Meeting with Professor McGonagall

The final price for the Panoramic Telescope was five Galleons and ten Sickles apiece, a little cheaper than Amosta had expected. But then again, Mr. Bans needed a full week to prepare three hundred Panoramic Telescopes!

When he saw Amosta off, Mr. Bans still wore a mournful expression, as though he had suffered a tremendous loss.

Amosta thought he was laying it on a bit thick. The cost of most magical items and alchemical tools was forty to fifty percent of the selling price. Even with taxes and operating expenses, it would not exceed sixty percent. Mr. Bans would still, uh... in any case, he would not lose money on this deal!

The bargaining over that final seven-Sickle discount had been exceptionally difficult. By the time Amosta walked out of the magical supplies shop, the sun was already high in the sky.

Amosta stood in the middle of the street, letting the brilliant sunlight wash over him as he savored this rare moment of ease. Ever since graduation, this peaceful, unhurried pace of life had vanished completely from his world.

"There is still a harder negotiation ahead."

After a long while, Amosta drew a deep breath and looked toward the castle standing beneath the blue sky and white clouds. Someone there was still waiting for him to persuade them, and he could already foresee that the process would not go particularly smoothly.

Around ten-thirty, before noon, Amosta returned to Hogwarts Castle. Not wanting to interfere with lunchtime, he hurried up the Marble Staircase and skillfully crossed the moving stairs into the second-floor common area for Gryffindor students.

A rough argument drifted from the far end of the corridor. Amosta craned his neck and listened for a few moments, but could not make heads or tails of it. Pressed for time, he hurried down the other corridor and knocked on the office door beside it.

"Come in."

The stern voice from behind the door stirred memories in Amosta's mind. He smiled faintly, turned the handle, and stepped inside.

Professor McGonagall's office was much smaller than Snape's. Mountains of documents, young wizards' homework, and teaching aids were piled everywhere along the walls.

Professor McGonagall's small desk stood by the window, directly overlooking the Quidditch pitch.

When Amosta entered, she was bent over her desk reviewing documents. With his sharp eyesight, Amosta gave them a quick glance. They appeared to be applications from the various professors for the purchase of teaching materials for the second half of the school year.

"Oh, it's Amosta."

Professor McGonagall, who had been working at her desk, adjusted her black-framed glasses and turned around. When she saw who it was, her tightly pressed lips relaxed slightly.

"You look much more mature than you did three years ago. I almost didn't recognize you."

Professor McGonagall rose and examined Snape's prized student before her. Her expression was far gentler than it usually was when facing young wizards.

To be honest, before Amosta's fifth year, her interactions with him had been limited to a handful of exchanges in class and approving his scholarship application each year. Beyond that, she had paid no special attention to this Slytherin boy with no particularly distinctive personality.

Until that night before Christmas during Amosta's fifth year.

That night, Amosta Breen had twice reshaped her opinion of him in an extremely short time—from utter disgust to profound gratitude.

From that night onward, she had kept a close eye on Amosta.

"It has been a long time, Professor McGonagall,"

Amosta said with a sincere smile. "You, on the other hand, have not changed much in the past three years."

While Professor McGonagall examined him, Amosta was also studying her with a smile. His earlier words had merely been polite flattery. In truth, Professor McGonagall looked older than before. She was thinner, and there was far more white in her hair.

That could not be helped. Having a headmaster as "responsible" as Albus Dumbledore could only be considered her bad luck.

The window was open, and a faint scent of violet wine lingered in the air. Professor McGonagall gestured for Amosta to sit down, then walked over to the blazing fireplace and took a teapot from the shelf.

"Last night, Headmaster Dumbledore left me a message, informing me that the Board of Governors had sent you back to the school."

There was a trace of displeasure in Professor McGonagall's tone, though it was unclear whom she was blaming.

"Whatever the case, Amosta, welcome back to the school!"

Amosta took a small sip of tea. As expected, it was bitter enough to make his scalp prickle. Apparently, Professor McGonagall had brewed this pot to sober herself up. He calmly set down the cup, with no desire to take another sip.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. I am also glad to have this opportunity to return to Hogwarts. You know, many young wizards dream of coming back here a few years after graduation, to relive those carefree days at school."

"Yes, this place holds many people's fondest memories."

Amosta's words pleased Professor McGonagall, and her shoulders relaxed somewhat.

"Come to think of it, if I remember correctly, this is only the second time we have spoken face-to-face, isn't it?"

Amosta nodded slightly, recalling those days.

"You remember correctly. It was more than halfway through the second half of my fifth year. You spoke to me in order to persuade me not to deliberately make mistakes in my homework for every subject, and to show my true level as much as possible. Ha, I am sorry, Professor. I really was rather strange back then!"

"Snape told me privately that you called that behavior 'Pretending to Be a Slug Eating a Dragon.' A very apt metaphor, Amosta. But this time, you are the one who has to persuade me."

Professor McGonagall did not mind chatting with Amosta a little longer and getting to know him better. That was also part of her duty as the school's deputy headmistress.

But unfortunately, she still had a mountain of work to do today. After handling Hogwarts' day-to-day affairs, she had to prepare next year's teaching plans for every grade, salary adjustment proposals for the professors of each subject, and several Transfiguration papers from Transfiguration Today that were urgently awaiting her comments.

Because of these tedious duties, while the other professors were still enjoying their Christmas holiday, she had to plan ahead just to squeeze in enough time to attend a reception.

"Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to arrange your accommodation and office,"

Professor McGonagall said, pressing her lips together as her expression grew solemn.

"I had originally planned to meet with you after dinner, but when I ran into Professor Snape this morning, he happened to mention your plan. That made it necessary for me to speak with you sooner. This should have been Headmaster Dumbledore's responsibility, but... well, never mind that."

Professor McGonagall's mood soured. She took a deep breath, her gaze sharp as she asked pointedly,

"I am not questioning whether your plan is feasible, Amosta. My question is whether you truly think this is appropriate. To find the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets, you intend to monitor every aspect of the young wizards' daily lives?"