10. THE NEW HEADMASTER
The instant Viridis wrapped his hand around the key, the glass cube, metal slabs, poles, and cloud all vanished, leaving Viridis alone on the platform with the other three candidates. The crowd roared to its feet and fireworks arched across the chamber, detonating in a cacophony of noise and light that illuminated the domed ceiling in a frenzy of colors. The room shuddered as if a giant were outside, pounding on the walls.
Viridis climbed to his feet, wincing at the pain in his knee. Ceriwden stepped foward and congratulated Viridis, shaking his hand and complimenting him on his solution to the puzzle. Bythesea quickly followed suit, wisps of smoke still rising from charred spots on his robe. Feathergill remained frozen in place, his face twitching in fury. He gave Viridis a venomous look, then spun away and stormed down the stairs.
Dawn and Cory charged out of their seats and raced across the floor ahead of the surging crowd. They bounded up the platform two steps at a time. Dawn threw her arms around Viridis in a huge hug that nearly knocked him to the ground. "I knew you could do it," she screamed into his ear.
Cory pounded him on the back. "Congratulations, Viridis. Now that you're headmaster, it's my duty to make your life as difficult as possible."
"I look forward to it," Viridis replied.
The two of them helped Viridis limp down the stairs to where Steed stood waiting, a broad smile spread across his face. "Congratulations, Mister Olwyn," he said as he shook Viridis's hand.
"I told you he was great at tests," Dawn said.
"That you did, Miss Mercher. That you did." He leaned closer to Viridis and lowered his voice. "On behalf of Hogwarts, I wish to thank you for beating Feathergill."
Viridis grinned. "The pleasure was all mine."
Steed nodded. "But we have other matters to attend to. As the new headmaster, your first order of business should be to officially meet the Hogwarts faculty." Steed put his arm around Viridis's shoulders and guided him toward the group of instructors huddled together away from the crowd. They eyed him warily as he approached.
"I present to you your new headmaster," Steed said.
No one responded at first, and then Professor Searles, sporting his usual tweed jacket and bowtie, stepped forward. "Welcome back to Hogwarts, Mr. Olwyn."
"Thanks. It's good to be back."
"I suppose congratulations are in order," Limbeck said, rather stiffly. "I hope you plan on running the school in a more professional manner than your predecessor did. Now if only we could be rid of the rest of the troublemakers around here…" His eyes shifted to Cory.
One by one, the instructors introduced themselves, promising to do whatever they could to make his transition into the job easier. Fulcanelli remained off to one side and said nothing, which was just fine with Viridis. She did nod to him once, although it wasn't clear whether she was congratulating him or saying "I told you so." He looked away quickly.
After the introductions were finished, Viridis spotted Professor Murmann heading toward the exit, a large leather suitcase in hand. Viridis excused himself and rushed over to the former headmaster, catching him just before he reached the door.
"Well done, my boy!" Murmann cried, "Well done! Your solution to the puzzle was inspired. I told you you could win."
"Yes, headmaster, you did. Thanks for submitting my name."
"Now, now," Murmann chided. "I am no longer the headmaster. That's you. Better get used to the title."
"I'll do my best," Viridis said, grinning. He glanced down at the suitcase. "What's that for?"
"I'm off to pursue a mystery that's been vexing me for years. I promised the Board of Governors I'd stay until the new headmaster was chosen and that has now occurred. Goodbye, Viridis. I'll come back and visit as soon as I can." He turned toward the door.
Viridis's smile vanished. "Wait, you can't go now! You have to stay and teach me how to run this place."
"I'm sorry, Viridis, but the travel arrangements have already been made." Murmann patted him on the shoulder. "I have complete faith in your abilities. I've taken the liberty to leave a few helpful items back at my, excuse me, at your office. You should be able to manage until I return. Good luck!" He turned to leave again.
Viridis grabbed Murmann by the arm. "How long will you be gone?"
Murmann shrugged. "Not too long. A couple of days, I expect."
"Just two days?"
"Well, sometimes a couple can mean three or four."
"Oh. Well, I guess I can manage that long by myself."
"That's the spirit. Just three or four days days. Or possibly more, depending on the weather."
"More?"
Murmann shrugged again. "The weather can be fickle, you know. Could add a couple of days to the trip. Probably more like a week now that I think about it."
"A week?" Viridis felt the first pangs of panic lodge in his stomach.
"I understand the timing is rather inconvenient, but my window of opportunity for this task is small. I'll definitely be back in a week or so. In the meantime, I'm sure the instructors will be more than happy to assist you. Trust me. One and a half weeks at the most. No need to look alarmed, my boy. Yes, yes, I'm quite confident I'll be back within two weeks."
