When Vison arrived at the Great Hall, some students were already there.
Of course, there were hardly any first-year students among them. That was no surprise—after all, Hogwarts was like a maze to them, and those shifting, unpredictable stairs could give any new student a headache. Unless accompanied by older students, few first-years could find the Great Hall on their own on the very first day. It was the same every year.
But this year, something felt a little different.
Vison was halfway through his breakfast when he noticed a shift in the atmosphere. The students had all paused, glancing toward the entrance as whispers rose and fell through the hall.
Harry Potter had arrived.
At that moment, Harry and Ron stepped into the Great Hall together. What caught people's attention was the grayish-white parchment Harry held in his hand.
"We actually found the way... Who on earth designed Hogwarts' stairs like this?" Ron grumbled, looking both confused and frustrated.
"I think it's kind of interesting," Harry replied with a casual smile.
But as he glanced around the hall, his smile faltered. Even though he had tried to prepare himself, the feeling of dozens of eyes watching him was still uncomfortable. He shifted uneasily under their gaze.
Ron noticed too. He shrank his neck, leaned toward Harry, and muttered, "Harry, where did you get that map?"
"Secret," Harry replied mysteriously.
It was true—the reason he and Ron had managed to find the Great Hall so quickly was thanks to the map in his hand. He had found it tucked inside the small bag Vison had given him. Harry hadn't expected that the professor would go so far as to prepare a map, and he felt a flicker of gratitude as he looked down at it again.
The parchment was old, its edges yellowed with time, but the lines and labels were still clear, even showing secret passages. In the top-right corner, in small print, it read: Hogwarts Map — Seventh Edition, Made by a Hufflepuff who wishes to remain anonymous.
It was obvious Vison had made it himself.
Harry carefully folded the map and put it away. He and Ron quietly made their way to the Gryffindor table and sat down. By then, the stares and whispers had died down; the other students seemed to decide it was rude to disturb people during breakfast. Harry let out a soft sigh of relief.
He picked up a slice of golden-brown toast while Ron had already started shoveling food into his mouth, his cheeks stuffed with sausage as he mumbled happily.
While eating, Harry finally had time to look around. His gaze swept across the Great Hall until it landed on the staff table—and on Vison, sitting there. For a moment, Harry didn't react. It wasn't until Vison gave a small wave that Harry snapped out of his daze.
Quickly, Harry set down his half-eaten toast, wiped his hands, and whispered to Ron, "I'll be right back."
Ron, with a piece of bacon dangling from his mouth, looked up and asked vaguely, "Huh? Where are you going?"
But before he could finish, Harry was already pushing back his chair and heading toward the staff table.
Vison was sitting calmly, sipping his tea as if he had all the time in the world. When Harry reached him, Vison set down his cup with a faint smile.
"Good morning, Harry. Looks like you rested well."
"Professor," Harry began hesitantly, "How did you—"
"—end up at Hogwarts, right?" Vison finished for him, his smile widening.
Harry nodded.
Vison leaned back, his expression relaxed. "I suddenly got interested in teaching, so I came here."
Harry blinked, a little skeptical. "Just... like that?"
"Of course." Vison shrugged. "I'm good at teaching, you know. Besides, Professor Kettleburn trusts me. You've heard of him, haven't you? He used to be the Care of Magical Creatures professor."
Harry nodded slowly, thinking it over. It was true—Vison had already taught him quite a bit about Potions and Charms in the past. And he was good at it, too.
But after a short pause, Harry couldn't help but ask, "Then... Professor, will you still teach me Potions and Charms here?"
Vison chuckled and tapped Harry lightly on the head with his wand. "Professor Flitwick is much better than me at Charms. He'll be your Charms professor. And as for Potions... well, let's not even start about Snape. Either way, Hogwarts' professors are excellent. But if you have any questions, you're always welcome to come find me."
Harry's eyes brightened a little at that. But then he hesitated and asked again, "What about Care of Magical Creatures? Can I attend that class too?"
Vison shook his head. "That's a third-year elective, Harry. Besides, I've already seen your schedule—it overlaps with your Potions class."
Harry slumped a little in disappointment but still nodded. But in the back of his mind, he was already making plans. Maybe, just maybe, he could sneak into one of Vison's classes now and then. Missing one Potions lesson… surely it wouldn't be a big deal, right?
Wait, who was his Potions professor again?
Oh, right—Professor Snape. He had met him on the first day.
Hopefully, Snape would be... easy to talk to?
…
By the time Harry returned to his seat, Ron had already finished everything on his plate.
"Do you know Professor Vison?" Ron blurted out as soon as Harry sat down. "I saw you talking with him like old friends!"
Harry thought for a moment, then said, "Sort of." He didn't think there was any need to hide it.
Ron's eyes lit up. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Mate, you actually know a professor! That's amazing!"
Harry blinked, confused. "Is it that important?"
"Is it—? Of course, it is!" Ron's eyes went wide. "That's a professor we're talking about!"
He looked around quickly, then whispered with excitement, "Think about it—my brothers said they always get caught by professors when they pull pranks. But if you're friends with one, you could get away with so much more!"
"Stop right there!" Harry cut him off quickly, shaking his head. "I don't want to cause trouble for—uh—Vison. That would only make things harder for him."
Saying that, Harry glanced back toward the staff table.
Vison was now standing, checking a gleaming silver pocket watch in his hand.
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