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✭ Chapter 96 ➜ Entry Lists and Albania ✭
🕑 Added 2025-05-10 21:47:22 +0000 UTCIn the headmaster's office on the eighth floor, Dumbledore sat leisurely drinking his tea with three sugars, watching with amusement as Snape and Professor McGonagall argued.
It was quite the coincidence. Minerva had merely come to see Dumbledore on business, but upon entering, she found Snape demanding the expulsion of a certain student.
"It's that Kyle Chopper again. He's swindled at least five hundred Galleons from other students these past few days. I've said it before — this student incites others, acts recklessly, and disregards school rules. He should be expelled..."
After listening for a moment, Professor McGonagall grasped the situation. She frowned and said, "Severus, we don't expel students over selling a few items."
"A few items?" Snape raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze from Dumbledore to her, "Pardon me, Minerva, but he's now trying to organize exam cheating among students."
"Cheating? Are you joking?" Professor McGonagall said incredulously, "I've seen those items. They're not even magical objects — just ordinary decorative items."
"So you're saying Mr. Chopper is selling counterfeits?" Snape drawled, "After all, ordinary decorations aren't worth ten Galleons. Selling fake items to deceive young wizards at Hogwarts — that alone warrants expulsion!"
"Calm yourself, Severus."
At this point, Dumbledore finished his tea and placed a large piece of parchment on the desk.
"This is their product flyer. You probably haven't seen it yet." He said, pointing to an enlarged, bold line at the bottom, "They've actually been quite clear about it, so it's not deception."
Snape looked up, his eyes straining at the glaring text:
[This product has symbolic value only... Please purchase at your discretion.]
"Also..." Dumbledore considered his words before continuing, "From what I understand, most students buy decorations for five Sickles. Only a small number — well, the more attractive ones — sell for ten Galleons."
After hearing his words, Snape's expression turned particularly sour, as if he'd eaten unwashed tripe. So it was just the Slytherins who bought the ten-Galleon ones.
"What about this line?" Snape asked darkly, looking at the flyer, "They mentioned you too — isn't that deceptive?"
"Actually... what they said is true." Dumbledore's aged face suddenly reddened as he said, "I did wear something similar during my graduation exams, though Professor Marchbanks confiscated it later. Merlin's beard, I always thought no one remembered that."
Snape's face darkened like a cauldron bottom. He snatched the flyer and stormed out of the headmaster's office.
BANG!
The thunderous door slam startled Fawkes awake. The phoenix flew to Dumbledore's shoulder and began angrily pecking at his beard.
"Sorry, Fawkes. Severus didn't mean to."
Fawkes ignored the apology and continued tugging at Dumbledore's beard.
Left with no alternative, Dumbledore retrieved some Mandrake leaves from his drawer to appease his phoenix.
He glanced up at Minerva's incredulous expression and said, "Don't be so surprised, Minerva. I was only seventeen then — doing incomprehensible things was quite normal. Besides, it was for History of Magic, Professor Binns's class... you understand."
Professor McGonagall's lips twitched — she was fighting back laughter.
"Well..." Dumbledore shifted topics, "What did you come to see me about?"
Minerva's expression turned serious as she got down to business.
"Ahem, these are the entry lists from June to August last year that you requested." She said, placing a small stack of parchment on the desk, "The owl couldn't locate you yesterday, so the Ministry sent them to me instead."
"Thank you, Minerva. I need these right now." Dumbledore accepted them, briefly scanned their contents, then retrieved another similar stack of parchment from the bookshelf behind him.
Professor McGonagall glanced curiously, but from her position, she could only make out the first few words:
"Albania departure..."
As Dumbledore began meticulously comparing the two lists, Minerva quietly excused herself.
When the door closed again, silence settled over the headmaster's office.
On the walls, the portraits who had been feigning sleep opened their eyes and eagerly gathered to discuss what they'd just witnessed.
"That young wizard Kyle again." Said a witch, "How many times has this name been mentioned in the headmaster's office?"
"At least three times." Said a thin old man, "The Potions professor keeps coming here because of him. Another troublemaker."
"I don't think so." The witch from before shook her head, "I've seen that child in the corridors — clever, humble, polite. He even greets the portraits."
"Perhaps that's all an act." Said a bitter voice, "Just like that student back then... hypocritical."
"Shut up, Phineas." A bearded wizard said disapprovingly, "It's different — he's a Hufflepuff!"
"Well, that's true." Phineas Black said, picking his nose, "He's from that fool's house, probably doesn't have that kind of cunning..."
"How dare you—" The bearded wizard angrily charged into Phineas's frame, grabbing his collar, "Say that again — what's wrong with Hufflepuff?!"
Below the bearded wizard's original frame, it clearly stated that he had graduated from Hufflepuff.
"What — what are you doing?" Phineas struggled desperately in his grip, "Let go of me! You're not going to hit me, are you?"
"I've wanted to for a long time!" The bearded wizard knocked him to the ground with one punch, then started stomping on his face, "Fool's house? Ha! I'll show you what Hufflepuff is capable of!"
The other portraits rushed over, skillfully producing snacks, drinks, and small stools, settling in to watch from the front row. Watching Phineas get beaten up was their favorite entertainment.
A headmaster's office without Phineas would be like merpeople in the Black Lake without broomsticks.
At this moment, Dumbledore, who had been examining the parchments, looked up. He pushed his glasses up his nose, ignored the portraits, and walked to the window, staring outside lost in thought.
