Second Year Part 3

Kaiser sat by the black lake, alone early in the morning. It has been three days since that incident in the great hall, where he stunned a female student in front of the whole school, before she was escorted to the infirmary. People wanted to ask him more questions about it, but his cold, bordering angry expression tipped off anyone who wanted to try that it was a terrible idea. He's been acting distant for the past few days, speaking to no one. Fortunately, it was the weekend, so it didn't alarm people that greatly. Him disappearing wasn't anything new, they got used to it. But he was dealing with enough problems right now. His emotions were a mess. While taking a glimpse inside said girl's mind, he had seen things he hoped he'd never see. Only as an observer, and they already affected him as much. He became much more paranoid afterwards though, feeling unsafe in a castle where the Imperius curse could be cast on students.

He heard footstep and turned around. The female prefect who had raised her wand against him was leading 3 other girls, including Susan Bones. They wore pained expression on their face. 'So they've been told, huh.' Kaiser thought to himself.

"Um, Kaiser?" Susan was the one to open the conversation, since she was already acquainted enough with him. "We wish to apologize on behalf of the Hufflepuff house, for raising our wands against you. You have our eternal gratitude for saving our friend from a fate worse than death." They all nodded.

"We also wish to thank you for your discretion." the prefect continued this time. "We told all the students in our house that you saved her, but we didn't give any details. They all wish to thank you and apologize to you."

"There is no need to thank me. I did what any 'human' would have done had he known." he nodded, before asking with a hint of anger. "Did they catch the culprit?"

"Yes. I-it was a seventh year Slytherin. He erased her memories several times, but they were able to find him as he left some traces. They caught him and checked his wand, and found that the Imperius curse had been cast recently. After questioning under Veritaserum, he confessed." Susan said hesitantly. "My aunty wishes to thank you as well. She said that you may have saved more victims from suffering the same fate."

Kaiser nodded. "What was his sentence?"

"A lifetime sentence in Azkaban. The use of the Imperius Curse on a fellow wizard is strictly forbidden. Especially on a minor. The culprit was not considered one." the prefect answered this time.

"He deserves worse." said Kaiser coldly.

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"It seems your guess was correct, Severus." Dumbledore said, after his visitor left.

"Indeed." Snape nodded, after dropping his disillusionment. "But did you notice. She said he gave her a book on Occlumency on her birthday, yet conveniently knew how to perform basic Legilimency when she asked for his help."

"I suspect he was already expecting her to ask him. Or rather, it was his goal all along. He needed someone to practice on, and she needed him to do so to improve her skill. Ingenious plan." Dumbledore was pensive at the implications. This told him that he was very cunning, especially for someone his age. "The problem isn't his knowledge of the spell. The problem is how he uses it. If he gets used to read people's minds just because he can, who can tell what things he'd do next just because he can."

"I do not think we should worry too much about it. He isn't the only one who can perform such spells, or worse. At least he warned us about the girl." Severus tried to calm the headmaster, who seemed obsessed with the thought that Kaiser might become evil. He was thinking that if he tried too hard to correct him, he'd have the opposite effect instead, especially with someone as distrustful as him.

"We shouldn't forget he is just a kid, and needs our guidance. Young minds can be easily led astray." Dumbledore said solemnly. "Also, keep an eye on Lockheart. We don't need another such incident on top of the chamber fiasco." Dumbledore made a mistake in recruiting said incompetent professor. He thought at first he wouldn't be that bad, especially when he desperately needed a defense professor, but no one was applying for the job. He was careful and didn't probe the professor's mind, fearing he might get found out. Appearances can be deceiving, after all. And Dumbledore learned that lesson the hard way. But after discovering how incompetent he was, he probed his mind and discovered his little secret. And now he was regretting bringing in such a threat that needs to be monitored to the school.

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Kaiser followed Hermione to an empty classroom, or 'dragged' would be a more accurate verb. He didn't know what was wrong with her, bu he allowed himself to be dragged.

"Um, sorry to drag you like that, but I need to tell you something." Hermione said hesitantly, if not a bit embarassed.

'Urgh! Please don't let this be a confession! That's too cliche and she's 12 years old!' Kaiser thought.

"I was summoned to the headmaster's office, and he asked me questions about our practices. He seemed to already know about them, so I told him what we were doing and when it started." Hermione said, unable to look him in the eyes.

Kaiser frowned heavily at this. After thinking for a moment, he said: "Do you mind if I see you memory of the meeting?"

* Hermione's memory *

Hermione was very excited and afraid. On one hand, she was about to meet face to face her idol, the most powerful wizard alive, and probably the greatest wizards to ever live for hundreds of years. On the other hand, she was afraid of the reason why she'd been summoned to the headmaster's office. Only when the situation is grave does one get summoned there, right?

She remembered her Occlumency training and calmed her mind. She remembered Kaiser's advice: 'never look the headmaster or Snape in the eye'.

