Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Azeroth

Chapter 251, Section 250: Dumbledore's Resignation

"You're welcome," Harry accepted the greeting readily. "But you really can't keep disappearing like this. You've burdened Professor McGonagall with a lot of pressure and responsibility that she shouldn't have to bear."

“I understand, and I will apologize to Minerva as well,” Dumbledore nodded and said.

“You can decide for yourself,” Harry shrugged. “The diary doesn’t matter, but the Ravenclaw tiara is worth saving. Although I’m not a Ravenclaw student, I know how much they value it.”

“Yes, if Professor Flitwick saw you smash Ravenclaw’s crown like this, he’d probably let out a shrill scream,” Dumbledore said with a touch of humor, and then the two of them laughed at the same time.

“So I want to fix it up, at least so it doesn’t look so bad, so that Professor Flitwick won’t want to fight me when he sees it… Hogwarts treasures deserve a better ending, don’t they?” Harry said with a smile. “I don’t know much about wizarding alchemy. Can you fix it, or do you even think you can fix it?”

“It’s difficult, at least I can’t do it.” After carefully examining the crown, Dumbledore said frankly, “And Nico… I’m not sure if it’s right to disturb someone who is already preparing for his own death. Since our last meeting, Nico has completely declined any visitors.”

"Do you think he'll refuse?" Harry asked.

“Of course—no,” Dumbledore changed the subject. “This is a Ravenclaw treasure that has been lost for a thousand years. It is said to increase the wearer’s wisdom. No alchemist can refuse the opportunity to touch such a treasure. I can’t, and Nico certainly can’t.”

As he said this, Dumbledore placed the crown on his head.

"Well...it really is broken. I don't feel like I've become any smarter," Dumbledore said with a hint of regret.

“This is a warhammer forged from the fangs of a basilisk,” Harry glanced at the tiara. “It seems to be very effective against magical objects as well as people.”

“After all, it’s a basilisk,” Dumbledore nodded. “That’s a good thing. At least we have another way to destroy Horcruxes without much danger.”

“A diary, a Ravenclaw tiara,” Harry said thoughtfully. “How many Horcruxes do you think Voldemort has left?”

“Oh, that certainly won’t be too many, Harry. Cutting one’s soul into too many pieces would drive a person insane… Voldemort was insane enough, but even so, I’m sure he won’t make too many Horcruxes. I know him well, Harry, very well—he’s an extremely proud man, and not just anything can become one of his Horcruxes.”

“The diary is a record from his youth, and the soul fragments inside also look very young, which may represent his past, so it was made into a Horcrux,” Harry analyzed. “And Ravenclaw’s tiara, it is indeed precious enough—have all the treasures of the founders of the four houses disappeared?”

"The Gryffindor sword, the Slytherin locket, the Hufflepuff cup?" Harry asked. "They're mentioned in 'Hogwarts: A History'."

“I can assure you that Gryffindor’s sword is not Voldemort’s Horcrux. It has been held by successive headmasters and has never left Hogwarts. But the locket and the golden cup have indeed been missing for a long time,” Dumbledore shook his head and said. “It’s an interesting conjecture, but I think your conjecture is very likely to be correct—everything in Hogwarts has extraordinary significance for Voldemort, and he may indeed be looking for these treasures.”

"Well, as far as I know, he worked at a dark magic item shop right after graduating from school, then disappeared, and when he reappeared, he was Voldemort."

“Then we have a new lead,” Harry nodded. “What was the name of that dark magic items shop? Does it still exist?”

"Borkin & Burke," Dumbledore said, "in Knockturn Alley, we buy or sell all sorts of dark magic items."

"I'll go ask."

“Be careful. The Burkes are also pure-blood nobles, and old Burke is still very powerful,” Dumbledore warned. “You’d better not make too much noise in Diagon Alley. The Ministry of Magic is already working hard enough.”

Neither Harry nor Dumbledore said much; neither of them cared about a shop selling dark magic items.

After exchanging information with both sides, Dumbledore fell into a deep sleep; he needed to rest well.

Dumbledore didn't appear immediately. After waking up, he went to the Ministry of Magic and then disappeared again. He didn't reappear before the students until the next day at the school's dinner party.

When the students who came to eat saw the familiar white-haired figure at the main table, many of them cheered.

"You're back, Professor Dumbledore!"

This was probably the feeling Lockhart had longed for most in his life. The students greeted Dumbledore and welcomed his return, and Dumbledore responded to them one by one until Professor McGonagall began to sweep his stern gaze across the room, which finally quieted the students down.

"It is a pleasure to see you all again, and a pleasure that you are all still here safe and sound," Dumbledore said as the guests were nearly all present and the dinner was about to begin. His voice echoed throughout the restaurant. "So much has happened at Hogwarts in the past few months."

“A treacherous professor, an invading demon… most importantly, as the headmaster of Hogwarts, I failed to stand with you and protect you when these dangers occurred—this is my dereliction of duty,” Dumbledore sincerely apologized. “Here, I want to offer you my sincerest apologies. I’m sorry, children, I have failed in my duty.”

"Please don't say that! Headmaster Dumbledore!" Fred shouted at the top of his lungs. "We all know you're going to do something more important, after all, the outside world is in such chaos! Those who left will definitely regret it!"

