Chapter 423

It was only last night that I mentioned Christmas to Harry and Ron. Early this morning, snowflakes were flying outside.

The first snow of this year seems to have fallen a little late, but it may be because it has been ready for a long time, which makes the snow look amazing.

Only one morning later, the little wizards could get up, and the snow with thick soles had accumulated on the lawn outside. And it seems that you can't stop for a while.

Standing by the window and looking out, it's all white. I can't see far.

The spider bodies that almost covered the school court yesterday have now been cleaned up.

Trust me, Professor McGonagall won't let the clean-up delay too long, because the valuable materials will be stored as additional funds for Hogwarts activities.

Maka thinks it's also good. He just hopes Professor McGonagall can remember that only the venom needs to be collected at the first time. Because if you don't care about it after death, they will soon dry up by themselves.

Just as Maka stretched out to check the timetable and perform her duties as a professor, she found someone coming to him in the corridor outside the door.

There must be a lot of people on the floor where his office is located, because the library is the corner from here. However, there will never be many people passing in front of his office.

"... it seems that I'm doomed not to be a good teacher." when the knock on the door sounded, Maka couldn't help shrugging her shoulders and whispered to herself.

"Please come in!"

After he answered, the door of the office quietly opened with a wave of his hand. Then Professor McGonagall came in from the corridor outside.

"McLean, I think you should tidy up your office," she reminded when she glanced around and found that she couldn't even find Marca's place.

"Oh - of course, I will." Maka walked around the data pile from behind her desk and came to Professor McGonagall. "Sorry, I'm going to teach them today! Well, yes, that's it."

"No, no --"

Professor McGonagall pursed his lips and put on a look of "I don't expect you".

"I need your help today..." the acting principal, who has always been serious and serious, hasn't changed much today. "Although it may be earlier, since the documents of the Ministry of Magic have come down, we should make preparations earlier..."

"... Dolores Umbridge's appointment as a professor will be at the end of this academic year. We have to prepare for next semester. I'm sure you understand."

When Umbridge was taken back, Maka naturally expected it. Rather, he who controlled Umbridge with the soul snatching curse was the only inducement to this matter.

"Would you like to invite a new professor of defense against the dark arts?" Marcello said in surprise. "It's a little early, isn't it?"

"No, it's time to get ready," Professor McGonagall sighed slightly. "It's not easy to find a wizard who has enough ability and is willing to take this position! Albus... Alas, Albus has a wide network of contacts and can always find suitable candidates soon, but I don't know so many powerful people."

"Really?" asked Marca suspiciously. "Will it be all right for Professor Snape to take this position soon? I remember he has always been obsessed with this course!"

"What Severus is best at is magic medicine," Professor McGonagall shook his head. "It's more difficult to find a magic potion master to be our magic potion Professor these days than to find a new black magic defense professor."

"Well... I remember that Professor Slughorn, who used to work in Hogwarts, is not also a very excellent potion scholar?" Maka thought.

"Oh - don't mention him!" Professor McGonagall resolutely denied the bad idea. "Since Voldemort gained power, he immediately found an excuse to resign. Albus personally advised him at that time, but it was useless!"

"... is that so?" Maka nodded thoughtfully.

Did Dumbledore's early death prevent "Horace Slughorn", a very important figure, from appearing?

No, maybe it's not that difficult to get Slughorn back to Hogwarts!

"Professor," Marca thought, "do you know where he lives? Maybe I can visit him... In fact, if you come to me this time to ask if I have any good candidates... I can only say, I'm sorry."

"Well..." Professor McGonagall pondered for a moment, and then said, "well, if you want to talk about the knowledge of magic medicine, Slughorn is really a candidate no inferior to Severus - he should still live in bardley Baberton village, Devon..."

After she reluctantly told Maka the specific location, she shook her head again. She didn't seem to be optimistic about Maka's trip.

