“No, Miss Granger.
Whether a young wizard comes from a Muggle family or a wizarding family, in my experience, there isn’t much difference in terms of talent.
Children from wizarding families do not possess any extraordinary innate abilities.”
“As for the ‘Prophecy Talent’ you mentioned, Miss Granger, I have never even heard of it.
Believe me, if you want to achieve anything in the field of magic, hard work is crucial.
Pinning your hopes on talent is the most foolish thing you could do.”
Professor McGonagall’s expression was incredibly serious as she spoke, but strangely enough, Hermione felt a wave of relief.
This was Professor Minerva McGonagall!
She was the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts; surely she wouldn’t lie to her?
“I understand, Professor McGonagall!
I will work hard!” Hermione looked at Professor McGonagall with sparkling eyes, the longing in them almost overflowing.
Looking at the confident little witch before her, Professor McGonagall felt quite pleased as well.
No matter how she looked at her, Miss Granger was a good child—certainly much better than those mischievous monkeys in her own Gryffindor House.
It would be wonderful if this child ended up in Gryffindor.
But therein lay the problem: those sorted into Gryffindor were never easy to handle.
Moreover, Gryffindor had a powerful, corrupting influence; even a perfectly well-behaved child would become a handful in no time after entering that house.
Based on Professor McGonagall’s many years of teaching experience, the students who initially seemed completely out of place in Gryffindor often ended up causing the absolute biggest trouble.
It was always the quiet ones who did the wildest things.
Professor McGonagall’s lips twitched slightly, but in the end, she swallowed that particular “blessing.”
“By the way, Miss Granger, do you remember the identity of the person who gave you this ‘Prophecy’?
For instance, their name or any distinguishing features?”
Professor McGonagall fully intended to settle this score later.
The main issue was the nature of the boy’s behavior; Hermione had essentially been tricked by another young wizard.
In Muggle society, certain actions might seem harmless, but they could easily violate the law or even the criminal code.
Hermione Granger being misled by another young wizard was actually dancing right on the edge of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.
Because Hermione was indeed a young witch, the wizard who approached her hadn’t technically violated the Statute of Secrecy.
But if Hermione had turned out to be an ordinary Muggle, revealing the existence of the magical world to her would be a severe violation.
Once a violation of the Statute of Secrecy was confirmed by the Ministry of Magic, the punishments ranged from having one’s wand snapped and being expelled from Hogwarts to, in more serious cases, earning a one-way ticket to Azkaban.
So, while such behavior might seem like a harmless prank, it was actually playing with legal fire.
If this young wizard was already an enrolled student, Professor McGonagall would use her authority to settle accounts the moment the holidays ended.
If he hadn’t enrolled yet, then the moment he stepped foot in the school, he would be thrilled to receive Professor McGonagall’s expert, one-on-one specialized tutoring on the Statute of Secrecy.
The curriculum would include, but not be limited to, copying the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, writing extensive reflections and essays, and deeply analyzing—as well as copying—the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery.
If the boy still had energy to burn, Professor McGonagall wouldn’t mind expanding the scope of her lectures to include the Ministry of Magic’s Educational Decrees.
In short, she would never allow her students to march straight into Azkaban before they had even graduated from Hogwarts.
“Of course I remember!
I wouldn’t forget him even in my dreams!” Hermione said indignantly, realizing she had been hoodwinked.
“He said his name was Isaac Valdore.
My mother and I saw him on the side of the road in a nearby neighborhood.
When I saw him, he was offering people a ‘Prophecy experience’!”
“Valdore?” Professor McGonagall searched her memory carefully, but she was certain there was no current student by that name.
However, she had sent out an acceptance letter this year addressed to a young wizard named Isaac Valdore.
This meant that the Isaac Valdore who had tricked Hermione Granger was himself a first-year student about to enroll.
“He has short, platinum-blonde hair, and his eyes are two different colors.
He also said that the things I was worried about would be answered today…”
In all honesty, the prophecy Isaac had given was a classic catch-all answer.
Take Mrs.
Granger’s anxiety at the time, for instance; she had been wondering if this magical school was actually real, and Professor McGonagall had just demonstrated a bit of Transfiguration to prove it.
As for Hermione, she had been worried that young wizards from magical families possessed unique talents like Isaac’s, and Professor McGonagall had just dispelled that fear as well.
Whether one considered Isaac’s prophecy a genuine magical skill or just a clever way with words, it worked perfectly either way.
The real problem lay in the fact that he had accurately predicted the exact time of Professor McGonagall’s arrival before Hogwarts’ reply had even reached the Granger residence.
While Hermione was filled with doubt and uncertainty, Professor McGonagall felt goosebumps rising all over her skin.
To the younger generation in the wizarding world, the combination of platinum-blonde hair, heterochromatic eyes, and a Seer’s abilities might seem unfamiliar.
But to a witch like her, who had lived through the era when Grindelwald terrorized Europe, that particular combination of traits was far more terrifying than Lord Voldemort.
Weren’t those the three defining traits of Grindelwald?!
Platinum-blonde hair, heterochromatic eyes—two out of the three marks were an exact match.
Was the final trait, being a Seer, real or fake?
Professor McGonagall immediately resolved to return to Hogwarts to look up Isaac Valdore’s address.
“I am very sorry, Miss Granger.
I originally intended to take you to the wizarding shopping district to purchase your school supplies myself.
However, I must return to Hogwarts immediately.
I will arrange for another professor to take you to Diagon Alley later.”
Without wasting another moment, Professor McGonagall patted Hermione on the shoulder and hurried out the door.
The moment she stepped outside the Granger residence, her figure twisted and vanished with a sharp crack.
Although she couldn’t Apparate directly into Hogwarts, nothing stopped her from Apparating just outside the boundary and rushing back to the castle.
“Mom, did I say something wrong?” Hermione looked at her mother anxiously.
Mrs.
Granger shook her head, while Mr.
Granger walked over to his daughter and patted her head.
“No, Hermione, you didn’t do anything wrong.
What you said just now probably gave Professor McGonagall a major shock…”
Professor McGonagall’s behavior was clearly the reaction of someone who had suddenly realized an alarming truth.
What could possibly cause such a strict, composed professor to panic like that?
Hermione stood in place, lost in thought for a long time.
Then, she looked gloomily at her parents.
“So…
do Seers actually exist in the magical world?
Is Isaac Valdore really a prophet?”
Hermione felt a sudden pang of dismay; her understanding of the magical world was ultimately sliding in the exact direction she had least expected.