Mid-August, Hogwarts School, fifth floor.
Librarian Irma Pince was a somewhat thin woman who had worked at Hogwarts for over twenty years. Due to her perpetual work in the sunless library, her skin had a pale complexion.
In contrast, her voice was deep, full, and resonant.
"This is the office Dumbledore has arranged for you, Mr. Jones," she said.
Howl's voice emerged from the dim corridor, followed by a figure with a cat's head.
Howl had considered it for a while; since he was at Hogwarts, surrounded by Wizards, he decided not to hide his appearance.
Just like Poluk.
He was a bit surprised: "I get an office too?"
Pince explained, "Of course, Hogwarts has plenty of rooms and classrooms. All Professors and staff members have their own independent offices and dormitories."
As she spoke, she held out a brass key: "Would you like to see your future residence first, or understand your job responsibilities?"
Howl took the key: "Let's see the library first."
Hearing this, she turned and walked quickly: "The library is on the fifth floor, just one wall away from you. Oh, by the way, can you repair books?"
Howl followed behind her and said, "I can do some, but if they are ancient texts with unique Dark Arts, it might be a bit troublesome."
Pince heard this and couldn't help but sigh in relief: "That's wonderful. Honestly, some children really don't know how to take care of books.
Watching those books gradually age and lose pages in the hands of generations of young people, sometimes it truly breaks my heart!"
"I completely understand. Books are the carriers of knowledge, and knowledge is what should be least defiled," Howl agreed, nodding.
Pince shook her head repeatedly, full of regret: "Yes, although I strictly demand that they take care of them, I can't keep an eye on everyone all the time. This often leads to many books being discovered damaged after the time when magic could restore them has passed."
Howl could feel that Pince's words became much more numerous whenever the topic of books came up.
Perhaps it could no longer be described as merely 'caring for books.'
It should be 'respect.' She respected those books.
Turning a corner, led by her, Howl quickly entered the Hogwarts library.
Shelves two or three people high were neatly arranged, with various categories displayed on brass plaques on their outer sides: Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic, Fantastic Beasts... Pince stood with her hands on her hips, proudly introducing: "This is the most richly stocked library in all of Europe. We even have 'Transfiguration Today' from its first issue to the present.
Don't let these books on the shelves fool you; they've all been miniaturized with a Shrinking Charm for storage. As soon as you take them off the shelf, they'll quickly return to their original size."
As she spoke, she led Howl deeper into the library.
"As for work, it's really just watching these Little Wizards, keeping an eye on them when they get noisy.
I'll handle the book borrowing issues.
You don't need to worry about cleanliness either; House-elves come to clean every night."
"Hogwarts has House-elves?!" Howl was a little surprised; 'Hogwarts: A History' didn't mention this.
"Yes, but most people don't see them. An unseen House-elf is a good House-elf!" Pince nodded.
"Alright, it seems, just as Dumbledore said, this job... is very leisurely!"
"And repairing books!" Pince reminded him.
Howl couldn't help but laugh: "I will. When I used to collect books, I often encountered damaged ancient texts. So, without being too humble, I'm very good at repairing books!"
Pince heard the confidence in Howl's voice and felt genuinely happy, nodding: "That's wonderful then. In that case, I won't bother you anymore.
You can go and set up your office now. Of course, you can also explore Hogwarts first if you wish."
Howl nodded, returned to the office, and used the brass key to open his office door.
The large office contained only a brand-new set of table and chairs, with nothing else.
It was empty.
Howl casually glanced around and saw a curtain behind the office. Walking through it, there was a short corridor of only one or two meters, at the end of which was another wooden door.
Opening the door, inside was a dormitory and an independent washroom.
After checking that everything was in order, Howl closed the door again and took out a silver chalk from his hand.
"Should I tell Dumbledore...?" Howl suddenly thought of this. He could feel the omnipresent magic array within the Castle.
Complex, varied, and perfectly integrated.
"Never mind, let's try it first..."
Thinking this, he held the silver chalk and drew a somewhat twisted Star Rune on the door panel.
