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Chapter 196: Dumbledore owes a favor

Occasionally, raindrops fell on the seemingly transparent roof, creating a crystalline ripple that slid down the tilted roof of the auditorium to the ends, and eventually dripped to the ground with a ticking sound.

The décor and furnishings for the opening dinner had already been set up, and four long tables were arranged in parallel in the middle of the auditorium, stretching from the dais of the faculty and staff seats at the front all the way to the side of the main door at the back.

Countless exquisite tableware, either gold or silver, were neatly displayed on the long tables, and the plates were empty, waiting until the principal announced the official start of the dinner before the kitchen house elves used their magic to deliver all the meals to the auditorium.

None of the young wizards had arrived yet, and the seniors who had come in the Night Tiffin wagons were making their way from the main gates on the north side of the castle to the auditorium at the far south end.

And the first years had only just gotten into their boats, led by Hagrid to get a feel for the path the Big Four must have taken to get to the Highlands where Hogwarts was located.

However, two abrupt voices suddenly came from the empty auditorium.

"Dementors are attempting to attack students, what's wrong with leading the resistance as a professor?" A few bat shadows drifted away, and Dracula's figure then appeared at the front of the auditorium, sitting right in his seat.

Almost indistinguishable from the bat silhouettes, a golden-red flame burned out of thin air.

"There really isn't much of a problem in theory." Dumbledore stepped out from amongst the flames and pulled out Professor Flivvy's chair next to Dracula's and sat down, "Professor Dracula, it's true that those Dementors made a mistake, but they're still employees of the Ministry of Magic in the end ..."

"Indeed, I should ask the Ministry of Magic for some of the hard-earned money for teaching rebellious employees a lesson on their behalf." Dracula cupped his chin and hooked the corner of his mouth wistfully, "Let me think about how much is appropriate to charge ..."

"Professor Dracula, that's not what I'm talking about." Dumbledore said helplessly, "It's true that the wanton capture of Ministry of Magic employees isn't very appropriate, and Fudge wrote to me that these dementors also have the task of manning Hogwarts."

"Do you see, whether to release these dementors first, at least let them cope with the Ministry of Magic's inspection of Sirius first."

In fact, Dumbledore was also quite helpless, Fudge was actually this outrageous to the point of wanting to arrange for dementors to set up barricades at Hogwarts to look for Sirius ...

I don't know how much he was worried about such a wanted criminal affecting his professional future, so much so that he didn't even want his popularity among the students.

"Put out? Why can't I understand what you're saying, Headmaster Dumbledore?" Dracula looked bored, his hands folded and propped behind his head, leaning tantalizingly against the back of his chair, "Dementors attacked the students, and after I fought and resisted, I inadvertently killed as many of those Dementors as I could, so what's the problem?"

According to Dracula's distaste for dementors, he was certainly reluctant to put such a dark and evil species in Hogwarts.

"Ahem ... Professor Dracula, it's not as if I can only learn about what's on the train by witnessing it." Dumbledore seemed to be choking and coughed dryly, "I've already asked the students, and they said that you skewered the dementors and threw them ... into the trash?"

"Which little wizard was so mouthy that he leaked this so quickly and quickly?" Dracula narrowed his eyes.

He didn't really expect this matter to be hidden from the "all-knowing" Dumbledore, but he just didn't expect it to be exposed so quickly, and the time interval in between might not even be half an hour!

"Is it so easy for you to comply with the Ministry's demands, Dumbledore? Even with such unreasonable decisions?" Dracula asked, "It's not too stifling to live like this, is it?"

"It's not that bad, except that I sort of owe Fudge two favors this year." Dumbledore shook his head gently, "So his claim still needs more consideration."

"Oh?" Dracula raised his eyes, "You'll still have things you need his help with?"

"In case you didn't know, Harry broke the rules on using magic outside of school a while back and ran away from home." Dumbledore explained, "Fudge reacted quickly and immediately arranged for the Aurors to get him to safety."

