A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

Snapped!

Aaron snapped his fingers, and a giant illusion of Dumbledore appeared in mid-air.

He winked at everyone and then disappeared.

The next moment, huge cheers erupted throughout the school.

The facts are already clear: the darkness shrouding Hogwarts was created by Dumbledore using magic to create an atmosphere; he indeed had not abandoned Hogwarts.

George and Fred excitedly lit all the fireworks, which became even more dazzling and colorful against the backdrop of the night. The students cheered and released their pent-up emotions.

Umbridge huddled in a corner, trembling with fear, angry but helpless, only able to let out a groundhog roar in his heart.

“Mr. Gaius,” Mrs. Pomfrey looked at Aaron lying on the hospital bed in disbelief, “what’s this outside…”

"This is called Nightfall, but don't misunderstand, it's not black magic, it's dark elemental magic, and it has no other use than to block out the light."

"But isn't this area a bit too large?"

"It's a magic spell with no offensive power, its only redeeming quality is its range," Aaron explained casually. It's only because he currently only has half of his magical energy that he could use darkness to cover not only Hogwarts Castle, but also the town of Hogsmeade, or even an entire city.

Gulu!

Mrs. Pomfrey swallowed hard. "Tell me honestly, how strong are you now?"

"A little bit better than you." Aaron smiled shyly.

"A tiny bit?"

“Really, just a tiny bit.” A small crack appeared between Aaron’s index finger and thumb. “I’m only sixteen. How good can I be?”

Mrs. Pomfrey thought so too, but she was still incredibly impressed. "That's still quite remarkable."

Please keep this a secret!

If word gets out that Umbridge will probably do something to me!

"Don't worry, I've always kept my mouth shut."

Besides, you've already conjured up Dumbledore's illusion; if I were to tell anyone, wouldn't that be a blow to everyone's morale?

"Mrs. Pomfrey is so sensible!" Aaron gave a thumbs up.

The fireworks display didn't end until the afternoon, and the veil of night in the sky completely dissipated.

But looking at the setting sun on the horizon, Umbridge was not happy at all. On her first afternoon as headmistress, she was busy cleaning up the fireworks in the castle.

Those professors and prefects seemed to have conspired together; not only did they not step forward to help, but they even took advantage of her misfortune by notifying her one by one where there were any stray fireworks, making her almost run her legs off.

......

On Friday, students began their Easter holiday.

Aaron took off his hospital gown, used a costume-changing spell to put on a casual outfit for April, and swaggered out of the school hospital with Abe.

He believed that after these few days of adjustment, everyone had accepted the fact that Dumbledore was temporarily leaving.

The fireworks set off by the Weasley twins and the vision of Dumbledore greatly alleviated their anxiety. In addition, with Marietta drawing attention away from the fire, not many people should ask him what happened on the day Dumbledore left.

But before he could get back to his dorm, he ran into Hermione and Ron on the way.

"Thank goodness, you're finally discharged," Hermione said with a sigh of relief.

"You...you've come to see me?"

“Obviously,” Ron said.

Aaron's lips twitched slightly. He was really unlucky; he had just been discharged from the hospital and was already being blocked.

"Why are there only the two of you? Where's Harry?"

“He…” Hermione hesitated for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Ron, “He’s had a little problem.”

"Oh!" Aaron exclaimed, suddenly realizing, "That's why you came to see me, isn't it!"

“Not entirely.” Ron glanced at Hermione with a mocking look. “Ahem! Miss Granger comes by once or twice a day, but she’s always turned away by Ms. Pomfrey.”

Hermione glared at him, then turned to Aaron. "Professor McGonagall doesn't allow anyone to visit you. I thought you were seriously injured!"

"Uh... thank you for your concern." Aaron smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "but I'm just hiding in the school hospital to avoid trouble, there's no injury at all."

Don't forget, I also have a dragon here that can heal.

"That's what I told her, but she just didn't believe me."

“Ron, no one will think you’re mute if you don’t speak,” Hermione said, then asked, puzzled, “What do you mean by ‘laying low’?”

"After Dumbledore knocked Umbridge unconscious, I slapped her face like that..."

"Did you do that?" Ron's eyes lit up. "That was so satisfying. She wore a scarf everywhere she went for those two days, but even that couldn't hide her fat face."

"I shifted the blame onto Dumbledore, but she might suspect me afterwards, so I cast a Stunning Spell on myself as well."

The longer I stay in the school hospital, the less suspicious I become, and the safer I am.

“You’re really ruthless to yourself,” Ron murmured.

“It’s just a simple Stun Spell, perfect for him to rest at the school hospital for a few days.” Aaron seemed to have thought of something and continued, “Are the DA members all alright? I got a promise from Fudge that the people on the list won’t be punished, but I really don’t trust Umbridge.”

"She hasn't caused us any trouble yet, but who knows what will happen in the future."

