Over the next few days, while waiting for his letter from Hogwarts, Vinson focused on crafting the prosthetics Professor Kettleburn had requested.
Oh, right.
Because so many things were happening, Vinson had given Harry several days off.
After all, even the most diligent student needs a holiday sometimes, doesn't he?
Besides, there would be plenty of opportunities to share space with the Tree of Wisdom and Harry later, so this short break wasn't really a loss.
One afternoon, when Vinson arrived at the shop carrying a completed mechanical arm and a half-leg, he suddenly heard the soft flapping of wings outside the window.
A tawny owl stood upon the windowsill, a thick envelope securely tied to its claw.
Vinson stepped forward and took the letter. The owl let out a quiet hoot, beat its wings, and vanished into the sky.
Opening the envelope, the familiar Hogwarts crest appeared before his eyes, along with Dumbledore's distinctive, elegant handwriting.
A slight smile formed on Vinson's lips. He had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
Dear Mr. Vinson,
First, please allow me to express my sincere appreciation for your outstanding talent in the field of Magical Creatures. Professor Kettleburn has given your abilities a very high evaluation and has solemnly recommended you as his successor.
Given your extensive knowledge and your unique insights, I formally invite you to serve as the Professor of Care of Magical Creatures and become a member of the Hogwarts teaching staff.
Before you officially take up your post, we hope you can arrive at Hogwarts before 10:00 AM on July 15th to complete a series of small tests to prove your abilities.
May wisdom and courage walk hand in hand. I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts.
Principal
Albus Dumbledore
Vinson carefully folded the letter and placed it inside a small wooden drawer.
"A small test?" he murmured softly.
This had to be Dumbledore's idea.
Hogwarts would never hire a professor casually. Even with Kettleburn's strong recommendation, Dumbledore would still want to personally assess him.
"Since he wants to see my ability…" Vinson stood up and stretched his shoulders, his gaze drifting toward the door that led to the plantation. The smile at the corner of his mouth deepened slightly. "Then I suppose I should give him a little surprise."
Soon, the appointed day arrived.
When Vinson reached the gates of Hogwarts, he spotted Professor Kettleburn from afar.
The professor looked just the same as ever, energetic despite the faint creaking of his mechanical limbs.
"I didn't expect you to come out to greet me, Professor," Vinson said as he walked forward with steady steps.
He carried a suitcase in one hand and wore a brand-new black robe that he had ordered from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
"I was in the process of cleaning out the office," Professor Kettleburn replied. "Then the Headmaster suddenly assigned me the task of receiving you."
"I thought Professor McGonagall would be the one to meet me," Vinson said casually, his gaze sweeping across the towering castle turrets that filled him with a mixture of familiarity and strangeness.
Kettleburn waved his hand, his limbs giving off a soft creaking sound.
"She's probably busier than ever right now! The Headmaster has already dumped a pile of work on her. It's time to send out the acceptance letters to the students, you know — that's not something that can be neglected."
"No wonder," Vinson replied.
As they chatted, Professor Kettleburn led him toward the Headmaster's office at the top of the castle.
To be honest, Vinson had been a complete "nobody" when he was a student. Other than slightly better academic results, there hadn't been anything particularly outstanding about him.
He didn't think Dumbledore would have a deep impression of him.
By the way, Vinson had belonged to Hufflepuff.
"Ah, you're finally here, Mr. Vinson."
A gentle yet energetic voice floated down from the top of the spiral staircase.
At that moment, Dumbledore stepped out of the office.
Seeing the old Headmaster, who looked exactly the same as in his memories, Vinson felt a subtle wave of emotion rise in his chest.
"Good morning, Headmaster," Vinson said, straightening his posture and meeting Dumbledore's gaze, polite yet confident.
Dumbledore nodded gently. His eyes lingered for a moment on the suitcase in Vinson's hand, curiosity flickering behind his half-moon spectacles.
"I heard," he said in a relaxed tone, "that you prepared a set of prosthetics for our dear Professor Kettleburn?"
Vinson hadn't expected Dumbledore to bring this up first.
"Yes, that's right," Vinson replied, unsure why it had become the opening topic.
"It's rather interesting," Dumbledore continued thoughtfully. "I originally planned to prepare a new set of prosthetics as a retirement gift for him." He brushed his beard and glanced at Professor Kettleburn standing beside him. "But he refused, saying that his student would give him the best one."
Hearing this, Professor Kettleburn smiled awkwardly.
So that was how it happened.
Vinson nodded slightly. It seemed that Dumbledore's intended gift and his own just happened to coincide.
"I put a great deal of thought into the Professor's new hands and feet," Vinson said. "I believe he will be satisfied."
Dumbledore seemed quite pleased.
"Then perhaps I should thank you for saving me quite a lot of trouble," he said warmly.
Then, changing the subject, he extended his hand in a polite "please" gesture.
"Conversation is always a pleasure, but we still have a small test to complete. Mr. Vinson, I would like to see for myself what makes Professor Kettleburn praise you so highly."
"It would be my honor," Vinson replied.
The three of them made their way to an open clearing beside Hagrid's cabin, at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Hagrid!" Professor Kettleburn called out loudly.
As soon as he finished speaking, heavy footsteps echoed from behind the cabin.
Moments later, Hagrid's large figure appeared before them.
"Headmaster Dumbledore! Professor! And… Mr. Vinson!" Hagrid said excitedly. His bearded face split into a wide grin that made him look like an overjoyed child. "I can't wait!"
Seeing Hagrid's enthusiasm, Vinson couldn't help but feel curious. What kind of "small test" was this?
Surely they weren't planning to bring out a dragon and have him fight it.
No, no, no.
Vinson immediately dismissed the thought. A live dragon wasn't something easily obtained. Even if Dumbledore allowed it, the Ministry of Magic would never approve of a dragon being brought to Hogwarts.
Dumbledore gave Hagrid a slight nod, signaling him to bring out the item.
"Coming right up!" Hagrid said excitedly.
He rubbed his hands together and hurried behind the cabin. A moment later, accompanied by the scraping sound of heavy metal, he pushed a massive iron cage into the open clearing.
When Hagrid pulled away the cloth covering the cage, Vinson's pupils shrank slightly.
They had actually brought out a dragon.
Vinson found it hard to believe.
Inside the cage, the creature was curled up in the corner, seemingly still asleep. Its black scales reflected a cold, metallic sheen in the sunlight.
"Is this… a Norwegian Ridgeback?" Vinson asked, quickly regaining his composure as he identified the dragon breed by the black ridge running along its back.
"You will have ten minutes to subdue the dragon in front of you," Dumbledore said with a gentle smile. "Also, the restriction on Apparition has been temporarily lifted."
With a light wave of his wand, the enormous iron cage vanished into thin air.
Now, the Norwegian Ridgeback stood completely unrestrained.
At once, Hagrid and Professor Kettleburn retreated to a safe distance, giving Vinson plenty of open space.
Dumbledore remained where he was, watching Vinson with clear interest in his eyes.