Heading to Hogsmeade

The next few days passed uneventfully.

There hasn't been anything new in the classes these past few days, because even with just one spell, it takes students several weeks to fully master it, including some theory.

Furthermore, although fortune-telling quickly became a hot topic at Hogwarts, it didn't have much impact, mainly because of the contrasting teaching methods of Professor Trelawney and Professor Snape...

Campus life continues.

On Friday morning, as Victor was having breakfast at the teachers' table, a swarm of owls crashed in through the open window, feathers falling in profusion.

Beside him, the experienced Flitwick and Professor Sprout had already cast a spell, quickly protecting their potatoes and eggs.

Although Victor did not cast any spells, not a single owl flew over his head.

It seemed as if each one subconsciously avoided his direction.

Finally, only his own ghost owl stood out from the crowd, flying across the empty space and landing in front of his dining table.

"Gah—"

It let out a hoarse cry and stretched out its foot, which was wrapped around the Daily Prophet.

Victor casually gave it some breadcrumbs and took today's newspaper.

The front page headline is—

The Gringotts heist remains unsolved; the Ministry of Magic claims the perpetrators may have escaped.

He became somewhat interested and continued reading the content:

"On July 31, an unknown dark wizard illegally broke into Gringotts’ underground vault and successfully escaped capture."

"To date, the joint investigation team of the Ministry of Magic and Gringotts has made no progress and has not found any evidence of his second offense in the wizarding world. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Magic said yesterday afternoon that the wizard may have fled abroad."

A Gringotts spokesperson also publicly stated that the vault the wizard broke into had been emptied earlier that day, and nothing was stolen. Nevertheless, this burglary still raises questions about Gringotts' security measures.

Is Gringotts vault as secure as they claim? And why has the Ministry of Magic been unable to find the perpetrators for so long? This may reflect a long-standing problem of incompetent officials holding positions of power within the wizarding world…

Victor did not continue reading the newspaper's criticism of the Ministry of Magic.

However, he actually found the theft case quite interesting.

Gringotts is the only bank in the wizarding world, and its longevity is naturally due to its comprehensive security measures—it is said that even during the Dark Lord's reign, no thefts ever occurred there, although the Dark Lord himself did not come to rob it.

But this at least shows that Gringotts' security measures are sufficient to keep out ordinary wizards.

So here's the question: Just how powerful were the wizards who broke in this time to bypass Gringotts' security measures, head straight for one of the vaults, and escape the dual pursuit of the Ministry of Magic and Gringotts?

If he is truly exceptionally strong, why is he unknown in the sparsely populated magic world?

Intriguingly, the only vault the wizard wanted to break into had just been emptied beforehand.

There must be something hidden behind this.

However, there are still too few clues, leading to speculation that either pure-blood families are robbing each other to drive down prices at Gringotts, or, as the Ministry of Magic has stated, foreign dark wizards are committing crimes.

We can keep an eye on this.

Victor turned the page of the newspaper and temporarily put the case aside.

He continued flipping through the pages and finally found a report about the Divination Class and Professor Trelawney's recent situation in a corner at the end of the article.

It is said that Trelawney's condition has stabilized and she is currently residing on the fourth floor of the St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries, in the Pharmacy and Plant Poisoning Department. However, the newspaper made no mention of anything related to Victor's prophecy, only stating:

"...It is said that Hogwarts has hired a new professor to take over the position, and he has already taught many students divination. We do not yet know how this professor's teaching level differs from Professor Trelawney's, but at worst, the students will only get the same teaching results as in previous years."

……Fine.

No wonder Professor Trelawney was so eager to gain real divination abilities; it seems that the students who took her classes all know what her situation is.

After glancing at the recent major events, Victor closed the newspaper, poured a lethal dose of sugar cubes into his teacup, and took a small sip.

Sunlight streamed down from the magical sky above the roof, bathing everyone inside in a vibrant golden glow.

Because it was Friday, the atmosphere in the auditorium during lunchtime was relaxed and pleasant, with students chattering away and looking very happy.

Just then, Professor McGonagall appeared from the side door, her expression unusually gentle. Today she was wearing an emerald green robe and a dark green top hat with gold patterns.

She deliberately walked over to Victor's side:

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Professor McGonagall." Victor put down his teacup. "Did you need something from me?"

"Yes," Professor McGonagall said kindly, "I imagine you haven't been to Hogsmeade long since you arrived in England, so you probably haven't been yet?"

"The third-year students are going to visit Hogsmeade Village today. Since the visit requires a professor's accompaniment, and many professors will be going, would you like to come along?"

"The first week of school is over. Professors who are free can chat together at the Three Brooms Bar—and I must say, Rosemotta's bartending skills are pretty good too, you can't be disappointed if you try it."

"No problem," Victor readily agreed.

This is probably what Muggles call... team building, right?

However, he did hope to take this opportunity to talk to other professors.

During the week, all the professors had very busy schedules. Not only did they not get to know Professor Sprout and the others, with whom they had no prior connection, they also barely saw Professor Snape.

"Okay, see you in half an hour. The starting point is at the main gate."

……

When Victor returned to the main gate, the entrance to Hogwarts was already crowded with third-year students.

They chatted excitedly, leaving all their worries and exam results behind at school, fully embracing happiness.

In this atmosphere, Victor emerged wearing a narrow-brimmed top hat and a long robe with a short cloak, which made him look less intimidating.

In front of the gate, a long line of horse-drawn carriages was parked.

The carriage appears to be a medieval artifact, decorated with antique patterns. The door is two feet off the ground, with a small window offering a glimpse of the red cushions inside.

But what's most special is its empty front – the carriage has no driver or horses, and to the students, there's only empty air ahead.

"Ah, Professor Victor," Professor Sprout, who was organizing the students, said with a smile, "You can choose any car to get on and just maintain order around the area. Professor McGonagall and I will sit in the front, and Professor Flitwick will be in the last car to ensure the students' safety."

"Thank you for letting me know, Professor Sprout."

Victor nodded politely to her, then casually chose an empty carriage from the side or rear to ride in.

Before boarding, he walked in front of the carriage, and inexplicably tilted his head to the right as he took a step, as if avoiding something unseen. After making this casual gesture, he then stepped onto the carriage.

Sprout's gaze froze for a moment. As if she had thought of something, a hint of surprise appeared on her kind and gentle expression.

...Can the new professor see things there too?