The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 341 Professor McGonagall, Legal Contract

The sixth floor of the castle.

Transformation Class Office.

Professor McGonagall sat alone at the table, feeling a little tired from the events of the past two days.

What was supposed to be a normal three-way battle for supremacy has turned into what it is today due to an unexpected turn of events.

While it's unclear how this will be reported internationally, it's unlikely to be anything positive. It's quite possible that Hogwarts could actually replace Durmstrang as the most tolerant magic school in Europe towards the Dark Arts.

Just thinking about it gives her a headache, even when she's sitting in the office.

"Why……"

With a helpless sigh, Professor McGonagall stood up, walked slowly to the window, and looked out at the view of the castle.

The frozen Black Lake in winter, the slightly desolate Forbidden Forest—all these sights gave her a sense of belonging.

"Knock knock knock!"

A rhythmic knocking sounded on the door.

"Come in!" Professor McGonagall snapped out of her daze and waved her wand to open the door automatically.

"Good day, Professor." Ino greeted him with a smile as he entered the office.

All told, it had only been a day, but Professor McGonagall today seemed different from her usual capable self; she looked much older.

"Ino?" Professor McGonagall was a little surprised by the sudden visit, but she quickly recovered and said jokingly:

"You must be busier than me at this time! It's kind of you to still come see me."

"Look at what you're saying, no matter how busy I am, I'm only one student," Ino replied unhurriedly.

To be honest, Professor McGonagall's ability to joke is actually a form of genuine agreement.

"Alright, excellent student! Tell me the purpose of your visit. If I remember correctly, apart from that time with Animagus, you haven't visited on your own initiative before."

Upon hearing the answer, Professor McGonagall stopped beating around the bush and immediately got straight to the point.

"It's my roommate Draco. He wants to start a monthly magazine, um... something for entertainment..."

Ino pulled up a chair and sat down before explaining her thoughts in detail.

In just a few minutes, he finished explaining the whole thing.

Seeing Professor McGonagall deep in thought, Ino politely remained silent.

……

After a while.

"I agree in principle!"

Professor McGonagall nodded slightly, setting the tone for the matter.

Upon hearing this, Ino did not speak immediately, because it was obvious that Professor McGonagall had something else to say.

As expected, after a brief pause, Professor McGonagall continued:

"There's one thing I need to clarify beforehand. I don't care what your magazine writes about, but it can't involve professors, or rather, it can't involve them excessively. Otherwise, it will put me in a very difficult position."

As Professor McGonagall spoke, she was also subtly observing Ino's reaction. To be honest, if it weren't for the student in front of her, she wouldn't have even considered the feasibility of this idea.

There's no other reason than the young wizard's unconventional personality; once the novelty wears off, he simply can't maintain that level of interest for long.

Over the decades, Hogwarts has had young wizards who had the sudden inspiration to start newspapers, but in reality, they were just impulsive whims.

……

On the other side...

Upon hearing that the request did not involve the professor, Ino immediately expressed his thoughts:

"Please rest assured on that point. The students' joys and sorrows, their grudges and grievances, will never concern the professor! Of course... if something is truly unfair, I might mention it a couple of times, but it's not the main issue."

Professor McGonagall nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this answer.

Especially the last sentence; if Ino had guaranteed that the professor wouldn't be involved, she would have found that rather strange.

"Go ahead and do it; I'll give you the authority."

As she spoke, Professor McGonagall opened her desk drawer, took out a brand new piece of parchment, and quickly wrote something on it.

half an hour.

Looking at the signed parchment in front of him, Ino was stunned for a moment.

He had originally intended to discuss the rent, but Professor McGonagall never mentioned it.

But even though Professor McGonagall didn't mention it, he couldn't pretend he didn't know; after all, there had to be a rule, no matter how big or small the matter.

"Professor! You seem to have... forgotten something? Like the rent, after all, this wasn't organized by Hogwarts."

After a moment's consideration, Ino took the initiative to bring up the issue of rent.

……

Two hours later.

Ino left the Transfiguration office, holding in his hand a piece of parchment that clearly resembled a contract.

Walking down the street, recalling Professor McGonagall's astonished expression just now, I found it quite amusing.

In what seemed to be the first time in her decades-long teaching career that Professor McGonagall had encountered someone voluntarily paying rent.

Strolling down the corridor.

Ino picked up the parchment again. The paper was no different from ordinary parchment, but there was a Hogwarts shield-shaped emblem on the top of it.

"The annual rent is seven Galleons, and it's legal now..."

Looking at the school emblem and Professor McGonagall's signature on the parchment, everything is now legal, and even if Dumbledore intervenes, he cannot terminate the contract.

In the magical world, legitimate contracts always possess a mysterious power.

Especially now, when Ino holds the parchment, he can always feel a faint connection between it and the castle.

All beginnings are hard.

As one of the three most prestigious schools in the world, Hogwarts now has its own property.

Although the annual income is only 7 Gallons, no matter how small the amount, it is income that is separate from that of the twelve school board members.

Once you start, you'll start again; little by little, you'll accumulate.

Perhaps one day, Hogwarts will truly be as independent and detached as Beauxbatons in France.

……

I walked all the way back to my dorm.

Draco became excited upon seeing the contract bearing the school crest and signature.

His face was beaming with joy, as if he had drunk several bottles of euphoria pills.

"Ino! That's amazing, really!"

In the dormitory, Draco paced back and forth incessantly, as if only in this way could he release his pent-up energy.

"Let's find a place now, oh right! I need to write to them first and ask them to send the equipment over..."

He muttered to himself, sometimes thinking about getting dressed and going out, sometimes thinking about writing a letter as soon as possible, he just didn't know what to do.

"I'll find the location. You go write the letter now. While the castle is generating buzz these days, let's get the first installment done as soon as possible, before Christmas..."

Ino leaned back in his chair and shared his thoughts.

He had been in Professor McGonagall's office for just over two hours, but in reality, the contract signing and rent negotiation only took about half an hour.

For the rest of the time, Professor McGonagall talked about what had happened in the past two days, focusing on Barty Crouch's paranoia, which was so extreme that he was practically sleeping in the corridor of the university hospital.

Therefore, Ino came up with the idea of ​​launching a magazine as soon as possible and, incidentally, exposing Barty Crouch.

Didn't they pride themselves on upholding justice? Now let everyone see what it means to be strict with others but lenient with oneself—a double standard.

After all, the magical world of the British Isles is only so big.

The young wizards at Hogwarts found out, and almost all of England knew.

(End of this chapter)