Good night

"Severus?" Cyberlina was clearly surprised by Snape's arrival. Cradling the cat in one arm, she walked toward the two men. "You came at just the right time. That way, I won't need to make another trip to the Potions Office after I return to school."

As she spoke, Cyberlina took out a bag and handed it to Snape.

Snape knew the bag contained the two plants she had openly traveled to Central Europe to collect under the pretext of gathering ingredients. His feelings were complicated as he accepted it, then secretly glanced around. Good—there was no one else in sight. It seemed he would not be forced to listen to three people arguing.

Looking at Cyberlina in her dark green coat, Dumbledore suddenly realized that although he had seen her several times at school over the past month, he had never actually spoken with her properly.

He had previously assumed Cyberlina was busy with her own affairs. After publicly reclaiming her identity, she had frequently skipped classes and even taken on the task of finding ingredients for Snape. So, let alone at school, she might not even be found anywhere in Britain. Even the fruit drops she made had to be delivered by McGonagall.

But now, after Snape's reminder, he understood. She had time to deliver ingredients to Snape's office, time to pretend to be a student and attend a few classes, and time to visit McGonagall—but no time to visit his office? He was being deliberately singled out!

After realizing that he was somewhat angry, Dumbledore paused. Then he clasped his hands together and asked without changing expression, "Cyber, have you dealt with the Horcrux here?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say I dealt with it." Cyberlina tucked the suddenly restless cat into the crook of her arm by the scruff of its neck, then smiled at Dumbledore. "But don't worry, Albus."

Dumbledore glanced at the disobedient cat again and smiled. "How unusual. There's actually a small animal that doesn't like you."

"Isn't that normal?" Cyberlina raised an eyebrow. "Animals have their own likes and dislikes. Perhaps I'm simply the kind of witch this cat hates."

Dumbledore fell silent. He wasn't sure whether it was merely his imagination, but he felt there was a strong sarcastic undertone to Cyberlina's words.

Grindelwald, who had heard this, turned the cat's head and stared at Cyberlina in surprise. She actually spoke to Albus in that tone? What an eye-opener. What had Albus done wrong?

"Cyber, I know I was wrong." Dumbledore decided to take the initiative. By analogy with Snape, the best way to deal with a Slytherin with complicated thoughts was to state his intentions directly.

Cyberlina raised her brows slightly, surprised. "Why?"

"Because I was biased." Dumbledore answered honestly, then pointed at Snape. "Severus has already forgiven me."

Snape, who suddenly understood why he had been dragged here, said through clenched teeth, "...Yes!"

Cyberlina glanced at the unwilling Snape, then turned back to Dumbledore.

"There's something else." Dumbledore spoke before Cyberlina could say anything. He lowered his head slightly, and his sky-blue eyes, unobstructed by spectacles, looked straight into hers.

Unlike the sincere emotional confession and carefully concealed honesty last time, he now took the initiative to recall his regret over the past after seeing Snape gradually change; to reveal his panic when Cyberlina questioned him that day and his cautious desire to lessen the criticism; to mention his surprise after learning from Snape that she might have borrowed Grindelwald's presence to correct his bias; and to openly show the slight anger he had just felt at being neglected.

Cyberlina was silent for a second, then lowered her eyes and smiled helplessly.

Little Al was being far too obedient. He had told her everything. How could she still be angry?

She really had been somewhat angry at Dumbledore for ignoring him lately, but the reason was not entirely what he thought. The main issue was that, to soften her attitude, he had deliberately steered the conversation toward the things he had used to manipulate Snape—topics that had also hurt him deeply.

She was displeased that Dumbledore had brazenly and recklessly presumed to understand her thoughts simply because of his favoritism. She was also disappointed that he cared only about achieving a better outcome and not about her state of mind.

From the first moment she saw Dumbledore after returning, Cyberlina had noticed that he had indeed become much more mature. He considered matters more thoroughly and carefully.

But he was also being too thorough and too cautious. So much so that she felt he was suppressing himself, restraining himself, forcing himself to admit that his own feelings were unimportant.

He seemed to be telling himself that he mattered less than the outcome.

That realization made Cyberlina sad, and even more helpless.

She had no doubt that if Dumbledore continued like this, then one day, when he decided that he needed to sacrifice himself, he would throw himself into it completely.

