Chapter 885
The Rain Stops and the Wind Ceases
Chapter 885 The Rain Stops and the Wind Ceases
"Hufflepuff!"
The Sorting Hat announced loudly, and the last freshman stumbled toward the Hufflepuff table, as a burst of enthusiastic applause filled the Great Hall.
The students were starving, and at a time like this, nothing was more exciting than a hot, steaming meal.
Professor Dumbledore stood up, smiling and opening his arms wide: "Welcome to our new students, welcome to our returning students—welcome back! There will be plenty of time for lectures, but not now. Enjoy your meal!"
Cheers and laughter filled the auditorium, and the four long tables were suddenly piled high with delicious food, which the students immediately began to devour.
"Fantastic!" Viser took a rib from his plate and said happily, "A leader who doesn't waste time with small talk before the meal is great!"
Michael's eyes widened immediately. He tugged at Viser's arm and leaned closer to whisper, "Are you alright? Eating this stuff..."
“Of course,” Viser replied in a low voice, “It’s not like this is my first time eating and drinking like this. Aren’t you used to it yet?”
Michael: "..." I can't get used to it, okay?
Padma, resting her chin on her hand, chuckled and said, "Wade, what good things have happened to you lately? You seem more lively than usual."
“Of course.” Viser blinked. “The Lilliputian Kingdom was a great success, and a wonderful new school term has begun.”
“Is that so?” Padma smiled, her glance seemingly carrying a profound meaning.
Just as Michael's heart was pounding, Padma seemed to give up on investigating further, looked away and said, "Never mind, you boys always have some secrets you don't want to tell anyone."
"Besides Lilliput, Wade also published a book, did you all know that?"
Terry, who was peeling potatoes, looked up and said, "Wade, I bought your book—'Simplifying the Complex'—and my mom bought a copy for each of my younger siblings! Everyone says it's really good!"
“Yes! I missed two events, and when I heard about them from others, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. But when I read the book, I felt like I understood everything,” another student, Stephen, added.
“Oh, I didn’t write that book,” Viser interjected.
“Speaking of which,” Morag McDoug said, feeling that no one was listening to Viser’s explanation, “I thought Wade would definitely be the prefect this year! Oh… sorry, Anthony, I didn’t mean anything bad about you.”
Anthony Goldstein looked slightly embarrassed, but shook his head and said, "It's okay, I also think Wade is more suitable to be the prefect than me."
“Are you kidding me?” Viser said in surprise, looking at the others. “Do you really think I’m better suited than Anthony to manage discipline, supervise everyone’s adherence to school rules, and guide freshmen to adapt to campus life?”
Their eyes looked as if everyone had gone mad.
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly, laughter erupted from the nearby seats.
"Hahahaha... Yeah... Wade is probably the least suitable person in the world to do this kind of thing!"
Everyone chimed in, and even Anthony Goldstein shook his head, both relieved and amused.
After the students had eaten and drunk their fill, Dumbledore stood up again, and everyone looked at him.
"It seems everyone is quite satisfied with tonight's dinner, but before heading back to our dorms to sleep, as is customary, we must announce a few opening day announcements and introduce some exciting changes to the faculty." Dumbledore said in a booming voice, "This year, our Defense Against the Dark Arts class will have a new professor. I am honored to introduce you to Professor Frank Longbottom!"
The man at the edge of the teachers' table stood up. He was wearing a well-tailored dark blue robe, with a tall and straight figure and a somewhat thin face. His gentle smile made him look calm and composed, yet also carried an indescribable sense of strength.
He nodded slightly to the audience, then his gaze swept over the crowd and landed precisely on Neville, giving him a reassuring smile.
“My God, Neville!” Ron exclaimed in shock, “Why didn’t you tell everyone—your father is our new professor!”
Neville didn't speak, nor did he show any smugness or boastfulness. He just smiled shyly, and then, watching his father calmly accept the applause from the teachers' representatives, his eyes quietly reddened.
…………
While Hogwarts in England was bustling with activity as the new school term began, New York City was still reeling from a storm.
Finally, after two days and three nights of terrible weather, the rain stopped and the wind died down, and the long-awaited sunshine finally shone over the damp city.
A white seagull darted swiftly over the skyscrapers, passing through the still-lingering gray clouds.
The silent New York City was shrouded in the morning light, and the whole city was a scene of devastation.
The streets were littered with broken branches, mud, overturned trash cans, and colorful plastic products everywhere. A few snails were slowly crawling on the walls, and the murky puddles reflected the clear blue sky.
Ezra Hughes, his brow furrowed, strode quickly through the chaotic street. He circled a crane dealing with fallen trees, his leather shoes splattering into a wet puddle on the sidewalk.
With his trench coat hem and trouser legs soaked with mud, Ezra Hughes's face stiffened even more. He instinctively gripped his wand, but ultimately restrained himself from drawing it.
"My God, where did these disgusting things come from?!"
A man carrying a briefcase accidentally stepped on a snail slowly crawling across the street. He complained as he rubbed the sole of his shoe on the concrete steps next to him.
Ezra Hughes glanced at the sticky mess on the ground, looked away in disgust, and continued striding forward.
When he arrived at the Magic Congress, he found the atmosphere in the chairman's office to be unusually heavy. Hawthorne was sitting behind his desk with a tall stack of documents in front of him.
"...Now that the first episode of 'Inside Magic' has been recorded, let's arrange for it to be broadcast on TV as soon as possible. These media outlets in Maji, there's no one they can't bribe with money..."
"Laila, has filming started for the TV series we invested in?... Great, from now on you'll personally review the script for every episode..."
Even with the torrential rains in New York, the Magical Congress continued its normal operations without interruption. Wizards traveled throughout the United States via fireplaces, quickly implementing their "magic debunking" efforts.
Seeing that Hawthorne was too busy, Ezra Hughes had no choice but to wait on the sidelines for a while.
A dozen minutes later, Hawthorne finally had a moment to spare. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then asked in a hoarse voice, "Ezra, is something urgent?"
(End of this chapter)