"Ha ha, you're quite amusing."
When Pomona returned to the reception, she could hear Slughorn's laughter from a long way off.
Compared to when he had left Hogwarts years ago, old Horace Slughorn had put on quite a bit of weight. What she had not expected was that he would attend, considering that Severus's succession to his position had not been particularly pleasant.
She found a place to sit and stared blankly out of boredom. In this place full of Potions masters, she seemed to be the only one who studied Herbology.
Before long, someone sat down beside her. It was Bartholomew Hayden again, the entomologist from Beauxbatons.
"Sorry, I don't want to talk about Quidditch right now," she said tactfully.
"Do you know Arif Sikander?" Bartholomew asked. "If I remember correctly, he once taught at Hogwarts."
"Oh, you know Arif?" Pomona exclaimed.
"More or less," Bartholomew said. "But Beauxbatons doesn't have Muggle Studies."
"What did he teach there, then?" Pomona asked.
"I don't believe I said he taught at Beauxbatons," Bartholomew said.
"Then you..."
"He was a substitute Muggle Studies teacher while Professor Quirrell was traveling around Europe."
"Oh," Pomona said dryly.
"Professor Quirrell, I heard... um, he's dead?" Bartholomew asked.
Pomona said nothing. Suddenly, she felt hungry.
"Let's not talk about that unfortunate man," Bartholomew said. "Arif is quite familiar with Muggle science. He has many novel ideas, and he once discussed using Muggle chemistry with Professor Snape. But Professor Snape did not seem to like the subject."
He did more than dislike it, Pomona thought. Arif had thoroughly enraged the old bat. He had even stopped eating in the Great Hall just to avoid running into Arif and being pestered into discussing "chemistry."
Arif was a good man, cheerful and fond of laughter. But he had once