Although the conversation with Dumbledore wasn't particularly pleasant, today was still a day worth celebrating with quiet satisfaction as Adrian had successfully secured the position of professor at Hogwarts.
After completing the paperwork, he exited the Headmaster's office and to his mild surprise, Professor McGonagall was waiting for him outside.
"Congratulations, Professor Westeros," Professor McGonagall said, approaching him quickly. "I'm sorry I arrived at this rather late hour. I just ran into Professor Kettleburn on my way up who mentioned that you passed the Headmaster's assessment. Is that right?"
Adrian nodded. "Yes, Professor McGonagall,"
Upon hearing his confirmation, Professor McGonagall looked pleased, the corners of her mouth turned slightly upward, and her typically stern face was softening for once.
"Very good, Professor Westeros," she said, emphasizing his new title with subtle approval.
She pushed her square-framed spectacles up on her nose with a slender finger and her sharp eyes were filled with a hint of appreciation and perhaps a touch of nostalgia as she looked at him.
It had been a long time since Professor McGonagall had seen Adrian, but in her memory, he had always stood out as an outstanding student during his school years—humble, studious, and displaying exceptional magical aptitude not only in Transfiguration but in other subjects as well.
Who wouldn't appreciate such an excellent, obedient student who never caused trouble or added to the already large burden of a Hogwarts professor's daily responsibilities?
Oh, perhaps the "never caused trouble" part should be removed, as the incident where Adrian had hung a large group of people on the castle walls was still fresh in her memory.
In any case, she strongly approved of Adrian teaching Care of Magical Creatures to the students. He was an ideal candidate to replace the increasingly accident-prone Professor Kettleburn, whose collection of remaining limbs grew smaller with each passing school year.
Adrian followed Professor McGonagall down the familiar corridors of Hogwarts, where the same old enchanted portraits hung on the stone walls. Figures in the paintings occasionally abandoned their own scenes to whisper to neighbors or cast curious glances their way.
Professor McGonagall turned slightly toward Adrian seeming to recall something from the past.
"By the way, Adrian," She said casually, "do you remember the first time you came to my office, clutching that worn copy of 'Advanced Transfiguration Theory,' asking about becoming an Animagus?"
Hearing Professor McGonagall mention this long-buried memory from his past, Adrian couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.
"Of course, I remember," He replied, a smile appearing on his lips. "I pestered you for quite some time before you reluctantly agreed to provide guidance. At that time, I would visit your office almost every week with new questions, and my initial application reasons alone filled an entire roll of parchment."
Upon hearing this detailed recollection, Professor McGonagall's mouth twitched slightly with barely suppressed amusement. A glint of mockery flashed in her eyes as she looked at him with what was now an unmistakable smile.
The torchlight caught the subtle creases at the corners of her eyes as she asked with deliberate casualness, "So, Adrian, after all that determination and effort... did you succeed in your endeavor?"
Adrian revealed a meaningful smile, his eyes twinkling with something that might have been mischief or secrecy. His voice dropped to a light tone as he replied,
"If I had succeeded, Professor, you would probably know about it already, since every Animagus needs to register with the Ministry of Magic's Improper Use of Magic Office, right??"
Hearing this carefully worded non-answer, Professor McGonagall's gaze lingered on him for a long moment, as if trying to read something from the surface of his carefully composed expression.
The corridor fell silent except for the distant hooting of an owl and the soft crackle of the torches along the walls.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, her own expression becoming inscrutable, then said with deliberate precision, "Yes, according to all proper regulations, all legal Animagi must be registered with the Ministry."
Then she paused, and changed her tone to one of curiosity. "So, Professor Westeros...does your name appear on the Ministry's official registry? I do occasionally review it, for academic purposes, of course."
"Uh..." Adrian coughed lightly, one hand reaching up to adjust the collar of his robes as he shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course not. As you well know, Professor, becoming an Animagus is an extremely complex and difficult magical process that not just anyone can master."
"Let's leave it at that," McGonagall chuckled softly then stopped in front of a door. "Well, this is the last available room I wanted to show you. Have you decided on your office location yet, or would you prefer to see the other options again?"
Adrian had no particular requirements for his office location, as long as it wasn't in the damp, forever chilly dungeons where the Potions classroom was. He preferred natural light and fresh air, especially considering the nature of his subject matter.
"This one will do nicely," he nodded appreciatively and reached for the doorknob, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.
