Chapter 79: Becoming a Teaching Assistant! A Subconscious Plot!

As Dumbledore solemnly announced that he would award honorary medals to Dudley and Harry, all the professors and staff at the faculty seats stood up knowingly.

With the professors setting an example, the students from the four houses also stood up.

At this moment, the eyes of all the teachers and students at Hogwarts were fixed on Dudley and Harry.

Harry was extremely excited, and the excitement on his face was hard to hide.

Dudley also obligingly showed a faint smile.

He didn't care about the First - Class Order of Merlin honorary medal. It wasn't a rare thing and had little practical use.

His former captive, Peter Pettigrew, was even posthumously awarded a First - Class Order of Merlin honorary medal after faking his death.

This medal can't be eaten or exchanged for money. The only thing it can do is to boost one's reputation when things are going well.

This reputation might help Dudley reduce some resistance when he launches an educational reform wave at Hogwarts. That's why he's willing to give a fake smile.

Dudley and Harry stayed in their original positions.

Dumbledore's old face beamed with delight. He stretched out his old hand, holding two golden medals with green ribbons beneath them, and slowly walked towards them.

The Order of Merlin was an organization founded by the great wizard Merlin in the Middle Ages. Upholding Merlin's idea of harmonious coexistence between wizards and Muggles, it maintained order and prohibited wizards from casting magic on Muggles.

To this day, this organization is just a nominal code, and its specific duties have been transferred to the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot.

The First - Class Order of Merlin honorary medal is awarded to outstanding wizards who have made outstanding and brave deeds for the wizarding world and made remarkable contributions in magic. The ribbon of this medal is green.

Green is the representative color of Slytherin House. According to legend, Merlin was also a Slytherin back then. The design inspiration for the ribbon of this medal comes from this.

In the presence and witness of all the teachers and students.

Dumbledore got off his golden seat and came to Dudley and Harry's side. With a gentle push of his hand, the two gold - ribboned First - Class Order of Merlin honorary medals floated automatically towards Dudley and Harry's chests, and the pins of the medals automatically fastened onto the robes on their chests.

The next moment, Dumbledore led the applause, and thunderous applause rang out in the Hogwarts Great Hall again.

After the applause died down, the old man still didn't let everyone start dinner. Instead, he announced a special appointment:

"Here, I want to announce another piece of news to you all.

In view of the fact that Dudley Dursley has been recognized by Hogwarts Castle, has excellent magical skills, and has made outstanding contributions to the wizarding world.

As the current headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I'd like to invite Dudley Dursley to be a teaching assistant at Hogwarts and teach the students magic.

A teaching assistant can assist in other professors' classes and also apply for an empty classroom to teach on their own initiative. They can also exercise the professor's right to increase or reduce house points according to the students' performance.

I hope that Mr. Dursley can, in addition to his own studies, help the students from the four houses make progress together. I wonder if Mr. Dursley is willing to accept this appointment?"

Dumbledore gave Dudley a special surprise, or perhaps a shock, in front of the entire school.

Just like before, the old man didn't discuss it with Dudley in advance.

Looking into Dumbledore's eyes and seeing the look of encouragement and plea in them, Dudley's mind was in turmoil.

Tonight, Dumbledore had smoothed things over for him, awarded him, and publicly hired him with his words. His motives weren't that pure.

Dudley had amicably cooperated with the old man for a month and even offered him a precious hope of resurrecting a loved one.

By rights, the old man should have treated him like an ancestor.

Who would've thought! Who would've thought!

In this situation, the old man still risked creating a rift with him just to nail him firmly to the side of the white wizard. He was afraid that Dudley would become the next Voldemort and drag the wizarding world into the abyss.

To maintain the order of the wizarding world, Dumbledore really was willing to do anything!

He'd publicized the effects of the Calm Mind Spell and made Dudley a teaching assistant to teach it. It seemed like he was helping Dudley gain fame, but in fact, he was making Dudley stand firmly against the Dark Wizard!

"I'll take the teaching assistant position!"

Dudley took a long look at the old man and replied loudly and crisply.

Whether he was overthinking or not, and whether Dumbledore did it intentionally or not, he wouldn't argue or fall out with Dumbledore over this.

A leopard can't change its spots (One's nature is hard to change).

It was only natural for Dumbledore to have such schemes. It completely fit Dudley's perception of him.

Anyway, Dudley never intended to be a stupid Voldemort. What Dumbledore did really helped him.

He was just worried about not having the status and position to implement the educational reform at Hogwarts!

Even if Dumbledore didn't offer the teaching assistant position, he'd ask for it in a couple of days.

Hearing that Dudley agreed without much hesitation, Dumbledore was overjoyed.

Dumbledore's original intention was really just to give Dudley and Harry a surprise.

He knew that, given Dudley's character, he was bound to cause a lot of trouble during his time at school. This had already been proven today.

If Dudley only had the identity of a student, Dumbledore was afraid he couldn't handle all the big things Dudley might cause in the future, which would make things difficult for him as the headmaster.

So, he simply hired him as a teaching assistant in advance to prevent problems and pave the way.

Of course, it would be a lie to say that Dumbledore didn't have the kind of thoughts Dudley analyzed at a subconscious level.

Over the years, his belief in maintaining the order of the wizarding world had been completely engraved in his consciousness.

Unconsciously, Dumbledore's plans and actions would be influenced by this belief, and he couldn't change it.

If Dudley hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't have realized it himself.

...

Dudley's teaching assistant position was quickly finalized amidst the numb surprise of the entire school.

Dumbledore gleefully walked back to his golden throne.

He shouted a few strange words of unknown meaning and directly announced that dinner was served.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

The rapid sounds of wands tapping on empty plates rang out. The teachers and students in the Great Hall were extremely hungry.

The house-elves in the kitchen below the Great Hall received the instructions and quickly used magic to transport steaming British 'delicacies' into the empty plates on the tables in the upper Great Hall.

The house-elves didn't know why the dinner time was much later than usual. They only knew to continuously cook new food so that they could offer the freshest delicacies to the wizards above at the first moment when needed.

In the Great Hall, all the tables were instantly filled with a dazzling array of food.

Basins of roasted chicken legs, sweet corn, hot dogs, bacon, fried fish, pizza, mushroom soup... stimulated the appetites of the teachers and students. They ate and chatted merrily.

The atmosphere in the Great Hall instantly turned relaxed and cozy.

Dudley and Harry went to the Gryffindor table to have dinner. They sat with their friends Ron, Hermione, and Neville. Beside them were Fred, George, and Percy, three brothers of the Weasley family, who had supported them before.

Everyone was eating and smiling.

During the conversation, the friends didn't stint on their admiration and praise for Dudley and Harry.

However, Dudley didn't put all his mind on eating and chatting. From time to time, he scanned the whole Great Hall, paying attention to any abnormalities.

He always had a suspicion in his mind, that is, Voldemort's main soul was also in this Great Hall at this moment, parasitizing on a certain wizard.