"He's only protecting Potter to put himself in his place, isn't he?" Dracula squinted at Dumbledore, "If the so-called 'savior' of the magical world was really killed by Sirius Black, then the group's excitement would have put Fudge's seat as Minister of Magic at an end."

"That's true in theory, but judging by the results, we'll still have to take his lumps." Dumbledore sighed.

"And the other thing?" Dracula bristled and then asked.

He couldn't quite understand Dumbledore's concept of this kind of favor. Let's just say that people of this sort of quality who were considered noble had drawn their own code of conduct in their minds, something that was difficult for others to do.

"The other matter is less important, except that Hogwarts has requested a magical item for a young witch." Dumbledore said, "While common sense would have had a high probability of it going through, the process also had to be signed by Fudge."

"So actually, both of your favors were clearly Fudge's share of the work, right?" The corner of Dracula's mouth twitched, "I really don't understand why you remember these things so clearly ..."

"It's important to set a standard for yourself after all, especially for someone like me who has never been able to resist temptation." Dumbledore smiled and shook his head, a strong look of remembrance appearing in his eyes and a tantalizingly sad aura lingering around him.

He always remembered the mistakes he had made in his youth, and as a result, he realized that he was not a man who could withstand temptation towards power and desire.

Dumbledore used this as his lifelong warning, and whenever he was about to be overwhelmed by his own great strength, great image, high prestige, and power at his fingertips, he would use that most painful memory in his life to jab himself awake and keep all his desires away from him ...

Dracula looked at Dumbledore's suddenly sullen mood and shrugged hopelessly, lifting his hand and tossing a trash can into his arms.

"Here, this is it, take it and return the favor." He said to Dumbledore with a disgusted look on his face.

Dumbledore was stunned for a moment before he realized that he wasn't quite in the right mood, and very quickly tucked his sentimentality away and smiled at Dracula.

"I'm sorry, Professor Dracula, I was out of line just now." He apologized to Dracula with a smile.

Dumbledore then looked inside the garbage can, which had been cast with a no-stretching spell.

He saw a group of ugly, rotting dementors strung together by a silver silk thread, kneaded into a large fall, huddled one next to the other, their bodies squeezed out of shape.

"Is there enough?" Dumbledore asked subconsciously as he looked at the dementors in the bucket.

"Ahem ... it should be." Dracula said somewhat sheepishly.

Dumbledore looked up at him suspiciously.

"If Fudge asks, just say that the resistance was too fierce and you accidentally exterminated a few." Dracula immediately adjusted his tone, "Surely there are enough of those Dementors for you to return the favor anyway."

Dumbledore smiled noncommittally and reached out and nodded at the trash can, transforming it into a small, pencil-sized cylinder and putting it away.

...

As the hours passed, the young wizards arrived in the auditorium one by one.

A sea of pointy black hats gradually formed in the brightly lit auditorium. Each of the long tables was filled with students with thousands of candles illuminating their faces.

Just before the House Dividing Ceremony began Professor McGonagall took Harry and Hermione to the Vice Chancellor's office, not knowing what to do.

Dracula guessed that she was concerned about Harry being terrorized by a dementor on the way there to the point of fainting, oh yeah, Madam Pomfrey wasn't in the faculty seat either, and Professor McGonagall supposedly called on the matron to help check on Harry as well.

Because the Vice Chancellor wasn't present, this academic year's house division ceremony was conducted by Professor Flivvy.

Professor Freeway, a short male wizard, walked into the auditorium with his brand new sorting hat and a three-legged stool.

He was no taller than the stool and looked a bit comical, and most of the young wizards attending the sorting ceremony stifled their laughter.

"Romilda Vine!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Astoria Greengrass!"

"..."

By the time Professor McGonagall led both Harry and Hermione out of the vice-principal's office, the still-organized House Dividing Ceremony was over.

"Oh," Hermione said to Harry with some regret as they walked along, "What a shame we missed the House Dividing Ceremony."