Professor McGonagall glanced at the brass nameplate beside the door and nodded slightly, "This was the office of the last Defense Against the Dark Arts professor..."
"The last one?" Adrian looked at her doubtfully, though he already suspected the answer.
"Indeed. As you may recall from your own student years, Defense professors change far too frequently," Professor McGonagall sighed, her shoulders dropping in a gesture of helplessness. "I hope the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that Headmaster Dumbledore has employed will last a bit longer than his predecessors. The constant turnover is very disruptive to the students' education."
Adrian had nearly forgotten about this peculiar Hogwarts phenomenon. In his memory, which now seemed clearer as he stood within these familiar walls, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had indeed changed every single year during his school days.
Each new instructor had arrived with enthusiasm and departed under various mysterious or unfortunate circumstances—illness, accidents, scandal, and in one memorable case, a professor who simply vanished without a trace halfway through the spring term, leaving only a single shoe behind.
One could only say that Voldemort's curse was truly powerful, its magic was still effective after all these years.
The office layout was quite ordinary—a desk and chair set, a bookcase, two bookshelves, and nothing else.
Adrian scanned the room more carefully, noting the details. A few damaged textbooks and hastily scribbled notes remained abandoned on the shelves, as if their owner had departed in a hurry. There was a noticeable charred mark on one corner of the massive desk resembling something like the aftermath of a magical explosion or a defensive spell gone awry.
The bookcase in the corner stood nearly empty except for a yellowed parchment scroll with a small black ink stain.
Adrian walked over, casually picked up the forgotten parchment, and unrolled it for a look. On it was scrawled a few words—"Run, don't look back."
Adrian: "..."
Seeing the sudden change in Adrian's expression as he stared at the ominous message, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat awkwardly. Her face showed a trace of barely noticeable embarrassment, and she quickly crossed the room to stand beside him.
"Don't concern yourself with that, Professor Westeros, apart from the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, all other teaching positions at Hogwarts are perfectly safe and have normal life expectancies. I myself have been teaching Transfiguration for over thirty years without incident."
Adrian stared at the parchment, his mouth was twitching, then casually turned his attention to the rest of the office.
"After all these years, has no one been able to break Voldemort's curse?" He asked casually, running his fingers along the edge of the desk, feeling the rough texture of the wood.
"Don't say that person's name!" Professor McGonagall seemed genuinely startled upon hearing Adrian utter the forbidden name so casually. She flinched visibly and quickly exclaimed in a hushed, urgent voice.
Then, composing herself, she frowned slightly before speaking in a more restrained tone: "Many talented wizards at Hogwarts have tried to break the curse over the years, including Dumbledore himself on multiple occasions, but this particular curse isn't just an ordinary spell that can be countered with conventional methods.
It seems to have become rooted in Hogwarts itself, intertwined with the magic that sustains the castle. To break it would require reversing the method of the curse's original application from its source..."
Adrian nodded slightly, not wishing to discuss the curse in further detail with Professor McGonagall.
After all, he wasn't the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and had no intention of becoming one. As for this persistent curse, let the next unfortunate soul who takes on the position worry about it and its ominous implications.
That person was called Quirrell, wasn't he? A nervous, stuttering man who wore a peculiar turban, if Adrian's memory of the stories served him correctly.
Come to think of it, at this particular point in the timeline, Quirrell's head was probably already occupied by Voldemort.
After confirming there were no other overlooked matters requiring attention, Professor McGonagall turned to Adrian, and her professional demeanor was fully restored. "Well, Professor Westeros, I'll leave you to settle in now. This office is yours and you can arrange it freely according to your preferences and requirements."
She paused, glancing around the chamber once more before adding, "Also, I should mention that Hogwarts professors can choose either to take up residence within the castle itself as there are comfortable living quarters adjacent to most offices—or return to their own homes during holidays and weekends, if they prefer. Most of us find it convenient to remain here, particularly during term time."
Adrian nodded thoughtfully. Come to think of it, most Hogwarts professors did seem to reside permanently at the school rather than maintain separate residences elsewhere.
Of course, perhaps some professors didn't have what one would call a proper "home".
"Thank you for the reminder, Professor McGonagall," Adrian said, "I'll tidy up a bit here, and then I'll head back to gather my belongings."
"If you need to use the Floo Network to return home, you can borrow the fireplace in the Headmaster's office."
Professor McGonagall nodded, then walked away, leaving Adrian alone in the empty office.