Chapter 6
The conversation between Dumbledore and Alan continued for another hour, as the continued to discuss about the combat class and its possible co-relation with other subjects, Dumbledore; who now had a wide smile on his face said, "Alan, i have to say that your concept on this thing is very much applaudable."
The portraits of the old headmasters on the wall, also nodded their head, though there were some exceptions but Alan didn't care about that, as all that mattered to him was that whether he had managed to leave a good impression on the old man sitting in front of him.
"Anyway, we should end the interview here. There are many things I would've liked to converse about, but I think I will soon get the chance to do so." Dumbledore, after looking at his strange astronomical watch, said, and then he continued, "It's almost noon, so why don't you stay and have lunch before going back?"
"Thank you, professor; I will enjoy the delicacy of Hogwarts before leaving." Alan didn't hesitate in accepting the lunch offer. At the moment, Alan had a wide smile on his face, which he didn't try to hide.
Alan felt confident enough at the moment that he had managed to get the job, reading Dumbledore's reaction throughout the interview, though there were some chances that the old man might have some problem with his thoughts, which he had laid out earlier, but either way, he had managed to do very much good in the rest of the matter.
So instead of wasting his mind on this, he felt that it was better to savor the taste of the dishes cooked by the house elves, so he finally got up from his seat, and as he did so, Dumbledore said, "Alan, about the interview result, we will let you know by next Wednesday."
"Alright, professor." Alan nodded and then left the office to fill his stomach.
...
After filling his stomach almost full, Alan arrived back at Professor McGonagall's office, where she was still reading some documents. Seeing Alan arrive, she finally looked up from the documents and asked, "How did it go? Alan."
Alan, approaching McGonagall's desk, smiled and replied, "I think I did good in the interview."
"Hmm, is that so? Then that's good; it shows that you've grown quite a bit after graduating from Hogwarts." McGonagall showed no expression at all, except putting on her usual serious face.
"Thank you for your praise, professor; then, allow me to take my leave." Seeing McGonagall almost turning her attention back to the documents, Alan asked if he would be left there to stare at her like some lost man.
McGonagall, looking up, only nodded without saying anything. Alan, seeing that, made his way toward the fireplace and then left through the Floo Network.
...
For the next few days, Alan continued to study the books regarding the spells and spell-casting. After his conversation with Dumbledore about the combat course, he felt like he had a new understanding of certain new things, and he would need to spend some time on it and make it his own.
And finally, on the Wednesday, as he had expected, an owl flew into his manor, so leaving everything aside he was doing, he took the letter from the owl and fed the owl some food.
"I hope you've brought good news, little buddy." Looking back at Owl, Alan opened the letter nervously; though he knew he had done his best and Dumbledore also had put his trust in him, there were still chances that he might not be selected.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Headmaster : Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Smith:
We are pleased to inform you that you have passed the interview, and we sincerely invite you to serve as the combat professor at Hogwarts. We hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
Vice-Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall, Yours sincerely.
Reading the letter, Alan couldn't help but smile and read it again: "That's it, finally I'm now a professor at Hogwarts." Alan raised his fist in ecstasy, but then, realizing that he had to reply back to the letter, he picked up the wand and waved it to summon a paper and quill, which swiftly flew into his hands the next moment.
After writing the reply, Alan tied the letter to the owl's leg, but just as he was about to let it fly away, he suddenly remembered that he also would need to include the teaching material for the students, which, thankfully, he had already decided on after having so much time on his hands for the past few days.
In the end, the books Alan included for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades were "Self-Defense Spell Collection" and "Common Spells and Solutions," while for the 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students, he included "Curse and Curse Decryption," "Defensive Spells," and "Practical Defensive Magic and Its Restraint Against the Dark Magic."
"Alright, little buddy, you can go now." With another letter added to the owl's leg, Alan finally allowed the owl to take its leave, and after watching the owl fly away, he once again rummaged through his own book collection and took out few other books to make some notes he would need for his initial classes.