Mysterious Journey
Chapter 793 Three Years After Three Years
Just as Snape was about to respond to Slughorn's question, another voice interjected.
“I believe I may have misunderstood you, Professor Dumbledore.”
Damocles Belby frowned, icily cutting in, “Perhaps I’m too far removed from the younger generation, but I have the distinct impression that you are suggesting we should defer to this Professor Snape’s arrangements?”
The old wizard glanced casually at Severus Snape, grinning.
“Oh, you know, this boy is probably a few years younger than my grandson—perhaps he has a thorough understanding of the textbook, but potions are not like history of magic or transfiguration. Aside from talent, what matters even more is technique and knowledge. If you’re planning to expand the team of professors, I think you should consider the thinness and immaturity of young people in regards to time…”
Damocles chuckled softly, the contempt in his tone undisguised.
As the inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion, he was naturally qualified to make such an assessment. If he had chosen to stay at school upon graduation, Slughorn might not have had the career he did. As far as he knew, Severus Snape wasn't even Slughorn's most satisfactory student. The most striking label on this young professor was simply that he was young.
You see, in Damocles’s long life, exceptionally gifted potion prodigies were not uncommon.
But the vast majority of them ultimately only remained at the imitation stage, unable to even optimize potions, let alone invent new, advanced potions. Such people were usually called “advanced potions apprentices.”
“Don’t say that, Damocles, potion teaching really doesn’t require such high…”
Horace Slughorn looked at Snape, his lips twitching, trying to smooth things over in a familiar manner.
Compared to the old scholar buried in research, Slughorn had learned some things about Severus Snape from his information channels. As someone who could make many former Death Eaters wary, this young man might not have any brilliant achievements in potions yet, but if the two of them drew their wands against each other…
“It’s true that such profound knowledge isn’t needed, which is why I refused to be a potions professor in the first place.”
Damocles Belby replied with a haughty expression, “Now the entire magical world is learning the potion I invented, and you’ve gone from a somewhat talented potion prodigy to a retired professor who still has to watch other people’s faces.”
After being rebuffed several times, the smile on Slughorn’s face was starting to wear thin.
"Oh, yes—but you’re back now, aren’t you? Out of necessity?"
He glanced at the parchment in Damocles’s hand, asking with a mocking tone.
Horace Slughorn's gaze lingered on Damocles for a few moments, intentionally dwelling on the edges of the old wizard's somewhat old and outdated black robes, a slight smile playing on his lips.
—There were several patches of different colors there—
Clearly, in recent years, the legendary potions master's situation hadn't been too prosperous, at least far worse than his.
“At least many of the students I’ve taught are still active in various fields of the magical society today. And your Wolfsbane Potion, well, I guess the werewolves must really like you? Perhaps they’ll send you some prey as a birthday gift on your birthday? I heard you made the Wolfsbane Potion formula public for free, I wonder if anyone has given you patent compensation…”
“Don’t compare me to you, slug—"
Damocles Belby narrowed his eyes, glaring coldly at the short, fat old man in front of him.
“The only reason I’m back is because Mr. Lemei has restarted alchemy here. If you put the energy you use on those little slugs into the field of potions, you wouldn’t have been reduced to the pitiful state of being replaced by your own student…”
“Replaced? You—"
“Alright, that’s enough, you two!”
Dumbledore’s twinkling blue eyes flashed behind his spectacles, and he raised his voice.
“Damocles, the issue of Severus leading things won’t change in the short term. Not just potions, but all courses at Hogwarts will be led by the original professors after the expansion.”
“As for the course content, you can discuss and resolve that among yourselves later…”
The old man looked around at the wizards in the office, speaking with a firm tone.
“Whatever reason you may have for coming to Hogwarts, any new assistant professor who wants to participate in classroom teaching must have the consent of the subject head. This is a regulation jointly decided by the Ministry of Magic, the Board of Governors, and Hogwarts—at least until the higher education standards in the magical world are fully established, we will continue to use this teaching standard.”
“Oh, alright, alright, since this is a uniform standard then…”
Seeing Dumbledore’s firm attitude, Damocles raised an eyebrow and looked sideways at Snape.
“So, Professor Snape, what are you planning to test me on? More Felix Felicis? Very good—I’ll write you a version of the answer that satisfies you, although I don’t think you can fully understand it, but I can teach you…”
“So, I have to take an exam too? Being examined on content taught by me, by a student I taught?”
Horace Slughorn looked at Dumbledore with a strange expression, waving the “Potions Assistant Professor Qualification” exam paper he had just taken from his student, and sighed helplessly as the old man nodded.
"You know why I came, Albus—I need to see it tonight, otherwise… I never thought I’d spend a lifetime teaching, only to return to school because I answered a student’s question, really—alas—"
Without finishing his sentence, Slughorn rolled up the parchment with a miserable face, and sighed heavily again.
Ever since he saw that news in the newspaper, learning that Voldemort had not truly died, he had been afraid that the nightmare that had haunted him for decades would become reality—because due to a moment of carelessness, he had personally created an indestructible, terrifying monster.
However, as time passed, he began to fantasize and hope:
Perhaps Tom Riddle, the later Voldemort, had not chosen to create Horcruxes, but instead used some dangerous dark magic he didn’t know to preserve his life. But Dumbledore’s letter shattered Slughorn’s last hope.
