In the Defense Against Dark Magic Office, Sirius sat cross-legged on the carpet. After two glasses of liquor, a faint flush had already risen to his face.
"Douglas, nobody ever ambushed you from behind and clubbed you at school? The spirit of Hogwarts really has gone to the dogs."
Just then, a visitor announcement came from the door.
"The esteemed Headmaster Dumbledore has come to visit."
"Come in!"
As Douglas spoke, Sirius hastily got up from the floor.
The door opened, and Dumbledore entered the warm room, bringing the chill of the Scottish Highlands with him. He wore a deep purple traveling cloak and had clearly just returned from outside.
Behind his half-moon spectacles, there was actually a rare trace of exhaustion.
"Good evening, Douglas. Oh, you're here too, Sirius." Dumbledore looked at the director of the Academic Affairs Office, who was hastily getting to his feet. "It seems you were having some very in-depth... hmm... floor-level communication?"
"Good evening, Albus. I was just helping Professor Holmes test the thickness of his office carpet." As he spoke, he raised his glass toward Dumbledore. "Want some? It's so late. Have you just come back from outside?"
"No, this muddled old head of mine can't take the stimulation of alcohol anymore. Douglas, a cup of tea, with sugar!" Dumbledore sighed, walked over to Douglas's desk, and took a stack of printed papers from inside his cloak, setting them on the desktop.
Douglas snapped his fingers. The teapot on the fireplace automatically brewed a cup of tea and added a sugar cube as Dumbledore had requested.
He looked at the stack of printed papers. It was the "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Annual Asset and Special Fund Inspection Report" that he and Dumbledore had rushed to finish the night before.
He looked