"But—"
"Of course," Murmann continued, rubbing his nose thoughtfully, "it's possible my contact will be busy, which might delay me a bit. Certainly no more than a month."
"A month?" Viridis gasped.
"Or less," Murmann offered cheerfully.
"But… but…"
"Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to tell you. Don't lose that key you just won. You'll need it to unlock some of the doors around here." He turned away, then spun back again. "Oh, and another thing. Do you remember the name of the first practical jokester of Hogwarts?"
"What?" Viridis replied, his mind whirling. "Er, no."
"His name was Horatio Carbunculus. You'll want to remember that. That's all. Congratulations again. Goodbye for sure this time."
And with that Murmann darted out of the room before Viridis could say another word. For a few moments, Viridis debated whether he should chase after Murmann, but a crowd of spectators suddenly surrounded him, wanting to shake his hand, and the chance was lost.
Viridis had never been the center of attention at a party before and found the experience both exhilarating and exhausting. People he didn't know followed him around and listened to everything he had to say. They laughed enthusiastically at his jokes, or anything they thought might be a joke. Newspaper photographers took his picture at every turn, and people fought to be standing next to him when those pictures were taken. A house-elf followed him around everywhere, ready to cast a refilling charm on Viridis's glass every time he took a sip. Best of all, no one mentioned his age.
After a couple of hours, however, Viridis began to find his energy levels waning, so he and Dawn slipped off to an empty corner of the Hall.
"How does it feel to be a celebrity?" Dawn asked.
"Pretty nice, I guess. I can see why Feathergill enjoys it so much. But it does wear on you after a while."
Dawn scanned the room. "Now that you mention Feathergill, where is he? I haven't seen him since the contest ended."
"He left without saying a word to me, about ten minutes into the party," Viridis said. "He didn't look happy."
Dawn smirked. "So he's a poor loser, too. Small loss."
"He isn't the only one." Viridis gestured toward a corner of the room where Blunt was speaking with several reporters. His face was crisscrossed with dozens of tiny bandages, and his uncertain movements suggested he'd drunk too much wine. "He hasn't come near me all night. Every time he sees me, he sneers."
"At least he had enough self respect to stay for the celebration. That's better than Feathergill."
"Maybe, but after having met them both, I think you'd rather have had Feathergill as headmaster. He may be arrogant, but Blunt is just plain nasty."
Viridis spotted Madame Fulcanelli on the other side of the Hall. Despite being in the middle of a conversation with several other instructors, she was staring right at him. She still wore the same annoying half smile as before.
"Why is Fulcanelli always watching me?" he complained.
Dawn laughed. "Don't be so paranoid. She's actually very nice. A bit different perhaps, but nice."
Viridis didn't think he was being paranoid. He had yet to catch her when she wasn't looking at him. He felt like a mouse being tracked across the castle's courtyard by a hawk. He shivered.
A woman Viridis hadn't noticed before marched up to him, holding out one of the evening's programs. "Would you mind signing this?" she asked, performing a small curtsy. "I'd be most grateful."
"Sure," he said, flushing deeply, mostly because of the smirk Dawn was giving him.
"How did you ever manage to come up with the proper solution," she gushed. "I'm quite sure I never would have thought of it."
Viridis handed the signed program back to the her. "I don't know. It just sort of popped into my head."
The explanation was apparently sufficient for the woman, for she smiled and departed, but the question nagged at him. The truth was that he'd been extremely lucky. If he hadn't seen the rune earlier, he never would have won the competition. But he couldn't tell anyone about it. The Board might consider his victory tainted in some way, and demand that the test be given again. He was already embarrassed enough with the way he'd lucked into the job that he hadn't mentioned it to Dawn either.
"You seem pretty subdued for someone who just won the job of headmaster," Dawn said, giving him a sharp look. "Is anything wrong?"
"It's nothing. It's just that… well, the faculty didn't seem all that happy with me. They said the right things, but most of them disappeared right after they introduced themselves."
"I wouldn't read too much into that. Tomorrow is a school day and they need to prepare their lessons. Just wait until they get to know you."
By the time midnight rolled around, everyone Viridis recognized had left the party, so he decided it was time for bed. He left the Hall and headed to Murmann's office. No, he reminded himself, his office.
Viridis walked across the castle in silence, his footsteps eerily loud in the deserted corridors. The torches lining the walls crackled and popped as he passed, the flames dancing as if a breeze were passing through the corridor. He rubbed his eyes, deciding he shouldn't have drank so much wine.
