A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 569: The Greedy Snake

Inside the Ancient Magical Writing Office—

"I heard you've been spending a lot of money lately?"

Valen sat on a small stool, responding weakly.

"Seriously, you've invested in several clubs too?"

"Hmm." Valen, hands behind its back, looked around, ignoring the presence of Felix in front of it.

"And you're even paying to write a biography? Hiring that student who runs the newspaper?" A newspaper shook in front of Valen.

Valen was stunned. It seemed like its little secrets had been uncovered.

"It's time," solemnly stated Felix. He sat across from Valen, waved his hand, and from a ring, out popped—Valen widened its eyes in surprise—a deformed snake?

Valen stared at the little creature before it, a shiny green snake with a disproportionately large head. Since its appearance, it had been happily swimming around, gaping widely and joyfully twisting around. Valen suddenly reached out, grabbed its tail, shook it, and like a flexible rope, the snake bounced in the air twice, spitting out a bronze Knut from its mouth.

Valen's eyes widened. Was this a money-spitting snake?

"This is a piggy bank," Felix explained. "Today, I'll teach you two new concepts: saving and interest." Valen, engrossed in play, paused and slowly turned to look at him. "Huh?"

"Simply put, it's about saving your pocket money, putting it in a place like this," Felix gestured towards the wriggling snake, "It's specially prepared for you. You can stash some of your treasure in it."

Fundamentally an alchemical item, the little snake nodded, its mouth wide open.

"Huh?" Valen looked at Felix in confusion. Why put money in the snake when it had its own pocket?

"It's different," coaxed Felix. "Think about it, the money in your pocket only decreases, right?" Valen nodded blankly. "Exactly," Felix raised his voice for emphasis. "But if you put money in the snake, after some time, it multiplies."

Valen stared at Felix, then lowered its gaze to the snake it held. Was this creature really a treasure?

"How much can it multiply by?" Valen asked hesitantly.

"It varies... It changes dynamically. Depending on how much and how long you save, the outcome changes. Put in one Galleon and put in ten, the results won't be the same; it's a tenfold difference. And if you save for a day versus ten days, that's another tenfold difference. Calculate how much it multiplies by," Felix challenged.

Valen counted on its fingers, then looked up at Felix, puzzled.

"A hundredfold," Felix revealed.

Valen was astonished.

"That's right," Felix grinned. "Don't worry; I'm not taking your money. I'm just giving you a way to earn. It's a secret... Your money is still yours; it's just moving from one place to another. Sound good?"

After much inner struggle, Valen finally closed its eyes and nodded solemnly.

"Rattle rattle."

"Rattle rattle."

"Rattle rattle."

Valen glanced at its small pocket, suddenly feeling empty, then looked at the small pile of shiny Galleons on the ground, and its joyful feeling returned.

"Converted, it's a total of 2007 Galleons," Felix exclaimed. "Let's deposit two thousand Galleons, shall we?"

Valen silently stared at him. It wanted to hit him.

"It's very profitable. Let me calculate for you; it involves complex mathematical formulas... You haven't learned arithmetic yet? Ah, that's a shame."

As night fell, Valen, still holding a sheepskin paper filled with numbers, feeling lost, witnessed the small pile of Galleons on the ground being swallowed by the insatiable snake.

"Rattle!!!"

Valen grabbed the snake's neck and shook it vigorously. It regretted this, but it was too late. The money-spitting snake burped and spat out seven coins.

Valen picked up the coins one by one, sadly stuffing them into its small pocket.

"The snake piggy bank is not as good as..."

"Rattle!"

Valen clutched the snake tightly, its shiny black fur standing on end.

"It's yours, all yours," Felix chuckled. "Just one step left; let's set a date. If you don't withdraw before that time, you won't get the extra Galleons."

Valen extended its hand, tremblingly shaking Felix's.

The next day, waking up from the crib, Valen groggily opened its eyes, staring at the ceiling for a moment. It subconsciously checked its pocket, yelping in shock. It jumped out of bed and searched around, finally finding the greedy snake that had devoured its treasure in a corner of the crib.

Valen sighed in relief, relaxing its small shoulders.

