As expected, Harry was sorted into Gryffindor.
Charlin saw the Gryffindor twins nearly jump onto the table from excitement, and a cheer erupted: “We’ve got Potter!” “We’ve got Potter!” The entire Gryffindor table looked ready to pounce on Harry to get a closer look at his scar.
Ron was sorted into Gryffindor next; he sat down next to Harry, looking relieved.
Charlin noticed that after sitting down, Harry started scanning the teachers’ table.
When he spotted Charlin, he immediately smiled.
Charlin smiled back.
After that, Charlin didn’t pay him much attention, because McGonagall had already rolled up the parchment and returned to her seat.
Albus Dumbledore stood up.
Beaming at the students, he stretched out his arms.
“Welcome!
Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!
Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words.
And here they are: Nitwit!
Blubber!
Oddment!
Tweak!
“Thank you!” Charlin appreciated that about Dumbledore—he almost never gave tedious long speeches.
As soon as he finished, the tables were covered in mountains of food.
Though British cuisine often got a bad rap, the food at Hogwarts was fairly decent.
“Dumbledore, can I pack some of this to take with me?” Charlin asked while eating, not forgetting about his Pokémon.
Not all of them, of course—just the ones he had already caught and intended to raise, plus his assistants from the Nature Reserve.
“Of course you can.” “Great, this steak is good.
Charizard should like it.
Everyone likes fruit, so I’ll take a bit of everything.” Charlin packed as he ate.
Magic couldn’t create food out of nothing, but it could duplicate it.
So no matter how much he took, it wouldn’t make any difference.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, the food vanished from the tables as if it had never been there.
Dumbledore stood up again.
“Now that we are all fed and watered, I have a few more things to say.
First, I would like to introduce a new professor, Professor Charlin Gold.
He will be teaching a brand-new subject this term—a course no one has ever taken before: the Pokémon Master Class.” After Dumbledore said this, Charlin stood up so everyone could see him.
He didn’t speak, just nodded with a smile to the young witches and wizards, then quickly sat back down.
Then Dumbledore continued.
“Now, at the start of term, I would like to remind you of a few points.
“First years should note that the forest on the school grounds is forbidden to all students.
Some of our older students would do well to remember that as well.” Dumbledore’s twinkling eyes swept toward the Weasley twins.
“Second, Mr.
Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you that magic is not to be used in the corridors between classes.
“Quidditch trials will be held during the second week of this term.
Anyone interested in trying out for their House team should contact Madam Hooch.
“Finally, I must tell you that anyone who does not want to suffer a painful, accidental death should avoid the corridor on the right-hand side of the fourth floor.” Harry thought he was joking and laughed out loud.
But he soon noticed very few people were laughing.
“He’s not serious, right?
I mean, there can’t be any actual danger, can there?” Harry whispered to Percy.
But Percy was dead serious.
“Of course not.
But if there were a danger, he would normally explain the situation, or at least tell the prefects,” Percy said with a frown.
Before they could think too much about it, Dumbledore had already moved the feast on to his favorite part—the school song.
Clearly, the other staff members were somewhat reluctant.
Charlin didn’t mind.
Back when he was a student, he’d already started messing around—he sang it to the tune of “Fifty-six Constellations.” You know, that song “Potassium Permanganate”—it was really fun to belt out.
But now, as a professor, he obviously needed to be more composed.
Charlin regretfully just moved his lips in the crowd, not making a single sound.
Coasting under the radar—I’m great at that!
After conducting the Weasley twins through a dirge for the school song, Dumbledore wiped his eyes and said, “Ah, music!
A magic far beyond all we do here!
And now, it’s time for bed.
Off to your dormitories.” The prefects led their respective House students back to the dorms.
Charlin followed Dumbledore all the way to his office.
The headmaster’s office was actually on the seventh floor, but the entrance was on the third.
After the two stone gargoyles stepped aside, you still needed to take a revolving staircase up.
Charlin noticed that a diadem had already appeared on Dumbledore’s desk.
—Ravenclaw’s Diadem.
But the diadem had lost its original magic and turned into something extremely evil.
“You’ve already found one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes?” “Only one.
You told me all about it—a room for hiding things.
Conveniently close to my office.” Dumbledore winked and added, “Of course, I didn’t go to the Gaunt shack.
You already warned me, didn’t you?” Charlin had long ago told Dumbledore about the Horcruxes.
In Dumbledore’s eyes, Charlin was probably a Seer much like his old friend Gellert Grindelwald.
So, following the story Charlin had told him, Dumbledore planned to leave some Horcruxes for Harry Potter to deal with.
The Ravenclaw Diadem, Slytherin’s Locket, and the Resurrection Stone could be handled first.
But Dumbledore thought he would find it very difficult to resist the temptation of the Resurrection Stone, so he followed Charlin’s advice.
That meant at least until he actually saw the Stone, he could still barely keep his wits.
“All right, let’s set aside this heavy topic.” Dumbledore took out a package and opened it in front of Charlin.
Inside was the Philosopher’s Stone.
“When you gave this to me before, the news must have already leaked.
Voldemort knows the Stone is now in my hands.
And just as you said, Quirrell—he is indeed possessed,” Dumbledore said.
“A poor man corrupted by the Dark Lord.” Charlin shook his head.
Quirrell had once had some potential, but unfortunately he’d believed Voldemort’s sweet talk and willingly offered up his body.
“Indeed.
I hope you can set up a small trial for our Savior.” Dumbledore smiled.
[Current mission: Set up a trial to guard the Philosopher’s Stone for Voldemort and Harry Potter.
Reward: Super Ball Gacha × 10] [Current mission: Destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes.
Note: Each Horcrux destroyed grants a stage reward.
Horcruxes currently destroyed: 0] Charlin had guessed Dumbledore wouldn’t pass up the chance to put him to work, but he hadn’t expected the system to butt in and issue a mission too.
‘Not just the mission to guard the Philosopher’s Stone—the Horcrux mission has also triggered.’ But Dumbledore hadn’t destroyed the Ravenclaw Diadem yet.
Maybe he was still trying to see if he could salvage that artifact.
“I’ll think it over carefully.”