Interlude 34

Dumbledore POV

I found myself surprisingly excited.

Enough so that I even put on my nicest robes!

Yes, when that letter arrived not long ago, I knew that I had made the correct choice. I was rather hopeful that these individuals would be coming for a proper interview. I knew that my lucky socks would not fail me.

Sure, our coffers were now flush with gold, but that couldn't immediately solve the problem of competent teachers.

I begrudgingly accepted Gilderoy Lockhart, mostly because I couldn't retract the acceptance so close to the start of the school year. It would reflect very poorly if we dumped him once another windfall came our way. And it certainly didn't have anything to do with the fact that he had a rabid following and a few words from him could cause quite the headache from a certain age group of witches.

Yes, certainly not for that reason.

Unfortunately, he would have to leave after the year.

That pesky curse on the Defense of the Dark Arts position.

Thankfully, Professor Flitwick agreed to start up the Dueling Club again this year. Now that we suddenly have the funding to support all the necessities.

And wouldn't you have it, they will be reviewing the same material from the standard textbooks each lesson.

On an additional and completely unrelated mental note, I will need to change the charter to amend the portion about teachers having free rein to decide their teaching material.

With all these new responsibilities, I'm glad I could finally give our staff an increase in their wages.

And it helped that Professor Hooch and Madam Poppey would no longer nag me about our older brooms. Personally, I felt like they built character. The riding class was only needed for mostly Muggleborns, as all the children that came from magical backgrounds had their parents teach them from early ages. And there's nothing that instills more respect for your broom than using one of those old things.

Perhaps I could add some enchantments to randomly throw the children off their broom with an additional spell that catches them right before they hit the ground?

I could always blame it on the Weasley twins.

Maybe add a word activation? Some of the….not so pleasant racist terms that seem to be circulated amongst the most esteemed members of our illustrious society.

It worked so well with the moving staircases, perhaps it's something I should look into?

But I digressed.

I found myself excited and my mind tended to wander when I didn't have an immediate avenue to express it.

Fawkes gave me a side eye glance as I merrily tapped away on my desk, but he tended to do that anytime I initiated any kind of musical tone. Who knew that Phoenix's were disdainful of any other melodies other than their own songs? Yes, the less people remember about the time I took Fawkes to the opera the better….

I adjusted myself in my seat as I felt the Statue in front of my office move as I finally had my guests arrive. Well, arrive at my office that is. I was immediately aware of their presence as soon as they stepped upon Hogwarts ground.

It took a great deal of restraint not to peep. I wanted an honest first impression for a potential new hire in such an unorthodox situation.

Minerva politely knocked once she got up to my door.

"Come in, come in." I quickly answered, even though she didn't even wait for a response to open the door.

"Headmaster, your guests have arrived." Minerva stated.

Yes, yes they had.

My eyes took in every detail I could.

The woman was my first priority. She practically radiated, Magic. It was as if the Magic of the world moved according to her will. She had an odd color to her hair, a very light blue, perhaps bordering purple in the right light. Though the primary thought was how natural it appeared, as I did not believe it was dyed or changed via any Magical Effects. And almost immediately, her ears were the new focus of mine. Particularly, the fact that they were pointed, denoting an ancestry that was not entirely human.

I was not one to care for such trifles, but it was important to at least note.

Overall, I had one important summarization for this woman.

She was exceedingly dangerous.

And I did not need Fawkes all but yelling through the link we shared to give me that warning. Sure, he was quiet and unmoving on the surface, but he was doing the equivalent of smacking me upside the head with a proverbial hand through our intimate bond.

But, it was…restrained, unintentional, I believe. I do not think Minerva even noticed, she was not as keen on such things. As great a Witch as she was, she never fought in the Wars and against the true Monsters of the world like what I had.

As for the man…..

He wore normal, if not standard, Muggle clothes. A well kept suit, a well trimmed haircut, and overall a well kept appearance. There was nothing…..unique about him at first glance, a Japanese man without any noticeable features you could pick out of a crowd.

However, there was something unsettling about him and I just couldn't quite put my finger on it. The way he held himself….everything looked too normal so I simply dismissed the feeling.

I gave a warm smile. "Welcome." I said with as polite a tone as I could, gesturing to the seats in front of my desk.

I was waiting for Minerva to excuse herself, but it seems she decided she was going to sit in on the interview as she stood behind me.

"Shall we begin with introductions?" I asked, more rhetorical than a true question. "I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Thank you for having us." The woman, surprisingly, had a sort of….chipper tone. Excitement? How curious. "I'm Medea and this – "

"Kuzuki Souichirou." The man introduced himself expressionlessly.

