"Professor Kettleburn, are you sure about recomnding Mr. Layton? What's your reasoning for recomnding him?"
"Oh, Albus, I've asked eleven prisoners here in the prison, and only his cris aren't the typical ones, and they had very little impact on students."
"That's a very good reason. Are there any other factors?" Dumbledore smiled gently and made a mark on the docunts in front of him with a quill.
"He's also very capable. After causing trouble with several reports that angered the centaurs, he's been relentlessly hunted by them, yet he's still alive and well. I think that with such strength, we could probably be colleagues for a long ti."
"Very good. We'll certainly consider these factors in the next round of evaluations. Would you like so honeydukes sweets?"
"I won't refuse, thank you." Professor Kettleburn picked up two pieces of candy from Dumbledore's snack box and walked straight to the temporary dining hall.
Once only Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were left in the room, Professor McGonagall spoke in a low, rapid voice.
"Mr. Layton's resu does indeed look impressive, but his character is very stubborn, and the pressure from the centaurs on the Ministry of Magic has been intense. If we bring him to the school, not only would the entire centaur tribe across the country be affected, but the one in the Forbidden Forest will go crazy."
"If it's really necessary, Hagrid will handle things in the Forbidden Forest."
"Professor Kettleburn has already been under probation 62 tis this year! Albus, think carefully. If it weren't for their shared interests, how could Kettleburn, who's supposed to retire next year, possibly say sothing like 'we could be colleagues for a long ti'?" Professor McGonagall's tone beca more urgent.
"We already have one professor breaking the norm. If Mr. Layton becos our colleague, are we supposed to just watch him break the norm too?"
"Don't worry so much, Minerva. If he passes the final selection, we'll deal with these issues one by one. If he doesn't, we won't have to worry about them."
Just as Professor McGonagall was about to respond, there was a knock on the door.
It was Sibyll Trelawney, the Divination professor.
"Good afternoon, Headmaster, Professor McGonagall. Although the trajectory of Mars tells I should avoid going out today, the crystal ball tells I'll be dining at Azkaban today. I--I can't refuse the signs of destiny."
"Of course, of course," Dumbledore said, using magic to pull a chair for her.
"I've reviewed thirty prisoners. Although their fates are dim, I still found one to recomnd."
"Thirty? Such high efficiency," Professor McGonagall's voice had a slightly sharp tone; there was no surprise in the Deputy Headmistress's dismissal of the overly mystical Divination professor.
"Let my heavenly eye sweep away the mist, so that I may see all things unknown more clearly. Minerva, although I--I never boast about my all-knowing abilities, that does not an I won't use my heavenly eye to observe these matters."
"Alright," Dumbledore said in a cheerful tone, though his voice rose slightly. "So, Sibyll, do you have anyone to recomnd to us?"
"Of course, Headmaster," Professor Trelawney handed a form to the desk. "Although his fate star is still dim, I believe he is the most suitable candidate."
"So, you're saying, although you haven't seen anything, you still know?"
"If you must know, Minerva, my answer is quite clear; Yes."
"Then, what about him. This prisoner nad William? What makes his fate different?" Professor McGonagall's voice was dry.
"The ignorant would aa--attribute everything to others' destinies, but not . F-Fate will guide , Minerva," Professor Trelawney stood up and gracefully walked toward the dining hall. "Of the thirty prisoners I reviewed, their fate stars were all dim, but among them, this one is the most promising."
The door was closed again, leaving behind a dissatisfied Professor McGonagall and a calm-faced Dumbledore.
***
In the afternoon, when the Aurors escorted William out, he was completely dazed.
When he learned at noon that the Hogwarts professors had co to investigate, he had been unsettled. Although at his age, he could never expect to receive an acceptance letter, the fact that he was completely self-taught in magic ant that even just 1 or 2 hours of discussion with any professor could rapidly improve his skills.
These were the best teachers in all of Britain!
But when it ca to him, not only was there no exchange, there weren't even any questions; they just took him away imdiately. This ruined his lunch, making him slow to eat. Today was a rare day with extra food!
In the morning, when they hadn't seen anyone, everyone nearly argued over whether or not to hide their skills, but by the afternoon, each one of them felt they could have perford better during the investigation.
It was all incredibly real; there was no way around it, Hogwarts' reputation was too high, so much so that even if the Ministry of Magic personally tried to slander it, it wouldn't have much of an effect.
As a result, when William was taken away, the entire prison was filled with envious gazes.
Everyone had assud that Hogwarts wanted to recruit a group of temporary workers for manual labor; like for constructing venues, maintaining water systems, or building Herbology greenhouses.
After all, among the official wizards, only a few were willing to do such work. The designers were fine, but the construction workers were almost entirely from a lower tier. This ant that many wizards' houses were built by them doubling as engineers and construction workers. Small projects were manageable, but larger ones, with no connections, would require an unimaginable wait.
Hogwarts was a school, and larger projects had to be arranged during the holidays. It was quite normal for prisoners to serve labor instead of staying in prison. However, if there wasn't enough ti, the workers would have to be carefully selected to ensure the safety of the students.
William thought the sa, and he had no intention of refusing.
Although the idea of going to Hogwarts to work sounded exhausting, it was still much better than staying in Azkaban feeding Dentors. Those who had never encountered Dentors might hesitate, but for every prisoner in Azkaban, they would rather die from overwork outside than serve as a buffet in the dark cells.
On the way to his escort, William gradually strengthened his resolve; perform well, and strive for a chance at employnt. Although he couldn't beco a student at Hogwarts, working there was still an excellent option!
This worker was set!
***
Note: Silvanus Kettleburn, Hagrid's predecessor as the Care of Magical Creatures professor, had a temperant much like Hagrid's, with similar flaws. So, Dumbledore's decision to choose Hagrid wasn't based solely on favoritism. During his tenure, Kettleburn had been put on probation at least 62 tis.
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