I Confessed

"So you mean Snape got bitten because he wanted to take whatever the three-headed dog was guarding?"

"Yeah. Judging by the size, it should have been the three-headed dog, but the bite wasn't deep enough. Maybe he was wearing very thick trousers?"

"Uh... it could also have been Protego," Neville added.

"Oh... is that so?" Harry said awkwardly.

"But I remember Professor Kayson saying before that he had knocked that three-headed dog unconscious. Maybe that trapdoor really was just a coincidence?" Hermione said with a frown.

"Maybe Professor Kayson is also one of the people guarding that thing. Perhaps he went to inspect it?" Neville said.

"...How about we just go ask Professor Kayson directly? What do you think?"

"Is that why you came here?"

Kayson poured black tea for the four young wizards in front of him.

The green tea from before had indeed been a little bitter.

"Yes, that Snape definitely has a problem!" Harry said seriously.

"Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with him. And, uh, show some respect. Call him Professor Snape."

"All right, Professor Snape definitely has a problem."

"...Just because of that wound? I can explain. The mechanisms guarding that thing are a series of traps, and many professors are involved—me, Snape, Professor McGonagall, and the others. Snape and I designed one of the traps together. He was adjusting it with me when the three-headed dog accidentally bit him."

"Not any of those conspiracy theories you came up with."

The four of them fell silent. Soon, Harry found another clue. "Then, Professor, who removed the protective magic from the Quidditch ball and our broomsticks?"

"I know, but I can't tell you. If that person finds out you're investigating him, he really will kill people."

"He—first of all, he's male. Professor Kayson, and you still say it isn't Snape... It's not hard to guess. There aren't many people to begin with," Hermione said, taking a sip of tea.

"Because this whole thing was something Dumbledore came up with on a whim. Honestly, I've never agreed with this sort of absurdity... Anyway... forget it. Dumbledore, honestly..."

"It's Dumbledore!" all four said at once.

"Ah... huh? No, what are you thinking?" Kayson asked with a strange look in his eyes.

"Oh, that's good, then."

"I wasn't talking about Dumbledore. I meant that I'm furious about Dumbledore allowing a Dark Wizard to remain inside Hogwarts without doing anything about it, so I complained."

"As for the real Dark Wizard, honestly, instead of letting you blindly investigate on your own, I might as well tell you directly so you can stay away from him."

That was what Kayson said, but he knew that these four recklessly bold Gryffindor children would never obediently stay far away from a Dark Wizard just because he told them to.

They would only investigate even more frantically.

Still, since the so-called headmaster, Dumbledore, had said that justice would surely defeat evil, that Voldemort had to be killed by Harry, and that Harry was destined to face Quirrell or Voldemort, Kayson might as well give them a tiny hint in advance and prepare them for it.

At least then they would not end up with nowhere to investigate and helplessly go ask Quirrell, "Professor Quirrell, there's a Dark Wizard at Hogwarts. Do you know who it is?"

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"That would be ridiculous."

"Damn prophecy. What kind of nonsense is that?!"

"Quirinus Quirrell," he said.

"Professor Quirrell? The one who stutters through every lesson and reeks of garlic?" Ron was the first to disbelieve it.

"Mm-hmm. Regretfully, I have to tell you that it's him." Kayson shrugged.

"But Professor Quirrell is already... like that?" Hermione frowned. "Professor, did you really not just make this up to distract us?"

"Do bad people have 'bad person' written on their faces? Take me, for example. If I didn't tell you, would you know that I have to eat four young wizards every day to maintain my youthful appearance?"

"...All right, I know that joke was very cold."

"Uh, it was actually pretty funny, Professor. It became funny the moment you said it," Harry said, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Don't mind the joke. You only need to know that Quirrell isn't a good person and stay far, far away from him."

"But... but I still don't understand. Professor Quirrell is like that—what bad things could he possibly do?" Ron said with a frown.

"A lot. For example, the troll on the day of the Halloween feast. Guess who let it in," Kayson said, lifting his eyelids.

"That was Quirrell?"

"Mm-hmm. Now that I've explained this clearly, I also ask you to promise me this: the matter is currently under Dumbledore's control. There's no need for four first-year little beans like you to interfere, so I sincerely beg you—stay away from Quirrell when you aren't in class!" Kayson nagged earnestly.

"But... but I still don't understand. Anyone at Hogwarts seems more likely than Quirrell, even that old man Filch. At least his tone really sounds like he wants to strangle me," Ron said, staring at the dark oak-paneled ceiling.

"For specifics, you can ask your brothers—the Weasley twins. Ask them what Professor Quirrell was like before, what he is like now, and what turned him from an optimistic wizard into this... strange person," Kayson offered them a direction to pursue.

"We will, Professor," Neville said.

"Whether you will or not, I hope you will." Kayson sighed.

After seeing the four children out, Kayson sat on the sofa for a while, drank the remaining tea in the pot, then left his office and headed straight for the Headmaster's Office.

"Lemon Drop."

The two statues outside the Headmaster's Office moved apart, and Dumbledore had already prepared two cups of green tea.

After all, Dumbledore knew that Kayson did not like sweet things, while Kayson could never resist adding sugar whenever he brewed black tea.

"Thank you for accommodating my tastes," Kayson said after taking a sip of green tea.

"Mm-hmm. What is it?"

"It's about Harry and the other three. They found out there's a Dark Wizard inside Hogwarts, and when they came to ask me about it, I confessed so they wouldn't do anything unnecessary that might get them burned."

"Confessed?"

"I gave Quirrell away," Kayson said frankly.

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