"Alright, everyone, before you all fall asleep, I have a few things to announce."
Dumbledore spoke, all the whispers below ceased.
"Attention first-year students: No student is permitted to enter the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. Upperclassmen are likely already aware of this, but I must reiterate: the creatures of the Forbidden Forest are not friendly."
"In addition, Mr. Filch, the administrator, asked me to remind everyone not to use magic in the hallways during breaks... The Quidditch season will officially begin in October..."
It was the same content as always, and Morris listened to it almost every semester.
The next segment, as in previous years, was the introduction of the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor.
In fact, Morris had noticed the unfamiliar face on the professor's bench quite some time ago.
Well, it's not entirely unfamiliar.
Sitting there was a short, plump woman named Dolores Umbridge.
Morris had seen them a few times from afar when he was at the Ministry of Magic, but they hardly ever spoke.
In his memory, this man was Fudge's confidant and had an indescribable sense of style.
For example, right now, the light pink sweater the other person is wearing and the pink bow in their hair are really jarring.
If she were young and beautiful, that would be one thing, but this woman's appearance is really not flattering.
"Let us welcome Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore said calmly, "She will serve as this year's—"
Before he could finish speaking, Umbridge jumped to his feet.
This somewhat impolite gesture immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore," Umbridge's voice was high-pitched and thin.
"Ahem." She coughed, cleared her throat, and adopted a leader-like demeanor.
"Let me add a few words," she said. "I am Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic. From now on, you may call me Professor Umbridge."
Umbridge glanced around the Great Hall and continued, " The Ministry of Magic takes this course very seriously. I'm here for one purpose only: to ensure that the curriculum meets the Ministry of Magic's standards."
Morris couldn't help but look at Dumbledore.
The meaning of this statement is quite clear: the Ministry of Magic will directly intervene in Hogwarts ' Dark Magic Defence Class.
He had always thought the Ministry of Magic was simply there to help, but now it seemed it wasn't that simple.
However, Dumbledore made no comment, simply sitting there quietly and calmly watching Umbridge's performance.
"In the coming time," Umbridge smiled again, " the Ministry of Magic will send more wizards to provide guidance, such as Auror. Trust me, they are professionals. That's all I have to say."
After she sat down, the students clapped sparsely, and then murmurs arose.
"This professor doesn't seem very professional," Kyle commented beside Morris, "But the Auror are going to teach us? Ah, that's not bad."
Morris nodded, not paying any attention.
For him, the greatest value of the Dark Magic Defence Class lay in broadening his knowledge; the basic defensive spells were rather meaningless.
After all, he was far more powerful than the vast majority of wizards.
To be honest, over the years, his most satisfying Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor was still Lupin.
Lupin would often bring in rare dark Magical Creatures for the students to identify; many of these creatures were ones that Morris had only read about in books.
I have no idea where he got it from.
Unfortunately, the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor can only be held for a maximum of one year.
After Umbridge finished speaking, Dumbledore raised his hand, and the noise in the Great Hall gradually subsided.
"Let me say a few last words." His words reached everyone's ears clearly.
All eyes turned back to him.
Dumbledore lowered his hand, his expression much more serious than before. "I know that everyone has been in a state of unease for some time now. The You-Know-Who has returned. But I can assure you that you will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts. This castle has the strongest protection in the world, and nothing can harm you as long as you are inside."
These words were clearly intended to reassure the students.
However, in reality, the level of panic among outsiders is not that high.
After all, Voldemort had been resurrected for several months, but there hadn't been a single sign of trouble. In addition, the Ministry of Magic had been intentionally or unintentionally revealing that everything was under control, so society remained relatively stable.
The front page of the Daily Prophet for the past few days has featured either Fudge giving a speech or the Ministry of Magic successfully solving a case involving Dark Magic.
"Alright, it's getting late," Dumbledore, his gentle smile returning. " Prefect, please lead your students back to their dormitories. Have a pleasant evening."
Kyle stood up and said to those around him, " Ravenclaw freshmen, follow me, don't fall behind."
Morris followed the group out of the Great Hall.
In the corridor, they also encountered Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, who was crouching in the shadows around the corner, watching the passing students intently.
"Just a heads-up," Kyle said, turning to the freshmen following behind him, "That's Mrs. Norris, Filch's pet. If she catches you breaking the rules in the hallway, she'll report you to Filch. And Filch really enjoys putting people in solitary confinement."
The new students nodded in agreement.
It seems Kyle has adapted to his role Prefect.
Morris smiled slightly.
Soon, the group entered Ravenclaw's lounge.
The freshmen curiously looked around at everything inside, while the upperclassmen dispersed in twos and threes, some returning to their dormitories and others staying in the common room to chat.
Morris told Kyle, " The Explorers are having a meeting next Saturday."
Kyle nodded, indicating he understood. "What kind of event is it this time?"
Morris gave a mysterious smile. "It's a secret. I'm sure you'll all be interested."
On the first day of the new semester, the students all seemed to get up very early.
When Morris returned to the lounge from the dormitory, there were already quite a few people inside.
Several freshmen huddled around the fireplace, flipping through their textbooks, their faces showing a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
They were probably previewing today's lessons.
" Morris, your class schedule."
Kyle's voice came from behind him, along with a piece of parchment.
Morris took it and glanced at it; it was much the same as last semester.
Speaking of which, the first period this morning was Dark Magic Defence Class.
Now that things have come to this, let's go see what the new professors are like this year.