In the wizarding world, strength still spoke for itself. Ever since Professor Breen had effortlessly taken down Fred and George in class, Amosta's reputation had surpassed even Professor McGonagall's and Professor Snape's, making him the wizard the young students feared and revered most.
Just now, when he had appeared in the Prefects' Bathroom on the sixth floor, it had been as though a ferocious Dragon had burst into the enormous room. Prefects from every house huddled together in one corner of the pool, and throughout Amosta's entire wash, no one dared make a sound.
It was only after Amosta had hurriedly finished his business, sighed helplessly, and left that the atmosphere in the bathroom came alive again.
"Why doesn't Professor Breen use the professors' bathroom?"
Oliver Wood, his head covered in a mass of brightly coloured bubbles, collapsed into the water and asked Percy beside him, still shaken. Percy had watched Amosta with reverence from beginning to end.
In truth, that was rather unfair to Amosta. It was not that he deliberately wanted to show off before the young wizards; he simply had no idea the castle even had baths reserved for professors. Professor McGonagall had never mentioned it when she arranged his office and quarters. Even this bathroom was something Amosta had only learned about by chance when he was a student.
A little after eight that evening, Amosta, freshly cleaned and changed into a clean Wizard Robe, knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office and entered under Dumbledore's "eager gaze."
"I believe this is the first time you've come to my office of your own accord since returning to Hogwarts, isn't it, Amosta?"
Behind his desk, Dumbledore rested his hands beneath his chin and looked at Amosta, whose smile was somewhat restrained. His bright eyes held a trace