The half-white-haired Auror walked back and forth, looking over the group of graduates with interest.
At that moment, Cedric also happened to walk out from another corridor.
The two of them shook hands warmly and smiled as they chatted about something.
Meanwhile, the graduates, along with the two Ministry officials who had come with the half-white-haired Auror, all stood straight as spears.
"They're going to report to the Auror Office!", Ron said excitedly, his tone full of envy.
"How is that possible? The NEWT exam results aren't even out yet!" Hermione frowned and argued.
"Every year only a handful of people get early acceptance from the Ministry of Magic or the Auror Office."
"Most Hogwarts graduates just leave on their own and figure out how to find jobs themselves. There's no way this many people would be accepted into the Auror corps together, with the Ministry even sending people to pick them up!"
Ron glanced at Hermione and said somewhat proudly, "Hermione, you are really smart, but this time you're wrong! The news I just mentioned came from George and Fred!"
"They also got early acceptance into the Auror corps, but since their dream is to open a joke shop, they turned it down."
"But they confirmed that all these people are already pre-accepted trainee Aurors. After some professional training, they'll officially become Aurors!"
Hermione's frown deepened. Refusing to back down, she raised her voice and said, "I'll say it again. That's impossible!"
"There's nothing impossible about it. Remember the battle at the Department of Mysteries? A lot of Aurors died there."
"Plus the Ministry has already entered a wartime state, so they're seriously short on people!" Ron spread his hands.
"So now the Auror corps has lowered the requirements while keeping the same benefits and started large-scale recruitment! And Hogwarts is obviously their best source of new recruits."
Ron looked back at the graduates.
"These people were all initially reviewed by Link and then recommended by him in his capacity as a British Ministry committee member!"
"If you still don't believe it, just go ask Link!"
Hermione fell silent at that. There was no way she would go question Link.
She trusted him completely.
Harry, meanwhile, was staring wide-eyed.
His dream was to become an Auror, but unfortunately his Potions grades were terrible.
Whether he could even continue into the NEWT-level advanced Potions class next year was still uncertain, and to become an Auror, an Outstanding NEWT in Potions was required!
Now that the Auror corps had started expanding recruitment, did that mean he might also have a chance?
Realizing this, Harry immediately grabbed Ron's sleeve and asked, "How long will this recruitment last?"
"Who knows? That depends on when the Ministry lifts its wartime status," Ron shook his head.
"And you know how war is. You can never predict it accurately. It might last for years, or it might end tomorrow."
Harry nodded, then somewhat annoyedly tugged at his own hair.
Just like when he used to get bullied by his cousin as a child, he started complaining about his age again.
If he were just two years older, maybe he could already be standing with those graduates and becoming an Auror?
Harry wasn't the only one thinking that.
It had only been a little over a decade since the Second Wizarding War, and the image of Aurors as war heroes still remained in people's minds.
Combined with the possibility that the Third Wizarding War might break out soon, the Ministry's heavy promotion of Aurors after entering wartime status, and the extremely high salaries Aurors received, many young wizards now dreamed of becoming Aurors.
Under the countless gazes filled with envy and jealousy, the equally excited graduates finally completed the half-white-haired Auror's briefing and began boarding the waiting carriages in somewhat uneven but serious formation.
After all the graduates had boarded, the half-white-haired Auror suddenly stood straight and gave a respectful salute toward the second floor.
Following his gaze, everyone discovered that Link and Dumbledore were actually standing by a window, watching everything.
For a moment, the entrance hall became lively again.
Almost everyone was loudly cheering Link's and Dumbledore's names.
Link smiled and waved at the crowd. Only after the Ministry's carriage convoy gradually disappeared into the distance did he withdraw his gaze and look at Dumbledore.
At that moment, Dumbledore's expression looked somewhat melancholic.
Meeting Link's gaze, he sighed and said, "Link, you must treat these children well. They are living people, not just cold numbers on paper. They may sacrifice themselves, but their sacrifice must have meaning!"
Link looked at Dumbledore with disdain and said calmly, "You're overthinking it. With their strength, they don't even qualify to be cannon fodder on a battlefield. Them joining the Auror corps is just for appearances, to add more voices that support me."
Dumbledore didn't respond, only shook his head calmly.
If Hogwarts students were really that useless, then why would Link have spent so much effort managing Hogwarts?
If he just needed people to show support, wouldn't the veteran hunters from the Flamel family who had signed Unbreakable Vows be far more reliable?
So what Link had just said was complete nonsense.
But it didn't matter.
Dumbledore believed Link was a smart person and knew what to do.
As long as he had clearly expressed his stance, Link would naturally handle everything properly.
And just like that, another round of hidden probing between Link and Dumbledore came to a perfect end.
Only then did Link look toward the outer side of the room, where a centaur was standing.
This was Hogwarts' current Divination professor... Firenze.
Compared to when he first arrived at Hogwarts, Firenze hadn't changed at all.
He still looked almost primitive. The highly civilized environment of Hogwarts Castle hadn't changed him in the slightest.
Perhaps to him, stepping inside the castle and walking through the forest weren't really any different.
The moment their eyes met, a smile appeared on Link's face.
He said with a smile, "Professor Firenze, how is your tribe doing?"
At these words, Firenze respectfully bowed to Link and said, "Thank you for your concern and your gifts. Thanks to you, my tribe's standard of living has improved significantly, and the whole tribe is prospering!"
He was telling the truth.
Because even though he now lived in the Hogwarts castle, he still returned to the Forbidden Forest every couple of days to visit his people.
