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Chapter 120: Big Events at Hogwarts
🕑 Added 2025-04-13 14:10:32 +0000 UTCFor Noah and his friends, who were still students, they were undeniably exceptional. They had already proven themselves in many ways.
Whether it was their grasp of magical theory or their understanding of the magical world, few at their age could compare.
Especially Noah—Ms. Haifin had heard from Hermione more than once that he could probably apply for early graduation without any trouble.
It was clear that Noah was exceptionally suited for the magical world. What might seem ordinary in the non-magical world became extraordinary through the lens of magic. Here, he soared.
Although Ms. Haifin wanted to remind Noah not to grow arrogant, she realized it was pointless. Pride radiated off Noah and his friends, but so did genuine confidence.
These young wizards clearly had no intention of slowing down. They were marching steadily down the road of magic, determined and unrelenting.
With that in mind, Ms. Haifin said nothing more. She simply watched as Noah and the others boarded the Hogwarts Express before silently returning to the orphanage.
Back in her room, Ms. Haifin picked up one of Noah’s textbooks from last semester and tried reading it. But after two minutes, she tossed it aside with a sigh.
She then bent down and retrieved one of Hermione's old first-year books from the bag Hermione had gifted her. Opening it, she gave a satisfied nod.
Noah’s textbook had no annotations at all—not a single note. Was that his idea of studying?
Hermione’s book, on the other hand, was filled with underlines, highlights, and even personal insights. Now that looked like a student’s textbook.
But then again, Noah’s grades were better than Hermione’s, and his magic was significantly more advanced…
Ms. Haifin could only shake her head. Was Noah truly… a genius?
After wrestling with that thought for a while, she gave up. Her conclusions didn’t satisfy her, so she decided not to dwell on it.
“You look down on me? Then I have to succeed! The magical world really is worth striving for. I have to work even harder in Diagon Alley,” she muttered to herself.
Back at Hogwarts, Noah had no idea how hard Ms. Haifin was working or why. To him, it was perfectly natural for non-magical folk to be curious about magic.
When he returned to his dormitory, he discovered he was the last one back. It made him sigh in frustration—damn Ministry of Magic trains were so slow!
Then again, the Hogwarts Express had been built more than a century ago. How fast could it possibly go?
“You're back, Noah? How was your Christmas?” Evan, who was reading an old, slightly moldy-looking book, greeted him with a cheerful grin.
“Not bad. How about you guys?” Noah asked, tossing his luggage aside and face-planting onto his bed.
“Pretty ordinary. I wanted to visit you and Harry, but my family wouldn’t allow it. Same excuse—they think the Muggle world isn’t safe. Seriously,” Evan said, shaking his head.
Lance and Kenn also looked up from the books in their hands, which were noticeably newer than Evan’s.
They were actually reading the notes left behind by Salazar Slytherin. As for why they had them…
Well, it was because Noah and Harry had dealt with the basilisk and destroyed one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes—without involving their friends. That had annoyed them quite a bit.
They felt a little insulted. Something that dangerous, and they hadn’t been called upon?
Noah had to explain several times that it had all happened unexpectedly and that he hadn’t deliberately excluded them.
Which was true. Noah hadn’t planned to go with Harry in the first place. But a promise he made left him with no choice.
After explaining everything and handing over the Slytherin notebook, the others finally forgave him, grinning as they pored over the notes.
They hadn’t been angry, per se—just frustrated they hadn’t faced that danger alongside Noah. It made them feel a bit left out.
More people could mean more strength… but sometimes, too many could be a burden.
In the end, it didn’t matter much. Whether it was the basilisk or Voldemort’s remnant soul, Noah had dealt with them both on his own.
He’d even read Slytherin’s notes thoroughly and memorized most of it after a single read.
Thanks to his system’s internal library, any book he read was stored automatically. He could retrieve and reread it whenever he wanted.
Of course, he couldn’t recall everything instantly—Slytherin’s records were vast and dense—but the advantage was undeniable.
Dumbledore and the others had been interested in that notebook, of course.
But when Noah had casually blown up the statue of Salazar Slytherin after retrieving it, their focus shifted. Plus, the “elemental magic” knowledge Noah shared was so groundbreaking that it distracted them from the fact that he kept the notebook.
“By the way, Noah, did you hear? Something big is happening at Hogwarts,” Lance said suddenly, his smile turning mischievous.
“Huh? Something big? What are you talking about?” Noah sat up in surprise. What else could possibly happen?
He’d already dealt with the basilisk, destroyed Voldemort’s Horcrux, and Dumbledore now had the remains. What was left?
“I haven’t read the Daily Prophet recently; I’ve been in the Muggle world. What happened?”
“Aha! I’ll tell you. During the Christmas holidays, Professor Dumbledore suddenly summoned all the professors back for a 'professor-level certification' assessment.”
“What? A level assessment?”
“Yup. Turns out Lucius Malfoy instigated it. No one knows what he’s thinking. He even brought Minister Cornelius Fudge along!”
Lucius Malfoy? Noah frowned. What was that guy up to this time?
Trying to create a better environment for Draco? Or… trying to get rid of Dumbledore?
Lucius had always been eager to see Dumbledore ousted. Noah recalled that if he hadn’t handled the basilisk and the Horcrux, the Board of Governors might have posed a serious threat to Dumbledore this term.
Hogwarts was too important, especially in the British wizarding world.
Whoever led Hogwarts essentially shaped the next generation of wizards, tying them to that person’s ideology.
The wizarding world was just like the Muggle one—riddled with politics and factions. The Headmaster of Hogwarts had to be clear-headed and relatively neutral.
Dumbledore understood that well. While he wasn’t perfectly neutral, he treated every student with fairness.
He was a true educator—respected and beloved.
But if someone else—say, a Slytherin purist—took over…
Noah swallowed hard. He didn’t think Dumbledore would be forced out over this, but it wasn’t impossible. Especially considering some of the sketchy hires he’d made—like a certain fraud…
“Is Professor Dumbledore okay?” Noah asked, frowning.
“Professor Dumbledore? Of course. Why do you ask?” Kenn looked at him, confused.
“So what’s this assessment about, then?”
“It’s aimed at the other professors. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout are exempt—they’re deans or high-level staff. Trusted faculty.”
“What I mean is—if someone fails the assessment, won’t Dumbledore be held accountable?”
“In theory, yes. But believe it or not, Lucius Malfoy actually defended Dumbledore to Fudge,” Lance chimed in, still stunned. “He said… wait, Noah, you already guessed, didn’t you?”
Noah rolled his eyes. Kenn facepalmed. Of course Noah guessed it.
Among all Hogwarts professors, the only one who’d likely fail such an assessment was Gilderoy Lockhart.
Everyone knew the man was a fraud. So naturally, he was the one exposed.
As for Malfoy’s defense? Noah could already imagine it.
Something along the lines of: “Lockhart was so famous, no one would suspect him of lying. Even Dumbledore could be deceived.”
Still… why would Malfoy help Dumbledore instead of tearing him down?
“Anyway, it’s not that complicated,” Lance said, recovering. “It just shocked everyone.”
“How do you know all this?” Noah asked, leaning back against his bed frame.
“Oh, we were nearby when it happened this afternoon. Lots of students were. The assessment was open to the public.”
“So the big news you mentioned… is that Lockhart is getting kicked out?”
“Well, yeah! That’s huge news! Once it’s all exposed, imagine how many people will come after him for lying. Oh, and one more thing—Professor Snape is going to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts next term.”
“Oh, really? Now that is big news.”
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