Chapter 295 Sweeping and Guessing

"Well, I have no doubt of that," said Lockhart, "but don't get me wrong, I'm not one to take pleasure in my reputation. I'm just happy to provide my dear readers with Autographs - as long as it makes them happy - and of course I won't refuse the occasional photo request." He looked at the professors sitting in the shabby lounge and chuckled, "Ah, I know you. What are you thinking about? Yes, I need to carry a dozen photos with me most of the time, just in case. But considering dear Dolores..."

"Minerva," Professor Bubbaji said abruptly, lowering his head and standing up, "You are right, I really need to tidy up the room. Thank you for the cookies and tea, Pomona -" She covered her face with her hanging hair, gestured hastily towards everyone, and said vaguely, "See you later."

"See you later, Caredi." Anthony said, holding the teacup and watching Professor Bubaji leave quickly. Her voice became very strange when she said "borrowed" to Lockhart, as if something was blocking her throat.

Snape stood up immediately. He looked around gloomily, nodded to everyone who looked at him, pushed past Lockhart without saying a word, and left. As he walked out, Anthony swore he heard Professor Bubbaji's laughter echoing down the stairwell, vaguely echoing Myrtle's wail.

"Oh my god, it's already half past three! Time flies so fast." Professor Sinistra said, finishing the last caramel cookie on the table. "I need to - uh - clean the windows of the astronomy tower. Really. Oops, Gilderoy, the timing is too bad. Let’s find a time to have afternoon tea together next time.”

"Of course, how could I refuse a lady's offer?" said Lockhart. "As readers who know me well sum up, Gilderoy Lockhart never likes to disappoint, even though I'm very busy - - Yes, I am indeed very busy - I refused all interviews, but my time is still fully scheduled. Those lectures, writing books, answering letters from enthusiastic readers, and teaching lovely students how to use magic correctly. ah--"

"Speaking of which, I should start cleaning up." Professor Flitwick jumped out of his chair, "Pomona, there must be a lot of things going on in your greenhouse, right? Professor Anthony, would you like to see Mrs. Pince with me? Do you need any more help?"

"Oh my god, of course," Anthony said, starting to clear the plates and cups from the table.

Professor Sprout glanced at Lockhart at the door somewhat unbearably.

Lockhart still had a bright smile on his face: "——In addition, I am also very happy to share the little tips I learned through adventure with my colleagues. I still remember one time... It should be in Estonia, no. Wrong, it’s Estonia…”

"You stopped an evil ritual of burying babies in the earth as mandrakes." Professor Sprout said, "Yes, this is the sixth time you have shared it with us, Gilderoy."

Lockhart shook his head, his golden hair bouncing playfully on his forehead.

"No, no, Pomona," he said gently, "I hate to brag, but my adventures in Estonia go far beyond stopping that dark magic ritual. It's just that you always seem to not I'm trying to tell you this because I'm aware of the dark magic metaphor of the mandrake. Like I said, if you want to tell whether a mandrake grew with blood - "

Professor Sprout took a deep breath. Professor Sinistra waved to her and took the opportunity to leave. Professor Flitwick and Anthony followed her to the door of the staff lounge.

Professor Kettleburn knocked the ground heavily with his crutch: "What's wrong, why is everyone leaving?" He said angrily, "I just came down from upstairs! Now you ask me to go back? I refuse!"

"Then go for a walk outside, Sylvanos," said Professor McGonagall. "Enjoy the cold wind on the first day of the New Year. Clean the Magical Creatures' Shed with Hagrid or something like that."

"Okay, okay." Professor Kettleburn threw his prosthetic leg to the ground and stood up with his crutches angrily. "No one wants to drink tea with me! That's great, I just feel like I'm I prefer Chimairamon to wizards!”

He left with a thud. Professor Flitwick and Anthony chased out with "That was definitely not our intention."

Behind them, Anthony heard Professor McGonagall say: "I need to get ready too. If you want, Gilderoy, the biscuit tin is there, please don't be polite - Pomona, the greenhouse?"

Professor Sprout said without hesitation, "Of course, Minerva."

…

This afternoon, almost all the professors waved their magic wands and started cleaning.