When Viridis arrived at the entrance to his office, he found the griffin statue back in its usual position, blocking the way to the spiral stairs. Had Murmann left without giving him the password?
"Open," Viridis said hopefully. The griffin didn't move.
"Viridis Olwyn." Still nothing.
He dangled the Hogwarts Key in front of the statue's face, but to no effect. He searched the statue and surrounding area for a note or clue that Murmann might have left for him, but found nothing. As the minutes passed, it occurred to Viridis that perhaps this might be Murmann's last practical joke before leaving Hogwarts. The idea of returning in a month to find Viridis sleeping out in the hall seemed like the kind of thing Murmann would find funny.
He kicked the statue hard enough to hurt his toe. If Murmann could spend time making sure Viridis knew the name of Hogwart's first practical joker, he certainly could have spent a few more seconds telling him the pass….
His mind clicked. Click. (Which is better? If you recall, I just used "click" when he figured out the trick to the final test)
"Horatio Carbunculus," he whispered. The griffin leaped out of the way.
"Why does everything around here feel like a test?" he muttered as the stairs carried him up to the office.
The office door was locked, so Viridis removed the Hogwarts key from around his neck and inserted it into the lock. With a last deep, calming breath, he turned the key and threw open the door.
The office was as empty as a wyvern's nest. No books. No bookcases. No whirling contraptions. Nothing to suggest Murmann had ever been here other than the massive headmaster's desk and two spindly-looking wooden chairs next to it. Even the portraits of past headmasters that hung on the walls were empty, their occupants having left for some other destination.
Viridis stepped inside and slowly made his way across the room, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. He was halfway to the desk when he heard muffled sobbing coming from behind him. He turned and discovered two of the portraits were still occupied. Both headmasters looked miserable, their eyes red as if from lack of sleep. One of them, a wizard by the name of Cletus Bucktooth, according to the inscription below the portrait, was openly weeping.
"Murmann was such a wonderful headmaster," Bucktooth moaned. "I don't know how we'll get on without him."
"Now, now, Cletus," scolded a headmaster whose portrait was labeled Lidius Strongarm. "Let's give the new headmaster a chance. Remember, you weren't all that happy when Murmann first took over either."
Cletus blew his nose into a handkerchief so loudly, it reminded Viridis of a foghorn. "Yes, yes, I know you're right, but you know how much I hate change."
Lidius shrugged. "True, but you—" He noticed Viridis's presence and his face darkened. "What are you doing in here, young man? Students aren't allowed in this room unattended. Leave at once or I'll report you to the new headmaster!"
"I am the new headmaster," Viridis said, holding up the Hogwarts key. Lidius's mouth dropped open.
. "I knew it," Cletus wailed. "It's the end of Hogwarts." And with that he disappeared off the edge of the portrait.
"Wait," shouted Lidius. "Don't do anything rash." And with that, he chased after the fleeing wizard, leaving Viridis alone in the room.
Viridis sighed and continued his inspection of the room.
Three items had been left on the desk—a small, heavily dog-eared book entitled 1001 Practical Jokes for Wizards, Witches, and Poltergeists, a large leather-bound object the size of a small steamer trunk, and a handwritten note. He picked up the note.
Dear Viridis,
Congratulations on becoming the new headmaster of Hogwarts. As you have no doubt noticed, I've already moved my belongings out of your office. Hogwarts is now yours to run as you see fit. Do not concern yourself with making mistakes. Just do what you think is right and you'll be fine. I believe you'll find Hogwarts practically runs itself.
I've left you something you might find useful. It's gotten me out of several sticky situations that I may be allowed to tell you about someday. I've taken the liberty to mark a few sections which I believe you'll find very useful – a few pranks that would be particularly effective on Professor Limbeck. We'll talk more when I return.
Good Luck!
Former Headmaster Murmann
P.S. I've also left the Hogwarts instruction manual.
Viridis looked up from the note, suddenly realizing that what he'd assumed to be a steamer trunk was in fact a three foot high behemoth of a book that covered half the desk. The words "Hogwarts Manual" were printed neatly along the spine in giant silver letters. He suddenly felt very tired.
The adjoining room housed the headmaster's living quarters, and he was relieved to find Murmann had at least left the bed for him, along with a chest of drawers. Too tired to remove his robe, he collapsed straight into the bed and closed his eyes. He fell into a fitful sleep, plagued with dreams of being chased around the school by irate instructors demanding that Feathergill be installed as the true headmaster.