Professor

As a fifth-year student who had enrolled suddenly, Cyberlina felt it was inappropriate for her to enter the school in a carriage pulled by Thestrals alongside the older students, and even more inappropriate to arrive at Hogwarts by boat with a group of little first-years.

It seemed that the current headmaster had forgotten about this matter as well, and had made no arrangements for how she was supposed to enter the school. But the lack of a conventional route into Hogwarts was no obstacle for a seasoned night wanderer who had thoroughly explored the castle many years ago.

After buying a large bag of unfamiliar sweets at Honeydukes, Cyberlina entered the passage while eating them rather inelegantly and maintaining a Confundus Charm. After emerging from the One-Eyed Witch Statue, she calmly greeted the various portraits as though she had never left in all these decades.

Dumbledore only realized that he had never told Cyberlina how to come to Hogwarts as a new student after hearing Headmaster Black mutter exaggeratedly. He had not done it on purpose.

He simply had not treated Cyberlina as a student, and had therefore overlooked the fact that she still needed to come to Hogwarts by a student's usual means—although the way she had arrived was hardly that of a student.

Dumbledore did not understand. Was it really impossible to simply walk in through the school gates?

The old Gryffindor instinctively glanced at the Sorting Hat, which let out an indignant cry at being questioned.

Thus, for the first time ever, the headmaster arrived in the Great Hall long before the feast, found Cyberlina sitting in a corner on the second floor, and tactfully asked about the matter that puzzled him.

At the time, Cyberlina was frowning at the collection of books she had just bought according to the book list. In her opinion, they could hardly be called textbooks. Upon hearing Dumbledore's question, she paused, then responded by posing a new question: "Can the British wizarding world no longer find a single White Wizard who knows dark magic?"

Dumbledore's gaze shifted to the book in Cyberlina's hands—oh, Travels with Trolls.

"You may not know this, but professors in this position always run into one problem or another, so it isn't easy to find a wizard willing to take it. Besides..." Facing this truly knowledgeable and meticulous former professor, he chose to reveal his purpose in inviting Gilderoy Lockhart only partially. "Besides, the wizarding world isn't as peaceful as it appears. When choosing certain professors, ability cannot be the only consideration."

Cyberlina raised her head and looked at Dumbledore, her tone rising slightly. "Albus, do you lack confidence in your own teaching ability?"

Cyberlina's words were not exactly impolite, but considering her usual manner of speaking, they were indeed somewhat blunt. Dumbledore looked down at the girl before him, who wore a gentle smile, and inexplicably felt as though he had returned to the days when he stood before the teacher's desk and listened to her reprimand him.

In fact, if one understood the deeper meaning of Cyberlina's words, calling it a reprimand would not be an exaggeration.

Dumbledore truly had no idea how Cyberlina's mind worked. Their combined ages might not even exceed his, yet she always saw through everything with ease and could quickly think of countless other matters besides.

He sighed softly and defended himself. "Some people are destined not to grow through conventional education."

"But forcing a seedling to grow isn't right either." Cyberlina closed the book in her hands. After her fingers brushed over it, the book vanished from her lap. "Besides, seedlings have to compete and progress together. If there is only one good tree in a forest, then no matter how large or fine it is, it still cannot shield the forest from wind and sand."

Cyberlina rose and met Dumbledore's eyes with a smile. "You are now the head of a school, Albus. You are the professor of the entire school."

Dumbledore said nothing, merely listening in silence.

But Cyberlina seemed to have no intention of continuing on this topic. She answered Dumbledore's original question—

"I didn't take the passage on purpose." The girl shrugged helplessly, then took a handful of sweets from her outer robe and held them out to Dumbledore. "I used to return to school through the Floo Flame. I simply never developed the habit of coming back through the main entrance."

"Oh, oh..." Dumbledore froze for a moment, then accepted the sweets with an awkwardness that nevertheless held a trace of familiarity. "I nearly forgot. Hogwarts had a Floo Flame long ago." He examined the sweets carefully, and the small spark of delight in his heart slowly faded. Unsurprisingly, they were all the least sweet varieties Honeydukes had released in recent years.

"Ah, it was so convenient back then."

"But it wasn't very friendly to student safety."

"That's true."

As they chatted back and forth, the two of them entered the Great Hall, sat at one of the students' long tables, and began discussing the changes Hogwarts and the wizarding world had undergone over the years.

Although all sides had done an excellent job hiding the truth about Cyberlina herself, she had hardly been inconspicuous during her years at Hogwarts. The ghosts and portraits remembered her extremely clearly, so several old professors who had taught at Hogwarts for many years knew more or less about her.

Dumbledore had already prepared them for Cyberlina's return, and they had long since finished being surprised. Thus, when they arrived in the Great Hall one after another and Dumbledore introduced them to Cyberlina, they remained relatively calm. Oh, no—that was not quite right. One person still let out an astonished exclamation: Cuthbert Bins, the only professor who had ever taught Cyberlina.

"Oh, oh! Cyberlina! Incredible—you really didn't become a ghost."

"You finally remembered my name, Professor Bins." Cyberlina rose and gave Professor Bins a slight bow.

"I always remembered your name." Professor Bins pursed his lips. "I should even have mentioned your name in class, but—"

"Professor Bins!" Dumbledore interrupted him. "I believe the students will be arriving soon. We shouldn't keep standing here chatting."

