Gellert Grindelwald Takes Office

After Grindelwald appeared, the students and professors all looked at him.

Those unfamiliar with the name were dazzled by his entrance, while those who knew it were filled with shock and confusion.

"Gellert Grindelwald, why are you here?"

Professor McGonagall immediately drew her wand.

"You should be…"

"Should be what? Rotting away in Nurmengard until I die of old age?"

Grindelwald turned with a smile, looked at Professor McGonagall’s wand pointed at him, and shook his head slightly.

"Obviously, that is why your new headmaster bailed me out and hired me as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Simply pointing a wand at someone is hardly intimidating…"

Grindelwald walked straight to the staff table and sat in his assigned seat.

"Professor McGonagall, if your students can do no better than this against vicious dark wizards, then one day you may only see their cold corpses."

Professor McGonagall choked on her anger, but then Grindelwald spoke again.

"Take a close look at that parchment. I really was hired by your new professor. If you have any issue, go find him."

Professor McGonagall fell silent. The parchment did indeed state that Grindelwald was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, which was why she had suspected she had read it wrong.

She had thought Adam would be more reliable than Dumbledore. Who could have imagined that after being dependable for over a month, Adam would quietly spring such a huge surprise on them?

The end of the welcome feast was clearly rather strange, but most students did not really understand what had happened. The name Grindelwald was too distant for them; not everyone paid close attention in dull History of Magic classes.

Compared to that, the exceptionally lavish welcome feast was what the students cared about.

"Did you know? This food was made by one of our Hufflepuff seniors!"

A Hufflepuff said proudly to the new students.

"This senior has already applied to graduate early. The Storm Restaurant in Hogsmeade and the Dreamy Dessert Workshop are both his businesses!"

Adam’s early graduation had not been widely publicized, but it had been posted on the notice board, along with his transcript of all Os for his first five years.

The students all ate until they were stuffed, but the professors could not taste their food at all, especially the four Heads of House who knew the new headmaster’s identity.

After the feast, the prefects each led the new students to their common rooms, while the four Heads of House went together to the Headmaster’s Office.

"The Headmaster is waiting for you."

Ever since Adam became headmaster, the stone gargoyle had been replaced by a portrait—a portrait of Anubis that seemed to be judging souls.

After Anubis in the portrait spoke, he made way for the four of them.

"Adam!"

Upon entering the Headmaster’s Office, Professor McGonagall spoke first.

"How could you let such a dangerous criminal become the students’ professor?"

"Please calm down and listen to my explanation."

Adam raised a hand, gesturing for the professors to calm down.

"Grindelwald really is the most suitable candidate at present. First of all, given the current situation, it is difficult for Hogwarts to find a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor with sufficient strength."

After speaking, Adam did not wait for Professor Snape to object. He looked at him and said,

"I know Professor Snape has always wanted this position, but I am afraid you lack the ability to deal with the curse that comes with it. I do not want Hogwarts to lose its youngest Potions Master over one year as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—but Grindelwald can handle it."

"You could simply make him change his name!"

Professor Snape seemed convinced, yet he still spoke, raising another issue.

"Grindelwald has not appeared in public for more than half a century. I even doubt whether anyone in Britain can recognize him now. As long as he changes his name…"

"Why should he change his name? Is the name Grindelwald something to be ashamed of?"

Adam spread his hands.

"Grindelwald, who once started a worldwide war and led the Wizarding Supremacist Party against Ministries of Magic across the world—who could understand Defense Against the Dark Arts better than him?"

Professor Snape’s eye twitched violently.

That was true, but the problem was that there was hardly anyone in the world who understood the Dark Arts better than him!

"If even Grindelwald is obediently serving as a professor at Hogwarts, does that not prove Hogwarts is safer?"

Without waiting for Professor Snape to retort, Adam continued.

"Besides, other subjects are one thing, but regarding Defense Against the Dark Arts, you all know the current situation. You have all seen the newspapers these days… What students need now is not how to handle exams, but practical and effective means of resisting cruel dark wizards!"

"In this regard, Hogwarts has not done well in recent years… Which is why I need a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who can quickly teach students how to fight in real combat."

Thinking back on the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors of recent years, the Heads of House exchanged looks and had to admit that Adam had a point.

"I promised them absolute safety within Hogwarts, but I cannot keep protecting them after they leave Hogwarts. For their safety, I believe hiring Grindelwald is necessary."

"There is no need to worry about the Ministry of Magic. If parents have concerns, I believe they will make the right choice after seeing the current state of the Wizarding World. As for Grindelwald himself…"

Adam smiled slightly at the four of them.

"Rest assured, professors. I am here, and Professor Dumbledore is here as well. Can the two of us not keep one Grindelwald under control?"

Adam vouched for Grindelwald in his own name and Professor Dumbledore’s name (Professor Dumbledore: ?), and the four professors ultimately gave reluctant approval to Professor Grindelwald’s presence.

Adam was not worried about Professor Snape and the others seeking out Professor Dumbledore for confirmation. He and Professor Dumbledore had that much tacit understanding.

Harry and Ron did not know what had happened after last night’s feast, but after Hermione had explained Grindelwald’s life story to them in the common room, they looked at their schedules—especially the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class that day—and swallowed hard.

How should they put it? According to the History of Magic books, Grindelwald was not much different from Voldemort.

"Didn’t the new headmaster say he would protect us? He probably will not let him do whatever he wants, right?"

Ron shifted uneasily, as though he were sitting on pins and needles.

Harry quickly adjusted his mindset.

"I trust the new headmaster. And no matter what sort of person that Grindelwald is, he cannot be worse than Umbridge."

Ron: …That was true.

"Good morning, everyone~"

Grindelwald stepped into the classroom almost exactly as class began.

"This is my first lesson with you. Let me introduce myself once again: I am Gellert Grindelwald, revolutionary, dark wizard—up until I was defeated by Albus Dumbledore in 1945. After that, I was a prisoner for several decades, until now—as you can see, I have become your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Watching the students below stare in shock at his introduction, Grindelwald smiled faintly.

"I will not hide my past failures. On the contrary, I am proud of them. At least I fought with all my strength for my ideals, and—borrowing someone’s words—made the whole world dance for me."