"Potions lesson...... Professor?"

Just as Snape was about to respond to Slughorn's question, another voice interjected.

"I'm sure I may have misunderstood you, Professor Dumbledore. ”

Damocles Bebier frowned and interjected indifferently, "Maybe I'm so far away from the young people I have now that I have the delusion that you seem to be suggesting that we are going to do what this Professor Snape does?"

The old wizard glanced nonchalantly at Severus Snape and grinned.

"Oh, you know, this kid may be a few years younger than my grandson - maybe he's pretty good at the textbook, but Potions is not quite the same as the history of magic and Transfiguration, and more important than talent is technique and knowledge. If you're planning to expand your faculty membership, I think you should probably take into account the thinness and immaturity of young people in terms of time......"

Damocles chuckled and shook his head, the contempt in his tone undisguised.

As the inventor of the wolf poison potion, he is naturally qualified to evaluate it like this, if he chooses to stay in school when he graduates, then there may not be anything about Slughorn in the future - and as far as he knows, Severus Snape is not even Slughorn's most satisfactory student, and the most eye-catching label on this young professor is only youth.

You know, in the long life of Damocles, it is not uncommon for Potions Nova to be gifted.

But most of them end up only in the imitation stage, and it is difficult to even optimize potions, let alone invent new high-level potions, and such people are often referred to as "high-level potions apprentices".

"Don't say that, Damocles, Potions really doesn't need that high ...... to teach"

Horace Slughorn looked at Snape, the corners of his mouth twitching, and he was familiar with the round.

Compared to the old senior who had been immersed in research, Slughorn still knew some rumors about Severus Snape from his own intelligence channels - as a person who could make many former Death Eaters jealous, this young man may not have any outstanding achievements in potions for the time being, but if the two of them draw their rods......

"I don't really need that much knowledge, which is why I turned down to be a Potions professor in the first place. ”

Damocles Bebiel replied with a look of arrogance, "Now that the whole wizarding world is learning about the potions I invented, you have just gone from being a gifted potions star to a retired professor who still needs to see other people's faces. ”

After touching the ash several times in a row, the smile on Slughorn's face was a little unbearable.

Oh, yes—but you're back now, aren't you?

He glanced at the parchment in Damocles' hand and asked in a playful tone.

Horace Slughorn's gaze wandered over Damocles a few times, and intentionally or unintentionally lingered for a moment on the edge of the old wizard's somewhat old-fashioned, old-fashioned black wizard's robes, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

- There are also a few patches of different colors -

It was clear that over the years, the legendary Potions Master had not been in a very good situation, at least far worse than him.

"At least many of the students I've taught are still active in various areas of the magical society. And your wolf poison potion, well, I guess the werewolves will like you very much? Maybe on your birthday, they will send you some prey as a birthday present? I heard that you made the recipe of the wolf poison potion public for free, I wonder if anyone will give you patent compensation......"

"Don't compare me to you, slug—"

Damocles Bebier narrowed his eyes and glared at the stocky old man in front of him with a cold expression.

"I'm only coming back because Mr. Lemay has restarted alchemy here, and if you put all that energy into the field of potions that keep the little slugs alive, you won't be reduced to the pitiful ...... of being taken by your own students."

"Alternate position?

"Alright, that's it, you two!"

Dumbledore's azure eyes flashed under his lenses, and he raised his voice.

"Damocles, on the issue of Severus being the leader, that's not going to change anytime soon. Not only Potions class, but all Hogwarts courses will be temporarily taught by the original professor after the enrollment is expanded. ”

"As for the content of the course, you can discuss it yourself after that......"

The old man looked around at the wizards in the office and said resolutely.

"Whatever your reason for coming to Hogwarts, new associate professors who want to participate in the classroom must have the consent of the head of the department, which is a joint decision of the Ministry, the Board of Trustees, and Hogwarts—at least until the standards for university titles in the wizarding world are finalized. ”

"Oh, well, well, since this is a uniform standard......"

Seeing Dumbledore's resolute attitude, Damocles raised an eyebrow and looked sideways at Snape.

"So Professor Snape, what are you going to test me for? or is it a magic elixir? Very well - I'll write you a version of the answer that you will be satisfied with, and I don't think you can read it completely, but I can teach you ......"

"So, I'm going to have to take the test too?

Horace Slughorn looked at Dumbledore with a strange expression, waved the exam paper for the "Associate Professor of Potions Qualifications" he had just received from his student, and said helplessly with a sigh amid the old man's nod.

"You know why I'm here, Albus—I'm going to see it tonight, or ...... I didn't expect that after teaching all my life, the reason I finally came back to school was because I answered students' questions, and it was really—alas—"

Without finishing the rest of the sentence, Slughorn rolled up the parchment with a sad face and sighed heavily.

Ever since he saw the news in the newspapers and learned that Voldemort wasn't really dead, he had been afraid that the nightmare that had haunted him for decades would become a reality - because of a moment of negligence, he had created a terrible monster that could not be killed.

It's just that, as time passed, he began to fantasize and expect:

Perhaps Tom Riddle, later known as Voldemort, did not choose to make Horcruxes, but instead used some dangerous dark magic that he didn't know to save his life, but Dumbledore's letter shattered Slughorn's last luck.