"Don't be silly, Hermione." Harry said sensibly, "Do you mean to say that you still want to hear the Hat of the House of the Dividing Hat sing its annual Hat of the House of the Dividing Hat song at the top of its ugly voice?"

"... That's better."

Professor McGonagall slowly made her way to her empty seat in the professor's chair, while Harry and Hermione walked as quietly as they could in the opposite direction, to the Gryffindor House table.

As they walked along the back of the auditorium, people looked back at them and a few pointed at Harry.

It looked like the story of Harry fainting in front of the dementors had spread with great speed. Harry guessed that it was Draco Malfoy, who was not far from their compartment, that nuisance loved to make up bad things about him.

He and Hermione finally made their way over to the long Gryffindor table and sat on either side of Ron. Ron had saved them seats.

"What did Professor McGonagall just call you guys in for?" He asked Harry in a low voice, "It's the first time I've ever seen a House Dividing Ceremony conducted by Professor Freeway."

Harry began to explain to him in a low voice the actions of Professor McGonagall after she and Madam Pomfrey had examined himself, but he wasn't sure what Professor McGonagall had meant by calling Hermione into his office alone later.

Ron had wanted to ask, but didn't have the courage to do so after being glared at by Hermione.

At that moment, the Headmaster stood up and began to speak, just in time to diffuse Ron and Harry's embarrassment.

Professor Dumbledore's beard seemed to be longer, and he was older, but still managed to give the impression of being full of energy.

As the greatest boy wizard of his time and the pinnacle of the wizarding world, Harry couldn't help but put his heart down and leave his trust completely with Professor Dumbledore. For the first time since the dementor had entered the train car, he was truly composed.

"Welcome!" Professor Dumbledore said, the light from the candles shining through his beard.

"Welcome to Hogwarts in the new school year! I have a few things to say to all of you, one of which is very serious, and I thought I might as well get it out of the way before you get all misty-eyed over this fine meal ..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "As you are all no doubt aware after the Dementors raided the Hogwarts Express. Currently our school is hosting a number of Dementors from Azkaban who are here on official Ministry of Magic business."

He paused for a moment, and it was obvious that Dumbledore, even though he had to return the favor, was still very unhappy about the matter of the dementors guarding the school.

"They are stationed at all entrances to this part of the school grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and during their stay here, I must make it clear that no one is allowed to leave the school without permission!"

"Also, Dementors, by virtue of their unique characteristics, are never fooled by little tricks or disguises - not even invisibility cloaks." He added this with a grimace.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, knowing that Mr. Headmaster was afraid he was talking about Harry's invisibility cloak.

"Dementors by nature do not know what a request or an excuse is. Therefore I warn each and every one of you: do not give them any excuse to harm you. I expect the Heads of Year, and our newly appointed Boys' Student Council President and Girls' Student Council President, that you will ensure that no student has a run-in with a dementor."

Percy sat only a few seats away from Harry, at which point he puffed out his chest again and gave an impressive glance around.

He'd managed to get elected President of the Hogwarts Boys' Student Council this year, and it made him proud.

Dumbledore paused again and glanced around the auditorium with a rather serious expression; no one moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued with a sudden smile, "I am pleased to welcome a new teacher to our ranks this year!"

"As a matter of fact, you may all be familiar with the professor we've appointed," Dumbledore said to the young wizards with a small smile, "Before I introduce the professor, I'd like to make an announcement first- "

"I regret to inform you that the professor of our Protecting Magical Creatures class, Professor Kettleburn, officially retired at the end of last year in order to spend more time with his remaining magical creature, Rogue."

"Now allow me to introduce you to the new professor of the Protecting Magical Creatures class, none other than Rube Hagrid to fill his shoes. Hagrid has agreed to take on the position of professor on top of his duties as a hunting grounds keeper."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other wide-eyed and dumbfounded before they joined in the applause, which was extraordinarily loud at the long Gryffindor table.

Hagrid was flushed and staring at his large hands, his proud, nervous, reserved, coy smile hidden in his disheveled black beard.