After Professor Bubaji packed up his office, he began to help Professor Sprout tidy up the greenhouse. Flowerpots kept flying out of one greenhouse and into another, leaking soft, dark-brown soil along the way. With the help of Professor McGonagall, they even moved some of the herbs to the trunk of the Whomping Willow.

Madam Pince, Professor Flitwick and Anthony stuffed the malicious dark magic books into every corner of the forbidden area, and bet that Umbridge could not find which ones among the thousands of dark magic books. The parts that are too standard, which ones are property transfers approved by the Ministry of Magic, and which ones are academic books purchased for research at Hogwarts.

Anthony shared with Professor Flitwick a few little magic spells that Daniel taught him about organizing bookshelves, and Professor Flitwick showed him how to hold the wand, and gave him a very easy-to-use copying spell that can be copied. The content of a certain page or paragraph, not the entire book.

Snape never showed up. Professor Flitwick guessed that he had gone to Knockturn Alley again.

"I should ask Severus to buy me some donkeyskin bags." Professor Flitwick said to Anthony after packing up the library. "The kind that once you put something in, no one else but you can use it." No one can take out the bag. I just have to throw my book in."

He also had to pack away his collection of dark magic books, so he said goodbye to Anthony. Anthony went to find Hagrid and Professor Kettleburn, and found the two of them happily throwing pieces of meat next to the Forbidden Forest and a large group of rumbling and grumpy Chimerans. He hesitated and left.

Everyone seemed to have something to do except him. Professor Sinistra even actually wiped the windows of the Astronomy Tower. When the sun went down, the small spiraling windows shone golden in the setting sun.

Anthony returned to the office and took a walk around. Here is Bloody Barro's notebook, which records all aspects of undead magic; a book on dangerous magic related to souls, from the escaped Quirinus Quirrell; and some research materials on flesh magic, mostly from Dumbledore's Recommended, so it's not a big deal; three undead creatures, including two sleeping wraiths and an angry skeleton; and him, a dead man.

He hid the notebooks and books in the drawer and covered them with Roger Snake and Fire Dragon models.

Then he realized there was nothing left for him to do. He poured the skeleton cat some white wine and tried to make peace, only to get a more comprehensive nibble on his ankle. The Wraith Chicken was woken up by the cat and started fighting with it impatiently.

Anthony walked out of the office and wandered around the castle. He even tried to polish the armor at the corner of the corridor, but the moment it hit the feather duster, it trembled and made a sound like it was about to fall apart.

"Oh, leave it alone, Henry." Professor Sprout walked past them carrying two pots of venomous tentacles with teeth and claws, and said clearly, "That's a ticklish armor."

To make matters even more difficult, students and ghosts watched with interest as the staff packed up the castle, whispering curiously as they tried to figure out what was about to happen.

Peeves let Myrtle go, but laughed strangely, followed Filch and sang a song he made up, throwing scraps of paper everywhere and sticking them with sewage. on the floor.

The Weasley twins told everyone it was because Dumbledore had asthma, and some students seemed to actually believe it.

"I know you know exactly what is about to happen," Professor McGonagall said sternly to the Weasley twins, "and I ask that you behave appropriately."

Percy stood nearby, nodding solemnly, chest puffed out, as if displaying the prefect badge of a decent Gryffindor.

"More decent?" said Fred. "Aren't we decent enough?"

"I thought we were always the model," George said in shock.

Professor McGonagall's face was stern: "At least don't show the Ministry how good our students are at breaking the rules, Mr. Weasley!"

"Of course, we will show our utmost respect," Fred said.

"We'll have a chorus for the Senior Inquisitor," George said. "Oh, music."

"High courtesy."

Percy's brows furrowed tightly: "Don't be ridiculous, Fred, George, it's not funny."

"What's the matter, you don't like sweet music, dear prefect?"

"So, what does a gun salute sound like?"

"There's no chorus, no salute, or I'll tell mom," Percy said. "I still remember what song you used when you sang the school song."

…

The next day, Umbridge still didn't come, leaving the castle empty for rumors to ferment. Even though only a handful of students stayed for Christmas, the speed at which the news spread seemed unaffected.

During lunch alone, Anthony heard at least three different accounts.

Somehow, most people believed that Dumbledore was sick, but some people insisted that he had asthma, while others said that Dumbledore was about to leave Hogwarts due to a serious illness and go to recuperate abroad, while the professors were Pack up the castle and get ready to welcome the new principal.

