Apologizing to Professor Kettleburn

"Take it out," Xiwen said with a light laugh, looking at Riddle's hands that were still in his pockets.

Riddle feigned confusion, asking with a blank expression, "What are you talking about, Rozier?"

"Don't try to lie to me. You couldn't have done all this just to scare your two roommates. You must have another purpose," Xiwen said. "If I'm not mistaken, you're after the Ashwinder's eggs, right?"

"Collect a few Ashwinder Egg, hatch them with magical flames when needed, and then use the Parseltongue to have them help you fight enemies. I must say, this is quite a brilliant idea."

Riddle paused for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you." He took both hands out of his pockets, holding a red Ashwinder Egg in each hand.

The Ashwinder Egg was firmly frozen by Freezing Charm, awaiting only the day Riddle unsealed it and placed it in magical Ashwinder, from which new Ashwinder would hatch. And these Fantastic Beasts, capable of asexual reproduction, could continuously produce more and more small Ashwinder, endlessly and inexhaustibly.

"Will you report me?" Riddle asked, looking at Xiwen.

"Would you be willing to apologize to the professors?" Xiwen asked, staring into Riddle's eyes.

"What a joke!" Upon hearing this, Riddle suddenly became agitated, raising his voice. "I'm not like you, with connections on the Board of Governors. Who knows if I'll be expelled from Hogwarts after I apologize?"

"You probably don't know, but the thought of possibly being expelled from Hogwarts and sent back to that orphanage keeps me up at night!"

"Since you knew you might be expelled, why did you do such a thing?" Xiwen asked.

"I said I would handle Lestrange and Avery's matter myself," Riddle's voice turned cold. "It's the most practical solution I can think of. As for the Great Hall being set on fire, I certainly didn't mean it."

"If you really want to report me, then go ahead. I will destroy the two Ashwinder Eggs in my possession and resolutely deny that I did it. Without evidence, the principal has no grounds to expel me directly."

"Of course, if you really do that, Slytherin's racial discrimination and bullying will continue, and I'll just have to put up with their hateful faces for a little longer. Then our friendship will be pretty much over."

Riddle's voice grew softer and softer, especially the last sentence, which was almost as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

But Xiwen heard it.

He stared directly into Riddle's dark eyes and remained silent for a long time.

"If you can gain Professor Kettleburn's forgiveness, I will not pursue this matter any further." Finally, Xiwen spoke, breaking the increasingly oppressive atmosphere. "Because of your actions, the professor has been placed on probation by the principal."

"I remember Professor Birley was also wounded," Riddle said in a low voice.

"Professor Birley's problem is naturally the responsibility of those two who openly dueled on stage," Xiwen said.

"Don't worry, Professor Kettleburn is very understanding. As long as you tell him your reasons, he certainly won't report you to the headmaster."

"This is outrageous!" Professor Kettleburn slammed his remaining right hand on the table and roared.

Xiwen and Riddle stood silently beside the shed, trembling under the professor's booming voice...

"I truly never imagined there was this level of bullying at Hogwarts! What is Horace doing as Headmaster?!" Professor Kettleburn exclaimed.

"Actually, Professor Slughorn has been quite kind to me..." Riddle was already a little guilty in front of the person in question, and under the professor's imposing aura, he became even more intimidated, and even his voice lacked confidence.

"This isn't about whether he's being kind to you or not; his behavior is just playing dumb!" Professor Kettleburn said angrily. "He wants the gratitude of a talented student but doesn't want to offend those two Pure-blood families, so he treats you kindly on the one hand, but doesn't take any concrete action against this bullying!"

"No, I have to go and have a serious talk with him." With that, the professor got up, grabbed his coat from the wall, and strode towards the door.

"Um, Professor, how about we discuss whether or not we should forgive Riddle's mistake?" Xiwen quickly stopped the professor and changed the subject.

This puts the hot-tempered Professor Kettleburn in a confrontation with Professor Slughorn, and if a conflict were to break out, it would be difficult to handle.

"What kind of mistake is that? It was just trying to save ourselves," the professor said casually, waving his hand at the two. "If I were in that situation, harmless little creatures like the Ashwinder wouldn't be enough. Only 5X-level Fantastic Beasts like the Horned Water Snake and the Basilisk would suffice!"

Upon hearing the professor's words, Riddle nodded thoughtfully.

Xiwen's lips twitched; he had a feeling that Riddle had taken the professor's casual joke to heart...

"So, Professor, have you forgiven me?" Riddle then asked.

"Of course, I'm not some old-fashioned rule-breaker Armando!" Professor Kettleburn said nonchalantly. "If I don't forgive you for this, wouldn't I be inhuman?"

Upon hearing the affirmative answer, Riddle finally smiled with relief and subconsciously glanced back at Xiwen.

Xiwen nodded to him, then looked at the professor and asked, "Professor, regarding your probation..."

"It's nothing, didn't I tell you I'm used to it!" Professor Kettleburn said, but then suddenly realized something and asked in confusion, "Wait, how did you know I was placed on probation?"

Xiwen paused for a moment before realizing that he hadn't separated his Soul Body for over a month and had almost forgotten to carefully distinguish what was happening on both sides.

"Ahem, this matter has blown up so much, I can't think of any other punishment Headmaster Dippet would give besides a suspended sentence," Xiwen said with a forced smile, quickly trying to salvage the situation.

"That's true," Professor Kettleburn muttered. "I'm still on probation and my salary is being docked; this kid deserves some compensation."

Hearing the professor's mutterings, Riddle thought for a moment and then said seriously, "Professor, I don't have many Galleon and Sickle right now. But if you need them, I will definitely repay you double after I graduate and start working!"

"No, that's not it. I wouldn't stoop so low as to ask you for compensation for such a small amount of money," Professor Kettleburn waved his hand and said. "I don't need anything else from you either, you just need to do me a small favor."

"I've been researching various snake-like Fantastic Beasts lately, so you can come over every weekend and be my translator!" the professor said with a smile.

Xiwen: 'So this is your real purpose, right...?'