Volume 4: The Sea and the Ship Heading North Chapter 204: The Head of the Family
Fox's appearance filled the students on the ship with surprise.
These children, who were taken on the carriage at the age of 11, have lived and studied at Hogwarts for many years, but have never been separated from their professors for such a long time as they have during this period.
They were all familiar with Dumbledore's pet. After seeing Fawkes, many students' faces were filled with excitement. Then Jon took a small bag of green powder from its paws.
The phoenix can sing, but it certainly can't speak, and Jon is not familiar with it to the same extent as Dumbledore, who can understand its meaning just by eye contact.
But even without any hint, Jon recognized what Fox brought.
Without avoiding other students, he chose the fireplace in the restaurant, pinched a handful of green powder from the small bag, and sprinkled it into the fire in the fireplace.
The next second, under the gaze of all the students on the ship, the originally orange-yellow fire instantly turned light green, and then a human face that was extremely familiar to each of them was formed by these green flames.
Dumbledore still had that gentle smile on his face, and he didn't seem to have changed at all. There was a burst of flames flying behind him, and it seemed that he was not the only one around him.
The students cheered.
They called out to Professor Dumbledore, and everyone seemed to have a lot to say to him. Dumbledore smiled and talked to everyone. Even including the sixth and seventh graders who had graduated early, there were less than a hundred people in the entire carriage. He could call everyone's name and was familiar with everyone's personality.
He chatted with them, not talking about the war, death, and the situation, but acting as if nothing had changed from before.
The students talked about how Justin, a junior, won the recent fishing competition. He somehow managed to catch a small shark. They said that many of them had learned the Patronus Charm, and some could even summon threads of light. They said that they did not relax even at sea, and by the time of this year's final exams, everyone would surely be able to meet the usual professors' requirements, if there were still final exams this year.
Dumbledore agreed and said that he would award Justin a gold medal when he returned and hang his name in the Hall of Fame at Hogwarts. He was surprised that they were already able to master the Patronus Charm at such a young age, and said that after thinking seriously, he would consider incorporating the Patronus Charm into the routine Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching in the future. Finally, he blinked his eyes and pretended to be serious and said that there would definitely be normal minimum exams at the end of this year, and the requirements would not only not be lowered, but would most likely be raised, so they should not let down their guard.
He is like the patriarch of everyone, and can give people the most reassuring warmth at any time.
This conversation lasted for more than an hour, and Jon even added Floo powder once more before it was time for the students to go to class. Finally, they left the restaurant reluctantly.
There were only Jon, Nick and Fox left here. Fox was standing on the dining table, secretly glancing at Jon as he brought him a vine of grapes, looking as if he wanted to eat the grapes but also wanted to put on airs.
"It seems that you have taken good care of them, Captain Green."
Dumbledore, apparently having heard Jon's new name from other students, said with a smile.
Jon shrugged.
"It's not about who takes care of whom. We are no longer carefree children who stay with our parents all day long. We all know how to take care of ourselves."
Dumbledore's expression seemed somewhat emotional. He had been the headmaster for decades, and now the students in Hogwarts were having the most difficult time, but also the most reassuring. This made people feel gratified, but also sad.
"We are now out of Azkaban."
Jon didn't waste any time on small talk and went straight to the point.
"Although we have experienced some twists and turns, we have also gained a lot. We have found something that the Dark Lord left on the island, and we will let Fox take it back later. In addition, there are some unexpected gains."
He will tell the story of the capture of Scabior and Macnick, and also include the questions asked from their mouths.
"...the two of them should be able to bring some help to you, Professor. I'll capture them all, and you can also let Fox take them over."
"This is indeed a pleasant surprise. During this period, there have been more and more unfamiliar Aurors in France. We can also guess that the Dark Lord has mobilized British forces for reinforcement, but if we just say it, few people will believe it. With the two people you captured, we have evidence."
Dumbledore said softly with a serious look.
"But there is one thing you should pay attention to. Even if you hide your true identity, when the Dark Lord is informed of what happened in Azkaban, he will know that we did it. This suspicion does not require evidence, because we are the only ones who can oppose him and have the ability to do so. I will try my best to keep an eye on him in France, and you also need to be careful from now on. He must know better than anyone where he went and what arrangements he had made at the time."
Jon nodded and asked, following the topic.
"After leaving Azkaban, Nick said that our next destination is a tower in the middle of the ocean?"
"Yes, I once used another identity to try to climb up to that tower. Although the old wizard who lived there was a little unkind, he was generally a good person to get along with." Dumbledore said, "It's just that I can feel that there are some special arrangements on the tower. I haven't investigated them carefully. When the Dark Lord made any preparations, he must have used me as a target of caution. So no matter what you encounter, you must not let your guard down easily."
Sure enough, as Nick said, even Dumbledore, who planned the route, could not have a clear understanding of their upcoming voyage.
After all, their destination and direction were predicted, and many unexpected things were inevitable.
"Is everything going smoothly over there, Professor?"
"Of course you don't have to worry about that. Everything is fine here, and we have gathered many people with the same goal." Dumbledore's eyes were deep. "Think on the bright side. I think it won't be long before we can meet in advance, Jon."