As a former colleague, she knew exactly what Slughorn was... Well, what a "slick" and vain old man.

Of course, not to mention his slightly frivolous behavior in his youth, as he gets older, his attention basically shifts to building an excellent communication circle.

Although the act of "always talking about your students' achievements and showing off to others" can be regarded as a teacher's self-confidence, if you show off too much, the nature will change a little.

"... anyway, come back as soon as you have no hope!" Professor McGonagall finally told, "you still have classes in the afternoon! Don't forget your share as a teacher!"

After Maka nodded her head off, she turned around and left angrily.

"I remember that the old professor seems to be a very interesting guy," Marca thought, packed her things and prepared to go to visit each other immediately. "With him, Hogwarts should be more lively."

……

In fact, it's still early, and the heavy snow hasn't stopped. A thick layer of snow has accumulated on the road.

Maka walked on a straight and narrow street. The houses on both sides were arranged neatly. She couldn't see clearly in the snow curtain.

The outline of a tall building can be seen in the distance. It looks like a church with a bell tower. It's just that the vision is a little blurred, so people can't tell whether their guess is right or not.

Maka passed by a closed tavern. There were a few shallow footprints left in front of the tavern, which were not covered by the snow. It seemed that someone had come out here just now.

After looking around for a while, Maka turned the corner, passed a telephone booth and a bus stop, and then found herself in another residential area.

When he went on for a moment, before long, he stopped in front of a snow covered garden iron gate. In this garden, a neat and bright house stands in the middle.

Maka glanced at the iron door and found that Slughorn didn't seem to have the habit of locking the courtyard door, so she simply pushed open the iron door and went in.

The lawn of the front yard garden is covered with snow, so people can't tell where the road is and where the grass is. He's here to invite people today. He can't rashly trample on people's lawn, can he?

After looking around, Maka waved her hand, and a whirlwind swept up immediately, stacking the snow in the front garden on the side of the road outside the garden.

After the front yard was cleaned, he went straight to the gate along the garden path.

"Dudu... Dudu..."

Maka stood in front of the door. No one answered the first knock, but when he knocked the door the second time, his face showed a little funny expression.

He did feel that there was someone in the room, but the other party didn't seem to want to open the door to welcome his temporary visit. And more than that, the most interesting thing is

Maka moved under her feet, ran across the garden very quickly, bypassed the side of the house and came to the back door of the house. And the moment he could stop in front of the back door, the door was hurriedly opened from inside.

"If the anti phantom shape shifting spell is not eternal, it is basically meaningless; but if it is eternal, sometimes it is not so convenient!" he looked at the bald fat old man who appeared at the door and smiled, "... Am I right, Mr. Slughorn?"

"... that's right!" muttered the fat old man.

"Good morning, Professor Slughorn," said Marka politely, making a formal salute. "I'm currently a professor of ancient magic at Hogwarts -"

"- Marca McLean." Slughorn took his words. "Yes, I know you! Or, who else in the British magic world doesn't know you? Mr. the youngest gifted pharmacist in history?"

"Oh - I'm flattered," said Marca modestly. "In front of a potion master like you, my achievement is not worth mentioning - you've taught many excellent wizards!"

"Well, ha ha... You know that? It seems that although I have lived in seclusion for a long time, my reputation is still widely spread in the British magic world!"

You still "live in seclusion"?

After Voldemort's defeat, the fat old man immediately wandered around the magic world again. What has been done less than always refusing to return to Hogwarts?

Not to mention participating in various political and economic activities, even private banquets held by various celebrities have never been less. They have been making unremitting efforts to expand their "excellent" communication circle.

"Of course, of course!" said Maka with a smile. "It is precisely because your reputation is' widely spread 'in the world that I volunteered to visit you! You know, as a descendant who loves magic medicine, I have admired you for a long time -"

"... I wonder if I'm lucky enough to come to your house for a chat?" he reached out to the back door and smiled calmly.