Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman [34]
Professor Dumbledore had to release several bursts of purple sparks from his wand to calm everyone down.
"Prefects," he said in a deep voice, "lead your houses back to the dormitories at once!"
Hufflepuff Prefect Truman stood up immediately. "Everyone, follow me! Stay together, no panicking!"
Bruce had no intention of lingering and was more than happy to follow. He'd been wanting to leave the Hall anyway—too many bats flying overhead, filling the place with a gloomy vibe.
As he left, he grabbed a few snacks, intending to bring something for Hermione later.
"How did a troll get into Hogwarts?"
Bruce's mind began racing with theories. First, he cast a glance at Dumbledore, then shook his head.
It was unlikely to be the headmaster's doing.
But—
"Oh no!" Bruce's eyes widened as a thought struck him. "Hermione doesn't know about the troll!"
Hermione hadn't been in the Hall, and if she were wandering around Hogwarts unaware, she could very well stumble into the troll.
Without hesitation, Bruce decided to slip away from the group to go find her.
But just as he turned to sneak off, a calm voice called out.
"Bruce."
He turned around to see Dumbledore standing a short distance away, smiling and beckoning him over.
Unsure of what was happening, Bruce approached.
"Headmaster," Bruce greeted him. "Is something wrong?"
"Bruce, walk with me."
Dumbledore gestured for Bruce to follow as he began to move forward.
Bruce was less than enthusiastic.
Right now, he was worried about Hermione; he had no interest in strolling around with Dumbledore.
"What's wrong, Bruce?"
Dumbledore stopped when he noticed Bruce hadn't followed, his half-moon spectacles glinting in the dim light.
"Do you have something else you need to do?"
"Yes." Bruce nodded plainly. "Hermione Granger from Gryffindor wasn't in the Hall earlier, so she might not know about the troll."
"So, you were concerned about Miss Granger and wanted to leave the group to find her?"
Dumbledore's words caught Bruce off guard.
He'd seen everything.
He'd noticed Bruce trying to slip away amid the confusion and didn't know his motive.
But whatever the reason, a young student wandering alone in such a situation was never safe.
Yet Dumbledore's words sent an unsettling chill down Bruce's spine.
What did he mean by that?
Sure, he'd been planning to leave the group, but he'd barely moved, and Dumbledore had noticed immediately.
Too quickly, in fact.
Bruce didn't believe Dumbledore was omnipresent, monitoring every single student.
The only explanation was that this old man had been watching him specifically.
Bruce was convinced now that Dumbledore had something to hide.
Why else would he pay such close attention to an "innocent" first-year?
"Kathoom," Bruce reached out mentally. "I might be tied up for a while. Can you go find Hermione?"
"No need," Kathoom mumbled groggily.
The owl hadn't spoken up until now because he'd been dozing on Bruce's shoulder. Still half-asleep, he murmured, "Hermione will be fine. Worst-case scenario, she'll just get a bit of a scare."
He knew the plot and understood this was a bonding moment for the three main characters. There was nothing to worry about.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore, sensing Bruce's silence, looked at him with mild curiosity. "Bruce, is something the matter?"
"Oh, no, Headmaster," Bruce replied, masking his unease. "I was just…worried about Hermione."
It wasn't exactly a lie, and if Kathoom said Hermione was safe, she was likely all right.
"If you're truly worried, we could go look for Miss Granger together."
Dumbledore gave him a gentle smile. "Leaving a student in danger would be a failure of my duty as headmaster."
With that, Bruce couldn't find any reason to decline.
"All right, Headmaster."
He followed Dumbledore, though his mind was busy speculating on why Dumbledore insisted on having him along.
The more he thought about it, the more he suspected Dumbledore of ill intentions.
---
Bruce trailed Dumbledore as they checked the classrooms, but they found no sign of Hermione.
However, neither of them showed much concern.
Bruce felt reassured by Kathoom's guarantee that Hermione would be fine.
And Dumbledore, as always, seemed calm and collected, as if he knew more than he was letting on.
After they'd searched the available rooms, Dumbledore suddenly said, "Bruce, this reminds me of something."
"What's that, Headmaster?"
"Oh, it must have been fifty years ago now."
Dumbledore's expression grew pensive. "One year, a monster appeared at Hogwarts and killed a girl."
Bruce's whole body tensed. He couldn't understand why Dumbledore would bring up such a grim memory.
Was he trying to send a warning?
Fifty years ago, Dumbledore may have been able to kill a girl. Fifty years later, what would stop him from killing a boy?
Dumbledore continued, "I had my suspicions about who was responsible, a student at Hogwarts at the time.
"I gave him a chance to come forward and confess, but he said nothing.
"After he graduated, he turned the entire wizarding world upside down. I've always regretted it. If I had acted sooner, maybe things would have turned out differently."
With that, Dumbledore lowered his gaze, giving Bruce an unreadable look.
"What do you think, Bruce? When someone has made a critical mistake, how should they respond if they face a similar situation?"
"I don't know, Headmaster."
Bruce's tension had reached its peak. If Dumbledore made any suspicious move, he was prepared to throw the owl on his shoulder at the old man's face and run.
He couldn't win a direct confrontation with Dumbledore, but he wasn't about to sit and do nothing.
Dumbledore's gaze softened slightly.
"Honestly, I'm not sure myself," Dumbledore sighed. "Children hold endless potential; it's best not to judge too hastily."
With that, he looked up, as if he'd reached a decision.
"Bruce, I've actually been aware of your talents for some time now. The professors speak highly of you."
Dumbledore said quietly, "A promising student like yourself shouldn't go unnoticed. Would you be willing to come to my office daily to learn a few things?"
At this, the owl on Bruce's shoulder perked up with interest.
If he'd heard correctly, Dumbledore was offering to take Bruce on as his protégé?