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BFH# Chapter 30: To Hogsmeade
🕑 Added 2024-12-24 04:36:34 +0000 UTCThe next few days passed uneventfully.
Classes during this time offered little novelty. Even with just one spell to learn, students needed weeks to fully master it, which included absorbing the accompanying theory.
Meanwhile, although Divination had quickly become a hot topic at Hogwarts, it caused little additional commotion. This was largely due to the contrasting teaching methods of Professors Trelawney and Snape, which left much to be desired.
Life at the school carried on as usual.
On Friday morning, as Victor sat at the staff table having breakfast, an overwhelming flock of owls swooped in through the open windows, shedding feathers everywhere.
Experienced professors like Flitwick and Sprout had already enchanted their plates to protect their potatoes and eggs.
Victor didn’t cast any spells, yet not a single owl flew directly over him.
It was as if every owl instinctively avoided his direction.
In the end, only his ghostly owl swooped gracefully through the clear space, landing before him on the table.
“Caw—”
Its raspy cry announced its arrival as it stretched out a leg wrapped with a copy of The Daily Prophet.
Victor casually handed it a crumb of bread and retrieved the paper.
The headline read:
“Gringotts Heist Still Unsolved: Ministry Suspects Perpetrator Has Fled the Country.”
Intrigued, Victor read on.
“On July 31st, an unidentified dark wizard illegally infiltrated one of Gringotts’ underground vaults and managed to evade capture.”
“So far, joint investigations by the Ministry of Magic and Gringotts have yielded no progress, nor has there been any sign of further crimes in the wizarding world. A Ministry spokesperson stated yesterday afternoon that the wizard might have fled abroad.”
“A Gringotts goblin representative publicly declared that the targeted vault had been emptied earlier that day, leaving no items stolen. Nonetheless, the break-in has cast doubt on Gringotts' vaunted security. Is it as foolproof as claimed? And why has the Ministry failed to apprehend the culprit? This incident may reveal long-standing incompetence within magical institutions...”
Victor didn’t bother reading further criticisms of the Ministry.
Still, he found the case rather intriguing.
Gringotts was the wizarding world’s sole bank. Its longevity stemmed from its robust security measures—so reliable that even during Voldemort’s era, no thefts had occurred, despite the Dark Lord himself abstaining from raiding it.
This alone suggested that Gringotts’ defenses were formidable enough to deter ordinary wizards.
Which raised the question: How powerful must this wizard be to bypass those defenses, access a vault, and escape the combined pursuit of the Ministry and Gringotts?
If the intruder were so extraordinarily skilled, why had they remained obscure in the sparsely populated wizarding world?
It was also highly curious that the only vault they targeted had been emptied just hours earlier.
There was undoubtedly more to this than met the eye.
But with so few clues available, the speculation ranged widely—from internal thefts by pureblood families to drive down Gringotts’ prices to the Ministry's claim of foreign dark wizards committing crimes on the run.
This case was worth keeping an eye on.
Victor turned the page and temporarily set the matter aside.
Near the end of the paper, he found a small report about Divination and Professor Trelawney's recent situation.
Apparently, Trelawney’s condition had stabilized, and she was now residing on the fourth floor of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, in the Potions and Plant Poisoning Ward. However, the article made no mention of Victor’s prophecy, only stating:
“...Rumors suggest that Hogwarts has hired a new professor to fill the post. It is unclear how this new instructor’s teaching will differ from Professor Trelawney’s, but in the worst-case scenario, students would receive the same standard of education as before.”
No wonder Trelawney had been so eager to gain genuine Divination abilities—any student who had attended her classes knew what her skills were like.
After skimming through the major news, Victor closed the paper, poured an excessive amount of sugar cubes into his tea, and took a sip.
Sunlight streamed through the enchanted ceiling, casting a lively golden glow over everyone in the hall.
Since it was Friday, the dining atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful. Students chatted animatedly, their faces brimming with happiness.
At that moment, Professor McGonagall appeared at the side door, her expression unusually gentle. She was dressed in an emerald green robe and wore a dark green hat adorned with golden patterns.
She walked over to Victor.
“Good morning,” she greeted.
“Good morning, Professor McGonagall,” Victor replied, setting down his teacup. “Is there something you need from me?”
“Yes,” McGonagall said kindly. “I thought you might not have visited Hogsmeade yet since arriving in England.”
“The third-year students are going on a trip to Hogsmeade Village today. Professors are required to accompany them, and many of us will be there. Would you like to join us?”
“With the first week of term over, the available professors usually gather at the Three Broomsticks for a chat. I must say, Madam Rosmerta’s drinks are excellent—well worth trying.”
“Sure, no problem,” Victor agreed readily.
This must be what Muggles call...
...team-building?
In any case, he welcomed the chance to chat with other professors.
During the week, everyone’s schedules were packed. He hadn’t even met some colleagues, like Professor Sprout, let alone spoken much with Professor Snape.
“Great, see you in half an hour at the main entrance.”
When Victor arrived at the entrance, the area was bustling with third-year students.
They chattered excitedly, leaving behind their worries and exam results as they fully embraced the day’s joy.
Amid the lively atmosphere, Victor stepped out wearing a narrow-brimmed pointed hat and a long robe with a short cape, making him look less intimidating.
Outside, a row of carriages awaited.
The carriages, seemingly from the medieval era, were decorated with vintage patterns. The doors were two feet above the ground, and small windows offered glimpses of the red-cushioned interiors.
Most strikingly, the front of each carriage was empty—no coachman, no horses, just a void. To the students, there was nothing but air ahead of them.
“Ah, Professor Victor,” Professor Sprout called out as she organized the students. “Feel free to choose any carriage and help maintain order nearby. Professor McGonagall and I will ride at the front, while Professor Flitwick will take the last carriage to ensure everyone’s safety.”
“Thank you, Professor Sprout.”
Victor nodded politely before selecting a vacant carriage near the back.
As he passed the front of the carriage, he suddenly tilted his head slightly to the right, as if avoiding something invisible. With the motion completed, he stepped into the carriage.
Sprout’s gaze lingered for a moment. Her expression, usually warm and affable, now bore a hint of surprise.
...Could the new professor see them too?
