Chapter 12: Going to Work at Hogwarts (A Misconception)
"Professor Kettleburn, are you sure you recommend this Mr. Layton? What is your reason for recommending him?"
"Oh, Albus, I questioned a total of eleven prisoners, and he was the only one whose crime couldn't be considered a conventional offense. It would have very little impact on the students."
"A very good reason. Are there any others?"
Dumbledore smiled gently, making marks on the file before him with a quill.
"He's also very strong. He's been on the run from the centaurs ever since a few of his investigation reports angered them, but he's still alive and well. With that kind of strength, I think we could be colleagues for a much longer time."
"Excellent. We will carefully consider these factors in the upcoming review. Would you mind some honey sweets?"
"I'll take some, then."
Professor Kettleburn picked two sweets from Dumbledore's snack box and headed directly for the temporary dining hall.
When only Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were left in the room, Professor McGonagall spoke in a low, hurried voice.
"Mr. Layton's record is indeed impressive, but he has a very stubborn personality. And the centaurs have been putting a great deal of pressure on the Ministry of Magic. If we bring him to the school, never mind the centaur tribes across the country, the one in our own Forbidden Forest would go mad."
"If it truly becomes an issue, Hagrid will handle the matter with the Forbidden Forest tribe."
"Professor Kettleburn has been put on probation sixty-two times up until this year! Albus, think about it. If the two of them didn't share similar interests, how could Kettleburn, who is retiring next year, insincerely say something about becoming colleagues for a longer time?"
Professor McGonagall's voice grew more urgent.
"We already have one record-breaking professor. If Mr. Layton becomes our colleague, are we just going to stand by and watch him break that record?"
"There's no need to worry so much, Minerva. If he passes the final selection, we will resolve those matters one by one. If he doesn't, then those problems won't trouble us."
Just as Professor McGonagall was about to retort, there was a knock on the door.
It was Sibyll Trelawney, the Divination professor.
"Good afternoon, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagagll. Although the trajectory of Mars told me it would be best not to go out today, my crystal ball informed me that I would be dining at Azkaban. I will not refuse a revelation from Destiny."
"Of course, of course," Dumbledore said, using magic to pull up a chair for her.
"I reviewed a total of thirty prisoners. Although their life stars were dim, I still selected one to recommend."
"Thirty? How efficient," Professor McGonagall's voice was slightly acerbic—it was perfectly normal for the pragmatic Deputy Headmistress to look down on the eccentric Divination professor.
"The Inner Eye sweeps away the mist for me, allowing me to see everything about the unknown more clearly. Minerva, although I never flaunt my omniscience, it doesn't mean I won't use the Inner Eye to look into these matters."
"Alright," Dumbledore said cheerfully, raising his voice slightly. "So, Sybill, do you have anyone to recommend to us?"
"Of course, Headmaster," Professor Trelawney placed a form on the table. "Although his life star is still dim, I believe he is the most suitable candidate."
"In other words, you didn't see anything, but you still know?"
"If you must know, Minerva, my answer is quite clear—yes."
"Then, he—this prisoner named William—what is so different about his destiny?" Professor McGonagall's voice was dry.
"The ignorant attribute everything to the destiny of others, but I am different. Destiny guides me, Minerva," Professor Trelawney stood up and sauntered toward the dining hall. "Of the thirty prisoners I reviewed, all had dim life stars. But of the thirty, this one was the most promising."
The door closed again, leaving behind a disgruntled Professor McGonagall and a calm-faced Dumbledore.
---
In the afternoon, when the Hit-Wizard escorted William out, he was utterly bewildered.
When he learned at noon that a team of professors from Hogwarts had come to conduct interviews, he was completely thrown off. Although it was impossible for him to receive an admission letter at his age, given his current state of fumbling through magic on his own, any professor talking to him for just an hour or two could lead to rapid improvement.
These were the best teachers in all of Britain!
But when it came to him, forget a conversation, they didn't even ask a single question. They just took him away—which made him eat his lunch a few beats slower. And today had been a rare extra meal!
In the morning, before anyone had been seen, the prisoners had nearly argued about whether to hide their talents. By the afternoon, every single one of them felt they could have performed a little better during the evaluation.
Their regret was entirely genuine. There was no helping it—Hogwarts' reputation was too high, so high that even if the Ministry of Magic personally tried to sling mud, it would have little effect.
Therefore, when William was taken away, the entire prison was filled with jealous gazes.
Everyone had assumed that this time, Hogwarts wanted to recruit a batch of temporary workers for manual labor—for instance, to build on the grounds, repair waterways, or construct a Herbology greenhouse.
After all, few qualified wizards were willing to do that kind of work. Designers were one thing, but construction workers were spread so thin they were often doing the work of two people. This resulted in many wizards having to act as their own engineers and construction workers to build their houses. Small projects were manageable, but for anything larger, you'd have to wait ages if you didn't have connections.
Hogwarts was a school, so larger projects had to be scheduled during the holidays. It was quite normal for prisoners to perform labor in place of serving their sentences. But if time was short, the prisoners selected for the work would need to be carefully screened to avoid endangering the students.
William thought so too, and he had no intention of refusing.
Although doing manual labor at Hogwarts sounded tiring, it was far more comfortable than staying in Azkaban to feed Dementors. Those who had never encountered Dementors might hesitate, but every prisoner in Azkaban would rather work themselves to death outside than serve as a buffet in a dark cell.
On the way, William's resolve gradually strengthened—he would perform well and secure the job. Even though he couldn't be a student at Hogwarts, working there was an excellent choice!
He was determined to become that worker!
---
Note: Silvanus Kettleburn was Hagrid's predecessor as the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. His temper was similar to Hagrid's, as were his mistakes, so Dumbledore's choice of Hagrid was not nepotism. During his tenure at the school, Kettleburn was placed on probation at least 62 times. His most famous deed occurred before Dumbledore became Headmaster: he burned down the Hogwarts Great Hall, which is why Hogwarts no longer has mime performances...
(Making up for last night.)
(end of chapter)