My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

Chapter 310, Section 307: Tom's Choice

"Alright, that's all for our last class of the semester. Now it's your time to review. I'm not going to give you any easy questions on the final exam, so you'd better take it seriously."

Lynn closed his textbook and announced to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students in the last class of fifth grade.

"These past few days, many students have been asking me if I will continue to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts next year. Today, I'll give you an answer: I will be stepping down as professor at the end of this semester."

Lynn became more popular than ever after she started teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts under her original identity.

Putting aside his feat of saving Hogwarts, the fact that he transformed from a middle-aged man into a boy almost the same age as the students made the young wizards much closer to him than to the other professors.

Especially when teaching classes to students older than Lynn herself, the older wizards found it even more interesting, particularly the Ravenclaw witches, who loved to tease their young professors during breaks.

Unfortunately, Lynn was completely unmoved by their little tricks and had no intention of going along with their wishes for a dramatic, epic, and memorable teacher-student romance that would be written into an opera and passed down for a thousand years after her death.

This is enough to show how much the students at Hogwarts like Professor Belloc.

"Why, Professor? Are you leaving Hogwarts? Is it true that the rumors circulating at the school are that you're going to be recruited by Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

Of course, there are downsides to revealing one's identity. After the young wizards discovered that Lynn was actually about the same age as them, they became closer to him and naturally less respectful. For example, right now, a Ravenclaw girl stood up excitedly without even raising her hand and asked...

Lynn didn't pursue the matter of her violating classroom rules. After all, today was his last class, and from now on everyone would be a student, and there would be no more Professor Belloc.

However, he was still speechless at the nonsense she was spreading.

"I don't even know which way the doors of Beauxbatons School face, how could I possibly be poached by this school? I quit being a professor simply because Professor Dumbledore and I initially agreed that I would serve as a professor for one year, and after this year he would find another suitable candidate for the position. Of course, I will continue my studies at Hogwarts, after all, the person standing on this podium as your professor right now hasn't even received my Hogwarts diploma yet."

A burst of laughter erupted from below the podium, followed by a series of uninteresting questions from the girls: "Professor, do you have a girlfriend?", "Professor, what kind of girl do you like?", "Professor, do you plan to get married before graduation?"

After this last class, the news that Lynn would not continue as a Hogwarts professor next year quickly spread throughout the entire castle.

The students discussed the topic enthusiastically, because Lynn's experience as a professor was unprecedented, if not unparalleled. Moreover, he only served as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for a year, which made the young wizards even more interested in whether the position was cursed.

Lynn wasn't interested in what the students at school were talking about lately. Tomorrow was the final exam, and he was explaining her final assessment to Umaru.

"I've already arranged with the other professors that you will take the final exams in my place this year. The exams will be based on first-year magic knowledge. If you pass all of them and get an O grade, then I will keep my promise and buy you a game console and all the game discs this summer."

Umaru looked distressed. She had been at Hogwarts for a full year, so she knew how difficult it was to get an O in all her subjects at the end of the semester.

"Your demands are too high! I've worked so hard to pretend for you for a year, Lynn~ Just lower your demands a little bit, considering I didn't do anything special but still put in the effort."

Lynn tapped her on the head.

"I haven't finished speaking yet, what's the rush?" He crossed his arms, watching Umaru tug at his clothes, winking and acting cute. "If you get E or higher in all your subjects, I'll only buy you a game console. If you want game discs, you'll have to find a way to earn the money from me yourself."

Umaru had only ever seen game consoles in magazines before, and didn't know that game consoles required a disc to play.

"Can't you play the game console without a game disc?"

"Without a game disc, you'll just be staring blankly at the TV screen. But buying a game console usually comes with a game disc, though you'll have fewer games to play."

Umaru is easily satisfied.

"As long as there's something to play, I just want to see how fun this thing really is."

She was quite confident that she could achieve all her subjects at the E level or above, after all, she was surrounded by top students and she herself was very talented, so her requirement was not high, or even low.

Lynn gave her a heads-up, seeing her expression.

"Let me warn you first: if you only think about playing the game console all day after I buy it, I'll confiscate it."

"No, no."

Umaru readily agreed.

After getting Umaru out of the office, Lynn started worrying about Tom again.

Ever since he released Tom's main soul from its seal on the night he killed the basilisk, Tom has become taciturn. He seems to have been devastated by what happened to Basild, and now he spends all his time squatting in the corner of the office, hardly ever taking the initiative to communicate with Lynn.

"Have you thought it through, Tom? It's time to make a final decision. If we leave Hogwarts after the final exams, it will be difficult to prepare those things."

Now that Tom has been released from the seal by Lynn, he has two choices.

The first option is to return to the seal that imprisons spirits and souls, and continue to stay there obediently.

The second one was discussed by Lynn and Dumbledore. Tom's performance has been successfully improved, and he is now a model student who is both virtuous and academically excellent. All he needs now is a suitable body so that he can become a true model student.

Now Lynn is letting Tom make his own choice.

If he continues to stay in the seal, he can exchange his freedom for a lifetime of peace inside.

If he chooses to start anew, he will have to shoulder the burdens he was meant to bear.

(End of this chapter)