Hogwarts: I Am an Exemplary Wizard

Chapter 1107: Chapter 805: Opening Feast (Part 2)

”Understandable.” Professor McGonagall said with a smile, ”But Dumbledore must show up for the opening feast.”

”I understand, or I would have run off already,” Kael said, ”By the way, Professor McGonagall, how much is the Headmaster’s salary?”

”Salary?” Professor McGonagall felt a bit out of sync with Kael’s thoughts; they were just discussing school, and suddenly it turned to salary.

But she still thought about it, ”It shouldn’t be less than two hundred Galleons.”

Her monthly salary was two hundred Galleons, so the Headmaster should earn even more.

”Is this money for me?” Kael asked, ”After all, I’m filling in for Dumbledore, so taking his salary seems reasonable.”

”Very reasonable.” Professor McGonagall couldn’t help but rub her forehead, ”Alright, we should head over. As I said earlier, Dumbledore must appear at the opening feast.”

”Alright.” Kael sighed, entering the castle gates with mixed feelings.

However, they didn’t head to the castle immediately, but went to the Headmaster’s Office on the eighth floor first.

Inside were several previously prepared robes.

”These are all styles Dumbledore likes, pick one,” Professor McGonagall said, ”Hurry up.”

Kael glanced at them.

Good heavens, purple-red... lavender... lavender stripes, deep purple with gold trim, none of the robes fit Kael’s aesthetic.

Professor McGonagall urged him on anxiously, leaving Kael no choice but to pick a somewhat pleasing blue robe, then put Dumbledore’s hair into the Polyjuice Potion and gulped it down.

The Polyjuice Potion is a very magical potion, with an extremely unpleasant taste, but after adding hair, it transforms into another different taste, and each person’s experience differs, somewhat like... Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean.

As for the bottle Kael drank... maybe the sugar Dumbledore added to his tea piled onto his hair, tasting like honeyed syrup.

Sweet to bitterness, Kael almost spat it out.

...

Meanwhile, in the auditorium.

With Professor McGonagall absent, it was Professor Flitwick who assisted with the new student sorting, but few students paid attention to the Sorting Hat.

They were all fixated on the direction of the teacher’s seating and the adjacent side door entrance.

”Dumbledore isn’t here.” Ron whispered, ”What is he busy with to miss the sorting ceremony?”

”No idea, nobody knows where he is,” Harry said worriedly, ”Without Dumbledore, is Hogwarts truly safe?”

”Don’t worry, this castle isn’t only protected by Headmaster Dumbledore, there’s also Professor McGonagall and others,” Hermione said, not as worried, ”Besides, it’s been here for a thousand years, with all sorts of protective magic, the Death Eaters wouldn’t dare break in.”

”Let’s hope so,” Harry said.

He still felt Hermione’s perspective was a bit too optimistic.

Without Dumbledore, the castle’s protective magic might not necessarily withstand Voldemort.

And he wasn’t the only one with this thought; since the new students arrived until now, the auditorium was filled with whispering students, constantly buzzing.

Moreover, as time went on, their voices grew louder.

”Oh, look over there!”

While Harry was lost in thought, he suddenly felt someone push him heavily.

Ron was excitedly slapping his shoulder, pointing towards the side door.

”Look, Dumbledore’s coming!”

Harry looked up and indeed saw Dumbledore just entering, wearing a blue robe, conversing with Professor McGonagall beside him.

”They must have been held up,” Ron’s voice was noticeably more relaxed than before. ”Remember? Professor McGonagall hurried off after seeing us onto the carriages, I bet she went to find Dumbledore.”

”Clearly.” Hermione said, watching Dumbledore with some doubt, frowning, ”It’s odd, I feel the Headmaster seems a bit tense.”

”Impossible,” Ron said dismissively, ”It’s just a sorting ceremony, he’s been through countless of them, why would he be tense?”

”You’re right, maybe I’m just seeing things.” Hermione said without concern.

”Walk slower.”

Near the teacher’s seating, Professor McGonagall maintained a stern face, quietly instructed without moving her mouth, ”You’re the Headmaster, you don’t need to walk so fast.”

”I know, but I don’t have any experience.” Dumbledore... no, Kael who drank the Polyjuice Potion said quietly.

Prior to this, he’d never been Headmaster, how was he supposed to know what pace was normal.

”Stop talking, just follow me!” Professor McGonagall instructed again, then proceeded to the teacher’s seating, casually pulling out the chair in the center.

This served as a reminder for Kael where he should sit.

”Oh, Albus, why are you so late?” Professor Flitwick asked with a wink.

”Something held me up,” Kael took a deep breath, quickly recalling Dumbledore’s prior demeanor, ”I really hope I haven’t missed the sorting ceremony.”

”You’d need to arrive ten minutes earlier for that,” Professor Sprout said.

Her demeanor was much better than Professor Flitwick’s, making it feel as if she were truly speaking with Dumbledore.

This was part of their plan, proactively engaging in conversation to prevent other professors from chatting with the Headmaster.

And with the ’arrival of Dumbledore,’ the auditorium gradually quieted down, finally allowing everyone to hear the Sorting Hat.

”Gryffindor!”