That's What I Was Waiting for You to Say

After completely renovating Hagrid's hut—or rather, rebuilding it from scratch—Kayson returned to his idle life once more.

What he had bragged to Neville about at Longbottom Manor... well, it did not really count as bragging. He had indeed helped Hagrid expand his house, and he had indeed wrapped gifts for his students.

He had also returned gifts to his friends in the Muggle World, so theoretically, he had not deceived anyone.

Yep, nothing wrong with that.

Christmas break passed quickly. Kayson had not even properly rested, despite conservatively taking four days off every week...

In any case, the young wizards took the choo-choo train back to Hogwarts, while Kayson sat in Professor McGonagall's office.

Professor McGonagall was holding a form in her hands: Kayson's application to take the fourth-year students off campus to attend the European Alchemy Exchange Association.

When he had previously applied for the seventh-years to leave school, Professor McGonagall had practically approved it instantly. But now that it involved fourth-years, she looked at the form, then at Kayson.

Then at the form, then at Kayson again.

"You do not need to hand your achievements over to these young wizards and let them share honors that belong to you for nothing. You do not need to go this far. You are their professor, not their father. None of this is your responsibility."

Kayson looked at Professor McGonagall with a rather strange expression.

Because the way she looked at him was equally strange. He could not quite describe it. It just felt somewhat... um...

Heartbroken, perhaps. Or... um... helpless, with the faintest trace of gratification.

Kayson had no idea what strange things Professor McGonagall had imagined, but he knew that the form before him had to be approved today.

Then he could announce this important news to them today, and personally guide the young wizards in choosing their outfits tomorrow. They were not seventh-years; in his eyes, fourth-years were still immature little beans.

Quite a few of them were even still at the stage of playing in mud and drawing stick figures on parchment.

If they were left to dress themselves, never mind becoming elegant gentlemen.

He was afraid they would still have pumpkin juice splashed on their collars from breakfast.

That was entirely possible.

"I still do not agree with what you are doing. I know you want to add a brilliant highlight to their résumés, but they are ultimately borrowing your glory by force. Those are not their own achievements. In other words, it is unfair—to you," Professor McGonagall said at last.

"I think it's fine. I give them the finished product and have them analyze its principles based on it, then write papers. That counts as helping me, not borrowing my glory. Besides, I truly cannot be bothered to churn out those papers myself," Kayson said with a shrug, utterly unconcerned.

Professor McGonagall nodded. "I truly wish I had taught you."

Then she signed her name on the form Kayson had submitted.

"I'll take that as praise," Kayson said. He picked up the form and left Professor McGonagall's office in high spirits, heading without pause toward his Alchemy classroom.

Once he reached the classroom, he stepped onto the podium and saw the lifeless young wizards sitting below.

"Hmm... this is an odd atmosphere. Can someone tell me what happened?"

Cedric, the fourth-year Alchemy class representative Kayson had personally appointed, pulled a copy of the Daily Prophet from his pocket.

Then, beneath the gazes of every young wizard in the classroom, he placed it on the podium.

"What are you being so mysterious about?" Kayson picked up the newspaper and looked it over, only to suddenly seem disappointed.

"I thought they'd come up with something new. This is it?"

Kayson pointed at the article in the newspaper and scoffed. The information was easy enough to understand. It claimed that senile old Dumbledore had forced the new Alchemy professor to share his achievements with the young wizards, all so Hogwarts students could look good when they went out.

Normally, it was unscrupulous professors who turned into academic thieves and stole their students' achievements. This time, however, it had been reversed: an unscrupulous headmaster and his students had stolen the poor professor's achievements together.

"You lot..." Kayson looked at the young wizards below the podium. "Honestly, do you think this newspaper is... um, useful in any way?"

"Anyone with eyes can see that this is not about me or you. It is an attack on Dumbledore by people with an agenda. I can understand Gryffindor and Hufflepuff not seeing that, but Ravenclaw and Slytherin—why do you look as though you agree with the garbage printed in this paper too?"

When the Slytherin and Ravenclaw young wizards heard Kayson say that about them, for some strange reason, they proudly puffed out their chests at the same time.

Kayson stood there on the podium, utterly stunned. Why did the students he taught all seem to possess such a bizarre, brainless sort of beauty?

The young wizards below the podium also came to their senses, and their chests were no longer held quite so proudly.

"Enough. This is between Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic; I do not need to argue over it. There is no class today. I called you here mainly to give you a notice: your papers on the Enchanting Table have passed the European Alchemy review. Get yourselves cleaned up tonight. Tomorrow, wear the robes you have chosen and come find me for inspection."

"We leave directly this weekend. No objections?"

The young wizards all shook their heads in unison.

"No objections, then off you go. I will not take up your free time either." After saying that, Kayson left the classroom directly, paying no attention to the young wizards within. He had more important matters to attend to.

On his way back to his office, Kayson happened to run into Dumbledore.

*...*

"What are you staring at me like that for?" Dumbledore tilted his head and asked in confusion.

"Didn't that unscrupulous reporter spread rumors about you? Why are you still wandering around here so leisurely?" Kayson asked.

"Oh, how did that saying go? There will always be idle gossip; ignore it, and it vanishes naturally. I do not have that much energy to deal with such harmless trifles."

"You're that magnanimous?"

"What else would I be?"

*...*

"Oh... all right. Since I am a famous old wizard, one move affects the whole board. When something like this happens, I can only swallow my broken teeth," Dumbledore admitted frankly.

"Oh... how pitiful."

The white-bearded old man smiled and gently pressed a hand onto Kayson's shoulder.

"That's what I was waiting for you to say."