Chapter 682: Final Exams
On the first Sunday of June, Dumbledore, absent from Hogwarts for quite some time, finally returned. That evening, he entered the Great Hall during dinner, accompanied by a group of elderly witches and wizards.
The unexpected visitors immediately drew the attention of the students.
"Who are they?"
"I think they're the examiners..."
"I know! That's Professor Marchbanks, the oldest member of the Ministry of Magic's Wizarding Examinations Authority."
A buzz of speculation rippled through the hall.
Kyle's gaze instinctively fell on Dumbledore's hands. To his relief, while they still appeared dry and wrinkled, resembling straw encased in skin, they hadn't turned black, and no strange rings adorned his fingers. Kyle exhaled softly, reassured.
His attention shifted to the other wizards accompanying Dumbledore. Professor Tofty, an unsteady old wizard, seemed the most frail.
Though he looked ancient, he had only recently celebrated his 100th birthday and was considered relatively young in this company. Kyle remembered him from the previous year's Charms and Herbology exams.
Professor Marchbanks, on the other hand, appeared unchanged. Her face, with its labyrinth of wrinkles, seemed impervious to further lines—it was hard to tell if age had added any more. Despite her advanced years, she appeared energetic, engaging in lively conversation with Dumbledore.
"It was a pleasant journey. We've been here many times before," she said, surveying the hall. Then, in a loud voice, she asked, "I heard you wanted to run against Cornelius for Minister of Magic once. Is that true?"