Thus, when she realized during her usual conversations with Dumbledore that he still reacted emotionally to matters concerning Grindelwald, Cyberlina began considering when to send Grindelwald to him and give him a shock. Whether those feelings came from youthful love or the later hostility of facing each other with wands drawn, at least they could give him some vitality.

She had not expected Snape to guide it into a correction of Dumbledore's bias. Well, that worked too. She would accept that explanation for now.

In any case, Dumbledore's hurried arrival showed that she had achieved her goal.

Thinking this, Cyberlina gripped Gellert-cat-Grindelwald by the scruff of the neck, turned him to face Dumbledore, and stroked the fur atop his head again and again.

"Albus..." Feeling the fur beneath her hand repeatedly stand on end, Cyberlina's eyes filled with amusement. "I'm not actually that angry."

The cat himself probably did not know what cats were like, so he had no idea how obvious his tail was when he bristled. Even Dumbledore had to shift his gaze back to the cat that was so vehemently resisting Cyberlina's caresses.

Thus, a pair of irritated sky-blue, amberlike cat eyes met a pair of calm, puzzled sky-blue eyes.

The cat stopped bristling. The cat froze. The cat blinked and put on an innocent, bewildered feline expression.

Although everything happened almost in an instant, Dumbledore still successfully caught that intensely human side of him, and suspicion immediately arose in his heart.

"But you don't look like someone who isn't that angry." Dumbledore turned his gaze back to Cyberlina, though much of his attention remained on the strange cat.

He wondered whether it was an Animagus. But if it were an Animagus, Cyberlina definitely would not be holding it like this. So that possibility was eliminated.

"How could I really be angry with you..." Cyberlina sighed and seemed to pat the cat's back firmly. Then she said, "I told you, Albus. You're my favorite student."

Dumbledore said nothing. He began wondering whether Cyberlina had used Transfiguration to turn a person into this cat.

Cyberlina tilted her head and studied Dumbledore for several seconds, then smiled. "All right. You don't believe me whenever I say that."

"After all, you don't tell me many things. You only tell—" Dumbledore stopped. He seemed to realize something, and his pupils slowly contracted.

"I only tell—what?" Cyberlina asked with an innocent look, stroking the cat's head again and making its tail bristle once more.

"You!" Dumbledore's eyes widened as he stared at Cyberlina in disbelief.

"Me?" Cyberlina blinked. "What about me?"

Dumbledore's hands, tucked inside his sleeves, clenched tightly. He pressed his lips together and stared at Cyberlina.

After the two of them reached an impasse, Dumbledore lowered his eyes to the irritable cat with sky-blue eyes. His long beard moved with his mouth as he reached out and pulled Snape, who had been quietly standing to one side, in front of him. "Severus said you kept my Tooth- укрепляющий Potion."

Snape: "?"

Cyberlina raised an eyebrow.

Snape immediately defended himself through clenched teeth. "I absolutely did not say that!"

"Of course, Severus." Cyberlina smiled at Snape. "I believe you. You must have phrased it another way."

Snape: "..." He knew he was going to suffer for this!

Seeing Snape's already terribly dark expression, Cyberlina laughed. She stepped forward to face him, then very naturally handed the cat in her arms to Dumbledore's hand, which was still held out in front of him. Then she patted Snape's shoulders with both hands and said gently, "I was only joking, Severus. Of course I know you're not the sort of good child who tells tales. Albus is simply making trouble for no reason."

Snape, who had indeed told Cyberlina tales about Dumbledore before, said, "..."

He really should have kept quiet.

But he could at least look at Dumbledore, who had been accused by Cyberlina of "making trouble for no reason." To his surprise, the old headmaster stood completely motionless, as if struck by a Petrification Curse. The cat squirming in Cyberlina's arms and furiously bristling was motionless too.

Cyberlina burst out laughing. Turning sideways, she rested one hand on the rather confused Snape's shoulder and smiled at Dumbledore. "My dear headmaster, it's already very late. Shouldn't we return to school?"

Snape looked at the now-dark sky and nodded instinctively.

"Oh, our Potions Master wants to go back too."

Snape's neck immediately stiffened.

Cyberlina lowered the hand she had freed and drew her wand. She pointed it at the half-collapsed Gaunt old house, its interior filled with rubble, and cast a Restoration spell. After looking at the still extremely dilapidated house for several seconds, she suddenly chuckled. Then she turned around and rested her wand against Dumbledore's rigid arm.

