Summer was coming to an end, and it was time to return to school.
Melvin walked along the sidewalk, carrying his suitcase in his right hand while shaking ash from his sleeve with his left.
The sunlight pierced through the clouds of the Scottish Highlands. The morning fog had lifted, leaving the cobblestone streets still damp. The sweet shop to the left of the street was not yet open. In the display window, a pile of nougat candies formed a leaning tower, with a slowly spinning icing star at the top, and cockroaches scurried through the holes at the bottom.
A brightly colored sign hung nearby: Honeydukes.
There was also Devis-Bans, Zonko's Joke Shop, and the Owl Post Office...
This was Hogsmeade. It was about six hundred kilometers from London, and the easiest way to get there was via the Floo Network. It took only half a minute to travel from The Leaky Cauldron to The Three Broomsticks.
The gates of Hogwarts were five or six kilometers away; a normal walk would take an hour.
Melvin opted for a slightly faster pace.
"Bang!"
He left the village. The air hummed softly, and the space around him distorted slightly. When he reappeared, he was already at the intersection, several hundred meters away.
It was a modified version of Apparition.
Whether Apparition or Disapparition, they were essentially Disapparition Spells. The caster was also the target. The spell, based on the memory of the landing point, determined the coordinates and teleported through space to the desired location. With skill, one could simply use sight to determine the landing point.
The path was straightforward, with signs along the way and a few detours. After a few adjustments, the gates of Hogwarts were visible in the distance.
"Bang!"
Melvin stopped at the intersection and looked toward the main entrance.
The gates retained the style of an ancient school. Two hollow doors, forged in black iron, rose between imposing stone walls, about six to nine meters high. Bronze statues of boars flapping their wings were perched on the posts.
The boar was male...
He wasn't entirely sure, but it looked impressive.
Melvin grabbed his suitcase and entered through the main gate. A figure immediately greeted him from the corner. He saw the words "Administrator: Argus Filch" pinned to his chest.
"Professor Melvin Lewyn?"
The administrator, Mr. Filch, spoke in a hoarse voice. His complexion was sallow, his eyes slightly bulging, and he was wrapped in a worn gray mouse-colored robe.
"Yes," Melvin nodded and smiled.
"Professor Lewyn, please follow me. Director Dumbledore told me to wait here."
"Thank you."
Melvin followed the administrator inside, observing the street.
The landscape was impressive; the flowers and plants were lush but not too unkempt.
Hogwarts had probably once been a noble estate, and the surrounding lands had been converted from farmland and well-planned. The path after entering the school gates was very flat. To the left was the forest; to the right, the Quidditch field, with the green Slytherin flag waving in the wind.
Almost all wizards in the world have heard that the houses of Hogwarts are divided according to the surnames of its four founders:
Gryffindor, symbolizing courage;
Ravenclaw, symbolizing wisdom;
Hufflepuff, symbolizing kindness; and
Slytherin, symbolizing honor.
In the early days of the school, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were the closest. As typical in adventure novels, they should have written a hymn to their friendship on a chocolate frog card...
...but as expected, they did.
Decades after the school's founding, Slytherin suddenly became paranoid and tried to convince the other founders to admit only pure-blood students. The other founders clearly opposed this, and disagreements between the factions intensified, culminating in Slytherin's furious departure—a bitter rupture.
All this is recorded in the school's history.
There were also some details not recorded in the school history:
One was that Slytherin built the Chamber of Secrets before leaving and hid a Basilisk inside. The other was that Gryffindor spent his final years searching for Slytherin, but ultimately found nothing.
Unlike Helga Hufflepuff, who had a good beginning and end, and Rowena Ravenclaw, who died with a distant gaze, no one had heard of these two legendary wizards in their final years, not even their burial places.
Passing an exceptionally leafy Whomping Willow, one could see the Herbology greenhouse, where a short, plump witch in gardening clothes was busy.
A little further ahead, climbing a flight of stairs, one reached the hallway.
"That's it. The director will accompany you to his office."
"Where is the director...?"
Melvin looked up and saw a gray-haired figure standing in the corridor near the courtyard, crouched, playing with a dark gray cat. At the sound, he smiled at them kindly.
The dark gray cat trotted toward him and gently nudged his pant leg.
"Excuse me, Mr. Filch," Melvin nodded.
"..."
Filch looked at him in surprise, then quickly looked away. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Professor Lewyn."
"Goodbye,"
said the director, approaching slowly.
Dumbledore wore a bright red and gold robe, wide and formal in design. His trousers were plain, and his beard and hair were meticulously groomed, flowing freely.
He wore half-moon shaped glasses, his pupils sky blue, and his back straight.
The late summer sun gave him an energetic appearance.
"Long time no see, Director Dumbledore."
"I've been looking forward to this day, Melvin."
Dumbledore smiled, narrowing his eyes. He was supposed to introduce him to the competent professors. Minerva was processing paperwork, Severus was counting potion ingredients for the new school year, Filius was adjusting the bronze knocker shaped like a crow in his faculty. To prevent the door from embarrassing students with questions they couldn't answer all summer, Pomona was cleaning the greenhouse... Please forgive me, it's the busiest time of the day.
Melvin: "..."
It seemed that you, the director, were the only one idling.
"Come up, let's see your office and allow me to introduce you to my alma mater."
Dumbledore led him upstairs, presenting him as they ascended. "The hall you just saw is our Great Hall, and it's also where we usually eat. Next to it are the administrator's office and the staff room.
The second floor used to be the Transfiguration classroom and the Deputy Headmaster's office...
Your office is on the third floor. The stone statue next to it is the entrance to my office. Don't hesitate to speak with me."
Melvin listened attentively and followed him up the marble stairs.
"You should know that our school is divided into four houses. On the surface, it is the Sorting Hat that makes the selections, but in reality, it fully respects the students' personal choices... Speaking of which, I am curious how Ilvermorny divides its houses."
"The four houses of Ilvermorny are chosen by the four wooden sculptures in the Great Hall. The Horned Serpent prefers students who love reading, somewhat like Ravenclaw. The Thunderbird tends to choose adventurers. The Pukwudgie loves strong-willed youth. And Wampus prefers kind healers."
"I've heard that only a very small number of students are chosen by all four houses at the same time..."