The Silent Witch of Hogwarts

Chapter 40: A Day at Hogwarts

"I received your letter, Miss Hamilton," Dumbledore said slowly, watching Loira sit down. "You wish to receive an advance on your wages, don't you?"

"Uh-huh!"

I never imagined I'd be asking Dumbledore for money... Please forgive me, Lord Grindelwald.

Loila lowered her head and whispered, "I promised... Mr. Lupin..."

"Remus already told me about this." Dumbledore nodded slightly, casually peeling open a honey tart on the table in front of him. As he ate, he said, "You want to buy the ingredients for the wolfsbane potion, right?"

"Hmm...hmm." Loila nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on the table, not daring to look up.

The number of people watching her now may have set a record... the record for the largest number of people watching Miss Hamilton.

"I understand." Dumbledore nodded and slowly took out a form from the drawer under the table, glancing at it for a few moments.

"Hmm..." He paused for a few seconds before saying, "Miss Hamilton, according to the report I have..."

"You have advanced approximately 325 Galleons in the past month or so."

"This...this many?" Loila looked up at Dumbledore in surprise.

"Ah... I don't doubt... what you... mean..." After staring at Dumbledore for a few seconds, Royla quickly lowered her head and muttered softly.

It's really just suspicion! Royla suspects that Dumbledore might have deliberately falsified the accounts! Where would he spend so much money... He just bought a new wand, a few robes... a cauldron... some magic circle materials... Ah...

I think I also bought some books... and incidentally, I stayed in a room on the second floor of the tavern for over a month... and I never paid for any of my meals...

Even with all these things added up, it certainly wouldn't exceed 250 Galleons, right?

Or maybe 280 Galleons... but it won't reach 300!

"Because Miss Hamilton, you are a newly appointed professor at Hogwarts, and according to the rules of the Board of Governors, your monthly salary is... fifty Galleons." Dumbledore paused, looking at the stunned Loila, and said, "So Hogwarts has probably already advanced you half a year's salary."

"So... to ensure you can survive after the start of the semester," Dumbledore paused, lowering his voice, "I can't give you any more wages in advance."

Loila bit her lip, wanting to say something, but couldn't get the words out for a long time... like, "Lend me some money..." or something like that...

Ah...whether it's borrowing money from someone or borrowing money from Dumbledore or something...

Loila could never bring herself to say such a thing in her entire life.

Seeing Loila lower her head and fidget with her fingers, remaining silent for a long time, Dumbledore smiled gently.

"But Miss Hamilton," he tapped the table lightly, "I have some good news for you."

"Because Miss Lola Hammill has done an excellent job as an advisor to the Ministry of Magic."

"Rufus sent me a stipend of fifty gallons."

Why haven't you mentioned this before?!

Loila looked up at Dumbledore in surprise, and then she saw Dumbledore blink and look quite helpless.

"Well, Miss Hamilton, sometimes an old person's memory just isn't so good..."

You even remember me from fifty years ago... How could you forget where the extra fifty Galleons in your pocket came from?

"You..." Loila gritted her teeth and glared at Dumbledore. Of course, she knew Dumbledore was playing a trick on her! That old man... After I defeat him, I'll use a spell to burn his beard clean...

"Here are fifty Galleons." Dumbledore smiled and shook his head, taking a small bag from his pocket and placing it on the table.

The next second, Loila took the bag in her hand. She glanced at Dumbledore carefully and then began to count the coins one by one.

Who knows, Dumbledore might secretly take a few coins... He seems like the kind of person who would do that.

In Loyra's eyes, the headmaster of Hogwarts, the chief wizard of Wizengamot, was a villain who deceived children, liked to play bad jokes, and was treacherous and cunning.

After all, he was capable of doing the worst thing imaginable, like defeating Lord Grindelwald!

After carefully counting the money twice, Loila confirmed that there was nothing wrong with it.

Then she breathed a sigh of relief... Good, the simplest part, getting the money, is done. Now comes the hardest part... going to Diagon Alley to buy things...

Just as he was thinking this, Dumbledore coughed and said, "Besides, Miss Hamilton... Remus is not just my friend."

"So, regarding the concoction of wolfsbane... I can offer you some further personal assistance."

"Private...help?"

"That's right." Dumbledore said, slowly rising to his feet. "Please come with me."

"Ah...okay..." Loila was a little confused but followed Dumbledore. The two walked out of the headmaster's office and up the spiral staircase to the corridor.

Stepping onto the wooden floor, Dumbledore said slowly, "I can provide you with some of the ingredients for the Wolfsbane Potion."

"Or rather, a professor could."

"Professor...?" Is it my colleague? Could it be Hagrid? If it's Hagrid, I'd rather buy it myself...

Loila glanced at Hogwarts outside through the glass, a little frightened.

"Professor Severus Snape." The name Dumbledore uttered made Loira breathe a sigh of relief, and it also prompted her to ask instinctively.

"Snape...is the professor even human?"

"Ah..." Dumbledore paused for a moment upon hearing this, then chuckled, "Of course... Severus is Hogwarts's most outstanding Potions expert."

"That...that's wonderful..." Loila said, unconsciously feeling a little happy.

Professor Snape is definitely much easier to get along with than Hagrid... at least he's much smaller.

But is it really a good idea for us to ask him for medicinal herbs like this?

Loila knew how expensive the ingredients for Wolfsbane Potion were... even the fifty Galleons Dumbledore gave her were barely enough to buy them all.

You're not planning to use your position as headmaster to bully a mere Potions professor, are you? Just like you tricked me into working for an Auror at the Ministry of Magic!

Although they gave me fifty gallons, it is still a stain on my UMNO career!

So she asked in a low voice, "Isn't this... a little... not... not good?"

"..." Dumbledore seemed a little surprised that Loila would have such a thought. He paused slightly and looked at Loila: "Don't worry, Miss Hamilton."

"I'll make it up to Severus in other ways," he said, winking. "In ways you can't even imagine."

I'm not curious at all about how you made it up to him...

However, Royla felt much more relaxed after hearing that Dumbledore wasn't abusing his power.

But this raised a new question in her mind: "Then why... didn't Professor Snape brew the wolfsbane potion for Mr. Lupin?"

"Mr. Lupin was so..." Loila wanted to say "shabby," but after thinking for a few seconds, she changed it to "difficult."

"Ah...that question..." Dumbledore said after a few seconds of silence, "Perhaps you could ask Severus."

"However... you'd better not expect to get an answer."

What does this mean?

Loila suddenly sensed something was wrong... Could it be that Professor Snape and Mr. Lupin had something going on?