Although Lucifer always talked about being a demon and such, in reality, both he and Kalsifer, who contracted with Hal, were Star Children unwilling to pass away.
Once the rune was drawn, Howl's hand gently rested on the center of the Star Rune, and he began to activate the array.
The next moment, overflowing starlight splashed from the Star Rune's trajectory, like brilliant sparks and embers.
The wooden door began to shake uncontrollably, and a banging sound spread from here all the way into the corridor.
Howl's robes flapped wildly in an unseen wind, yet his figure remained agile, standing before the door.
A moment later, the starlight dissipated.
He slowly pulled open the door, and looking again, before his eyes, it had already transformed into the first floor of Moonlight Fortress.
Lucifer extended from the fireplace, shaking his head with a bitter expression: "This Castle is like it's alive... We simply cannot be compatible."
As he spoke, the gaps between the door frame began to crack and stretch, inch by inch.
Howl nodded: "I'll go ask Dumbledore."
As he spoke, the distance between him and the room began to gradually widen, and finally, with a 'boom,' space twisted.
Moonlight Fortress was once again repelled from here.
Howl scratched his head helplessly, walked out of the office, and looked at the oil paintings on the corridor wall... He greeted a girl in a green dress who was having a picnic: "Hello, sorry to bother you. Do you know where Dumbledore's office is?"
"The gargoyle on the third floor is the entrance to the Headmaster's Office," she stood up and slightly lifted her skirt as a response, then asked, "Are you a new teacher?"
"Not really, just a staff member," Howl said.
"Then I'll take you. The Hogwarts corridors are a bit complex and constantly changing."
"Won't it interrupt your picnic?" Howl asked.
The girl's face showed an awkward smile: "I've been picnicking for one hundred and thirty-five years."
"Uh... alright, thank you for your trouble."
With that, the girl first passed through the frame and entered an adjacent painting of a church prayer, waving slightly: "This way!"
The Fat Friar, who was leading the prayer, held a Bible, his face full of anger: "Good heavens, Sindel, don't make a racket in the church!!"
"Hehe." The girl jumped and quickly ran to the next frame, which was a huge, life-sized portrait. Her figure also became like a normal person's.
At the same time, she greeted the ancient gentleman in the formal attire who was posing in the painting: "Good afternoon, Sir Ernest."
"Good afternoon, Sindel!" The knight smiled and nodded slightly.
Howl followed her the whole way, watching her happily greet every person in the paintings they passed, while also constantly reminding himself where to go.
"You're very lively," Howl praised.
Sindel stood in a golden wheat field, borrowed the straw hat from a gleaner, put it on her head, and smiled: "Lively? Sorry, I don't quite understand."
"What does that mean?"
"I can't understand what 'lively' means. My painter gave me everything; in his brushstrokes, this is how I should be. For me, it's just my instinct. Good afternoon, Madam Leanne!"
"Do you have memories?" Howl asked again.
"Of course, but not many. I can only remember things from a few weeks ago."
"Then can you think?"
Sindel's eyes curved, revealing a cunning smile: "Guess why I volunteered to take you to the Headmaster's Office entrance on the third floor."
As she spoke, they quickly arrived at the gargoyle on the third floor.
"I'll go up and announce you. If permitted, I'll bring the password."
After leaving that last sentence, she disappeared.
"That... Mr. Cat!" Suddenly, a somewhat flustered voice spoke. Howl looked over to see a knight fighting a dragon speaking.
"Is something wrong?"
The knight raised his hand, stopping the dragon: "Wait a moment!"
Then he turned around, somewhat out of breath: "You should stay away from that girl."
"Why?" Howl was a little puzzled.
"As a painting, she has gradually started to cross the line," the knight said.
"Cross the line?"
"Yes, people have their boundaries, and so do people in paintings. You should stay away from her; a painting that crosses the line will bring bad luck."
"What does that me..."
"Sorry, it's hard to explain. It's something between us paintings."
After speaking, the knight turned around and waved to the giant red dragon: "Begin!"
The red dragon nodded, then breathed fire, and the knight frantically raised his shield...