It sneaked out of the room with the money-spitting snake piggy bank, glancing around the office. Huh? Wasn't the Dark Lord at home? It walked to the sofa, leaped onto the Dark Lord's favorite spot, and rolled around. Satisfied, it suddenly became anxious, gazing warily under the sofa.

The snake curled itself into a circle, lazily spitting out coins.

Valen relaxed. It was the weekend; the Dark Lord was probably visiting somewhere. It took out its magical drawing and started playing. The protagonist in the game had gathered four gems, each unleashing powerful ancient magic, and—upon Valen's strong request—was wearing a stylish cloak.

But the game didn't seem as enticing today. Valen kept checking if the greedy snake was still there. It had a habit of wandering, as per the Dark Lord's description, "moving irregularly around you." Valen didn't quite understand, but it probably meant it wouldn't stray too far.

But every time the snake disappeared from sight, Valen felt anxious. It always jumped down from the sofa, fetched the snake hidden in a corner, and placed it in front of itself.

By noon, Valen, wobbling, was ready to go out. It decided to take the snake along; it couldn't let it out of its sight.

Hiding the snake under its little yellow hat, Valen roamed the castle, meeting Mafalda selling newspapers and hunting for materials. It glanced at its small pocket, where seven Galleons lay, a sight that tugged at its heartstrings.

Valen finally understood the hardships of life. Ultimately, passing by Mafalda, it made a decision—before saving enough money again, it wouldn't buy newspapers; it could manage with borrowed ones.

After a search, it spotted a familiar face.

"Rattle!"

Astoria Greengrass lowered her head to see Valen, who was cheerfully greeting her. They leaned in together to read the newspaper. Valen quickly finished one page, eager to turn to the next. It squinted; this underling of hers read a bit slow...

Oh well, gotta be understanding~

"Don't rush," Astoria said earnestly. "Look here, it says the Ministry sent twelve people. They'll be staying at the school for a full two weeks, examining the results of illusionary transformation training and assisting in specialized training—showing how seriously the Ministry takes student safety. See, that's what I've deduced."

Valen tilted its head, puzzling Astoria.

From a small pocket, Valen pulled out a piece of parchment, discreetly passing it to her. "What's this? Oh, you want me to solve this equation? Let's see... Not too challenging for me..." Astoria looked at the densely packed mathematical equations, her eyes swirling.

"A bit tricky... not my fault, I didn't choose arithmetic divination."

Though not getting an answer, Valen finally relaxed. It wasn't that it wasn't smart enough; it was the challenge from the big boss. Parting ways with Astoria, it happily trotted with its greedy snake, drawing a crowd in the entrance hall. Felch stood imposingly at the door, wielding a wand.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood amidst the crowd.

"Which year are they in?" a new student asked.

"Seventh year," Ron chimed in. "They studied illusionary transformation in their sixth year. It's a chance for them to get certified early." He eventually revealed the real motive, "You think—if someone masters illusionary transformation before their age requirement, could they also get certified?"

Several students around looked at him with awe.

"I think it's unlikely," Hermione analyzed. "According to the regulations, they have to be of age—"

"But this is a special circumstance, isn't it?" Harry interjected, also quite hopeful. "Then we won't have to ride the carriage to Hogsmeade." It would make visiting Glop a lot easier too. He glanced at Hermione, who seemed to have thought the same.

The three of them couldn't escape Hagrid's generous invitation, visiting Glop's temporary residence one weekend. Prepared, they rehearsed various defensive spells again before going, only to be surprised by what they saw—Hagrid sitting on a haystack, munching half a gigantic pumpkin, skillfully operating a magical projector, watching half of the Lion King and the second task of the tournament.

Hagrid was thrilled to see Harry, shouting and panting towards him. They guessed for a while based on the projection, finally realizing he wanted to see Harry's Patronus charm.

Hagrid also bought a magical radio for entertainment. Upon leaving the cave, Ron couldn't believe it, "Did I get Confunded? I heard 'A Cauldron Full of Hot Love' inside the cave, with a pair of feet over twenty inches tapping along!"

"Don't worry, your brain is safe," Hermione said. Initially reluctant to come, she now found it worthwhile, "We might have a little faith in Hagrid's dreams, right? Ready to welcome a sixteen-foot forest ranger?"