"Pardon me for asking, but what is your family name?" I looked at the woman who introduced herself as Medea.

"I don't have one." She immediately replied, shifting through a couple looks, as if trying to keep a pleasant smile on her face.

Was she…. nervous?

"You don't have one?" I stroked my beard.

"It wasn't common in my time." She paused. "I mean, it wasn't common where I'm from." She awkwardly corrected herself. "At least until I marry hubby!" She practically swooned over him, a stark contrast to his expressionless face.

"I see…" Very well then, some small talk before we begin? "How did you like the walk through the Castle?" It's always fun to hear the first impressions of adults when they come here. And it's a good ice breaker to begin with.

"The Bounded Fields are impressive. Some of them looked to be centuries old yet they still operate without any degradation. The outermost Bounded Fields, however, were showing signs of weathering, and there were spots I could have snuck through without casting any spells. They did not appear to be localized onto the same location as the majority, an addition that was added in recent years? A simple touch up would fix that issue. I also noticed that there were no defenses preventing animals and familiars from infiltrating the castle. A consideration since any Magus worth their salt can create a deniable Familiar form a basic animal nearby even without much talent in the field. I was impressed by the Anti-Scrying, however. Using an Astrology Tower to act as a conduit for a Thaumaturgical resonance and parsing index to navigate the rotation of the world's axis in correlation to the Stars to counter any attempts to Scry or predict the Castle and its occupants. Rather ingenious, since Astrology is the oldest method of prediction and Scrying in the world, any other methods would still find itself at odds with the defenses due to inherited deficiencies. But I don't need to get into that, you probably know more about the setup than I do with just a look." She chuckled.

"…..yes" I blinked, having been lost about half way through what she said. I cleared my throat. "Apologies, I meant your impressions on the castle itself not the….Wards."

"Oh." She said in a tinge of embarrassment. "Ahem. It's…very beautiful." She awkwardly pushed out. "I like…..the scenery?"

"….thank you, Miss Medea." I looked at the Muggle. "What about you, Mister….Souichirou?" I paused for a moment. Oh dear, I didn't even think about trying to pronounce his name, I hope I got it correct, or atleast close enough without appearing rude.

"The Castle appeared large enough to house an equally large number of students." He stated.

"….yes it's a large castle." My lips thinned.

"I have concerns about the travel time between classes. Such a large Castle means that there is potential for Students to be late. However, I am impressed by the size of land available for recreational activities by the students. There have been many case studies done that indicate a healthy learning environment includes physical exertion through a normalized routine. Equally important are the social interactions between students, a large Castle provides a means for Students an allowance of freedom while retaining a firm institutional standard of barriers and rules. As a Boarding School, there must be a foundation of a home in addition to the strictness of a classroom, yet a separation of both to provide the healthiest and most productive environment to teach. My first impression is that this school achieves this, in part, due to its inordinate size." He finished.

…..well then.

I was at a loss for words. I quite honestly did not know what to say in response. Normally, Muggles would be in awe at the paintings, the Ghosts, the structure itself. But here he…..analyzed our school's academic foundation based on its size.

It sounded like a compliment as well.

"You have a keen eye, Mr. Souchirou." Minerva praised.

I almost did a double take because she looked genuinely impressed.

He nodded. "In a personal opinion, I found the Ghosts interesting."

Ah, there it is.

"Me too!" Medea suddenly added as well. "It's a good idea, enslaving a group of Spirits to act as the School's familiars."

…what?

"Did you kill them yourself or did you bring them from somewhere else? To have such vivid apparitions, I would assume that you had to personally facilitate their grudges so they would appear upon their deaths?" She rubbed her chin. "Now that I think about it, they did not appear to be malevolent. Ah, a contract then? I heard that there is a nearby town connected to the school, do you collect their souls after death as payment? Quite the interesting method, it would explain the lack of a noticeable grudge and malevolence. There is enough Magical Energy in the castle to sustain a half-corporeal form that they appeared with. Maybe –"

"Miss Medea." I interrupted, because I had a strange feeling I would not like where this went to next. "We do not….harvest Souls nor kill people for their…..ghosts."

"Oh, right." She sounded…insincere as if she thought I was simply being coy.

"Let's move on." I would review these memories later. "Before we begin with the intricacies of teaching here, I would like you both to be aware of the proclivities of the school. Beyond being educators, every teacher here had a duty to the students. Between classes, we offer guidance, and outside of studies, we supervise and counsel."

