Further Evaluation

The atmosphere fell quiet, and everyone's gaze settled on the same person.

Klein Grindelwald.

The undisputed star of the moment.

"Please tell me those spells were all your invention."

Nixlite, the Herbology Master, stared sternly at Dumbledore.

He didn't believe it. He didn't dare believe it.

But Dumbledore only shook his head with a wry smile.

"Hiss~"

The masters all sucked in a sharp breath.

Then, as if they'd suddenly thought of something, their eyes grew feverishly eager.

"If you have questions, why not ask the person himself?"

Dumbledore felt his heart tighten when he saw the looks on his old friends' faces, but he kept a warm smile on his own.

He felt rather like someone had set their sights on his precious treasure.

Klein, unaware that he was being treated as "their precious treasure," paid no attention to the gazes behind him. Seeing Neville looking utterly baffled, he naturally smiled, said nothing, and walked away.

He'd done his good deed and left no trace.

In the group of first-years, Ron Weasley stared blankly at Klein's retreating figure, jealousy and admiration tangling in his heart.

His thoughts in turmoil, he unconsciously blurted out what he was thinking.

"So cool!"

Ron himself froze as soon as the words left his mouth.

Meeting the astonished gaze of his friend Harry Potter, he sighed.

"Harry, I understand what you meant in the Potions classroom now. He's different from us."

Klein Grindelwald.

He wasn't someone from their world.

Klein had no idea how many boys and girls had come to admire him after his casual act. All he knew was that he needed to hurry back and apologize.

Whatever the case, he had been rude.

But Klein was puzzled when he returned to Dumbledore and found that the masters weren't blaming him. Instead, they all wore strange smiles.

Fila Hop was the exception, of course.

The woman's expression remained icy.

"I'm sorry, Headmaster. Gentlemen, Ms. Hop, please forgive my rude behavior just now."

Whatever the case, he couldn't drop the act.

Klein apologized once more, looking contrite. Dumbledore's eye twitched.

"What an actor."

He'd personally seen Klein controlling Fiendfyre before!

But then the old man thought it over and smiled faintly.

That was the way to go.

"Child, tell Grandpa Aberdo—were those spells really all invented by you?"

Now that the person in question had returned, Aberdo Hank dropped all pretense of being a hospital director. He tried to ingratiate himself with Klein and eagerly asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Uh, yes."

Klein nodded and admitted it without hesitation.

He needed to make a name for himself in the Magical World quickly. The Ministry of Magic wouldn't back him, so the Order of Merlin was his only option.

With a group of powerful figures supporting him, the influence of public opinion would be considerably reduced.

And the four spells—Healing Spell, Bone Healing Spell, Blood Stasis Removal Spell, and Shrink the Ground into an Inch—were his stepping stones.

"Good, good boy!"

When Aberdo and the other masters heard this, they grew excited.

If Dumbledore hadn't been there, they would have wanted to drag Klein back to their own territory on the spot.

"Why bother going to school, child? Wouldn't you have a much brighter future studying spells (Potions, alchemy, astrology, or herbology) with me directly than wasting seven years at Hogwarts?"

The masters showered him with goodwill, each thinking the same thing.

"Ahem. Let's head into the castle first. We can talk more once we're inside."

Seeing his old friends looking ready to "devour" Klein alive, Dumbledore felt both helpless and amused.

Still, he said nothing and warmly ushered everyone into the castle.

"Stay here, children. Don't move around. Wait for me to come back."

The headmaster had left with a group of powerful strangers, and Madam Hooch let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing the chubby boy beside her still trying to figure out what was going on, she took his hand without further ado, told the Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years to stay put, and hurried toward the Hospital Wing.

Without a thorough examination by Madam Pomfrey, she couldn't put her mind at ease.

With her mind occupied, Madam Hooch failed to notice a round little ball fall from Neville's pocket onto the grass behind them.

"Try some Honey Tea."

In the Headmaster's office on Hogwarts's Seventh Floor, Dumbledore waved his wand, and prepared Honey Tea and pastries floated in front of everyone.

But the masters weren't in the mood to sample Dumbledore's cloyingly sweet tea and treats. Nearly all of them crowded around Klein, peppering him with questions. Their enthusiasm even made Dumbledore glance over repeatedly.

"These shameless old codgers, sucking up to a child like this. Aren't they embarrassed?"

It didn't occur to him that he often invited Klein for tea and a chat himself. Sucking up? A headmaster getting along with his student wasn't sucking up, was it?

"Ahem!"

Seeing his old friends getting carried away, Fila Hop, who had kept her face stern the whole time, coughed sharply and spoke without a trace of warmth.

"Don't forget your duties."

What was the Order of Merlin here for?

To conduct an evaluation!

Not to cluster around a child and try every trick in the book to win his favor.

"Uh, Ms. Hop is right."

At her words, Aberdo Hank's expression turned serious.

Under the puzzled gazes of his old friends, he continued.

"Although inventing those four spells is more than enough to qualify Klein for membership, to uphold our rigorous standards and protect the Order's honor, I think we should conduct a further evaluation."

"Hm?"

The masters' faces stiffened, and they exchanged puzzled looks.

What was there left to evaluate? If contributions like these weren't enough to join the Order of Merlin, it would be terribly unfair to the boy!

Gellert was Gellert, and Klein was Klein.

Even though they both had the surname Grindelwald, they weren't the same person.

They could understand Fila Hop. She had truly been badly hurt by the "Dark Lord," and it was hard for her to let go of her hatred so soon.

But Aberdo Hank—how could this thick-browed fellow have lived so many years and learned nothing?

"So, I propose that we assign Klein to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, so we can further evaluate the effects of those healing spells. Yes, there's nowhere more suitable for him than our hospital."

Ignoring the baffled looks from his old friends, Aberdo Hank spoke with righteous conviction.

When he finished, the room fell abruptly silent.

"Rest assured. I swear in my capacity as an Order of Merlin Member that I'll test the effects of those spells fairly."

Aberdo Hank nodded solemnly, his eyes full of the profound resolve of someone thinking, "If I don't go to hell, who will?"

The masters were speechless, but Klein, who had kept his head bowed and said nothing, couldn't help the corner of his mouth twitching.

Getting a good deal and acting like he was doing them a favor.

The old man was quite the character.