And as Link sold more and more Muggle goods to the centaurs, the centaur tribe in the Forbidden Forest was becoming increasingly modernized.
This modernization inevitably showed on Firenze as well.
For example, there was currently a pink hair clip stuck in his hair.
Link's eyes fell on the hair clip, and the smile at the corner of his mouth grew. He nodded meaningfully and said, "I can see that."
Firenze touched the hair clip on his head and said with a bitter smile, "One of the young foals in the tribe put it on me. She said it looked good on me."
As he spoke, his expression was extremely complicated.
He himself was a devout follower of nature, adhering to the ancient centaur philosophy.
This had filled his mind with wisdom and granted him rare knowledge and astrological ability among centaurs.
Precisely because of this, he clearly understood that those modern Muggle items were slow poison to the centaurs.
They improved the centaurs' productivity and made their lives more comfortable.
When thirsty, they no longer had to search everywhere for water. They could just open a bottle of mineral water.
When hungry, they no longer had to risk hunting or chew bitter fruits and dried fruit, but could instead eat the canned luncheon meat Link delivered.
When cold, they didn't have to endure it or apply to the chief for the few available clothes, but could just put on a sweater.
When tired, they didn't have to worry about being bitten awake by insects, but could lie directly on a warm and comfortable bed.
———
There were simply too many examples like this.
They were gradually causing the centaurs to lose their original extraordinary nature, turning them into ordinary, complete animals.
This was Link's strategy.
He wanted to rely on this method to completely and thoroughly absorb the centaur tribe, from their minds to their bodies.
This caused Firenze deep pain.
But on the other hand, the various Muggle goods Link brought had indeed increased the centaurs' lifespan and safety.
Especially those Muggle medicines.
Though they weren't as miraculous as potions, they had immediate effects on various infant illnesses.
They greatly increased the centaur tribe's birth rate and average lifespan.
Those pure smiling faces were something he simply couldn't give up.
Should he rise up and resist, or lie flat and accept Link's rule?
This question had thrown him into a deep abyss of confusion.
"Alright, now let's go see Trelawney. I always feel like the collision between your two completely different divination systems might produce some interesting results. I hope you can give me some satisfying answers today."
Link's voice sounded again, pulling Firenze out of his confusion.
Looking at Link and Dumbledore as they gradually walked away, Firenze sighed and obediently followed.
Perhaps he shouldn't struggle so much over this question.
After all, he had already made his choice through his actions.
———
Trelawney's residence and office were located above the original Divination classroom.
It was a fairly large attic.
Perfect for someone of Trelawney's height.
In fact, if it were properly maintained, Trelawney's attic could even be considered the most beautiful room in all of Hogwarts.
With its slanted ceiling, beautiful porthole windows, and the lovely scenery outside, just a little renovation would make it truly stunning.
Unfortunately, Trelawney was not, as her name might suggest, a goddess who loved beauty.
On the contrary, her sloppiness was famous throughout Hogwarts.
So before heading to her residence, Link had already mentally prepared himself to see a complete mess.
But even so, when he actually stepped into the attic, he was still shocked by what he saw.
At this moment, Trelawney's attic could no longer be described as "a mess."
This was practically a garbage dump.
The entire attic was piled everywhere with empty liquor bottles.
The insides of those bottles might actually have been the cleanest things in the room.
Because everywhere else was covered with large amounts of vomit.
Some of the vomit was still wet, constantly releasing the sour smell of alcohol and half-digested food into the air.
But even more of it had already dried completely, sticking to the floor as stains.
As for Trelawney herself, she lay among the trash like a corpse.
As if she herself had become a piece of large garbage.
Link and Dumbledore both frowned, unable to hide their disgust. Link's eyes even showed intense revulsion.
The only one whose expression remained natural was Firenze.
He carefully avoided the glass bottles on the floor, placing all four of his hooves inside the attic before calmly explaining, "She always liked drinking. Many students told me that Professor Trelawney used to teach her classes while half drunk."
"And after you removed her teaching qualifications, things got out of control."
"In the end she became an alcoholic."
"Drinking the cheapest strong liquor all day, living in a drunken haze. Drinking, then sleeping. Waking up, then drinking."
Link frowned and said, "How do you know all this?"
"Because I visited Ms. Trelawney several times. After all, she was the former Divination professor. I thought she might have some work to hand over to me. Unfortunately…"
Firenze didn't continue, only shook his head.
The meaning was obvious.
There was nothing to hand over from Trelawney's work. It was all improvised anyway.
And even if there had been something to hand over, she wouldn't have cooperated.
She would much rather see Firenze, her successor, struggle.
"So you clearly knew Trelawney's condition was getting worse, yet you did nothing. You didn't even inform us?", Link spoke slowly, his frown deepening.
Trelawney could not die.
At least not in the short term.
Her death would affect the progress of Link's plans.
But now she looked like she might drop dead at any moment from drinking.
This made Link very dissatisfied.
But faced with Link's questioning, Firenze tilted his head in confusion and said, "There is nothing wrong with Ms. Trelawney's lifestyle. Why would I need to inform you?"
Link froze for a moment, then quickly understood.
Firenze was a follower of nature.
Just as he said, someone like him wouldn't see anything wrong with Trelawney's habits.
Because in his view, this too was part of nature.
Even the terrible environment in the attic right now didn't bother him.
Because that too was nature.
Sighing, Link gave up the idea of continuing this discussion with Firenze and instead raised his wand toward Trelawney.