"I love kids!"

"I have much experience operating outside the definitions of a History Teacher. The standard for Japanese Schooling emphasizes an approachable position even during non-class hours."

…could be worse answers.

"And, while I hate to say it, there may come a time where the safety of the students is paramount."

"I'll kill anyone who tries to harm my students." Medea spoke with an oddly chilly tone to accompany it.

"…..we try our best not to resort to killing as the first response."

"Don't worry, I'm skilled at keeping prisoners alive despite what wounds they've suffered."

"….wonderful."

I glanced at Mr. Souichirou and he….looked proud of her? It was hard to tell because he didn't express himself much on the surface.

"Let's talk about the positions." I put my hands together. "Miss Medea, you want to be hired for the position of Magical Theory, yes?" I already knew the answer. "May I ask what your experience is with teaching, and overall with the concept?"

"Oh, I've taught a few times over the years. Never anything standardized, mostly just a random person here or there that I found interesting. As for my own experience with Magical Theory, the basics I've read about mostly line up with Spell Creation, I believe. I've created hundreds of spells myself over my life and have a thorough understanding of the intricacies of spell crafting." She puffed up, seemingly proud of herself.

I admit, it was…..somewhat endearing to see her like that compared to just a moment prior.

"And where did you learn from?" A question I felt I needed to ask.

"I learned from Circe, and had some lessons from Hecate." She revealed without any hesitation.

"And by Circe you mean…"

"My Aunt." She clarified, or not really. "She lived on the Island of Aeaea."

"….I see."

What…..was I supposed to say in response to that nugget of information? I would need to put out some feelers to verify later….If that was possible.

But it didn't feel like she was lying to me.

I had no idea how to feel at the moment.

"And you, Mr. Souichirou?" I needed a pallet cleanser.

In response, the stoic man reached to the side of the chair, and lifted up the briefcase he brought with him. With a few clicks it opened up, and he began to retrieve papers from it. "Here is my resume." He stated, placing it on the table. "Here are the documents verifying my education background. My Achievements in College. My Graduation records. My community service records –"

"Community Service records…?" I blurted out as he placed all this stuff in front of me.

"A well-rounded educator should have experience serving their community." He pushed up his glasses with a stern look. "A copy of my Diploma. Here are my accolades I received upon Graduation."

There was a neat stack of papers now piled up. "Thank you, Mr. Souichirou, I will gladly pour through all of this."

I suppose it's a nice alternative to the usual methods we used to employ new teachers. I would never be upset that our staff were too qualified. Even if I'm going to spend the evening trying to make sense of this muggle paperwork.

"I am not fished."

"It's quite alright we – "

"Here is my proof of former employment. My proof of residency in Japan. My family registry. My Tax documents for the past 5 years. My employment contract. My quarterly reviews for the past 5 years. And my recommendations with background notes for each signature."

"….thank you, Mr. Souchirou this is….detailed." I looked at the now several stacks of paperwork I was going to have to dedicate a few evenings to sort through. "With regards to the position itself, do you have any questions or concerns?"

"I am pleased that you asked." He said, pushing his glasses up again and I felt a strange sense of foreboding in my chest. He took out a textbook from his briefcase. "I have obtained the teaching material from a previous year and I have found it undesirable. With the assumption that the current curriculum mirrors the lessons taught within this book, I have taken the liberty of drafting my own curriculum." He replied, taking out a very thick stack of paper bound together and putting it on my desk.

My Desk shook from him dropping it onto it.

"…..wonderful." I forced out, staring at the additional stack of papers I was no doubt going to be forced to look through after the whole debacle with Lockhart. "Well, I can certainly say you have come prepared." I only took his resume to glance over. I wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the muggles method of interviews, and a brief summary of his achievements and work history was an excellent document to have. "If I may ask, what did you do before teaching? There appears to be a period of years into your adulthood from before your college days." I noted after skimming his resume.

I admit, even with the additional work this was going to put me through, it was certainly a relief to have an educator with a solid background in teaching. For once, in quite a few years, we wouldn't be scraping the bottom of the barrel to fill any new positions.

Yes, he certainly had the demeanor of a teacher and I could see a potential where we would accept Muggles into this position in the future. There are just some things you can't fake, and some things that bridge barriers such as magical and Muggle. A Teacher is a Teacher, and that's all that matters.

"I was an Assassin."

"…..wonderful."

[***]

Non-Canon Omake: Chaldea Sponsored Master and Servant Relationship Seminar.

