Brief Exchange

"All right, before we go to bed, let's sing the school song!"

The wrinkles on Dumbledore's face seemed to lessen, and it looked like this was his favorite part.

All the teachers and students stood up. Kano noticed that the professors did not look particularly pleased.

Golden ribbons drifted from Dumbledore's wand and formed the lyrics of the school song under his control.

The students sang the school song in all sorts of different tunes. Kano heard Hermione choke slightly before launching into God Save the Queen, while Harry was led into the tune of a funeral march by George and Fred beside him.

Kano himself sang a verse of "Jasmine Flower," which was completely inconspicuous amid the chaotic cacophony.

Dumbledore waved his wand to conduct the twins through the final beat, then took the lead in applauding.

"Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here."

He wiped at his eyes and had the prefects lead the new students back to their dormitories.

The students of the four Houses filed out, taking different paths at the entrance to the Great Hall.

Hufflepuff's common room was partially underground beside the kitchens. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor occupied different towers, while Slytherin lived in the dungeon level, where they could see the Black Lake when they looked up.

That was not particularly surprising. Hogwarts had been a fortified battleground from the very beginning.

Hufflepuff and Slytherin had secure underground quarters. Kano would bet that their common rooms had more than one escape route.

Gryffindor and Ravenclaw stood high, with broad views, and it was easy to escape on broomsticks as well.

The Gryffindor students, full and drowsy from dinner, staggered to the entrance of their common room.

Percy gave the password to the Fat Lady's portrait. "Dragon dung." The portrait swung aside, revealing the common room entrance.

"Remember the password, everyone, or the Fat Lady won't open the door for you," Percy instructed. "Girls are over there. The prefects will take you upstairs. Boys are this way. Boys are not allowed in the girls' dormitory. I don't need to emphasize that, do I?"

A group of eleven-year-old kids understood nothing. All they wanted now was sleep.

Led by Percy, they left the common room and entered the boys' dormitory.

The half-grown boys changed into pajamas, found their own beds, and fell asleep in a daze.

Kano did not sleep. He sat cross-legged on his bed, silently reciting Druid verses in his heart.

"Kano, are you awake?"

Harry's voice came from another bed. Kano pulled aside his bed curtains and poked his head out in confusion.

"Aren't you tired, Harry?"

"I... wanted to talk to you."

Kano nodded. The two of them tiptoed past their lightly snoring classmates and returned to the common room.

Though there were only the two of them in the common room, the fire in the fireplace was still blazing.

Harry seemed conflicted, but he finally asked, "Before we got off the train, Malfoy and I had an argument."

"He said your father was a Death Eater, and your uncle was my godfather—but he betrayed my parents and caused their deaths."

Kano nodded. "My father was indeed a Death Eater. Although he regretted it in the end, left them, and died, that cannot erase the harm he caused others."

"As for my uncle—your godfather. I told you before, the situation is complicated. Right now, I have no evidence that can convince anyone. All I can do is wait."

As Kano spoke, he could not help finding it strange. Harry had never been someone good at thinking in the original story. He often rushed headlong into trouble on a burst of impulse.

Why was he talking to him so calmly now? This involved the deaths of his parents.

Harry nodded to show that he understood, but then he continued, "If you had any bad intentions, you wouldn't have helped me from the start."

"If my parents really died because of your uncle's betrayal, then I'll seek justice for them with my own hands."

"But since you say there's more to it, I'm still willing to believe you."

Kano scratched his head. He had underestimated Harry's trust in him, and he had underestimated the strength of Harry's character.

"Then see with your own eyes and judge with your own mind."

Harry nodded vigorously. "I'll look for records from that time and ask the people involved."

It was not until they returned to the dormitory and Harry's breathing became steady and deep that Kano belatedly realized that he seemed to have had quite an impact on Harry.

He had been planning to wait for Harry to take down Voldemort in the future, while also dealing with those few enemies along the way. At most, he would provide some information and play the role of a prophet.

I'm not going to end up as one of Harry's subordinates, am I?

Even when Kano woke the next morning, that thought still would not leave his mind.

Come to think of it, Peter Pettigrew had turned into a rat and was currently lying beside Ron's pillow.

Kano could clearly sense the aura of magic wrapped around him, but he intended to leave Peter to Sirius Black and Lupin.

Let him stay a rat for another two years. That definitely would not be a pleasant experience.

It was only five-thirty in the morning, and the sky outside was still dark.

After getting up and tidying himself, Kano put on his green oak robe and headed out.

He jogged all the way to the shore of the Black Lake, where thick water mist lingered.

However, he found this environment extremely comfortable. After doing some warm-up exercises, he ran two laps around Black Lake and felt that he had more or less adjusted.

Seeing no one around, the green robe on his body squirmed and transformed into a full suit of armor complete with a helmet. A longsword grew from his right hand, while vines wove themselves into a large shield around his left arm.

After testing the weight of the sword and shield, Kano nodded in satisfaction.

A similarly fully armed knight emerged from the thick fog. He saluted Kano, then charged straight at him.

With each breath, Kano's magic power flowed through his entire body, enveloping even his armor, sword, and shield.

He planted his feet and assumed his stance, studying the charging knight closely through his visor. Then he suddenly exerted himself, bracing the shield before him and shoving forward with all his strength. In one blow, he shattered his opponent's balance and sent him flying.

There was no heavy thud of impact. The next knight emerged from the dense fog, choosing to duel with swordsmanship.

Kano's swordsmanship had been passed down from the Sun Knight Gawain, emphasizing overwhelming momentum and breaking through head-on. But his opponent was far stronger than Kano, whose body had not yet fully developed, so Kano could only respond with agility and speed.

Kano kept circling, often using his sword and shield in tandem to interrupt the other man's attacks. After a dozen or so exchanges, his opponent lost patience and recklessly pressed forward, only for Kano's sword to pierce his neck. He dissolved into mist.

The next knight appeared mounted on a tall horse, with a lance hanging at his side.

A white horse emerged from the fog behind Kano. Kano stroked its neck, then swung himself into the saddle as well.

The two men guided their mounts forward a few steps before accelerating toward each other. Their lances struck each other's waists at the same time and shattered inch by inch, and both men were knocked from their horses.

After scrambling back to their feet, they resumed their swordfight. Their clothes and armor were torn to shreds, blood gushing like springs. In the end, both ran out of strength and dropped to their knees.

The knight opposite him made a stopping gesture, then removed his mask to reveal a face Kano knew well.

He was Morgan Le Fay's son, the Knight of the Round Table, Owen.