HP: Too Late, System! I’m Already the DADA Professor

In the Hogwarts greenhouse, Professor McGonagall arched an eyebrow at Professor Sprout, who was crouched among the magical plants, hands deep in the earth.

"Pomona, Mr. Holmes is already in the kitchen!" McGonagall announced, a hint of mischief in her voice.

Wearing her patched, oversized hat and still dusted with soil, Professor Sprout shot her old friend a sideways glare without bothering to stand.

"Minerva, that's cheating. I haven't even seen Douglas yet!"

McGonagall just shrugged, utterly unbothered.

"I never stopped our star Hufflepuff from coming to see you! Either way, you lost the bet. This term, you'll have to share half your fruit supply with me…"

Sprout huffed in protest but nodded all the same. Hufflepuff fruit was never in short supply.

She'd thought for sure Douglas would visit her first after arriving at the castle. Who would've guessed he'd spend half the day without showing up?

Ah well—just like so many Hogwarts graduates, it seemed.

Once they leave, they forget their old professors.

"Achoo!"

Far away in the Hogwarts kitchen, Douglas Holmes sneezed just as he sprinkled chili powder into the pot.

"Looks like this chili's got some real kick!"

Before long, it was one o'clock. Douglas finished preparing the meal, stopped by his quarters, and then made his way to the staff room.

When he entered, the Hogwarts professors were already seated around the large round table, which was laden with a dazzling array of dishes.

Albus Dumbledore sat at the center, flanked by Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

Next to McGonagall was Professor Sprout, and beside Snape sat Professor Flitwick.

An empty seat waited beside Sprout, followed by Professor Aurora Sinistra of Astronomy, Professor Bathsheda Babbling of Ancient Runes, and others.

As soon as she saw Douglas, Professor Sprout beamed and stood to greet him. Douglas hurried over, giving her a warm hug before taking his seat.

But he didn't sit right away. Instead, he reached into his bag and pulled out a book—Mendel's Experiments in Plant Hybridization, a classic work by a Muggle scholar—and presented it to Sprout.

Herbology in the wizarding world hadn't changed much in centuries; they were still cultivating the same varieties as witches and wizards hundreds of years ago. But Douglas believed this delightful Herbology master could go even further.

Sprout took the book, frowning as she realized she recognized every word, but somehow couldn't make sense of them when strung together. Still, she didn't reject the Muggle work—instead, she thanked Douglas sincerely for such a thoughtful gift.

Douglas didn't rush to explain. Instead, he produced more carefully chosen presents, handing one to each professor present.

This gathering was strictly for Hogwarts' official professors—except for Professor Binns of History of Magic, of course.

Other staff—Hagrid, Filch, Madam Hooch, Madam Pince—weren't in attendance.

Douglas had a gift for nearly everyone. Only the Muggle Studies professor was a newcomer since his graduation; the rest had all taught him before.

As a new colleague, Douglas was warmly welcomed—even Professor Snape, who had never been fond of him, accepted a book on laboratory management (albeit grudgingly, and only after Dumbledore's gentle nudge). The pristine, gleaming laboratory photos inside clearly struck a chord with Snape, who had always demanded the highest standards of cleanliness in Potions.

Time slipped by, and before long it was seven in the evening. The professors filed into the Great Hall to prepare for the new school year's opening feast.

The hall was resplendent, the four long House tables already set with golden plates and goblets that sparkled under thousands of floating candles, even though the students had yet to arrive. The staff were seated at the high table above the hall.

Dumbledore sat at the center, expression unreadable, lost in thought.

Douglas took his seat beside Professor Sprout, quietly asking for a few classroom tips.

The Hufflepuff ghost—the Fat Friar—rose cheerfully from the table to greet him.

Soon, students began streaming in, finding their House tables and filling the hall with noise and excitement. Douglas glanced around, spotting many familiar faces—after all, he'd only been gone from Hogwarts for three years. Plenty of upper-year students recognized him, and whispers quickly spread:

Wasn't it remarkable that someone could become a Hogwarts professor just three years after graduating?

Of course, in Douglas's year, he'd never been the star pupil—not with Bill Weasley setting the bar so high.

But still…

Douglas ignored the murmurs and continued scanning the crowd.

When his gaze fell on the Gryffindor table, he paused, frowning.

He looked again—no sign of Harry Potter or Ron among the younger students.

Damn. Suddenly, a half-forgotten plot point from the original story surfaced in his mind: Harry and Ron had missed the Hogwarts Express because of the house-elf Dobby, and ended up flying to school in a bewitched car.

At the earlier staff lunch, Douglas remembered Harry mentioning Dobby, but he'd assumed the Weasleys would avoid trouble with Lucius Malfoy, and with the whole family together, surely nothing could go wrong.

The truth was, after more than twenty years in this world, the details of the original books had grown hazy. He'd never enjoyed much of a transmigrator's "prophetic advantage"—the plot had rarely helped with daily Hogwarts life.

So, little by little, he'd forgotten a lot.

His attention was caught by Percy Weasley, who kept glancing over at the Ravenclaw table. After Hermione whispered something to him, Percy's face turned anxious as he looked toward the staff table. The Weasley twins, meanwhile, were giggling mischievously.

Percy scanned the staff table, only to realize that Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were both missing—McGonagall must have gone to greet the new first-years. Disappointment clouded his features.

But when his eyes met Douglas's, they lit up. He hurried over to the staff table, Hermione close behind.

Before Douglas could ask, Percy blurted out,

"Professor—Ron and Harry are missing…"

He was interrupted by a discreet cough from Dumbledore, who said gently,

"No need to worry, child. I'm sure Harry and Mr. Weasley are quite safe. Severus has already gone to look for them.

Please return to your seats—the feast will begin shortly."

He passed a copy of the Daily Prophet to Professor Sprout, who glanced at it and read aloud:

"Flying Ford Anglia Mystifies Muggles.

Two Muggles in London are convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office building… At midday in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss was hanging out her washing… Mr. Angus Fleet of Peebles reported to police… six or seven Muggles in all…"

Sprout finished reading, looking at Percy in surprise, then at Douglas.

Percy's face had gone deathly pale—he knew exactly which car they were talking about. His father had enchanted it in secret, without the Ministry's approval…

Douglas snapped his fingers, jolting Percy from his daze. He winked, his tone light and reassuring.

"Don't worry. Trust Headmaster Dumbledore—Harry and Ron will be just fine.

As for the rest, let the adults handle it. Go on, sit down and have a good meal. It'll help settle your nerves."

Hermione cast a nervous glance at Dumbledore, then turned to Douglas.

"Professor Holmes, will Harry and Ron be expelled?"

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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