"That way, over there."
"See him? The one in the black cloak."
"Yes, the one who looks just like the old bat. That's him—Gringotts' consultant, the new Divination professor. They say even the goblins follow his advice!"
"Hey, do you think if I apply for a job there, he could pull some strings for me?"
The next morning, as Victor walked to the Great Hall, the corridors buzzed with whispers like these. Groups of students gathered, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of his retreating figure. Few dared to discuss him openly, but Victor could still clearly hear their hushed conversations.
All of this stemmed from the front-page headline in that morning's Daily Prophet.
Professor Flitwick had guessed correctly—Victor's appointment as Gringotts' sole wizarding consultant had indeed made waves. Unlike the sensationalized "Goblinman" headlines in The Quibbler, the Daily Prophet had labeled him: "A Bridge Between Goblins and Wizards, the Ideal Candidate to Mend Centuries of Discord."
That improved Victor's mood somewhat.
For once, he was being portrayed positively.
Back when word got out about his rapport with dragons, the kingdom's response was far from kind—Church spokesmen and bardic poets had practically accused him of uniting dark forces, raising the difficulty of dragon-slaying quests, and scheming to bring the entire realm to ruin.
…Still, when he went door-to-door explaining himself, public opinion of him somehow rebounded.
Ahem, but that's off-topic.
By the time Victor reached the Great Hall, he had received numerous congratulations from students and professors alike. The news had spread across campus almost instantly with the newspaper's distribution, and suddenly, he was quite popular again—particularly among upper-year students.
Everyone wanted to curry favor with him, whether they'd taken Divination or not, hoping it might lead to an advantage in securing a lucrative position at Gringotts.
Victor had to put in some effort to extricate himself from the crowd.
Unlike the enthusiastic students, his expression was contemplative, as though he had worked through something significant the night before.
Not long after, he approached Professor Dumbledore, who was just about to leave the hall.
The corridor leading to the staff table was quiet, with few people around. Under the flickering candlelight, Dumbledore's tall, slender figure was particularly striking.
Today, he wore a set of deep purple robes that lent him an air of dignity, though the golden stars embroidered across the fabric hinted at his whimsical nature.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Victor called out, striding toward him.
Dumbledore turned, his eyes twinkling as he recognized Victor.
"Good morning," he said warmly.
"I heard about your news, Victor. It seems our earlier decision was the right one. Hogwarts now has a Divination professor focused on practical applications. I imagine our students' employment prospects will improve greatly this year."
"I actually have quite a bit I'd like to discuss with you," Dumbledore added. "But I assume you've come to talk to me about something as well?"
After exchanging pleasantries, Victor got straight to the point. "Yes, it's about the July 31st break-in at Gringotts."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
"I'm all ears."
Victor succinctly recounted the details mentioned in the letter he'd received, though he omitted the part about his deal with Gringotts. Instead, he emphasized his concerns for the school's safety.
Dumbledore frowned as he listened, but his only notable reaction came when Victor mentioned the "Philosopher's Stone." His eyebrows arched in mild surprise.
"Oh, I had no idea the goblins were so well-informed about the contents of their vaults," Dumbledore remarked with a wry shake of his head.
"…But you needn't worry yourself over this matter, Professor Victor. Both the students and the Stone are quite safe. The rogue wizard in question cannot harm them."
Dumbledore's tone was light, almost unconcerned, yet it carried a calming assurance.
Victor, however, pressed on.
"But I'm quite certain that some individuals are far more suspicious than others—like our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
Quirrell had always been a furtive figure, and identifying him as the most suspicious among the faculty had been no challenge for Victor. After all, he only needed to "see."
When the letter mentioned the Gringotts suspect being spotted near Hogwarts, Victor didn't even need to perform a Divination to conclude that Quirrell was the likely culprit.
Besides, since Gringotts was willing to pay for confirmation of the suspect's identity, he stood to gain from the arrangement without much effort.
After all, Quirrell had already turned down one of his deals; it wouldn't hurt to leverage him a little more, right?
"I think the school ought to investigate him—at the very least, figure out what's under that turban of his," Victor said blandly. "I doubt it's just onions."
Unexpectedly, Dumbledore shook his head firmly, cutting Victor off before he could continue.
"This isn't a matter of suspicion, Professor Victor," Dumbledore said.
"I don't want you investigating Professor Quirrell in any capacity. Your concerns should remain private. In fact, Professor Snape has also raised this issue with me, and my response to him was the same."
"…The school must not initiate an inquiry against a professor without concrete evidence. As a wizard holding a position in the Wizengamot, I trust you will respect this principle."
Dumbledore sighed, as though troubled by something, but he didn't elaborate. He brushed off the subject of Quirrell and the Defense Against the Dark Arts position with little fanfare.
Still, his genial demeanor had noticeably dimmed. The twinkle in his aging blue eyes was replaced by a pensive severity as he stared at the ground in thought.
When he finally snapped out of it, he suddenly clapped a hand to his forehead, his tone shifting back to cheerful.
"Ah, I almost forgot."
"There's something not-so-secret I've been meaning to ask you—"
"Professor Victor, do you know any special spells that could repel intruders while incapacitating them without causing serious harm? Ideally, something that wouldn't endanger students if they stumbled into it?"
"In fact, the Philosopher's Stone is currently stored at the end of the fourth-floor corridor. Most of the staff have already placed protective enchantments over the summer. I thought perhaps you'd be willing to contribute as well."
…Protective enchantments?
Victor raised an eyebrow, mulling it over.
Finally, he connected the dots between Dumbledore's insistence on due process and his broader strategy. Realization dawned on him.
So, it's a trap.
Well, that wasn't entirely unreasonable. If it meant getting results without expending additional effort, it was worth waiting a bit longer.
And this way, he wouldn't even have to apprehend Quirrell himself—Dumbledore would handle that for him.
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