The Return to Hogwarts

"Stun Curse - Group Fight Version"

Amostella looked at the dumbfounded young wizards below and said with a smile,

"Excuse me, could any student help carry them to the school clinic?"

P.S.: Requesting votes and investments, thank you!

Chapter 52 Hagrid's Eight-Eyed Spider

In the wizarding world, strength is still the ultimate measure of power. Ever since Professor Blaine easily defeated Fred and George in class, Amosta's reputation has surpassed that of Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape, making him the most revered wizard among young wizards.

Just now, when he appeared in the prefectural washroom on the sixth floor, it was as if a ferocious fire dragon had rushed into the huge washroom. The prefects from various colleges huddled together in a corner of the bathtub. Throughout Amosta's entire washing process, no one dared to make a sound.

The atmosphere in the restroom only livened up after Amosta, having hastily finished tidying up, sighed helplessly and left.

Why doesn't Professor Blaine use the professors' private restroom?

Oliver Wood, with a bunch of colorful bubbles on his head, collapsed in the water, looking at Percy, who had been gazing at Amosta with admiration the whole time, with lingering fear.

Actually, this was a misunderstanding on Amosta's part. It wasn't that he was trying to show off in front of the young wizards; rather, he had no idea that the castle had a private bath specifically for professors. Professor McGonagall hadn't mentioned this when she arranged his office and living quarters. Amosta had only found out about the bath by chance when he was in school.

Around 8 p.m., Amosta, having cleaned herself up and changed into a clean wizard's robe, knocked on the door of Dumbledore's office and entered under Dumbledore's 'eager gaze'.

“I think this is the first time you’ve come to my office on your own initiative since you returned to Hogwarts, isn’t it, Amosta?”

Behind his desk, Dumbledore rested his chin on his hands, gazing at Amostella, whose smile was restrained, with a look of satisfaction in his bright eyes.

Of course, why would I keep wandering around here for no reason!

The thought flashed through Amosta's mind. He was actually a very insecure person, and Dumbledore was the only wizard at Hogwarts who could pose a threat to his life. Of course, he had to keep his distance from Dumbledore.

"Actually, it's like this, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Dumbledore, Amosta slowly revealed the purpose of his visit.

"According to my planned teaching schedule, Headmaster, I intend to start in March and, based on the skill level of the young wizards in the three grade levels, have them try to deal with some magical creatures themselves. What do you think?"

“You are the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Amosta, you have every right to make this decision yourself,” Dumbledore replied with a smile, showing great understanding.

"Ahem-"

Amosta clenched his fist and coughed twice, his expression not quite natural. "The problem is, what I plan for them to deal with... well, I think it would be better to discuss it with you beforehand."

Three minutes later, after Amostella explained his plan, Dumbledore, who had just been passively accepting it, no longer looked so relaxed; instead, he frowned in distress.

“It is indeed a radical and dangerous plan, Amosta. You should know that the young wizards have limited abilities. This is indeed a decision you made after careful consideration, isn’t it?”

“A comfortable cradle cannot nurture any decent talent, Headmaster Dumbledore. I know the upper limit of young wizards’ abilities, but that’s precisely why courage and determination in the face of danger are especially important. Since Professor McGonagall wants to see young wizards make real progress, I think taking a little risk is acceptable.”

For a seasoned and shrewd man like Dumbledore, there was nothing new or unheard of in his presence; it was simply that the misfortunes that had occurred during his tumultuous century of life had forged his cautious and prudent character.

But in the end, Dumbledore demonstrated his decisiveness.

“I will talk to Minerva about this, and I believe she will understand. But Amosta, to ensure nothing goes wrong, I suggest you bring Severus with you to class; he is trustworthy.”

Amosta breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Headmaster Dumbledore for his support, while Dumbledore, after a moment of contemplation, hesitated again before speaking...

"But regarding the eight-eyed spider you mentioned, I think you should speak to Hagrid first."

Amosta was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly and astutely realized what was happening.

"You mean, those eight-eyed spiders were kept by Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest?"

After Dumbledore gave an affirmative answer, Amosta shook his head and smiled wryly.

"I'd heard about Hagrid's particular fondness for large and dangerous magical creatures since I was in school, but I never imagined he'd keep even ugly, wizard-unfriendly creatures like the eight-eyed spider as a pet. It's truly astonishing!"

"Perhaps it was his pure and untainted heart that enabled Hagrid to win the favor of those lovely creatures who share the world with wizards."

Dumbledore's words were always so wise. He smiled and said to Amostella, "However, he did indeed pay a considerable price for it."

An hour later, Amosta walked heavily out of Headmaster Dumbledore's office and stood in front of the stone monster at the office door. The flickering torchlight on the wall illuminated his slightly furrowed brow, making Amosta's expression extremely solemn.

Amosta, who had only asked Dumbledore for permission to use the magical creatures in class, never expected to hear such valuable information tonight.

Yes, Amostella already knew that Hagrid had been expelled from Hogwarts, but he never expected that the reason Hagrid was expelled was the eight-eyed spider he encountered on the night before Christmas in his fifth year.

What surprised him even more was that this matter was actually related to the Chamber of Secrets and Voldemort!

No wonder Hagrid was so nervous when he encountered him as an investigator during the Christmas holidays before the start of this term, and even misunderstood that he had been sent back by the Ministry of Magic. A realization flashed in Amostella's eyes.

