Chapter 564 "Dumbledore's Plan"

"Retire?"

Snape, still processing the recent revelation about Jerry, possibly being the enigmatic Wizard J, found himself equally astounded by Dumbledore's forthcoming retirement announcement.

Dumbledore clarified, "Yes, I've decided to make this announcement prior to the Triwizard Tournament. During the tournament, I hope you'll assume my position as the new Headmaster. Naturally, I will preside over the Triwizard Tournament as its judge and remain at the school until the competition concludes."

Dumbledore playfully winked at Snape, leaving the latter in another state of shock. Snape was going to become the Headmaster of Hogwarts!

"Isn't this rather abrupt? I always assumed you would choose McGonagall." Snape uttered his opinion, trying to confirm what he just heard.

After all, the way Professor McGonagall takes care of everything around Hogwarts with the disappearance of Dumbledore every once in a while shows just how much.

"No, McGonagall is excellent, but you are better suited for this role. However, you must adjust your favoritism toward Slytherin," Dumbledore replied.

Dumbledore had wrestled with the decision of the next Headmaster.

While McGonagall seemed a suitable choice due to her fairness and impartiality, she occasionally demonstrated excessive rigidity, which might not befit a Headmaster.

Furthermore, her age indicated she might not serve for an extended period and might retire sooner.

In contrast, Snape, despite his outward appearance, was a youthful thirty-five years old in the prime of his life.

He possessed unparalleled magical prowess and demonstrated pragmatism, particularly evident in his approach toward Slytherin students.

Snape took measures against Slytherin students involved in conflicts with those from other houses, irrespective of the fairness of the situation.

In the modern wizarding world, a Headmaster who exhibited flexibility and adaptability might be better suited to preside over Hogwarts.

Additionally, Jerry, who potentially surpassed Snape in magical power, hailed from Slytherin and shared a strong rapport with Snape.

As Headmaster, Snape would require robust support to safeguard the school and its students from external disturbances. In this context, Jerry represented the most formidable ally.

The only concern was Snape's partiality toward Slytherin, but Dumbledore believed this would change once Snape assumed the role of Headmaster. After weighing all factors, he chose Snape over McGonagall to be the next Headmaster.

Hence, the reason why Dumbledore have chosen Snape instead of McGonagall is for the betterment of Snape himself.

Dumbledore had a long thought about this before he even had the chance to say it right in front of Snape.

If he managed to make Snape into a new Headmaster, then without any choice left, Snape needs to do his best to adapt to his work and would no more show an absolute favoritism toward Slytherin.

Meanwhile, during his spell class, Jerry pondered his own situation. Dumbledore might have suspected him, but it was of no consequence.

The Philosopher's Stone held no value for him, and he could conjure one effortlessly using the Transfiguration Spell.

Thus, he had discreetly returned the magic stone he had borrowed.

Even if Dumbledore were to suspect or discover his past actions, it no longer concerned Jerry.

He had come to Hogwarts as a fourth-year wizard simply because he wanted to, with no ulterior motives or concerns.

In this world, he could act freely, with the only restraints being those he imposed on himself.

…

In the afternoon, Slytherin and Gryffindor finally gathered for their first combined class of the semester: Hagrid's Conservation of Magical Creatures class.

The lesson revolved around the care and feeding of Hagrid's newly bred magical creature, the Fried Tail Snail.

These creatures, resembling irritable shelled shrimp upon birth, emitted a noxious odor of stinky fish and rotten shrimp.

They moved swiftly by expelling flames from their tails.

"I believe you'll find them quite intriguing. These are a recent creation, a hybrid I've developed using a fifth-level dangerous magical animal, the human-headed manticore, and sixty fire crabs. They've just hatched," Hagrid proudly introduced the creature to the assembled students.

"You'll be responsible for raising them yourselves! This will be a grand project!" he added, displaying excitement.

However, facing the hundreds of squirming, grayish creatures, the students appeared less than thrilled.

These snails, with their gruesome appearance and pungent odor, did not generate much enthusiasm among the students.

"Hagrid truly is a wizarding world biologist!" Jerry commented as he stepped forward, displaying a keen interest.

Despite being a wizard, he had an inherent fascination with biology and had conducted research into the creation of wizard-enhanced potions that enhanced physical abilities.

In fact, he had plans for similar experiments involving not ordinary magical creatures but Fire Dragons.

Due to the accelerated time in his ring world, numerous fire dragons and dragon eggs had been bred.

He considered whether, during his next visit to the world of Fairy Tail, he could obtain dragon crystals to implant in the fire dragons of his ring world for their evolution.

After Hagrid's explanation, the students set out to feed the Fried Tail Snails, armed with ant eggs, frog livers, and green snakes.

Within minutes, shrieks erupted as the young wizards experienced the snails' bites.

While Jerry had the reflexes to prevent these attacks, he allowed one of the snails to strike Hermione.

He believed that life should not always be smooth sailing and experiencing some pain was essential for understanding the world's intricacies.

Moreover, Jerry felt it was for the good of his classmates.

However, watching the young wizards get bitten and scream was far from entertaining.

As the Conservation of Magical Creatures class concluded, and the students began returning to the castle for dinner, Jerry decided to stay behind.

"Jerry, what's the matter?" Hagrid inquired as he stored away the three boxes containing the Fried Tail Snails.

"I'll show you something special," Jerry replied with a smile, producing three enormous Dragon eggs, including a Fire Dragon egg, which immediately captured Hagrid's attention.

"Oh, Merlin! These are Dragon eggs!" Hagrid exclaimed, his bearded face lit up with amazement. The prospect of having a fire Dragon as a pet was a dream come true for him.