It wasn't known how Dumbledore knew about the conversation in the first place—after all, Slughorn had the impression that when he and Tom Riddle were talking about Horcruxes, only the two of them should have known—but when Dumbledore recreated the scenes and conversations almost completely in his letter, Horace Slughorn breathed a sigh of relief.

And at the same time, he also encountered one of the most difficult conditions he had to refuse over the years-

Another opportunity to have a face-to-face conversation with that Tom Riddle back then, and ...... An opportunity to atone for sins.

The price was to return to Hogwarts Castle, to return to his position as Potions professor, and to contribute his wisdom to the future education reform of Hogwarts, which was his dream every time he woke up alone in the middle of the night over the years.

"Show me what you've learned over the years, Severus......

Horace Slughorn muttered, took a deep breath and began to answer the question on the parchment.

If he was not mistaken, perhaps Dumbledore invited him back to Hogwarts not just because of Tom Riddle's diary - spying on Severus Snape, the current Potions professor he had trained and who had been active in the Death Eater camp in the past, might also be part of his mission.

Horace Slughorn, who is also the top Potions Master, is well aware of the dangers of potions in a place like Hogwarts Castle, and if Voldemort does return, Snape will most likely hold the whole school hostage in an instant.

In the wizarding world, the only person who can fight against the Potions Master is another Potions Master, which is the simplest truth.

After working together at Hogwarts for so many years, he knew Albus Dumbledore's character too well - he was the countermeasure just in case, and Damocles was the primer used to attract attention on the surface.

............

Sadly, Mr. Headmaster doesn't seem to notice Slughorn's abundant inner turmoil.

Admittedly, out of personal emotion, Dumbledore did wish Horace Slughorn a return to Hogwarts.

But for Dumbledore, this is not an essential thing, after all, there is no shortage of good wizards in the school now, and more of a reason is that Elena's little girl insists on "issuing a recruitment mission".

Strictly speaking, he just reviewed the contents of the letter a little, and then with the idea of giving it a try, he let the white-haired ball play freely - after all, this is not a bad thing for Hogwarts from any point of view, and Horace Slughorn should indeed come out of the shadows of the past.

As for what he is more concerned about now, it is ......

"I'm sorry, Severus. ”

Dumbledore looked apologetically at the Potions professor in front of him.

"Maybe I'll think about it later, but in this special time, in the whole of Hogwarts, I really can't find a second Potions Master who can compete with those two gentlemen, but it may be ...... when they get along."

"I don't mind, and I'm sure they'll soon understand that age doesn't mean anything. ”

Snape shrugged his shoulders, he didn't think he needed to worry about the two wizards who had been away from school for too long.

Even if they may be more than twice his age, or once his Potions professor, or once dominated the cover of Potions Frontiers for a few months, Potions is more about talent, creativity, and discipline.

"Of course, I never doubted that, Severus. ”

Dumbledore smiled and nodded, "Whether it's the Potions professor, the Slytherin headmaster, as the youngest teacher in the history of Hogwarts, you have given an impeccable answer with practical actions in the past ten years. ”

"Three years, this is the last time! I remember what you said. ”

Facing Albus Dumbledore's warm smile, Snape raised his eyebrows and said with a blank expression.

"I only hope you won't find any new reasons next time, and with your current state of health, I don't think you should retire so soon—by the time Miss Kaslana reaches fifth grade, it's the deadline. ”

When they first entered Hogwarts, the two had clearly agreed that he would only replace the Potions class for three years, and when Dumbledore found a new Potions professor, and there was a vacancy in the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, the school would give him priority.

But three years and then and then for ten years.

"Ahh

Caught off guard by hearing the little witch's name, Dumbledore's heart twitched reflexively.

Dumbledore had almost forgotten, or rather rarely faced, the cruelty of being Elena Caslana had only just spent her first school year at Hogwarts, and that there were six full years left to torment him after that.

The smile on the old wizard's face faded and he nodded heavily.

"Don't worry, I'll try to hold on until then. However, Horace Slughorn is right, I should really start thinking about retiring - Hogwarts will need an additional 'Headmaster' after that, and at that point, maybe you can arrange the courses you want to take on yourself. ”

"I hope so......"

Snape pursed his lips noncommittally, Dumbledore's verbal promises he had heard for some time.

"Then I'll go to the next classroom to see the situation of those candidates, and say in advance, if I don't pass such a simple and basic written exam, even Professor Horace Slughorn, I can't treat it specially. ”

As the head of Potions and the head of Slytherin House, Snape had a lot going on today.

In addition to Damocles and Slughorn, there were several well-known wizards who had submitted their offers to Hogwarts for the title of "Associate Professor of Potions Class", and Snape needed to select the most suitable candidate for Dumbledore by 3 p.m.

"Go ahead, Potions is hard for you, and I'll tell you more about it here. ”

Dumbledore nodded, waving his hand for Snape to get busy first.

And just as Severus Snape left the door of the Headmaster's office, he heard Dumbledore's voice ringing in the room again, "Then, gentlemen and ladies, please refer to the form of Potions to find the corresponding full professor for the entrance examination, during which I will wait for you in the office, if there is any problem that cannot be solved, you can come to me." ”

"The end time of the assessment is 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and there is more than one subject that can be applied for, well, that's it......"

————

————

Boom!2-in-1 Chapter!Chapter!~