Harry Potter and the Great Old Ones

Chapter 419 Wild Pink Toads Appear

The sorting ceremony ended quickly, just like in previous years. It was simply a matter of students being assigned a little to one college and a little to another. Apart from Hathaway Romanov, there were no other students who deserved special attention.

During the brief Sorting Ceremony, Hathaway, using a love charm, had already begun to enjoy the feeling of being the center of attention.

After the last freshman was sorted into Ravenclaw, Professor McGonagall picked up the Sorting Hat and returned to her seat in the faculty box.

Then, Professor Albus Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome our new students!" Tyrell clapped his hands, mimicking Dumbledore's mannerisms, and announced in a booming voice, his face beaming with a radiant smile. "Of course, welcome back our returning students as well... I'm sure everyone is quite curious about the transfer students at Hogwarts, but we have plenty of time for our presentations, not now. Please continue to enjoy the banquet!"

With that, Tiera sat back down.

She began to enjoy the steak placed in front of her without looking at anything else, completely ignoring the fabricated girlish laughter coming from five seats to her left of the teachers' table.

In fact, Tierra did not want to attend today's entrance banquet.

Even though Tiera has become a god, even though Tiera has attained divine dimension, even though Tiera is the embodiment of chaos—

Tiera still felt physically uncomfortable when she saw Dolores Umbridge's face and heard her voice.

Tyrell knew that Dumbledore must feel the same way.

This morning, Tierra was summoned to the principal's office by Phoenix Fox very early in the morning.

Dumbledore lay on the bed, his face flushed and brimming with life force, weakly holding Tyrell's hand—

“I’m failing…” Dumbledore said. “I’m too weak to attend the dinner tonight… Please go in my place…”

"You drank the elixir of immortality the night before last, didn't you?" Tierra sat down beside Dumbledore's bed, placed her hand on Dumbledore's wrist, and said coldly.

"Even the elixir of immortality can't save me, I'm dying..." Dumbledore said.

“Headmaster, you know I have the authority over 'life,' right?” Tierra asked, raising an eyebrow. “You know I can see the vibrant life force within you, right?”

"I'm dying soon too, so I can't attend the dinner tonight. You'll have to go in my place," Dumbledore said without batting an eye.

And so, Tierra had to switch to Dumbledore's skin again to attend the opening banquet.

More than half an hour passed, and most of the students had finished eating and drinking. Even Ron stopped adding main dishes to his plate and instead ordered a fruit pudding, which he began to eat slowly.

The hall grew increasingly noisy, and at that moment, Tierra stood up once again.

Tyra waved her hand gently, mimicking Dumbledore's gesture, and the talking in the hall immediately stopped as everyone turned to look at "Dumbledore."

"Alright, now that we're digesting yet another incredibly delicious meal, I ask everyone to be quiet for a moment so I can give you all some important notes about the new school term, as usual." Tyella mimicked Dumbledore's tone, but her voice lacked enthusiasm and instead sounded somewhat impatient. "First-year students should know that the Forbidden Forest in the Hunting Grounds is off-limits to students—and our upperclassmen should know that now too." (Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged mischievous smiles.) "Mr. Filch, the warden, has asked me—and he told me this is the four hundred and twenty-sixth time—to remind you all that spellcasting in the hallways during class time, and many other rules, all listed on that long list posted on Mr. Filch's office door."

“This year, we have two changes in our teaching staff. I would like to introduce Professor Newtscamander to you,” Tierra said happily. “I’m sure you all know who he is. If you don’t, look at the preface of your Magical Creatures Conservation textbook this year. He will be teaching you about protecting magical creatures.”

As soon as Tierra finished speaking, the students in the banquet hall erupted in excitement. Clearly, some knew who Newtscamander was. At the Hefpatch House table, a freckled sixth-year boy named Rocknscamander excitedly shouted:
"My grandfather! This is my grandfather!"

Rockenscamander beamed with happiness. "Anyone who wants a high score, come to me!"

Tierra: ...

Tierra glanced at Rockenscamander, then at Newtscamander, who was over ninety years old and still rubbing his eyebrows, in the teachers' seat.

"Ahem, alright, quiet down." Tiera coughed.

“Of course.” Tiera’s voice suddenly turned somber. “We are equally pleased to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts class.”

A polite but not very enthusiastic round of applause filled the auditorium, clearly not comparable to the applause that had been given to Newtscamander when he entered.

Because at that moment, upon seeing Dolores Umbridge, almost all the Hogwarts students, except for the first-years who hadn't heard Tyrell's prophecy, simultaneously thought of one adjective—

"Pink toad"

“Regarding the questions about the transfer students,” Tierra continued, “I believe everyone is already aware of what happened three months ago. Because Voldemort has returned, so we—”

"Ahem!" Tiera was interrupted halfway through her sentence by a fabricated girlish voice, "Excuse me for interrupting—"

“I won’t allow it,” Tierra growled coldly.

“Well then, let’s continue. As you all know, due to Voldemort—” Tiera was about to continue, but stopped again.

“Professor Dumbledore!” Umbridge shrieked. “Do I need to remind you? I am the Ministry of Magic’s Senior Investigator at Hogwarts. I have the authority, and I also—”

“No, you didn’t,” Tiera said coldly, then turned to look at Dolores Umbridge. “What makes you think you can stand here, that you can survive interrupting me?”

"Is it because you're the Ministry of Magic's Senior Investigator at Hogwarts?"

“No,” Tyella shook her head and said, “it’s because I’m the headmaster of Hogwarts, because these are all innocent students who haven’t experienced the world, and because I’m a white wizard.”

“I am gentle and humble, kind and amiable. I have always restrained my own heart. I will not kill, so you think the price of offending me is zero,” Tiera said. “But what if one day I can’t restrain myself? What if one day I decide to unleash the beast within me? What if one day I let my sixteen-year-old self take over?”

“Since you dared to enter Hogwarts, you must have investigated Dumbledore’s past,” Tyella said. “You should know what kind of person I used to be.”

Umbridge's face turned pale instantly—

“I’ll remember that, Umbridge,” Tierra said with a smile. “You, and your Ministry of Magic, are living at my beck and call.”

The second update is here.
I've been too busy these past few days to thank everyone, but I'll do so in the author's notes of the next chapter.

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(End of this chapter)