Professor Bins glanced toward the entrance of the Great Hall, immediately said "Oh" twice, and drifted toward the professors' seats.

Cyberlina glanced at Dumbledore and saw him winking mischievously at her. It was obvious that he had not interrupted Professor Bins out of consideration for her. She therefore followed his lead and looked toward the entrance, where she saw Professor Snape, who looked even gloomier than he had a few days earlier, as well as—completely unlike him—a blond man smiling almost ridiculously broadly.

Dumbledore did not need to introduce him. Just from his foolish appearance, which was identical to the cover of that so-called textbook, Cyberlina knew who he was: the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart.

Clearly, Dumbledore had not prepared this man in advance. His eyes were filled with curiosity and confusion as he looked at Cyberlina.

After all, as far as he knew, he was the only professor newly appointed that year, yet at the teachers' meeting before the start of term, he had not received an especially warm welcome from the other professors. Meanwhile, the unfamiliar woman in the old-fashioned dress and outer robe stood among the professors as though she were being surrounded by them.

Lockhart did not understand the atmosphere. He could not remember the wizarding world having such a famous witch.

"Oh, what a beautiful young lady." But Lockhart knew his own advantages. He hurried forward, displaying his enthusiasm and finest smile. "I believe you must know me. I was invited here by Headmaster Dumbledore as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. May I ask who you are...?"

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lockhart." Cyberlina lifted her skirt and curtsied. She never begrudged any standard courtesy, even if it looked outdated; it would never make anyone uncomfortable. "I am Sekerei, sir. Cyberlina Sekerei."

Dumbledore, standing to the side, noticed something unusual in Cyberlina's flawless courtesy—her smile was far too radiant.

He did not believe that was how she expressed friendliness.

Sure enough, while Lockhart was thinking hard about the somewhat familiar name, Cyberlina spoke warmly with that same smile. "I quite enjoyed your book, Travels with Trolls, sir. Some parts of it were... very interesting." Cyberlina straightened, clasped her hands before her abdomen, and smiled brightly. "I had thought that age had made me forget meeting you before, but judging by your reaction, this really is the first time you and I have met."

Lockhart's smile froze, and Snape let out a short snort of laughter. Professor McGonagall coughed twice, then gestured to Dumbledore and headed outside the Great Hall. Some older students had already passed by the windows on their way toward the hall, and she needed to go welcome the new students. Dumbledore left with her as well, since he had to return to his office to fetch the Sorting Hat—he truly had not expected to spend so long talking with Cyberlina.

The other professors glanced at one another, then tacitly headed toward the teachers' table. As Professor Filius Flitwick walked, he repeatedly turned back to look at Lockhart, who was forcing a smile onto his face, his expression complicated.

Seeing that students had already begun entering the Great Hall, Cyberlina wished Snape good day and walked to one side of the hall. She straightened, produced a book out of thin air, and began reading. Lockhart's probing gaze followed her, and he was astonished to discover that the book was none other than Travels with Trolls. The author's radiant smile on the cover was facing him.

"You really do know how to write a story, Mr. Lockhart." Cyberlina offered the comment without even raising her head.

Lockhart's lips twitched. In the end, he swept toward the teachers' table in the robes he had carefully selected.

Cyberlina's position was not especially concealed, but the students entering seemed not to see her at all. Not one of them spared her a glance. Instead, they repeatedly looked toward Lockhart at the teachers' table.

Lockhart held his head high and smiled at the students. While feeling pleased with himself, he kept turning over Cyberlina's name in his mind, but found no answer. He was certain he had never written that name in any book, so why had the witch spoken that way?

Cyberlina had not lied. She truly thought Lockhart's prose was decent, and that his stories were well written—but that was limited to storytelling.

[Several decades ago, a powerful witch once single-handedly destroyed several troll settlements. I visited her while I was still a student. By then, she was already white-haired and bleary-eyed, and she brewed me a cup of tea with her hunched body. I smiled and thanked her. Perhaps my smile was too warm and radiant, because she kept praising me, and I could only accept it modestly. But undeniably, her acknowledgment gave me considerable confidence and courage for the journeys ahead, although I did not entirely approve of her overly violent methods.]

Cyberlina turned to that page again, and the smile on her face grew wider as she read the passage.

How interesting.

More interestingly, she really did seem to have once been asked by a student specifically about trolls. At the time, however, Ominis's health had already been poor, and she had been frantic with worry over him. She had had little patience for students, so she had merely explained a few tricks for defeating trolls before dismissing the student hastily, never remembering his name.

But it certainly could not have been this young Mr. Lockhart.

From the few pages she had casually flipped through, she could already see the different ways the protagonists in the stories thought when handling matters. She could tell that the Lockhart in the stories was clearly not the real Lockhart. So why had the people whose stories he had stolen never come forward to refute him?

Had he tempted them with benefits, or threatened them?

Or perhaps they were—already unable to stand forward?

So perhaps this Mr. Lockhart really did possess some ability after all?

Cyberlina raised her head and glanced at the foolishly grinning Lockhart, then shook her head.

Lockhart's back broke out in a cold sweat beneath that scrutinizing gaze. Once the feast ended, he thought, he absolutely—absolutely—had to read through Travels with Trolls, which had remained in the corner of his vision, several more times. He had to find out exactly where he had left a loophole!