At that moment, Harry felt like he could've convinced Hagrid to take his time, maybe an extra two years... Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance. Snape had been relentless lately, picking on him. Harry wasn't sure if Snape had figured out his thoughts; last year, Professor Lupin mentioned Snape's expertise in Legilimency.

In the Great Hall, Valen sneaked in among the students' feet. Felch was about to intervene but, upon recognizing Valen, his wrinkled face immediately brightened. Valen casually slipped a small fish to Mrs. Norris, then slid into the hall.

"Goodness, it's quite skilled," Neville praised.

Suddenly, a high-pitched, nasal scream came from inside the hall. The students in the entrance hall paused. A short, plump woman stepped out.

"That's Umbridge," Harry immediately said, recognizing her haughty demeanor and recalling her being hauled out of the school in disgrace. He hadn't expected to see her here; he thought she'd been sacked along with Fudge's downfall.

"She's learned to tone it down," Ron remarked. Harry understood; Umbridge now wore a tightly cinched bright green wizard's robe, still conspicuous but a far cry from the previous flashy pink.

"Felch, I just saw a big rat," Umbridge squeaked.

"It's Valen, Professor Snape's pet, and it's not a rat, it's a Niffler," Felch said, displeased.

Umbridge froze, noticing Felch's displeasure. A sweet smile bloomed on her slackened jaw. "Oh, I see. The little one looks quite cute. Do you like cats, Mr. Felch? I adore them—"

She pointed at Mrs. Norris, nibbling the fish at Felch's feet.

"She has a name, it's Mrs. Norris," Felch said stiffly. Umbridge closed her mouth. Suddenly, Felch shouted to the crowd, "Watch out!" He gasped and rushed into the crowd; the surrounding students immediately dispersed, revealing a bewildered junior student.

On the floor by the student's feet was a squishy Cauldron Cake.

"Pick it up!" Felch shouted again, and the student almost instantly complied. Muttering to himself, "Always causing trouble... Heh heh... Tarnishing the castle... Don't move it!" He suddenly yelled at a student brandishing a wand toward the floor.

"Allow me," Felch, with flushed cheeks, used his special wand to point at the cake remnants on the floor. "Clean as new!" he loudly commanded.

The cake residue on the floor vanished, and Felch grinned, stepping back to the door of the Great Hall.

Umbridge was utterly surprised; she knew Felch was mute, but now he was performing magic? And those oddly named clubs, that newspaper—Hogwarts felt entirely unfamiliar to her.

"Umbridge?" At that moment, another young man emerged from the Great Hall. "Professor Toftley is letting the sixth years in." Umbridge glanced at him, "I was just about to say the same, Mr. Avery."

The young man's eyebrows immediately furrowed.

The sixth-year students began gathering on their own. Harry saw Chaser Katie Bell mingling among them, excitedly entering the Great Hall. Walking towards them was Angelina Johnson, Gryffindor's Quidditch captain, looking pleased.

"Successful?" Katie asked as she passed by.

Angelina gave her a thumbs-up.

In the Great Hall, two tables in the middle were moved elsewhere, replaced by two rows of wooden hoops spaced about ten feet apart. About a dozen adult wizards stood near the hoops, and the four Heads of Houses from Hogwarts were there too.

"Good morning, everyone." Wilkie Twycross stepped forward, drawing all the sixth-year students' attention. "I hope you saw the notice posted in the entrance hall before coming in. The Ministry is busy, but they've managed to allocate some resources, hoping that all Hogwarts students can master

the required illusionary or follower transfigurations as Bonnes believes it can reduce casualties."

"Today is the first day, and my colleagues and I will be checking your progress. From what we've seen previously, your learning is going well. I have to thank this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor; I know teaching illusionary transfiguration can be exhausting..."

"So," he waved his wand, "those who have mastered or think they have mastered illusionary or follower transfiguration, step forward. We'll start with this group for assessment..."

"Don't be a troublemaker," Felix told Valen on his shoulder. "Let's just watch the show." He squinted; Umbridge and Avery entered reluctantly. Their presence somewhat irritated Felix's gaze.

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