn nodded.

As its name suggests, the hippogriff has the front half of an eagle and the back half of a horse, embodying the most majestic and heroic images of the sky and land in the eyes of humans.

Their feathers and down are glossy and lustrous, and each one has a different color, ranging from leaden gray to bright bronze and vibrant gradients.

Just now, bathed in the sunset and evening glow, they flew past overhead at high speed, like a bunch of mirrors floating by.

Colorful.

Isabella became increasingly interested: "Should we talk to Hagrid about recruiting a group to put in the place where you and Dumbledore are—"

—To enter the world within the painting?

Vaughn didn't refuse: "That depends on your teaching plan. I have to remind you, hippogriffs are social animals that live in groups. They have a strong sense of hierarchy and social order, and they are also very proud. You need to think carefully about what role you will give them after recruiting them. You can't treat them like wild beasts, otherwise—"

"Uh—" Isabella blinked, "Or what?"

"Otherwise, they will be the first to rebel against you, attack you, and drive you away until you leave or die."

Vaughn smiled as he spoke horrible words.

During her school years, Isabella's grades in the Magical Creatures Protection class were mediocre, and she wouldn't be able to get a Magical Creature above XXX in the Ultimate Wizarding Level Exam, so she admitted that she was a little scared because she didn't know much about it.

But she remained defiant: "Look, I just offered an opinion, and you're already attacking me. So you and Dumbledore don't care about my decisions at all!"

"But you were clearly pleased when you heard about my and Dumbledore's plans this morning."

"I thought I could make the decision!"

"Taking charge is not an excuse for recklessness, Isabella. How much do you know about magical creatures, their habits, how dangerous they are, and how to handle accidents? How much do you know about magical plants, their growth characteristics, and whether they are poisonous or aggressive?"

Vaughn countered with a barrage of questions that left Isabella speechless.

Then, while waving her wand and parting the dense bushes and weeds in the forest, she slowly said, "Dumbledore and I proposed repurposing the world in the painting to create a Proving Ground, a teaching location for Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, not to build a nest for dangerous creatures. As the first professor we chose to experiment with this plan, Isabella, caution is paramount!"

'

After carefully considering Vaughn's meaning, Isabella stopped complaining, but stubbornly insisted, "Alright, alright, you're right. So, my dear Weasley assistant, do you have any prudent, proper plan? Don't tell me you brought me into the Forbidden Forest just to find a few harmless fluffy creatures!"

She pouted, "I'd become the laughingstock of the entire magical world!"

Puffy is a furry and magical animal.

Because they are so harmless and have a habit of eating boogers, they have been domesticated and have become the top choice for wizarding families to buy as childhood pets for their children.

Vaughn is certainly not that "prudent".

However, he has indeed already made plans for Isabella, forgiving him for not allowing Isabella to make her own teaching plans for the time being.

She lacks experience and may misjudge the young wizards' abilities, leading to some unexpected incidents.

Vaughn plans to have Isabella start with some less "scary" dangerous creatures!

They walked for a while longer with the sullen Isabella, until the sun had completely sunk behind the other side of the mountain and night gradually fell in the sky.

Having fully ventured into the forbidden forest, the two arrived at a clearing within it.

Vaughn stopped.

Isabella looked around. Apart from looking rather empty and surprisingly free of trees, there was nothing particularly special about this open space.

"What are you looking for?"

She asked.

Vaughn didn't speak, but instead pressed his wand to his throat and let out a long, drawn-out cry through the forest: "Yo-yi!"

The call sounded just like a deer's cry, incredibly lifelike, and with the blessing of the loud mantra, it echoed faintly into the seemingly boundless forest.

As a wizard, Isabella didn't know what Vaughn's cry was, but she could sense that it must be some kind of magical language.

To be precise, it's a magical animal language!

She stared at Vaughn in surprise, her mind already racing—she didn't seem to have ever heard of the Weasleys or the Prewitt having magical animal bloodlines.

Bloodline is a defining concept for some pure-blood families.

Since the advent of magic, for thousands of years, there have been many wizards who have noticed that magical creatures possess magical organs.

There are also quite a few wizards who seek the source of magic.

Therefore, it is natural that some more radical wizards will disregard ethics and worldly morality and combine the bloodline (genes) of magical creatures with wizards in order to cultivate one or a group of super magical experimental subjects!

While magical history doesn't record this painful past, it's an undeniable fact that magical creature bloodlines are widespread in some ancient families.

For example, the Gaunt family, descendants of Salazar Slytherin, and other wizarding families with a slightly longer history, all know that the Gaunt can speak Parsley and command snakes.

So, what is Vaughn's...?

Just as Isabella was lost in thought, some sounds broke the silence from the surrounding dark woods.

rustling sounds!

You can vaguely see the shadows of the branches and leaves swaying.

A short while later, Isabella's eyes widened:

In the soft starlight, a group of beautiful creatures, shrouded in a hazy white halo, resembling horses but not horses, with single horns and flowing manes, emerged from the woods!

"Merlin's beard—a unicorn?"

"Yo!"

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't bother you, but I need help, Ilya!"

"Yo yo!"

"Her name is Isabella Rozier. She's not an outsider; she used to be a student at Hogwarts, and now, at Dumbledore's invitation, she's become a professor at the castle—"

Hearing my own name called.

Isabella, whose eyes had been shining and who was mesmerized ever since she saw a group of unicorns emerge from the forest, has finally come to her senses.

She watched Vaughn talking to the unicorn with curiosity.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, the beautiful unicorn that Vaughn called Ilya turned and glanced back at her.

"Yo!"

Isabella noticed Gao's stiff smile upon hearing the shout and leaned closer to him, whispering, "Is she talking about Yi Yao?"

Vaughn glanced at her, considered his words carefully, and replied, "She said she doesn't like you very much."

"?"

Isabella was even more confused: "Why? Although I didn't do well in Magical Creatures Protection class, I remember that unicorns like young girls!"

""

Vaughn paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, they like young girls, but they hate you—"

Isabella, who is now 22 years old, finally realized what was happening.

For a fleeting moment, she felt like her lungs were about to explode with anger!

Seeing her face turn red and then pale, Vaughn was glad that she couldn't understand unicorn language and didn't know Ilya's original words.

Otherwise, they might have pulled out their wands.

After all, these unicorns had a foul mouth that was the complete opposite of their holy appearance.

Isabella couldn't understand unicorn language, but she wasn't stupid. Just by looking at Vaughn's stiff smile, she knew that the guy named Ilya hadn't said anything nice.

It's infuriating to think about being mocked about your age by an animal; it feels awful!

Unfortunately, she can't be a partner.

Unicorns are forest spirits. When Isabella saw them appear, she knew that Vaughn was probably planning to use the unicorns' knowledge of the Forbidden Forest and their social skills as social butterflies to quickly recruit a batch of magical artifacts needed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class to fill the world of the painting!

Sure enough, after walking for a while in a somewhat awkward atmosphere, Vaughn brought up the matter.