"…A single species, then?" Grindelwald asked.
"If I had to nitpick, maybe it's just different occupations," Kasen nodded.
"You believe wizards are merely an occupation…"
"If you've got another opinion, then say it. What's the point of repeating yourself like a broken record?" Kasen grumbled, exasperated.
"…Since you and I clearly don't see eye to eye on this, there's no need to argue. Too easy to end up fighting," Grindelwald explained.
"Wow, so insightful of you." Kasen rolled his eyes, then turned off toward the floor where his office was.
Back in his office, he set about drafting his syllabus for the term. Now that he had machinery capable of coexisting with magic, it would be a waste not to put it to use.
After all, he was a professor. Since he'd come to Hogwarts, to the wizarding world, he ought to make at least a small contribution to it…
But before he could even pull out his notebook to start planning, the crystal ball in the corner of his desk lit up—that was the doorbell for his office.
And considering his office door had long since been removed, for a student to still show such courtesy at this hour… odds were it could only be—
"Eh? What is it with you two?" Kasen looked helplessly at the Weasley twins.
"Hi, professor, who did you think it would be at the door?" the twins asked.
"I thought it'd be Cedric. Maybe Neville. Or Luna, perhaps," Kasen replied.
"Then, professor, can you guess what we've come to see you about?"
Kasen raised an eyebrow. "Oh ho? Using honorifics now? Must be after something big."
"Heh, professor…" The twins grinned, rubbing their hands together like scheming flies. "At yesterday's opening feast, Headmaster Dumbledore mentioned the Triwizard Tournament, didn't he?"
"Mm-hm. What about it?" Kasen replied.
"Professor Dumbledore also said that wizards under seventeen can't participate. Is that true?" the twins pressed.
"Just ask your real question already."
"How are the champions chosen?"
"Do you know?"
"Of course I do. The alchemical artifact that selects the champions? I was the one who repaired it." Kasen answered matter-of-factly.
"Then professor, you must know a reasonable way to bypass the age restriction, right?" the twins asked.
"That thing originally didn't have any age limit. If you really want to get around it, what you should be researching is how to bypass the age restriction spell Dumbledore put on it."
The twins looked at each other. "So you're saying…"
"I don't think you'll be able to bypass Dumbledore's magic. And honestly, I don't particularly recommend you signing up for this tournament. This isn't Quidditch—it's dangerous."
"Besides, you're twins. What if luck turns against you and one of you gets chosen? He might end up dying in the tournament, leaving the other behind in this world, all alone. Pitiful, isn't it?" Kasen shrugged, trying to steer the twins away from this immature idea.
"Oh, it's fine, professor. You just said it yourself—we're twins. If we want, we can see each other anytime."
"All we need is a mirror."
Hearing such outright reckless words, Kasen could only sigh helplessly. Now he understood why Dumbledore looked at him the way he did—always spouting nonsense without caring about their own lives.
And at this moment, he also fully grasped just how good Dumbledore's temper must be.
After just a few minutes of chatting with the twins, Kasen already had the urge to smack them hard—yet Dumbledore had put up with them ...and him for years.
"So, professor, you really won't help us?" the twins asked pitifully.
"Sorry. This is a matter of principle." Kasen rejected them cleanly and without hesitation.
"Oh, fine then, professor…" The twins slumped out of the office, and Kasen finally had a moment to himself, able to get back to working on his lesson plans for the term. Though honestly, with his first class scheduled for the afternoon, starting the plan now was definitely a bit late…
........
[Lesson Plan]
........
Two hours later, Kasen stared at the words scrawled across the parchment and fell silent.
Was he out of his mind? Why set himself a goal he knew he couldn't possibly complete?
Without hesitation, he tore the parchment from the desk, crumpled it up, and let a flame flare in his palm, burning it until not even ash remained.
"Wow… what was that?" Grindelwald's voice suddenly came from across the desk.
Kasen looked up. "Why aren't you in your own office?"
"Because I'm in your office right now…"
"…OK. What do you need from me?"
"Oh, quite a lot. In fact, I have several matters that require your help," Grindelwald said.
"Mm-hm, let's hear it." Kasen straightened his chair a bit, while from the nearby cabinet a bottle of wine floated over and set itself down between them.
"I'm asking you to help me steal something," Grindelwald said quietly.
"???? Do I look like I have some natural talent for thievery?"
"No, no, no…" Grindelwald leaned in companionably, draping an arm over Kasen's shoulder.
"In fact, it's not really stealing. It was mine to begin with, but I left it at Durmstrang. The thing is, while my current identity is backed by Dumbledore—so they're no longer looking to throw me into Nurmengard at every turn—it's still impossible for me to openly leave Hogwarts."
"You're already talking about stealing something. Can't you at least… wear a mask?" Kasen gave him a very strange look.
Grindelwald could only sigh, roll up his sleeve, and reveal a golden solidified spell coiled tightly around his wrist.
"I have a locator on me now. The moment I leave Hogwarts, this thing will sound the alarm—and might even blow my arm off," Grindelwald explained.
"Aren't you supposed to be some kind of magical grandmaster? Can't undo it?"
"This was Dumbledore's spellwork."
"Then what are you afraid of? Do you really think he'd blow your arm off? And besides, didn't you still get your freedom during the holidays?" Kasen asked suspiciously.
"You need to understand—Dumbledore is a righteous man, but he's not a good man. The two shouldn't be confused. As for the holidays, that was because the idiots at the International Confederation of Wizards didn't even know I was out yet. That was then. This is now."
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