A Home Visit

Kayson walked down from the high platform and came to Quirrell, who was lying on the ground. He was relieved only after confirming that the old fellow would likely be in the Hospital Wing for one to two weeks.

As for the missed Defense Against the Dark Arts class, he believed someone would be very happy to cover it.

Back in his office, Kayson, in a rare move, took out a bottle of champagne from a cabinet and headed towards Hagrid's hut.

The next day...

Hagrid left his hut early, carrying a red ribbon. Christmas was approaching, though he didn't understand why wizards celebrated this holiday.

However, a Christmas tree was still needed. For the pine trees in the Forbidden Forest, the red ribbon in Hagrid's hand was like the King of Hell calling the roll.

Those tied with the ribbon today would basically not see the next year.

It was truly tragic.

Unlike Hagrid, Kayson had no classes today and could leisurely return to the castle, back to his office. Along the way, he greeted all the young wizards he met warmly.

Then, back in his office, he picked up the students' attendance books and parchment to prepare gifts one by one. After everything was ready, all that was left was to wait.

Wait for Christmas.

Woooooosh!!!

Kayson stood at Hogsmeade Station. It was his first time seeing the Hogwarts Express, and he was curious about this performance art that mimicked Muggle trains.

After all, a magic-powered train theoretically shouldn't produce smoke.

He boarded the train, holding the ticket Dumbledore had given him.

According to the old man, almost every young wizard had ridden the Hogwarts Express since its invention, but he had missed out on this experience due to not attending school.

So, Dumbledore had specifically left him a ticket so he could feel that sensation.

Of course, boarding the train wasn't entirely for the experience. His belongings from the Muggle world had already been packed and moved to Hogwarts, and he planned to spend the Christmas holiday there as well.

His trip outside the school this time was mainly for home visits and to deliver gifts to his Muggle friends.

Due to Neville's personality, Kayson believed it was his grandmother's personality that was too overbearing. He had even thought about writing to Neville's grandmother before, but he had been busy, and whenever he picked up a pen, he didn't know how to write.

Compared to that, he preferred sitting face-to-face, brewing a cup of hot tea, and enjoying small, not-too-sweet but fragrant pastries, fully displaying the charm of language.

Based on this, the home visit to the Longbottom family came about.

However, he didn't sit in the same carriage as Neville. Even though there were empty seats on the train because Harry and Ron were staying at school for Christmas, he didn't go.

After all, as a professor, sitting with Neville would always make him feel uneasy.

A home visit itself was already quite... quite presumptuous.

Time passed until the train stopped at the Muggle station, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station. After Kayson disembarked, he quickly spotted the highly recognizable witch Professor McGonagall had mentioned.

An old woman wearing an incredibly ornate wizard robe and a wide, brown-green wizard hat, with a stern expression. In short, she seemed to have a good relationship with Professor McGonagall.

After all, their styles of dress were similar, though this old woman's was more elaborate, while Professor McGonagall's was more understated.

However, their temperaments were truly alike.

"Professor Heath, I am Augusta Longbottom, Neville's grandmother. He's written me a trunk full of letters, all about you, thanking you for taking care of this poor child."

Augusta also noticed Kayson, a figure who stood out among the young wizards, and walked over to speak to him.

"Kayson Heath, you can call me anything you like, Mrs. Longbottom. I'm here mainly because of Neville's personality."

"Has that child caused you trouble?"

"No, no, no." Kayson quickly waved his hands. "No trouble at all. In fact, that child is overly obedient, overly honest. So honest, he doesn't seem like a Gryffindor at all."

"I see... This child's personality has always been like this, too... too timid. I always thought he was a Hufflepuff." Augusta agreed.

Kayson nodded, about to say something, when he heard hurried footsteps. Neville came running over from a distance.

"Grandmother, Professor Kayson!"

"Would you mind joining us for a simple meal at the Longbottom home?" Augusta asked.

"Of course, just a simple meal."

Augusta took Neville's small hand in her left, and placed her right hand on Kayson's shoulder. The next moment, the three of them appeared on an island.

Kayson looked at the ancient and magnificent manor not far away.

If only I could redecorate this...

Instantly, Kayson quickly banished this inappropriate thought from his mind.

There were only two people in Longbottom Manor now, plus Kayson as an outsider.

Of course, Kayson didn't know how many members the Longbottom family currently had, nor was there any need to ask.

He was here for a home visit, not to check household registration.

At least today, in the vast manor, there were indeed only the three of them, if one ignored the house-elves hidden in various corners.

This gave Kayson a more accurate judgment of Mrs. Longbottom's assertiveness.

Owning such a vast manor, how could she not be assertive? If she weren't, she would have been taken advantage of by distant relatives who appeared out of nowhere.

After all, the wizarding world claims to have the Ministry of Magic, but their efficiency is really just so-so. They're quick to catch wizards performing magic tricks, cooking, or decorating in the Muggle World, but those who commit murder and arson throughout the wizarding world are like dead people, starting to play dead.

The three of them first sat down in the living room. Actually, it wasn't three of them, because when Neville wanted to listen in, Augusta just gave him a look, and he obediently returned to his own bedroom.

"Please, Professor Heath."

"What you just did is exactly what I was going to say, Mrs. Longbottom. This child is already struggling to breathe under your immense pressure. There will be other issues as well. As a Gryffindor, he's lost his courage under your oppression."

Kayson adopted the mindset and eloquence he used when negotiating with difficult clients when he first started in the renovation business, prepared to use his last bit of saliva.

Unexpectedly, Augusta didn't rush to refute his points about her excellent educational methods, unlike those insightful clients. Instead, she nodded helplessly.

"I know all of this, of course. But, to be honest, it's not that I'm looking down on Neville, it's just that he really can't do anything well."