Became good friends with the Boy Who Lived

Chapter 153: New Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor

Being swept into the auditorium by the crowd, the atmosphere in the auditorium was no different from before. Students from the four colleges sat at their respective long tables and began to chat with each other about interesting things that happened during the summer vacation.

Aeris glanced at the Slytherin table. Draco had left the small circle of Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy, and was talking and chatting with his younger classmates. It was obvious that those fourth, third, and second year Slytherin students respected Draco very much.

Looking at the Hufflepuff table, Cedric was chatting with some of his classmates, but he looked a little worried.

Cedric got rid of the "entanglement" of several classmates and walked to the Gryffindor table. Cedric had an exquisite badge on his chest, which was the badge of the president of the male student union.

Cedric is a seventh-year student this year. After experiencing Hogwarts NEWTs, he will officially graduate from Hogwarts.

Faced with Aeris's resentful gaze, Cedric felt a little embarrassed, "Hi! Aeris!" Cedric greeted him.

"Hey, Head boy!" Aris joked, "You ran away so fast on the train!"

"I really hate slime-like things," Cedric said sheepishly, "and... you saw it too... the male student union president... I was quite busy on the train, and I didn't have time to look for you later..."

"Come on, never mind!" said Aeris. "You want to have the back-to-school dinner here?"

"No," Cedric said, "I just came to say hello, and... I'm sorry... Minister Fudge is putting pressure on our family. My father may be more inclined to the Minister of Magic than Professor Dumbledore, but I support Professor Dumbledore... I support you... your..."

"Thank you...Side..." Aeris said sincerely.

Cedric nodded and said nothing more, but went back to the Hufflepuff table.

"He's not so annoying anymore, is he?" Ron whispered.

"Shut up... Ron..." Hermione said rudely, "He has always been our important partner..."

Lavender glared at Hermione in dissatisfaction, and Ron muttered, "Fred and George have always hated him...especially after he took advantage of others' misfortune...and won against Gryffindor in the Quidditch match..."

"Stop it, Ron!" said Harry. "That was a long, long time ago..."

"Yeah! That's right!" Ron said dissatisfiedly, "Thanks to his father, he always talks about these things that happened a long, long time ago, allowing us to reminisce about them again and again..."

There was a sound of chaotic footsteps, and the protagonists of the opening dinner: the first-year students, began to enter the auditorium.

Following the usual procedure, Professor McGonagall brought a stool and the Sorting Hat.

The moment the Sorting Hat was placed on the stool, our Mr. Hat began to sing, and it was nearly half an hour of self-composed songs.

This time, the ballad sung by Mr. Hat was very profound, saying that winter was coming and the dark night was approaching. All students must put aside the conflicts between the colleges and unite as one...

This time, Aries did not feel bored. Instead, he listened very seriously. After Mr. Hat finished singing the ballad he composed, Aries' applause was no longer perfunctory as before.

Then came the Sorting Ceremony, and then...

"Have a big meal!" Professor Dumbledore clapped his hands and said gently.

The dinner was as sumptuous as usual. After the dessert, Aries still had a handful of mint candies in his hand. He scattered the mint candies on the table so that his friends and classmates around him could also enjoy the coolness in their mouths.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and stretched out his arms as usual, as if to embrace the entire hall.

"Welcome home, old students and new students," Professor Dumbledore lowered his arms and said gently, "Before you fall asleep, I want to announce something. First, there are two changes in our teaching positions. I am very happy that Professor Grubbly-Plank is willing to come back to substitute. She will teach the Care of Magical Creatures class before Professor Hagrid comes back. And... I am honored that Ms. Umbridge, the Deputy Minister of Magic, is willing to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. In addition, there are some school rules that must be explained..."

Two coquettish coughs interrupted Professor Dumbledore's speech. Professor Dumbledore looked at Professor Umbridge in confusion, but because there was no difference between standing up and sitting down, Professor Dumbledore did not notice that she had stood up.

Professor Dumbledore quickly sat down and looked at Professor Umbridge curiously, as if he couldn't wait to hear what she was going to say.

"This old Toad is a bit unruly, isn't he?" Ron said with a bit of gloating, holding a mint candy in his mouth.

Indeed, the professors in the guest of honor table all looked unhappy. Professor Flitwick was puffing his beard and glaring; Professor Sprout raised his eyebrows high; Professor McGonagall pursed her lips; even Professor Snape's expression was a little more sinister than usual...

"This old toad is the first professor at Hogwarts who dares to interrupt Headmaster Dumbledore's speech." Harry also said with a frown.

Professor Umbridge began her one-hour "lecture". Her artificial and coquettish voice made Aries, who had just filled his stomach, feel uncomfortable. Aries quickly stuffed a mint candy into his mouth.

Hermione listened carefully to Professor Umbridge's speech with a frown on her face. Harry and Ron began to doze off until Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, at which point they suddenly woke up.

"She's finally finished?" said Harry, yawning.

"You missed an important message." Hermione frowned more and more.

"What important information can this nonsense contain?" Ron asked in confusion.

"What does it mean: abandon those things we should abandon? What does it mean: progress for the sake of progress is absolutely unacceptable?" Hermione asked back, "Don't you think about what this nonsense means?"

"It means the Ministry of Magic is getting ready to intervene at Hogwarts!" said Harry listlessly.

Hermione looked at Harry in surprise. Harry shrugged and said indifferently, "I discussed this situation with Aries during the summer vacation..."

Several people looked at Aeris.

Aeris was chewing mint candy. Seeing his friends looking at him, Aeris said, "Her... Professor Umbridge's voice is really disgusting. I'm afraid I'm going to vomit..."