She found the headmaster sitting on his desk with a quill in hand.

"Ah! Miss Granger! I have been expecting you. Please, take a seat." Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile and twinkling eyes.

After she took her seat, he began: "Don't worry, you are not in trouble, Miss Granger. I merely wish to ask you a few questions." Hermione sighed in relief. "I can't help but notice you've spent a significant time training in the Mind Arts with Mr. Lunar." He said matter-of-factly, while Hermione eyes widened at his words.

"Y-y-you know about that?" She asked wondering how he would know such a thing. They were very careful, never using the same classroom for practice. And Kaiser seemed very paranoid, always checking the room for spells and enchanted objects. 'Can't hide anything from the greatest wizard alive, can you?' she concluded with admiration in her eyes.

"Of course." Dumbledore chuckled. "There is very little that happens in this castle I'm not aware of. It is my job and responsibility, after all. Being informed allows the Hogwarts staff to help any student, when a situation arises."

He followed by questions about their practices and how it all began, until that day, with the progress they made…

* End Hermione's memory *

'What a naive girl.' Kaiser sighed.

"You have been tricked." Kaiser told her.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked with wide eyes.

"He didn't know about our practices. He had doubts at best, but you confirmed them. Your reaction to his question gave it away. It's a common trick. I tell you something I have a very strong suspicion of, and pass it as something I know for certain, then I watch your reaction to my words, to confirm or deny my claim." Kaiser explained.

Hermione was horrified at what he said. She never thought of it that way. Yet she was still puzzled. "But if he already suspected it, why not just tell him? There is no difference, is there?"

"Of course there is a difference." Kaiser scoffed. "There is a huge difference between giving someone certainty, and having him crazily pondering over an issue for a long time. Besides, your own words can be used against you in court, and in arguments. His suspicions cannot." He continued.

"I-I-I'm really sorry! I never thought of it that way. I didn't know." Hermione was ashamed. Kaiser had been nothing but helpful to her, yet she 'betrayed his trust'.

"Don't worry about it. I don't blame you. Just be more careful in the future, and don't drop your guard." Kaiser said dismissively, as if nothing happened. 'I was counting on this happening eventually, just not this soon.'

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"Can everybody see me? Can you all all hear me?" Lockhart said with his trademark smile, that somehow never left his face. He then proceeded to show off, miserably, if that was really his intent, seeing how he failed to counter the disarming spell Professor Snape sent him, verbally, in slow motion. Professor Snape might have overpower the disarming spell, causing him to be sent back a few meters.

Professor Lockhart was not embarrassed. His ability to bullshit was legendary, after all. He told them the demonstration was to show them the consequences of overpowering your spells, and that dueling should be taken seriously, lest you hurt yourself or others. Kaiser marveled at the thickness of his skin.

Next, was a demonstration by Harry Potter vs Draco Malfoy. Kaiser wondered how the professor could ask them, knowing they were archenemies, to only disarm. Even a blind man could see it was doomed to fail.

Draco and Harry sent a banishing and spinning charm, respectively, at each other. Harry seemed to only trip, while Draco, miserably lost balance spinning, and fell on his ass, with a loud thud. It enraged him, so he conjured a serpent and sent it towards Harry.

"Don't move, Potter, I'll get rid of it." said professor Snape, before being interrupted by the attention seeking Lockhart. "Allow me, Professor!"

"Alarte Ascendare" he incanted a spell that lift the snake into the air with high speed, before it fell to the ground, undamaged, but enraged.

It was about to attack a student, when Potter hissed at it, in a foreign language.

'So this is what parseltongue sounds like. Interesting.' Kaiser observed silently.

The snake turned momentarily to Harry, before resuming its attack, only for Harry to call out for it again.

Kaiser wondered why Snape wasn't intervening. He decided he needed to intervene. He didn't want people thinking he was telling the snake to attack the guy. Kaiser waved his wand at the snake.

"[Vipera Evanesca]." He muttered, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. (Snake-Vanishing Spell)

Harry sent him a grateful look, before he noticed that all eyes were on him.

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"I still can't believe Harry Potter is the heir of Slytherin!" Kaiser heard, as he sat at the Hufflepuff table with Susan and Hannah. He did so on purpose, as this is where people are more likely to believe just anything, as long as it made a tiny bit of sense.

"And why would you think so?" Kaiser asked with a raised eye-brow.

"Well, he's a parseltongue, isn't he!" the boy exclaimed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So? Are all parseltongue heirs to Slytherin? I hear in India, the ability isn't that rare. In fact, it is quite common there. Are you trying to tell me that they're all descendants of Slytherin?" Kaiser asked calmly.

The conversation continued for a while, but Kaiser eventually gave up. Those who could be convinced, were already convinced. Those that only wanted to believe what suited them, did so. At least, he tried. He was glad that Hannah and Susan didn't believe it, seeing as one of his best friends was a first generation witch.