Hogwarts' Greatest Curse

August 25th, 10 AM.

Dressed in black and carrying a black dragon-hide briefcase, Li Wei stood before the fireplace with his two assistants.

"Hogwarts should have opened the temporary passage by now. Let's go."

The two assistants nodded and calmly sprinkled Floo Powder before disappearing one after another.

"Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress's Office."

With a flash of green flame, Li Wei's figure vanished as well.

Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress's Office.

When Li Wei arrived, Professor McGonagall was already chatting with his two assistants.

Known for her stern demeanor, she maintained her usual expressionless face. If not for her gentle voice, those who didn't know her might have thought she was displeased.

Unlike Jiamer's indifference, Qiao Weili thought precisely that – but thankfully, as their teacher appeared, the corner of the seemingly stern old woman's mouth curved upward slightly.

Just a tiny upward curve made her appear instantly amiable.

"Your punctuality is as impeccable as ever, Li Wei."

This student had been like this since his school days – never showing up early, nor ever late, always arriving at the perfect moment, mature beyond his years.

"Professor McGonagall, it's been a long time."

Li Wei emerged from the fireplace and greeted her softly.

The two assistants moved silently to stand behind him.

Professor McGonagall quickly glanced at Li Wei and nodded.

In reality, this was the first time they had met in person, despite corresponding via letters for so many years.

She had to admit, Li Wei was much younger than she had imagined, almost indistinguishable from his two young assistants. Only his temperament had become more profound – Snape, who was the same age, already looked like a middle-aged uncle.

Professor McGonagall had been quite surprised when she first received Li Wei's letter – this student, who had been exceptionally low-key during his time at Hogwarts, hailed from Slytherin.

In his letter, Li Wei, using his usual formal and polite language, respectfully asked for her advice on some magical problems he had encountered.

The topics were all thought-provoking, which piqued Professor McGonagall's interest.

Although Professor McGonagall wasn't particularly fond of Slytherin students, she wouldn't refuse Li Wei simply because he was from Slytherin.

Of course, her tone wouldn't be overly enthusiastic.

After a few exchanges, they completely discarded polite pleasantries and focused solely on discussing the problems themselves.

This method of communication then became their established way of interacting.

During their correspondence, Professor McGonagall had suggested Li Wei share some of his findings in Transfiguration Today, but he refused, citing his desire to avoid the spotlight. After that, their interactions became strictly business.

Meeting in person now felt somewhat strange, more subtle than meeting an online friend for the first time.

Like familiar strangers, but not in the complicated way of lovers.

"Sit down."

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, unsure how to approach the situation, and decided to go straight into work mode.

She waved her wand, and a desk cabinet automatically opened. Papers with wings flew out from inside, neatly stacked before Li Wei.

"Here is the information for students of all years."

"Your office is located underground, next to Professor Snape's—"

"Professor, excuse me for interrupting."

"I'm not very comfortable with underground environments, you know... I spent seven years down there, and I'm afraid if I stay any longer, I might develop rheumatism one day."

"And what is your suggestion?"

Professor McGonagall didn't believe Li Wei would develop rheumatism, but she was open to others' perspectives.

"I recall there's a disused classroom on the first floor. I was wondering if I could use that as my office?"

"You can, but it hasn't been cleaned yet."

"That's fine, I have a house-elf to help me—Speaking of which, I haven't introduced him to you yet."

Li Wei opened his personal luggage. After injecting magic into the silver snake-shaped clasp, the house-elf Barton hopped out.

"An excellent Untraceable Extension Charm," Professor McGonagall praised subtly.

Li Wei nodded in thanks and continued his introduction:

"This is my house-elf, his name is Barton. Barton, this is Professor McGonagall, my former Transfiguration professor."

"Hello, elegant lady," Barton, dressed in a miniature blue suit, bowed respectfully to Professor McGonagall as soon as he appeared.

"Hello, Barton."

Professor McGonagall nodded, realizing this house-elf was different from the ones she usually saw—this one wasn't restricted.

Right, given Li Wei's personality, how could he possibly treat a house-elf like a slave?

This small detail alone earned Li Wei another point in Professor McGonagall's estimation.

"He can stay here and work with the house-elves in the kitchens—I'm not sure if he can adapt here."

"If he can't adapt, I'll find him another place."

"Mm—let's leave it at that for now. I'll inform the house-elves in the kitchens about this as soon as possible."

Professor McGonagall nodded and moved on to the next agenda item.

"Given your research direction, I must make it clear to you in advance—you can teach students how to identify, resist, and break Dark Arts, but you are strictly forbidden from teaching any offensive Dark Arts spells."

Seeing Li Wei nod, she handed him two more pieces of parchment.

"This is your class schedule. You'll be responsible for teaching all seven grades in the school. The classrooms will be in the usual places."

Li Wei continued to nod, taking the schedule and the castle map. He glanced at it subconsciously, and his expression changed!

Li Wei suddenly realized he had inadvertently overlooked an extremely important issue.

On the parchment representing the class schedule before Li Wei's eyes, whether it was morning or afternoon, Monday or Friday, without exception, every single slot was solidly filled with classes!!!

"In addition to daily lectures, you'll also be responsible for lesson preparation, grading homework, and occasionally supervising detention."

Professor McGonagall's voice was still echoing, but Li Wei was starting to feel uneasy.

So many class hours meant he would only have weekends free to focus on researching magic.

He thought he was coming here to live in seclusion in a paradise, but in the blink of an eye, he'd become a pure black slave?

A heavy teaching load of nearly 30 class hours per week, with almost no time to breathe.

This... this was Hogwarts' biggest curse, wasn't it???

Tsk, careless!

Li Wei's brow furrowed quietly.

"Professor Li Wei, I must be frank."

Professor McGonagall, unaware of Li Wei's internal turmoil, spoke with a serious yet sincere expression.

"The position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has shown unusual 'volatility' over the past many years.

The school and the students need a stable, reliable professor.

We sincerely hope you can be the one to end this unstable cycle."

"If you encounter any difficulties in teaching, or require any assistance—whether it's managing the classroom or dealing with certain mischievous individuals, my office door is always open to you."

"Hogwarts is a century-old prestigious school, and we cherish every student here.

I believe that with your excellence, you can teach them something truly valuable."

After saying this, Professor McGonagall stood up, her expression softening slightly, a warm smile appearing in her eyes.

"Welcome again, Li Wei. I hope you can find your place here."