Although Dumbledore didn't say it explicitly, Amosta couldn't possibly miss the implication: fifty years ago, it wasn't Hagrid who opened the Chamber of Secrets, but most likely Tom Riddle, who had reported Hagrid.

When Amos asked Dumbledore about Tom Riddle's background, Dumbledore's answer shocked Amos, but upon reflection, it seemed perfectly reasonable.

It is indeed logical that the Dark Lord is Slytherin's successor. In fact, Amostall suspects that Voldemort and Salazar Slytherin's relationship was not merely that of fellow believers, but rather that they had a much closer bond.

For example, there was a rumor circulating wildly in the castle that Harry Potter and Slytherin were related by blood.

"The possibility of Parseltongue being an innate talent is very small. It's more likely that it's a power hidden in one's bloodline. Slytherin might be Voldemort's ancestor, but the key question is, how could Potter and Voldemort be related?"

The Amosta Thinker takes his first steps again.

Dumbledore certainly knew more, but for various reasons, he didn't reveal it to Amosta. Of course, the more he knew, the deeper he would get involved. Amosta was glad to see Dumbledore keeping it a secret from him instead of eagerly dragging him down with him.

"Regardless, we still need to talk to Hagrid—"

Standing at the office window, quietly gazing at the firelight on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, this thought flashed through Amosta's mind.

Chapter 53 Urgent

Monday afternoons and Friday mornings are Defense Against the Dark Arts classes for first and second-grade wizards.

Inside the Great Hall, where you could hear a pin drop, all the young wizards stared intently at Hermione and Professor Blaine on the platform, not daring to breathe. Neville even clasped his fists together in a prayerful gesture.

Amosta flicked his wand, and a stone pillar ten feet wide and as thick as a bowl rose from the ground, standing abruptly in the center of the high platform.

“Well then, Miss Granger—”

Amosta looked encouragingly at Hermione, whose fingertips were trembling with nervousness, and smiled.

"Please begin your performance!"

“Professor Blaine—” Hermione’s voice trembled slightly with tears. For the first time, she regretted raising her hand to answer the professor’s question. She stammered, “I can’t guarantee I’ll succeed.”

"You have the courage to stand on this stage and show yourself to everyone, Miss Granger, that is already an unprecedented success!"

Amosta continued to smile and encourage.

Finally, after about five minutes, Hermione, who had been breathing heavily, overcame her nervousness. She shakily raised her wand-holding right hand and pointed to the feather in her left palm, which was already damp with sweat.

"Candid Leviosa!"

The slightly immature voice instantly filled the silent and empty hall. Accompanied by a fleeting glint of light on the surface of the white feathers, a crisp clang made all the young wizards in the hall change color!

A collective gasp rippled through the formations of all four academies!

"Harry, have you heard her mention this?!"

Ron stared at Hermione on the platform with disbelief, as if he were just meeting her for the first time; his eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets in shock. Harry's expression wasn't much better than Ron's.

“No, Ron!” Harry whispered. “Never heard of him before!”

“That’s incredible!” Neville, standing behind him, stared with wide eyes, his face flushed with excitement. “I could never do that!”

"He's nothing but a lowly, mud-born bastard."

Most people stared at Hermione with shock and even awe. Only the Slytherin group, with their mostly sinister eyes and gloomy faces, had Malfoy whispered something in a low voice. But then, when Professor Blaine, who was standing thirty feet away, swept his gaze over him with an expressionless look, he immediately shut his mouth and dared not say another word. However, the look in his gray eyes became even more gloomy and uncertain.

After silencing the veiled Malfoy, Amostella turned his attention back to Hermione, whose pale cheeks were now flushed crimson. He nodded, his voice steady.

“Try to see if you can cut the stone pillar, Miss Granger.”

Hermione hesitated before nodding. She looked at the stone pillar, her arm trembling slightly, as if she were holding not a wand, but a metal rod weighing dozens of kilograms.

call out!

The feathers, their surfaces gleaming with a metallic sheen, whistled sharply as they cut through the air, like arrows leaving a fully drawn bowstring. In the blink of an eye, the feathers struck the stone pillar.

Snapped!

Everyone's eyes immediately turned to the stone pillar. With a crisp cracking sound, the smooth surface of the stone pillar exploded, sending fragments flying into the sky, then falling back to the ground like rain.

Once the dust had settled, the young wizards below the stage looked closely and immediately showed expressions of disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Professor Blaine, I failed!"

Hermione, who saw the result before everyone else, bit her lower lip hard, her brown eyes glistening with tears, looking utterly dejected as if she had suffered a great blow.

Amostah stepped forward to examine it closely. Hermione's feather had been shattered into a pile of fine hairs mixed with stone fragments, while the stone pillar he had conjured only had a small pit on its surface, still a long way from breaking.

“It can’t be called a failure, Miss Granger,” Amostella said with a smile, pointing to the small stone pit.

"To successfully cast an 'Object Manipulation Spell,' abundant magical power and the ability to control it are key, and these are precisely what young wizards lack. I believe you have already grasped the essence of this spell. As long as you practice diligently and your magical power gradually increases with age, you will one day be able to cast a complete 'Object Manipulation Spell'!"

Hermione's incomplete 'Object Charm' became the hottest topic on Friday. Wherever she went, people would stop her and ask her for the trick to the spell.

At lunchtime, even Percy squeezed in, ignoring Ron's disgruntled expression, and asked her for advice in a slightly respectful tone.

To be honest, this is the first time Hermione has ever experienced fame!