Chapter 35: Skipping Class Straight to the Headmaster's Office?
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The next morning, in the Headmaster's Office:
With A cup of tea, a sandwich, and a few pieces of candied fruit.
Dumbledore was leisurely enjoying his breakfast, occasionally breaking off a small piece to feed Fawkes. A bit of sweetness in the morning always ensured a good mood for the day.
But that good mood came to an abrupt halt the moment the door to the office opened, and a head peeked in from outside.
Fawkes' mood also soured when the two Eevees darted in and started trying to leap onto his perch.
"Good morning, Professor!"
"Good morning!"
Dumbledore's smile became noticeably strained the moment he saw the cheeky child.
"If I'm not mistaken, you should be in class at this time," he remarked.
"Oh, this morning's class is History of Magic. I've already checked. I'll just borrow someone's notes later," Kael replied nonchalantly as he walked in.
In his past life, Kael was used to skipping elective classes and even some mandatory ones — a basic skill for a student like him.
In reality, getting a complete set of notes for History of Magic wasn't easy. Professor Binns' lectures were notoriously known as sleeping pills. Ninety percent of the students couldn't resist daydreaming, zoning out, or even falling asleep during his class, which made a full set of notes a valuable commodity.
...
Dumbledore felt a bit baffled. Students skipping classes at Hogwarts wasn't anything unusual. But...
Skipping class and boldly heading straight to the Headmaster's office?
That was a bit too much!
[Ding! Frustrated feelings detected!]
[Ding! Generating treasure chest for the host!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Silver treasure chest!]
...
"Professor, can we continue our lesson from last night?" Kael asked eagerly, his face full of curiosity.
"I suddenly became interested in Alchemy, and I know you're an Alchemy master!" Kael was practically beaming with enthusiasm.
"Oh, very well," Dumbledore replied, putting his breakfast aside and wiping his mouth.
"Alright, it's just one History of Magic class, after all. Keeping this kid under my watch is certainly better than letting him cause trouble elsewhere!" he thought to himself.
"Let me think, where were we last night..." Dumbledore mused.
"Oh, right. Child, how is your Patronus Charm practice going?" he inquired.
"That's actually what I wanted to discuss, Professor. It seems I haven't made much progress," Kael said with a hint of frustration.
This charm was more challenging than he had anticipated. He knew all the key points of casting it, but he still couldn't succeed.
"Maybe you could try it now. I might be able to give you some pointers," Dumbledore suggested, without much thought.
The Patronus Charm was different from ordinary spells in many ways. Regular spells could be mastered through practice, but the Patronus Charm required more than just talent.
Even Voldemort, with all his talent, couldn't cast it.
If Kael could successfully cast a full Patronus, Dumbledore would be relieved of the burden of giving exhausting lectures on good and evil.
"Alright, Professor!" Kael nodded and casually pulled out a wand.
He took a moment to gather his emotions.
"Expecto Patronum!" he shouted, aiming his wand forward.
His pronunciation and emotional focus were perfect, but...
No magic appeared to occur.
Or rather, it wasn't completely ineffective.
At least a wisp of faint mist emerged from the tip of his wand.
"Professor, I reached this level last night, but I haven't made any progress since," Kael shrugged.
Though it was just a wisp of smoke, it showed he had the potential to learn the charm.
"Alright, let me think..." Dumbledore furrowed his brow in thought, not quite sure what the issue was.
Then, by chance, his gaze fell on the wand in Kael's hand, which seemed a bit old, and a thought suddenly struck him.
"Child, may I see your wand?" Dumbledore asked.
"Wand? Which one?" Kael replied, looking puzzled.
"?????"
"You have more than one?" Dumbledore was surprised.
"Not that many," Kael replied, as he began rummaging through his satchel.
Moments later...
Dumbledore's mouth twitched slightly at the sight of over a hundred different wands piled in front of him.
Goodness!
And he says, 'not that many'?
Isn't this like carrying an entire wand shop with you?
[Ding! Shock feelings detected!]
[Ding! Generating treasure chest for the host!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Silver treasure chest!]
These were all spoils from Knockturn Alley. Second-hand wands weren't particularly valuable, so Kael hadn't bothered to sell them. You never know when they might come in handy.