Chapter 15: A Dilemma
After the Hit-Wizards left, the door magically shut.
Dumbledore walked over, a kind smile on his face.
"I imagine you all have some guesses about this matter, and you're probably close to the mark."
He shrugged dramatically at William and the others, saying,
"Though I'm reluctant to admit it, we do have a significant opening on our faculty. Hogwarts is in need of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Even if all three of you are willing, we can accommodate that."
"All three?"
William couldn't help but ask in a low voice. Although he had only seen one movie, if he remembered correctly, the professor for a subject was usually just one person, right?
"Of course, all three. In fact, we'd prefer more," Dumbledore had clearly heard him. He glanced at William and explained,
"It's likely because our professors prefer to teach in peace, so you rarely hear news about them outside of Hogwarts. In reality, every subject has its own department. Before I was Headmaster, I was the Head of the Transfiguration department, and Minerva was my colleague (Note 1)."
"So, none of you need to worry about conflicting roles. Even if all of you wish to join, Hogwarts has enough positions available."
Recruiting professors? Here in Azkaban?
William was utterly stunned. He had wondered what all the fuss was for, but he had never dared to imagine it was about recruiting professors.
In his previous life, universities, despite their various problems, would never consider someone with a prison record. Even if they passed every other stage, during the public announcement phase, the outcry from outsiders would be enough to tear the school apart.
He had heard the name Hogwarts so often in his cell he was sick of it. If word got out that Hogwarts was recruiting teachers from a prison, even the other inmates would think the school had fallen into utter disgrace.
"So, that curse on the position... it's real?"
The tall prisoner beside him wasn't as surprised as William. After processing the information for less than two minutes, he frowned and asked.
"Yes, and we still haven't found a way to break it. We've only managed to reduce its harmful effects, making it non-fatal. However, anyone who takes the post is inevitably forced to leave the school due to various accidents or injuries."
Professor McGonagall replied in a calm voice.
"How severe was the worst injury?"
"They spent about a year and a half in the hospital wing."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly cooled. The fervent air, which had built up at the prospect of recruiting a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor from among them, completely dissipated.
"I refuse. I only have three months left on my sentence. I won't risk getting cursed for a job."
"Of course," Professor McGonagall handed over a piece of parchment, "but please sign this confidentiality agreement first, Mr. Bodhi."
After quickly signing the agreement, the prisoner named Bodhi left the room without a backward glance, leaving a deeply conflicted William and Jill behind.
William could even hear the prisoner named Jill taking deep, ragged breaths.
Finally, like the prisoner before him, he chose to sign the confidentiality agreement and left the room reluctantly.
William was conflicted.
The movie he had watched was the fourth in the Harry Potter series, and he only remembered two scenes clearly: one was the resurrection of the Dark Lord Voldemort, whose true name he had never heard in prison, and the other was the death of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor disguised as Mad-Eye Moody.
Assuming the two professors weren't lying and the curse wasn't lethal, then it had likely strengthened with the Dark Lord's resurrection.
If he joined now and stayed for less than a year, the worst that could happen was spending a year and a half in the hospital wing. By the time the Dark Lord was truly resurrected, he would have long since left Hogwarts.
But was it worth it?
Joining Hogwarts would give him a respectable work history for the future—after all, a former Hogwarts professor who had to resign due to an "accident" was still highly sought after in the Wizarding World.
And the Hogwarts Library, as described by the other prisoners, was the greatest treasure he could hope for. There was no other place in the Wizarding World with such a vast collection of books.
More importantly, for the better part of the next year, he wouldn't have to endure the daily ordeal of being treated like a meal for the Dementors, nor would he have to queue for the sliver of sunlight that could never warm his entire body.
"May I ask, is the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professor currently in the hospital wing?"
Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore exchanged a glance, then deliberated for a moment before replying,
"I'm sorry, William, but I regret to inform you that he passed away. It wasn't because of the curse; it was because he made a choice long ago that sealed his fate."
"Not the curse?"
"Not the curse."
Was his guess wrong?
Did the curse have a lethal effect even if the Dark Lord hadn't been resurrected? Or was it really not the curse at all?
After a long moment, William looked up and asked a seemingly random question.
"I'm in Azkaban now. What happened to the potions I owed for?"
"They investigated once, but gave up after discovering you'd been sent to Azkaban."
As expected. Although he tried not to dwell on problems he couldn't currently solve, they wouldn't just disappear on their own. His predecessor's debts wouldn't be wiped clean just because he was in Azkaban. He'd likely be forced to repay them the moment he got out of prison, which was why William had sold his manuscript in the first place.
Risk the curse for an easy start, or avoid it and begin on hard mode?
It was a difficult choice.
Just then, a notification sound chimed in William's ear.
[You have gained the recognition of a magical creature. Treasure Chest x1 acquired.]
"Excuse me, could I have a piece of paper and a pen? I need to think this over carefully."
In front of Dumbledore, William resisted the urge to open the treasure chest that had appeared in his vision. Using the request for paper and a pen as cover, he sat at the table and pretended to scribble, hiding the fact that he was clicking on the newly appeared chest.
A rosewood treasure chest inlaid with gold edges emitted a colorful light. Three dazzling, golden-edged cards appeared with extremely flamboyant special effects.
[Great Alchemist Dumbledore (SSR): Dumbledore has astonishing achievements in alchemy. He is famous for discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood.
Skill: Philosopher's Touch: Tear this card. During your next spell cast, transform a designated piece of iron into gold, based on your magical power and the size of the chosen iron.]
[Transfiguration Master Dumbledore (SSR): Everyone knows Dumbledore was once a Transfiguration professor, but almost no one can guess how powerful his transfiguration truly is.
Skill: Transfiguration Domain: Tear this card. Animate all objects in the room, transfiguring them into forms best suited for combat to either block attacks for the user or assail enemies. The duration is based on the user's magical power.]
[Dark Wizard Dumbledore (Special Card) (SSR): Few remember that Dumbledore was once obsessed with the Dark Arts, let alone the miracles this genius created in that field.
Skill: Dark Arts Researcher (Passive): While holding this card, you will maintain your optimal state during most of your research into the Dark Arts.]
The final weight had been placed on the scales.
Note 1: When Professor Minerva McGonagall was unhappy with her work at the Ministry of Magic, she sent a letter to Hogwarts inquiring about a teaching position. Dumbledore, the Head of the Transfiguration department at the time (yes, though it's a school, the position was called Head), responded, and the two became colleagues.
Therefore, we still don't know the maximum number of professors a single course can have.
(end of chapter)