"Wes, go in. Headmaster Dumbledore is waiting for you," Professor McGonagall said. "I have other important matters to attend to, so I'll leave first."
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. If you have time, I'd like to ask for your guidance on Transfiguration. Your thesis was truly brilliant and greatly benefited me."
After Professor McGonagall left, Wes walked into the large door with a nervous heart.
It was an incredibly spacious circular room, with walls covered in portraits of former Headmasters, all gently snoring in their frames.
The room also contained various exquisite and magnificent silver artifacts, emitting a mysterious yet captivating glow.
Wes looked around but did not see Dumbledore's much-anticipated pet—Fawkes the Phoenix.
He had not expected that, besides Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape would also be waiting for him.
He hurried forward and said apologetically, "I'm so sorry to have kept you both waiting."
Dumbledore smiled and motioned for him to sit down: "Erwin, you are very punctual."
"If you are ready, I think we can start the interview as soon as possible. You should understand that as Headmaster, I have mountains of affairs to deal with every day."
Dumbledore said, winking playfully.
Snape, however, let out a disdainful sneer at this moment.
"Don't mind Professor Snape; he's just here to observe."
"Alright, Principal, I think I'm fully prepared."
"The following questions might involve some personal privacy, but I still hope you can answer truthfully."
"No problem, Principal."
"So, Erwin, can you tell me why you are applying for this Professor position? You should know that the salary offered by this job is not generous; even the monthly salary cannot cover your luxurious robe."
Wes frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and decided to answer truthfully.
Moreover, he knew very well that in front of these two top Legilimency masters, his lies would be completely exposed.
"My goal is actually very simple: to return to Hogwarts."
"Oh?" Dumbledore motioned for Wes to elaborate further with interest.
"After graduation, I experienced a series of adventures."
"In this process, I deeply realized that the knowledge learned in school was pitifully little."
"No one would teach me knowledge so unreservedly and meticulously like the Professors."
"I encountered an insurmountable bottleneck on my path of magic exploration, and I believe that only by returning to Hogwarts, which has the largest library in all of Europe, can I possibly break through this predicament…"
Wes finished stating his true purpose in an extremely frank manner.
"So you didn't hesitate to take huge risks dealing with Dark Wizards and even violated rules to explore dangerous ruins."
Professor Snape suddenly interjected, his deep eyes fixed on Wes, his gaze scrutinizing.
His eyes seemed hollow and lifeless; although he was questioning, it was difficult to discern his true emotions.
"That's right," Wes replied without hesitation.
After getting the answer he wanted, Professor Snape stopped speaking.
"You are very honest, Erwin," Dumbledore pushed his glasses up his nose, his expression slightly serious.
"I've heard some rather unfavorable rumors about you, and to be honest, they truly surprised me. If there were conclusive evidence, you would likely be mercilessly thrown into Azkaban by the Ministry of Magic."
"The Ministry of Magic, in my opinion, is a pile of garbage!"
Wes was not at all frightened by Dumbledore's words; instead, he said emotionally, "Those people are completely unworthy of being called Wizards anymore."
Dumbledore and Professor Snape clearly did not expect Wes to be so blunt.
"It seems Erwin has a great deal of resentment towards the Ministry of Magic. Last year, I almost became the Minister of the Ministry of Magic."
Dumbledore said with a slight humorous jest.
"That's impossible," Wes said with absolute certainty.
"Truly intelligent Wizards will wisely stay away from politics, because those dirty and foolish politics will defile the pure soul of a Wizard."
"Oh!" Dumbledore couldn't help but be surprised.
"That's a remarkable insight. You know, it took me decades to comprehend this truth, and Erwin, you already understand it at such a young age."
"Perhaps it's because I come from a Muggle background," Wes patiently explained. "magic, to me, is simply a miracle; it completely changed my destiny."
"Destiny…" Dumbledore's expression became somewhat unfathomable.
"Then, the last question, Erwin, do you know He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? You mean Lord Voldemort, right?"
Professor Snape, sitting nearby, involuntarily trembled slightly upon hearing that name.
However, he concealed it extremely well; neither Dumbledore nor Wes noticed this subtle change.
"Facing such a terrifying existence, aren't you afraid?" Dumbledore looked at Wes somewhat sharply at this moment.
Wes appeared calm: "Why should I be afraid of someone who has already failed?"
Professor Snape's eyes finally showed a clear change.
"Your courage truly astounds me, Erwin," Dumbledore praised without reservation. "Almost 11 years have passed, and now in the magic World, very few people dare to directly mention his name. Everyone just refers to him as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
Wes shrugged indifferently: "Perhaps it's because I come from the Muggle World."
After a moment of contemplation, Dumbledore said, "You're hired, Erwin."
Wes excitedly stood up at once and tightly shook Dumbledore's large hand: "That's wonderful, Headmaster Dumbledore, I will definitely work hard to become a qualified teacher."
"Don't be happy too soon. magic Patterns is a rather niche subject, and there might not be many students who choose it, so your salary treatment…"
"No problem, Principal, I don't care about the amount of the salary."
After the two successfully signed the contract, Wes left in high spirits.
At this moment, only Dumbledore and Snape remained in the office.
"He is very dangerous," Snape said with a heavy tone.
"He is just too pure," Dumbledore said slowly. "He needs proper guidance. Given time, perhaps he can become a powerful force for us against Tom."
Snape unconsciously touched the Dark Mark on his arm.
"He has no reverence for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named whatsoever, and my Dark Mark didn't react at all; he's definitely not a Death Eater."
"Then we should all the more try to win him over to our side, Severus. I am growing old, and Tom is about to return. We need more strength."
The scene instantly fell silent.
Snape got up and left, leaving a single sentence: "I hope your judgment is correct."
After returning to the inn, Wes was in a joyful mood and eagerly began preparing his lesson plans, feeling extremely excited.
He seized every minute, preparing the lesson plans for the new semester before the start of school, and happily awaited the upcoming first day of school.