Romani Archaman POV

"Alright everyone, thank you for coming –" I blinked, looking around the room. "This is for Masters only…..Caster, Caster, and…Berserker… Rider, and Mash, why are you five here?"

"I won't leave my Anchin even for a second~"

Ritsuka Fujimaru looked rather…..stressed by that statement.

"….I felt like I should be here to protect Master." Mash said softly, glancing at Kiyohime.

I….had no argument against that.

"Miss Tamamo?" I looked at the other Servant hanging off of Samuel's arm.

"Master needs his Foxy Wifey~"

He mouthed something to me, but I didn't quite get it.

It probably wasn't important.

"Cu Chulainn?" I looked at the odd one out of the bunch.

"Like hell I'm missing this dumpster fire."

"…..okay then." My self esteem took a large hit. "And, um…Marie?"

"I was curious!" The happy and expressive French Queen exclaimed. "Who knows, it might come in handy~"

"Alright." That was much easier to deal with. And frankly, it's the whole reason I was holding this per the directors orders. "Before we begin –"

The Door was literally blown open.

Saber came marching in with the Director screaming behind her.

"WHY CAN'T YOU USE THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!?"

Saber ignored her, her gaze landing on me. "Am I in the correct place?"

"….how would I know?" I whispered.

Her eyes narrowed as she read what words I wrote on the white board behind me. "I have a question for you, pathetic man."

"Hey, there's no need to be mean—"

"Does this knowledge you bestow only correspond to the bond between a Servant and Master or does it work….elsewhere."

"Well…" I scratched my head. "I guess it doesn't only relate to –"

She ignored me and took a seat. "You have my permission to continue."

"Very subtle." Cu snorted.

"Be quiet." She hissed back.

I let out a sigh. "Is there anyone else coming?"

Miss Hinako peeked her head through the door.

"….come in." I sighed again.

I was being sarcastic!

"Just for the record, I don't actually need this. But my Servant wouldn't stop bugging me." Hinako strolled in with a Certain Avenger right behind.

"Bitch, I never said anything like that!" The former Dragon Witch scowled, stomping in as well.

She seethed, but took a seat in the corner, pretending to look put off by this whole thing.

Well…this was certainly more people than I anticipated…makes it feel a bit awkward too.

"Then, let us begin –"

"Am I late!?" Medea practically slid into the room. "I almost lost track of time!"

"Why are you here?" Pierre grumbled.

"Master, don't you want to deepen our bond?" She laughed.

"No."

"Good, cause I'm just here to watch the fun." She chuckled, taking a seat too.

"Alright, is there anyone else? Da Vinci, are you going to be coming too?" I asked, to no one in particular.

"I'm watching from my Workshop." Her voice sounded from the intercoms.

…..why am I the one forced to do this?

"We're starting." I declared, taking up the marker.

May as well get this over with.

Alright, let's begin.

"Today, we're going to be talking about Harems." Since well….with how many Servants have been summoned already, we should tackle this issue before problems arise. "Now, to start off, many people think the emphasis is on sexual relations, but that couldn't be further from the truth. You see, the inclusion of many members of what is termed a 'Harem' provides a structured and consistent method of emotional and instrumental support. Outside of the intimate nature of a relationship built upon more than two members, there becomes a cross-emotional bonding that does not always indicate a reciprocation of sexual or romantic feelings. Usually, like with most groups, one person becomes dominant outside of the 'owner' of the Harem. But this doesn't mean you have to foster a type of 'leadership' within the Harem. On the flip side, this can lead to the development of a strong undercurrent of sub-political influence among the members vying for a perceived notion of power over the other members. We'll cover this portion later and discuss how to properly manage inter-Harem politics that crop up. And you also must understand that this does imply that all within the group must like one another. However, there needs to be a form of mutual respect among every person involved. Trust and communication are the most important facet of a well maintained Harem. You must understand that Comfort is not universal!" I emphasized. "You need to make sure that every single person involved has their own individual preferences met! Without the concept of comfort being met within the Harem, it turns into competition. And don't think this can be avoided by sex! It doesn't matter how good you are in Bed, trust me. That's why you need to foster a positive relationship between everyone involved." I wrote some more things on the board, circling them for them to see properly. "That brings us to the next part, what constitutes 'comfort'? Well, the main points will be, Emotional Support, Security and –"

I stopped, looking at the room as it was oddly quiet, which differed heavily from earlier.

"….why are you all looking at me like that?" I asked.

[***]

A/N

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