Fred's words were met with a chorus of agreement. The students scorned the runaway students and shouted that they understood Dumbledore's words. Dumbledore had to use his wand to create a huge firework sound to quiet everyone down.

“I hope you will not blame those friends who chose to leave,” Dumbledore said seriously. “Because they have not done anything wrong—Hogwarts is always a school. You came here to learn more knowledge, not to risk your lives to take on some responsibility—that is not your responsibility.”

"So please don't blame those who left. I don't want to say it, but I have to admit that Hogwarts has become increasingly unsafe in the last two years—Death Eaters, basilisks, even demons," Dumbledore sighed. "You are the future of wizarding, and you haven't yet grown to the point where you need to shoulder these responsibilities. So if Hogwarts can't protect you, then you can certainly choose to leave—you only came here to learn." "Of course, I'm also very grateful to everyone who stayed. Thank you for your trust in Hogwarts," Dumbledore continued. "I can't make any promises to you because I've done a bad enough job, and promises made by someone like that are not credible."

“We will always trust you, Professor!” a Hufflepuff student shouted as he stood up.

“Thank you, thank you very much,” Dumbledore said gently. “But as the headmaster of Hogwarts, I was not here when Hogwarts needed me most—that is what I cannot forgive myself for, and that is why I do not think I am worthy to continue as headmaster.”

The four long tables fell silent for a moment, even the Slytherin students who were always at odds with others, and most of the professors stared at Dumbledore in disbelief at what they had just heard.

—Dumbledore quit?

"...I have submitted my application to Wizengamot and the Ministry of Magic, and I voluntarily resign from my position as Headmaster of Hogwarts, handing over the position to someone more dedicated and better able to protect the school."

The restaurant remained silent.

"Why do you all have that look on your faces?" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I thought you would congratulate me. At least I have one less responsibility on my shoulders. I no longer need to run around to various places every day, and I can devote my limited energy to more crucial matters..."

Dumbledore was still muttering something, but the students below couldn't take it anymore.

“You can’t leave! Professor!” Ron even stood up and shouted, “You’re Dumbledore! How can Hogwarts be without Dumbledore?!”

At this moment, Ron was practically the mouthpiece for everyone else; as soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of agreement arose.

“Oh, I never thought I’d be able to teach you one more lesson before I leave: no one in this world is irreplaceable,” Dumbledore said gently. “Even I am, and there are many excellent wizards as well.”

“But, but—” Ron stammered for a long time, not knowing what to say.

"So who will be the new headmaster? Professor Dumbledore?" Roger Davis, being a few years older, sensed the insistence and unchangeability in Dumbledore's words and couldn't help but ask, "Could it be Professor McGonagall?"

"Oh! That sounds pretty good!" George immediately perked up. "Professor McGonagall! We also support you becoming the principal!"

The students burst into laughter. They could accept Professor McGonagall as the principal, since she was practically the principal anyway, handling everything. However, when Professor McGonagall heard George's shout, her face darkened; the kid was probably in trouble.

“Professor McGonagall is indeed a good choice,” Dumbledore nodded and said. “I must thank Professor McGonagall. Over the years, she has done a lot of the work that belongs to the headmaster for me. Thank you, Minerva.”

“You’re welcome, Albus,” Professor McGonagall said with a straight face.

"Professor McGonagall is indeed a good candidate, but I regret to inform you that she is not the new headmaster." Without any intention of keeping you in suspense, Dumbledore said with a smile, "Even though you are all in the school, you must have already learned through newspapers or letters that the outside world is undergoing a dramatic change."

“The secrecy law may be invalidated, the elemental spirits are gradually reviving, and there are all sorts of other contradictions, big and small,” Dumbledore said leisurely. “As I just said, Hogwarts is a place that provides you with learning opportunities, and the most important thing here is safety—a headmaster who can protect you even in the event of a new war or a new dangerous situation in the future is what you really need.”

"Then who is this person, Professor Dumbledore?" Fred shouted anxiously, "Tell me quickly, I can't wait any longer!"

“Someone you already know very well,” Dumbledore said with a smile, winking at Fred, “our Professor Potter.”

"Harry Potter?!"

A heart-wrenching scream suddenly rang out in the restaurant, and then the four long tables instantly erupted in chaos. Students shouted loudly, and all eyes turned to the boy—the man—who was sitting on one side of the long table.

"That's my brother! That's my brother!!" Ron was so excited that his belly was trembling. He even stood on the bench and shouted to the surroundings, "My brother is going to be the headmaster! My brother is the headmaster of Hogwarts!"

"I told you so! He would be the next Dumbledore! No! He already is Dumbledore!!"

Various shouts mingled together, but this time Dumbledore didn't try to stop them. He just smiled and watched the lively scene below with his arms crossed.

Surprisingly... well, actually not so surprising. In short, the students didn't have much opposition to Harry becoming the headmaster of Hogwarts. Only a few people looked a little grim, while most people—even the Slytherin students—looked relaxed when they heard the news.

At least they acknowledge Harry Potter's abilities. Now, no student would consider Harry Potter to be a student similar to themselves. When students discuss this person who is both a student and a professor, they all implicitly categorize him as an adult.

Can't compare, really can't compare.

Not only were the students excited, but the professors in the main seats were also excited.

(End of this chapter)