章節 73: Chapter 73: Grover Cecil
On the morning of September 3rd, the sky over Hogwarts was filled with owls. Countless owls circled the school, but the letters they carried were not for the newly returned students.
In the Great Hall, students were buzzing with confusion, chattering about why the school was being swarmed by owls. Despite all the speculation, no one could come to a definitive conclusion, though many suspected it had something to do with the new professor.
The first class of the new school year was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, a notoriously difficult subject. Having it as the very first lesson was a nightmare for the students.
In their first year, Eda and her classmates had practiced transforming objects, but today they were tasked with turning beetles into buttons.
It seemed as though everyone had completely forgotten last year's lessons, making this Transfiguration class especially challenging. Professor McGonagall paced around the classroom with a stern expression, clearly frustrated with her students' lack of progress.
Some students couldn't even manage to control their wands, causing beetles to scuttle all over the place. Others, applying too much force, accidentally squashed their beetles. A few, in a fit of frustration, simply swatted their beetles dead with their hands. The beetle casualties quickly piled up, with tiny corpses scattered across the classroom.
'You are the worst class I've ever taught!' Professor McGonagall fumed internally.
In desperate need of reassurance, McGonagall made her way over to Eda, hoping for at least one student to succeed so she wouldn't lose her temper and hex the entire class.
Just as she reached Eda's desk, she spotted George Weasley sitting next to her. With a flick of his wand, George set his beetle on fire. A small plume of black smoke rose into the air, causing McGonagall's blood pressure to soar.
Thankfully, Eda didn't disappoint. She placed her beetle on the desk, pointed her wand at it, and softly muttered the incantation.
The beetle transformed into a delicate button, intricately engraved with the initials "E.T."—the first letters of Eda's full name, Esmeralda Twist.
Points must be awarded, no question about it.
Watching Eda successfully cast the spell, Professor McGonagall's blood pressure finally returned to normal. Her dizziness faded, and her vision cleared.
In the afternoon, the students had Defense Against the Dark Arts. They arrived early, eager to see the new professor. Every year brought a different professor, each with their own teaching style. Eventually, one professor would suit everyone's preferences.
The newly appointed Professor Glover Cecil still held a certain novelty for the students. As long as he didn't completely botch his first day, the students were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Inside the classroom, Professor Cecil was sitting by the window, puffing on a black pipe. The window was open, and the smoke he exhaled drifted lazily outside.
When the class bell rang, Professor Cecil put away his pipe and moved to the front of the room to begin taking attendance. His voice was a bit raspy, but not unpleasant. After calling each name, he glanced over the rims of his thick glasses to observe the student.
Once he finished roll call, he snapped the attendance book shut and, leaning against the lectern, began his first lesson.
"I imagine you're all curious about why Hogwarts was suddenly filled with so many owls this morning," he said. The students nodded.
Cecil continued, "Those owls were here because of me."
Ignoring the murmurs that erupted among the students, he went on, "After your parents found out that I was to be your new professor, they sent protests to Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic. They believe that someone like me should not be allowed in a school, but rather be locked up in Azkaban for life."
Gasp!
This statement piqued the students' curiosity.
Why was this professor so disliked that people wanted him locked away in the notorious Azkaban for life?
"Why do you think he was locked up?" Fred asked curiously.
"Maybe he's a Dark wizard," Eda whispered her guess, "or he's crazy."
Professor Cecil motioned for silence with a downward gesture of his hand, and the room quickly quieted. It wasn't that he commanded great respect, but everyone was genuinely curious.
"I am a Dark wizard," Professor Cecil said, "and I enjoy studying Dark Magic. In fact, I made many mistakes because of it."
The students gasped in shock. A Dark wizard inside the school?
Some of the more timid ones, like Patricia Stinson, were already preparing to flee.
"No need to worry," Professor Cecil continued with a smile. "I'm not going to attack you. I'm not like my predecessors. I also don't want to go back to Azkaban."
"That place is absolutely dreadful. It drains all the happiness out of you," Cecil said slowly. "I've paid a heavy price for the mistakes I made. I lost many years of my freedom... and my joy."
George whispered, "Why would Dumbledore hire a Dark wizard just out of Azkaban? Was there really no one else available?"
"Maybe Hogwarts' salary isn't worth risking your life for?" Fred chimed in.
"Can you two be serious for once?" Angelina scolded Fred with a slap. "I think Dumbledore has his reasons. He must trust Professor Cecil."
"Did you forget about last year's disaster?" George asked.
"Who knew he was a Death Eater before teaching at Hogwarts?" Angelina retorted. "Cecil's reputation as a Dark wizard is well-known."
Professor Cecil continued sharing his story at the front, seemingly unfazed by the students quietly discussing in small groups.
"What's your take, Eda? You've interacted with Dumbledore more than any of us," Angelina nudged Eda's shoulder.
A person who studies Dark Magic must be well-versed in it, which means he would be skilled in defending against it as well.
Someone like that would be an excellent fit to teach this subject—provided he doesn't pose a threat to the students. It's understandable why the parents are concerned.
"I think he could actually teach us some useful stuff, something we'll need after graduation," Eda replied. "Whether he stays at Hogwarts to teach or not isn't up to us."
Standing at the front, Professor Cecil looked at the students and said, "Even though I haven't used Dark Magic in a long time, I still believe it has its place. Magic shouldn't be divided into 'light' and 'dark.' It's only labeled as 'dark' because people used it to do bad things, and that's unfair..."
"Alright, that's enough of that. Let's get back to the main topic," Professor Cecil signaled for the class to quiet down.
Once the room was silent, he continued, "From what I've seen, your knowledge of Dark Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts is as blank as a clean sheet of parchment. So, over the course of this year, I'll be guiding you through what Dark Magic really is and how to defeat it."
Cecil turned around and began writing the lesson topic on the blackboard. With his back to the students, he made a joke, saying, "If I manage to survive teaching this whole year!"
Although the students had been whispering among themselves throughout the lesson, the atmosphere remained tense—having a Dark wizard as a teacher brought too much fear into the room. But with that joke, the feeling of dread lightened a bit.
For the remainder of the class, Cecil didn't say anything unnecessary, nor did he push his personal beliefs. Instead, he stuck closely to the textbook, explaining in simple terms how to properly define Dark Magic.
There was no wand usage during this lesson.
Cecil was the only one speaking from the podium the entire time.
Yet, none of the students grew restless, because Cecil opened up a new perspective for them.
He made them realize that Defense Against the Dark Arts wasn't just about waving a wand.
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