"Respecting the elderly and caring for the young—we're going back now."

The next moment, four—no, three people and one cat appeared on the lawn at Hogwarts where flying lessons were held.

Dumbledore came back to his senses and looked at Cyberlina with a dark expression.

"Don't worry, Albus. I won't bring anyone else. I told you before—Hogwarts is very important to me." Cyberlina stepped forward to take the cat back, but failed.

Both person and cat were extremely stiff.

Cyberlina pursed her lips upward and gave Dumbledore a teasing look. Dumbledore immediately let go, while the Grindelwald cat leaped outward in perfect understanding. Cyberlina caught him with one hand.

"Oh my, I thought you two didn't want to separate." Cyberlina laughed. With her other hand, she blocked the cat's paw as it tried to scratch her, then held that paw and waved it at Dumbledore. "But it's time to say good night."

Dumbledore said nothing.

Snape frowned slightly, his gaze moving back and forth between the two people and the cat.

Cyberlina simply held up the cat's paw and smiled at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore: "..."

Dumbledore drew a deep breath. His beard trembled with it, and then he viciously forced out several words through his teeth. "Good... night... Cyberlina."

Cyberlina's smile deepened. "Good night, Dumbledore."

Then she turned and waved the cat's paw at Snape. "Good night, Severus."

Although he did not know why, Severus felt rather pleased at seeing Old Bee's dark expression, and generously returned Cyberlina's "good night."

Cyberlina entered the castle with a beaming smile and arrived at her Room of Requirement in an instant. At the same time, the cat leaped from her arms and transformed upon landing into an enraged Grindelwald.

"Cyberlina! What exactly are you thinking?" Grindelwald rebuked her. "Do you know that you—"

Cyberlina ignored him. She tapped the metal stand beside the door with her wand. Green flames flickered to life, then went out again. Cyberlina smiled, turned around, passed the dignified Grindelwald as he paced back and forth angrily, and entered the small corridor. She waved her wand, and a new little room appeared beside the rooms where medicinal herbs were grown and workstations were kept.

Grindelwald fell silent. He began examining the somewhat gloomy but extremely magnificent room and asked, "Is this the Room of Requirement?"

"Guess." Cyberlina entered the new room and waved her wand to conjure a bed and a table.

Grindelwald gave a short laugh. "It can't be the Slytherin common room."

"Why couldn't it be the Gryffindor common room?" Cyberlina asked.

Grindelwald opened his mouth, then pressed his lips together and sighed. Spreading his arms, he said to Cyberlina, "Gryffindor? In this gloomy place?"

"So much time has passed. The Gryffindor common room must be different from the one where Albus lived back then."

"Even if it's different, it still wouldn't—" Grindelwald paused, then stared at Cyberlina as his tone slowed. "Even if the current Gryffindor common room isn't the same as when Albus was a student... it couldn't have become this entirely green-and-silver Slytherin color scheme. It should at least be... red and gold, right?"

He sounded as though he knew Hogwarts very well.

"All right, then. We'll fulfill Grindelwald's wish to live in Gryffindor." Smiling, Cyberlina redecorated the new room in red and gold, adding especially bright lamps and Gryffindor tapestries.

"I never said I wanted to live—"

"Then shall I change it back?"

"...No, no, leave it like this." Grindelwald coughed lightly. "I'm not a Hogwarts student anyway. I don't have that many prejudices."

Cyberlina did not respond to his sarcasm. She merely smiled at him, her eyes filled with mischief.

Grindelwald: "...All right, Cyberlina. At the very least, you have to tell me why you brought me here."

"If I don't tell you why, will you leave immediately?"

"What else would I do?"

"Otherwise..." Cyberlina clasped her hands behind her back and smiled mysteriously. "There won't be any good night from Albus."

"..." Grindelwald drew a deep breath. "Tell me the password to your Room of Requirement."

"No need." Cyberlina walked out of the room. "You'll be changing rooms tomorrow anyway."

When she reached the doorway, Cyberlina turned around and smiled gently at Grindelwald. "I almost forgot to say it—good night, Gellert. I hope you sleep soundly tonight."

Grindelwald paused, moved his lips, and then slowly said, "Good night, Cyberlina."