Some people say the new principal is Cornelius Fudge, others say it's Barty Crouch. Surprisingly, some people even believed that the new principal was a mermaid, so the greenhouse on the edge of the Black Lake was cleared away and prepared for the new principal to use as the principal's office.

In addition, some people believe that in the new year, they are about to welcome a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor - said to be the werewolf who wandered with Lockhart - so the professors are under the guidance of Lockhart Clean up every corner of the castle and help Lockhart's friends integrate into the school as quickly as possible.

Percy Weasley was trying to tell anyone who would listen that Dumbledore was not sick, that there were no werewolves coming, and that the one who was coming was the Ministry of Magic's High Inquisitor, most likely Dolores Oom. Rich...but no one believed him.

"That's so boring." said a junior Hufflepuff. "Let's talk about mermaids! Are their teeth really that sharp?"

…

On January 3rd, Umbridge finally arrived.

This morning, Dumbledore appeared at the faculty bench with a smile on his face and had breakfast with the professors, much to the surprise of the students who thought he was sick.

"Albus, is the Ministry of Magic..." Professor McGonagall asked in a low voice.

Dumbledore put up his hand, interrupting her gently but firmly. He said easily: "It must have been too long since I had breakfast with you, Minerva. Is there something new on the table today? Oh, peanut butter! Can someone give me some bacon?"

"Well, it looks like today is indeed the day." Professor Bubbaji turned to Anthony and said, "I feel sick all over when I think about meeting her outside the Ministry of Magic. You want to be the bastard of all grades. Professor of melon studies?”

"Not for now, thank you, Caredi." Anthony said.

After breakfast, Dumbledore was still sitting leisurely in his high-backed chair, chatting with Professor Flitwick, as if waiting for something. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips tightly, met Anthony's eyes, and shook her head at him.

Professor Sprout arrived later, still eating her breakfast. Snape sat nearby and watched gloomily as Mrs. Norris passed in front of him and walked towards a milk jug. Filch hugged Mrs. Norris back and glanced at the professors, looking a little confused.

The students who came to the hall for breakfast one after another also realized something. While looking at the professors sitting on the faculty bench, they leaned down and talked quietly.

Just as Anthony was wondering if they would wait just in time for lunch, Dumbledore suddenly stood up. His movement immediately attracted everyone's attention. The hall immediately became silent.

Professor McGonagall stood up immediately.

"Come on," said Dumbledore calmly, "it looks like our guests have arrived."

One by one, the professors left their seats and followed Dumbledore out of the hall. The students whispered excitedly, their eyes following them closely.

"Professor Dumbledore," a junior student looked up at Dumbledore in reverence and asked in a voice trembling with excitement as they passed by, "What happened?"

"We have guests." Dumbledore said with a smile.

"I know, it's a mermaid!" the student said loudly.

"It's Fudge!" said another student.

Percy said angrily, "It's Ms. Dolores Umbridge!"

"It's a swarm of flying cabbages!" the Weasley twins shouted in the confusion.

Dumbledore looked around at the curious students and said slyly: "I don't remember anyone casting a sticking spell on the seats, so why are you all sitting firmly in your seats? I thought someone would be willing to go to the castle Going out for a walk.”

The sound of seats moving was immediately heard in the hall. The students who had stayed at school for Christmas all gathered around Dumbledore curiously and watched as he opened the oak door.

Outside the door was Umbridge.

She was walking up the last step, a pink suitcase floating beside her. She wore a huge lemon yellow bow on her ash-brown curly hair, which was covered with pink polka dots. She also wore a pink cardigan outside the black wizard robe.

After walking up the steps, she turned her pale face and looked at the professors and students in front of her with her bulging eyes.

Then, a false smile appeared on her face, and she said in a contrived, sweet voice: "You are so enthusiastic, you all came out to welcome me! It's so comfortable to be back in Hogwarts, as warm as It’s like returning home! Treat me as your relative and your friend. I believe we will get along very happily!”

"Well, okay." Anthony heard the two students standing in front of him whisper, "She doesn't look like a mermaid, maybe she is a werewolf."

"But her voice is very high-pitched." Another student said doubtfully, "Maybe she is a half-mermaid."