"Let's talk about the future later! Or should we tell you what happened to Harry this time?"

“He’s not practicing Occlumency anymore,” Hermione said hesitantly.

"He learned it?" Aaron said in surprise. "That's really amazing. Occlumency is even more difficult to master than the Patronus Charm, not to mention that the one who peered into his brain was the infamous Dark Lord."

"Uh... I'm pretty sure Harry didn't learn it."

He must have had a minor disagreement with Professor Snape and didn't want to study with him anymore.

“This is really interesting.” Aaron looked at her with amusement. “Harry should know what it means to have his memories read by Voldemort, and Professor Snape should also know the task that Dumbledore gave him.”

Now one person is unwilling to learn, and the other is unwilling to teach. Are you sure this is a minor conflict?

“Okay! It might be a big conflict, but we really don’t know what it is,” Hermione said helplessly. “Their relationship wasn’t good to begin with, and if one of them doesn’t back down first, this matter will probably stay unresolved indefinitely.”

“Then let Harry go to Professor Snape!” Alyn said matter-of-factly. “As long as Harry is willing to say a few kind words and lower his tone when asking, Professor Snape will still continue to teach him.”

“That’s the problem,” Ron said hesitantly. “Harry doesn’t want to. We’ve all tried to persuade him, but he’s been very resistant.”

Hearing this, Aaron looked at the two of them with some suspicion. "You're not planning to have me go to Professor Snape and try to reason with him, are you?"

"I've had that idea," Ron said with an awkward laugh.

"Heh!" Aaron curled his lip in disdain. "If you're out of your mind, go see Mrs. Pomfrey at the school hospital. You're still young; getting treatment early might just give you a chance to recover."

Ron's face immediately fell. "If it doesn't work, then forget it."

Is this even feasible?

"You think you can persuade Professor Snape to back down? How could you even think of that?"

“Ignore him,” Hermione said speechlessly. “What I mean is, could you help persuade Harry?”

"If you can't persuade him, what makes you think I can?" Aaron retorted. "I have no obligation to persuade him, and besides, do you really think he doesn't understand the importance of Occlumency?"

Hermione and Ron looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Oh, by the way, before Dumbledore left, he asked me to pass on a message to Harry: study Occlumency with all your might, especially before going to bed every night."

"Take this message to him. If he won't even listen to Dumbledore, then nothing we can do will help."

"Dumbledore really said that?" Hermione asked with a serious expression.

"Professor McGonagall is also here. You can ask her if you don't believe me."

“It’s not that we don’t believe it, but since Dumbledore has emphasized it so much, Harry has to seriously learn Occlumency.”

"You just need to convey Dumbledore's words, and the rest is up to him."

Hermione: ......

Ron: ......

Chapter 485 Job Guidance, the Potential to Be a Robber

As the Easter holidays came to an end, Professor Snape handed a notice to Aaron, the prefect.

Following the instructions of the Slytherin Headmaster, he posted the notice on the bulletin board in the Slytherin common room so that all Slytherins could see it.

Employment guidance

During the first week of the summer term, all fifth-grade students must have an interview with their dean regarding their future employment. The interview schedule for each student is shown in the table below.

Draco glanced at the notice, a hint of disdain and amusement flashing in his eyes.

Employment? But a rich second-generation like him still needs employment. Wouldn't it be a complete humiliation to look for a job?

"Aaron, what are you thinking?"

"There are twelve courses in total, including required and electives. Getting excellent grades in all of them shouldn't be a problem," Aaron said confidently. Although he had hardly attended any of the arithmetic and divination courses, he had all the relevant textbooks in his mind. With this knowledge, he had no problem with not only the theory but also the practical application.

Draco looked at him strangely. "I was asking about career guidance."

"The better your grades and the more certificates you get, the easier it is to find a job."

"You're really planning to look for a job?" Draco asked in surprise. "With our family's wealth, we could just sit back and wait to inherit the fortune!"

Upon hearing this, Aaron chuckled.

"That's true, but if you inherit the family fortune without knowing anything, you'll just be a spendthrift. It's easy to live off past achievements, but it's also too boring."

Wealth earned through our own hard work is the kind of wealth we can enjoy with a clear conscience.

Besides, I don't want to inherit the family business so early. I don't even know how much the Gaius family owns; managing it would be too exhausting.

Draco blinked blankly. "I probably don't have your level of awareness."

“That’s normal,” Aaron said with a sigh. “Uncle Lucius has probably already arranged everything for you. After graduation, he will familiarize you with the Malfoy family’s operating model and use the wealth accumulated over hundreds of years to create greater value.”

But the Gaius family's attitude towards their heirs can be summed up in two words: laissez-faire.

The family business must be inherited, but I have more autonomy in it.

Draco nodded, seemingly understanding, "So what kind of job do you want to pursue in the future?"