Vanish into Thin Air

After the Easter holidays, the students of Hogwarts were shocked to find that their Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor had disappeared. The seventh-year students in the Defence Against the Dark Arts Advanced Class were the first to notice the problem. They were puzzled as to why Professor Smith was not in class, and the Student Council President had no choice but to tell Professor McGonagall about it.

However, what surprised them most was that Professor McGonagall herself didn't know what was going on.

Professor Smith's disappearance spread like a plague throughout the school.

Everyone is talking about this, wondering where Professor Smith is and why he's not giving lectures anymore.

Most students believe Professor Smith may have resigned ahead of schedule. After all, there was Professor Broad's case last semester. But why didn't Professor Smith inform everyone of this beforehand?

Professor McGonagall was also unable to contact her missing colleague and could only tell Dumbledore about it.

Dumbledore, who was dealing with the Philosopher's Stone problem, rushed back to the school to find out what was going on.

Hogwarts Castle, the Headmaster's Office on the Seventh Floor.

Professor McGonagall is explaining the current situation to Dumbledore.

"The owls I sent out couldn't contact Rowena, and he didn't say where he was going beforehand." Professor McGonagall frowned deeply. Although she was reluctant to admit it, the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor was indeed one of the most dangerous positions in the Wizarding World, and it was a fact that it was replaced every year.

"Didn't he tell anyone he was going there?" Dumbledore asked as he listened to Professor McGonagall's report.

"No," Professor McGonagall said. "Mr. Anderson, the McDougal sisters, and Rowena have had more contact with him. I have asked all three of them, and none of them know where Smith went."

"When did he stop showing up at school?" Dumbledore asked again.

"Ten days ago." Professor McGonagall wouldn't pay special attention to that, after all, professors also need holidays, and it's impossible for them to stay at the university even on holidays. "By the way, Rowena's family is also looking for him everywhere."

Professor McGonagall placed the Daily Prophet in front of the principal.

Dumbledore placed his hands together on the table and fell into a brief silence. In truth, Dumbledore didn't have a good solution either, mainly because Rowena had been missing for too long, and some Tracking Magic was no longer effective.

"Let's try to find out anything about Rowena first. If that doesn't work..." Dumbledore glanced at the missing person ad in the Daily Prophet, "I'll think of something else!"

The professors at Hogwarts are all too busy to delve into this matter, let alone spend time searching for Rowena. Dumbledore, has far too many other things to do and simply cannot spare the time.

"What about Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Severus could help with the classes, or..." Dumbledore suddenly stopped, his gaze turning toward the fireplace in the Headmaster's Office, where a green flame was rising, and a figure was emerging from the flame.

"You've come at the right time, Bard!" Dumbledore greeted the newcomer with a smile.

"I heard that Rowena has disappeared, and our old friend Ge Bo is asking around to find him. He asked me to come to Hogwarts to see what's going on. Ge Bo's not doing well, you know, Rowena was almost his most promising junior." Professor Broad said with a sigh, "Just two weeks ago, I was still corresponding with Rowena, how could he just disappear like that?"

"I don't know. We don't have any good news either. We're still completely in the dark." Professor McGonagall greeted her former colleague and said with a hint of helplessness, "Rowena left Hogwarts during the Easter holidays, and nobody knows where he went."

This matter is extremely sensitive. The position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor isn't very popular, and now that one has gone missing, Professor McGonagall is even worried that it will scare away other applicants. What if they can't find the professor? "By the way, Bard, there's something I need to ask you!" Dumbledore suddenly said, "Could you come back and help me...?"

"No, the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor is too sinister. I even suspect that Rowena's disappearance might be related to that damned curse." Professor Broad decisively rejected Dumbledore's invitation, and said self-deprecatingly, "Luckily, I ran away quickly last year, otherwise I would have been in big trouble because of it."

Professor McGonagall frowned, but she had to admit that the person in front of her was the luckiest Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor in recent decades.

"No, I just want you to come back and teach. I've already found Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor for next semester," Dumbledore kindly reminded him. "If you need to investigate Rowena, staying at the school might help you find some useful clues."

"Substitute teaching... alright!" Professor Broad stroked his beard and agreed, "For the next two months."

Rowena Smith's disappearance attracted the attention of the Wizarding World. The Smith Family offered High bounty and used many methods, but still could not find his whereabouts. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

"The Prophecy failed."

Nicolas Flamel stared at the crystal, which remained completely unchanged, and shook his head, saying, "I think... the person you're looking for might already be dead!"

Without a doubt, this was the worst news Dumbledore had heard so far.

"Dead?"

"The dead have no future, nor do they need one," Nicolas Flamel explained. "Of course, it's possible that someone used powerful magic on him to interfere with my Prophecy, but that's unlikely."

"This is terrible!"

Dumbledore was considering whether to tell his old friend about it! Little did he know that Ge Bo Smith already knew about it and was even more aware of the truth; everything he had done was just a facade.

Of course, Rowena's death was also a heavy blow to this nearly 100-year-old man.

After taking over Smith's position, Professor Broad gradually erased any remaining clues.

Mr. Morg has turned Smith's remains into a stone and buried it forever in a hidden place deep within the Forbidden Forest. No one will ever know where Rowena Smith is, let alone find his body.

The students at Hogwarts were all curious about what had happened to Professor Smith, but when they heard that Professor Broad would be filling in as a substitute teacher, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Professor Broad was just as reliable.

New rumors have surfaced at the school again: the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor has indeed been cursed, which is why Professor Smith has mysteriously disappeared.