Chapter 10: Heading To Onboarding
Summer was coming to an end, and the time to return to school for the new term had arrived.
Melvin walked along the roadside, carrying a suitcase in his right hand and brushing fireplace ash off his sleeve with his left.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds of the Scottish Highlands, the morning mist had dispersed, the pebble-paved street was still a bit damp, the candy store on the left side of the street hadn’t opened yet, cream almond candies piled into a slanted tower in the shop window, the frosting stars on top slowly rotating, and cockroaches rustling around in the holes at the bottom.
Next to it stood a brightly colored signboard: Honeydukes.
There were also Dervish and Banges shop, Zonko’s Joke Shop, Owl Post Office…
This was Hogsmeade.
About four hundred miles from London, the most convenient way to travel was by Floo Powder fireplace, arriving at the Three Broomsticks Inn from the Leaky Cauldron in just half a minute.
The Hogwarts school gate was three or four miles away, and a normal walk there would take an hour.
Melvin chose a slightly faster way of walking.
“Bang…”
Standing at the village exit, he took one step forward, the air emitted a faint whistling sound, the space near his figure slightly distorted, and when he reappeared, he was already at a road junction hundreds of meters away.
An improved use of Apparition.
Whether Apparition or Disapparition, the essence was the same as the Vanishing Spell; the casting wizard was also the target of the spell. Based on the caster’s memory of the landing point location, coordinates were determined, crossing space to transport oneself to the predetermined location. With proficient technique, one could directly use line of sight to determine the landing point.
The road conditions were not complicated, with road signs along the way and basically no forks in the middle; after just a few shifts, the Hogwarts school gate could be seen in the distance.
“Bang…”
Melvin stood at the road junction and looked up at the school’s main door.
The school gate was very fitting for a thousand-year-old ancient school; two black iron cast openwork door leaves were embedded between towering stone walls, about twenty or thirty feet high, with bronze statues of boars with spread wings coiled on the gateposts.
The boars were male…
Although he couldn’t understand it, it just seemed very impressive.
Picking up the suitcase, he walked through the main door, and immediately a figure came up from the corner; Melvin saw the words 「Caretaker: Argus Filch」 pinned to his chest.
“Professor Melvin Levent?”
Mr. Filch the caretaker’s voice was somewhat hoarse, his face waxy yellow, eyeballs slightly bulging, wrapped in an old rat-gray robe.
“Yes.” Melvin nodded with a smile.
“Professor Levent, come with me. Headmaster Dumbledore sent word in advance and asked me to wait for you here.”
“Thank you for the trouble.”
Melvin followed this caretaker inside while surveying both sides of the road.
The scenery along the way was excellent, with lush flowers and plants that weren’t overly dense.
Hogwarts was probably originally a noble manor, the surrounding land transformed from farmland, reasonably planned; the road after entering the school gate was very flat, forest on the left side of the road, Quidditch Pitch on the right, Slytherin’s green flags fluttering in the wind.
Almost every wizard in the world had heard that Hogwarts was divided into houses named after its four founders:
Godric Gryffindor, symbolizing courage;
Rowena Ravenclaw, symbolizing wisdom;
Helga Hufflepuff, symbolizing loyalty;
Slytherin, symbolizing glory.
At the school’s founding, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin’s relationship was the closest; following adventure novel tropes, the two should have left a friendship ode on a Chocolate Frog Card…
Unexpectedly, the unexpected happened as expected.
Decades after the school’s founding, Slytherin suddenly became paranoid, trying to convince the other founders to only admit pure-blood students; the other founders clearly opposed this, then disagreements grew, and finally Slytherin stormed off in a huff, parting on bad terms.
These were all written in the school history.
There were some contents not written into the school history:
First, Slytherin built the Chamber of Secrets before leaving, hiding a basilisk inside. Second, Gryffindor went out in his later years to search for Slytherin’s whereabouts, ultimately without success.
Compared to Helga Hufflepuff who ended well and Rowena Ravenclaw who died with eyes wide open, there was no news of these two legendary wizards in their later years, not even anyone knew where they were buried.
Passing an exceptionally vigorous Whomping Willow, the greenhouses for Herbology class could be seen, with a short plump witch in gardener’s clothes busy inside.
A bit further ahead, up the staircase was the foyer.
“This is as far as we go; next, the headmaster will take you to the office.”
“Where is the headmaster…”
Melvin looked up and saw a figure with white hair and beard standing on the corridor passage near the courtyard, squatting down teasing a dark gray cat; hearing the sound, he cast a gaze toward them, his smile mild.
That dark gray cat trotted over in small steps and gently rubbed against Filch’s trouser leg.
“Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Filch.” Melvin nodded and said.
“…”
Filch looked up at him, his gaze a bit strange, then quickly withdrew it: “Welcome to Hogwarts, Professor Levent.”
“Goodbye.”
Only then did the headmaster walk over unhurriedly.
Dumbledore was wearing a red and gold ceremonial robe today, bright in color, large and solemn in style, with ordinary trousers on the lower body, his beard and hair carefully groomed, fluffy and scattered.
Wearing half-moon shaped glasses, pupils bright blue, back straight.
The late summer sunlight made him look spirited.
“Long time no see, Headmaster Dumbledore.”
“I’ve been looking forward to this day, Melvin.”
Dumbledore smiled until his eyes narrowed: “I should originally introduce you to my capable professors. Minerva is handling documents, Severus is inventorying Potions materials for the new school year, Filius is adjusting the raven-shaped bronze door knocker for their house to prevent that door from stumping students with a riddle it couldn’t solve over an entire summer vacation, Pomona is cleaning the greenhouse… Please forgive us; today happens to be the busiest time.”
Melvin: “…”
It sounds like only you, the headmaster, are slacking off.
“Come on, let’s go upstairs to see your office and have me introduce my alma mater to you.”
Dumbledore led him upstairs, introducing as they walked: “The hall we just saw is our Great Hall, also the place for regular meals, next to it is the caretaker’s office, Staff Room.
“Going this way on the second floor is the Transfiguration Classroom, the deputy headmaster’s office…
“Your office is on the third floor, the stone statue next to it is the entrance to my office; you can come chat with me anytime.”
Melvin listened carefully, following him up the marble staircase.
“You should know already; our school is divided into four houses, outwardly sorted by the Sorting Hat, but actually it fully respects the students’ personal choices… Speaking of which, I’m a bit curious: how does Ilvermorny sort houses?”
“Ilvermorny has four houses, selected and assigned by the four wood carvings in the Great Hall. The Horned Serpent favors students who love reading, similar to Ravenclaw; Thunderbird tends to choose adventurers; Wampus loves youths with resolute character; Pukwudgie favors kind-hearted healers.”
“I heard only a very few students are chosen by all four houses at once…”
Ate caoshifan and got the runs.
Owe 2k today, make up tomorrow~