Although he didn’t know how Dumbledore knew about that conversation—after all, in Slughorn’s memory, he and Tom Riddle should have been the only ones who knew when they discussed Horcruxes—but as Dumbledore almost completely recreated those scenes and conversations in the letter, Horace Slughorn felt a sense of relief instead.
At the same time, he also encountered the most irresistible condition he had faced in recent years—
Another chance to face the Tom Riddle of that time, and… a chance for redemption.
The price was to return to Hogwarts Castle, return to the position of potions professor, and contribute his wisdom to Hogwarts’ future educational reforms, which was also his dream whenever he woke up alone in the middle of the night in recent years.
“Let me see what you’ve learned over the years, Severus…”
Horace Slughorn murmured, taking a deep breath and starting to answer the questions on the parchment.
If he wasn’t mistaken, perhaps Dumbledore had invited him back to Hogwarts not just because of the Tom Riddle diary—monitoring the current potions professor Severus Snape, the potions master he had personally trained and who had once been active in the Death Eater ranks, might also be one of his tasks.
As one of the top potions masters, Horace Slughorn knew very well the dangers of potions in a place like Hogwarts Castle. If Voldemort really returned, Snape could very likely hold the entire school hostage in an instant.
In the magical world, the only one who can fight a potions master is another potions master. This is the simplest truth.
Having worked at Hogwarts for so many years, he knew Albus Dumbledore’s personality too well—he was the precautionary measure, and Damocles was the bait used to attract attention on the surface.
…………
Unfortunately, the headmaster didn’t seem to notice Slughorn’s rich inner fluctuations.
Admittedly, out of personal affection, Dumbledore did hope that Horace Slughorn could return to Hogwarts.
But for Dumbledore, it wasn’t a necessity. After all, the school wasn't lacking excellent wizards right now. It was more because that little girl, Aileenna Kaslana, insisted on "releasing the recruitment mission".
Strictly speaking, he had only slightly reviewed the contents of the letter, and then, with a try-it-and-see attitude, let that white-haired furball play freely—after all, no matter how you look at it, it wasn't a bad thing for Hogwarts, and Horace Slughorn really should come out of the shadows of the past.
What he was more concerned about now, on the other hand, was…
“I’m sorry, Severus.”
Dumbledore looked somewhat apologetically at the potions professor in front of him, who seemed about to speak but stopped.
"Perhaps I’ll consider it later, but in this special period, I really can’t find a second potions master in all of Hogwarts who can stand up to those two gentlemen. It’s just that when you get along, you might…"
“I don’t mind, and I believe they’ll soon understand that age doesn’t represent everything.”
Snape shrugged his shoulders. He didn't think he needed to worry about those two wizards who had been away from school for too long.
Even if their age was more than double his, or they were once his potions professor, or they once occupied the cover of *Advanced Potion Making* for several months—potion making emphasizes talent, creativity, and standardized techniques.
“Of course, I’ve never doubted that, Severus.”
Dumbledore nodded with a smile, “Whether as a potions professor, the head of Slytherin, or as the youngest faculty member in Hogwarts history, you’ve given an impeccable answer with your actions over the past ten years.”
“Three years, this is the last time! I remember what you said.”
Facing Albus Dumbledore’s genial smile, Snape raised an eyebrow, saying expressionlessly.
“I just hope you won’t find some new reason next time. With your current physical condition, I think you shouldn’t be retiring so early. When Miss Kaslana enters her fifth year, that’ll be the deadline.”
When he first came to Hogwarts, the two of them had clearly agreed that he would only take over the potions class for three years. When Dumbledore found a new potions professor, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was vacant, the school would give him priority consideration.
But three years after three years, three years after three years, it has already been a full ten years now.
"Ah, this—"
Hearing that little witch's name unexpectedly, Dumbledore's heart twitched reflexively.
Dumbledore had almost forgotten, or rather, he rarely faced this cruel fact, which was that Aileenna Kaslana had only just spent her first year at Hogwarts, and there were still six whole years to come to trouble him.
The old wizard's smile gradually disappeared, and he nodded heavily with a heavy heart.
"Don't worry, I'll try my best to hold on until then. However, Horace Slughorn is right, I really should start considering the issue of retirement—Hogwarts will need another 'deputy headmaster' after that. At that time, perhaps you can arrange for yourself the course you want to teach, who knows."
"Hopefully…"
Snape curled his lip noncommittally. He had heard too many verbal promises from Dumbledore.
“Then I’ll go and check on the situation of those applicants in the classroom next door. Let me say in advance, if they don’t pass such a simple basic written test, even if it’s Professor Horace Slughorn, I can’t treat them specially.”
As the subject head of potions and the head of Slytherin House, Snape had a lot to do today.
In addition to Damocles and Slughorn, there were also several well-known wizards who had submitted job applications to Hogwarts for "Potions Assistant Professor", and Snape needed to select the most suitable candidates before 3 PM to give to Dumbledore.
"Go ahead, thanks for your hard work on potions, I still need to talk to everyone here."
Dumbledore nodded, waving his hand to signal Snape to go and get busy.
Just as Severus Snape left the headmaster's office door, he heard Dumbledore's voice echoing in the room again, "Well, gentlemen and ladies, please refer to the format of potions and find the corresponding full professor to take the entrance examination. During this time, I will be waiting for everyone in the office. If there are any problems that cannot be solved, you can come to me."
"The end time of the assessment is 3 PM, and you can apply for more than one subject. Well, that's all..."
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Goo Ya! A combined big chapter! Big chapter! ~