Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Hogwarts ~ Hogwarts ~

"And this is?"

It wasn't Jon who asked the question, but Neville.

He looked like he didn't know the smiling old man Lily had brought back, who looked like a fat walrus, and turned to the girl who had just called out "Professor Slughorn".

The senior girl introduced him to Neville.

"He's Professor Horace Slughorn, he taught us Defence Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic last year, but during the last term, he left Hogwarts because he had something important to do, and Professor Dumbledore substituted him for our Defence Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic classes. But I didn't expect Professor Slughorn to be back this year, he should be done with his business."

Neville listened to her explanation and then a look of realization dawned on his face.

"Wasn't he also the head of Slytherin House when Hogwarts Castle hadn't fallen? I think my dad mentioned him to me."

Jon listened to their conversation in silence on the side.

He naturally knew Slughorn, the most memorable thing about this man was that he was the one who told Voldemort about the Horcrux in the original story, and he was also someone who cherished his life and was very afraid of death, but in the end, he still stood on the side of justice.

In this world, his position didn't seem to have changed either, and even though Hogwarts had reached its current state under the leadership of Dumbledore, he still came here to be a professor that would be wanted by the Ministry of Magic.

As the night deepened, the group of students worked together to prepare a sumptuous meal.

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore conjured up a long table and benches on the beach that is large enough to accommodate everyone, and the students and professors took their places.

By now, basically, everyone on this wagon was gathered together and Jon had a chance to count all the students in this exiled school.

The academic system at Hogwarts still consisted of seven years, something that hadn't changed, and there are only five new students this year, even if the numbers in the other years are slightly larger, it's not that different.

There are only ten students in a year at maximum, and there are also five or six in a year like Jon's. Altogether, there are only forty or fifty students in the whole school of wizardry.

This is a pitiful figure even in a society like Wizarding Community, where the population is not that great.

As for the professors in the school, they could be counted on one hand

Lily Potter, who teaches Potions as well as some of the senior class electives; Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, who also teaches Transfiguration and Herbology; Filius Flitwick, who teaches Charms and Astronomy; Horace Slughorn, who has just returned today and will probably continue with his previous role, of teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic.

These four are all the professors who now have teaching positions at the wagon.

The other ones are the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, the coachman, Rupert Hagrid, and the coach keeper, Argus Filch.

The number of professors is of course nowhere near as many as in the original Hogwarts castle, so both Lily and Professor McGonagall hold several posts.

But again, because there are fewer students, their workload is actually pretty good, and they are not so busy that they can't keep their feet on the ground.

The beach was lit up by the dancing bonfires around them, and the soothing sound of the waves was like a symphony orchestra playing soft classical music, adding elegance to the dinner that otherwise would not have been found.

What the students loved most about Dumbledore as headmaster was that he never gave a boring speech in a happy setting.

The old man, who is now over 100 years old and has white hair and a beard, raised his goblet in his hand and said aloud, without a long speech or anything touching.

"Thank you for the delicacies you have prepared, and with that, please enjoy them happily too."

The humid, salty sea air did not obscure the aromas emanating from the food itself.

Although it is in England, the food at the dinner certainly wasn't just potato and fried fish, Jon hadn't tasted the handiwork of the house elves, but he thought the flavours of the onion soup, baked fish and mashed potatoes made by the seniors tasted pretty delicious too.

"I have constantly heard George and Fred saying that Filch is the most annoying person on the wagon."

The freshers naturally sat down together at the long table, and Ron gave them a quiet glance, as he ate his roast sausage, to indicate to them where the coach keeper with an unpleasant expression sitting.

"He always likes to treat people like animals or livestock, and never treats them well, as if he can't wait to hang up and whip those who have made the slightest mistake!"

Ron has three older brothers who all went to this Hogwarts, so he obviously knows a lot more about this school than Neville does.

Throughout the meal, he had been the one telling the other new students about the various interesting stories he had heard from his brothers about the wagon.

The dinner tables were full of laughter, and even though they were all now a group of fugitives wanted by the Ministry of Magic, there was not much depression or dullness in the group of teenage kids who deserved to be energetic.

It proved that Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix under his command had really protected them well, keeping the seeds of hope alive even when times became difficult.

The old wands stained with blood and faith would be found in the wooden cabinet in the Headmaster's office, but their existence in the world is far from fading with the deceased.

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Instead, they were picked up again by tender hands and taken forward on a path full of thorns and no future in sight with great hope.

When the dinner was over, Dumbledore addressed the students about some of the changes for this new term.

"I am delighted that five new students have joined us, as well as our old friend Professor Slughorn who has finished dealing with some personal matters of his own, returned to continue his position as Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts together with his position as Professor of the History of Magic."

"Tonight will mark another new beginning for us, and there will never be a time to celebrate more than this."

He held the wand covered in wooden knots in his right hand and raised it high into the sky, a cluster of festive ribbons bursting from its tip, his bright blue eyes looking at the students at the long tables, with a happy smile on his age-stained face.

"So why don't we all sing a song?"

The words were like a code word known to all but Jon and the other freshmen.

Every single person on either side of the long tables, whether they were professors or students, stood up from their seats, and the freshmen followed suit with bewildered looks on their faces.

"Hogwarts~ Hogwarts~"

The elderly Headmaster started with his bright voice, while the students below sang the song in a neat and unison tune.

"Hoggy Warty~ Hogwarts~,

Teach us something, please~,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff~,

For now, they're bare and full of air~,

Dead flies and bits of fluff~,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot~,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot!~

"

Jon had never heard Hogwarts school song in this version of the tune before; it was neither sad nor cheerful, like a seagull sadly circling the shore when the beach is taken over and there is no place to land to perch.

The song was so mellifluous that he could not help but join in the chorus.

He looked up into the infinite sparkling night sky and his mind wondered for no reason.

There was no ancient castle here, no warm great hall, no other-expected sorting ceremony, no mystical ghosts, there was nothing that one would expect of Magical Hogwarts here.

But there is a sea, there is a starry sky, there is a wagon, and there is also a group of caring people like a family from fairy tales.

And it seemed... Not too bad.

'Grandma'

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