Kane: "???"
Hagrid nodded solemnly. "Even though your prep work and the coordination with Harry, Ron, and—oh—Mr. Longbottom was nearly perfect, you have to rember that greenhouses hold dangerous plants.
Mandrakes, Venomous Tentacula, things like that. Because of the risk, Dumbledore placed a very specific enchantnt on the place."
Kane picked up the Rock Cake that had fallen onto the plate. However, because his eyes were locked onto Hagrid's face in a death stare, he didn't notice that he hadn't picked up the cake—he had picked up a jagged shard of the shattered white porcelain plate.
"So? What did this enchantnt do specifically?"
Hagrid searched for the right words. "To put it simply, that spell records everything that happens in the greenhouse. At any point, a person can re-watch exactly what transpired."
CRUNCH!
The high-fired white porcelain, baked at $1200^{\\circ}C$, was bitten clean through by Kane.
"Good. Great. Magical CCTV. Dumbledore set up," Kane sighed despondently, dropping his head. It was then that he noticed the plate with a massive chunk missing from the side.
...
"So, not one of you was going to ntion that?" Kane glanced around at Harry, Ron, and Hagrid, only to find them all wearing expressions of pure horror.
"You..." Ron pointed at Kane, then at the plate. "You... ate it?"
Kane finally realized his mouth was full of silica and glaze. He lunged for a trash can and spat it all out.
He reached back for the real Rock Cake. "Fine. Once I finish this, I'm going to Dumbledore to accept my death sentence."
Hagrid waved a hand awkwardly. "It's really not that serious, Kane."
"I know. Just a joke." Kane nodded, then bit down hard on the Rock Cake.
...
Under Hagrid's hopeful gaze and the terrified stares of Harry and Ron, a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Kane's mouth.
"Is the cake poisonous?" Ron gasped, tossing his own cake onto the table.
Kane let go of the cake, shaking his head. He tucked the perfectly unscathed Rock Cake into his pocket. "No. It's just too hard. My gums..."
He stood up slowly. "I have to go. Before I see Dumbledore, I need to hit the hospital wing to see how to fix my teeth... or maybe I'll just craft so atballs. They restore health anyway..."
The three left in the hut watched Kane's retreating figure. His voice grew distant and faint, eventually sounding like the nonsensical ravings of a madman.
Hagrid tried to salvage the mood. "Who wants a biscuit? They're so good, they'll make you bleed!" He pushed the tray toward Harry and Ron.
The two boys looked at the shattered porcelain shard and the tooth-marks on the Rock Cake. They politely declined.
While the trio at Hagrid's were busy studying the impact of tooth enal on industrial-grade stone, Kane had arrived at Dumbledore's office.
Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be found, and he couldn't find "Tooth-Repair Potion" on the shelves, so he went straight to the Headmaster.
The office was quiet, save for the snoring of the portraits.
"Do you know why I asked to see you?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"Because I stole the Mandrake?" Kane replied flatly. He felt like he was dealing with a lonely old man looking for conversation, so he refused to play along.
"I specifically asked Hagrid not to tell you so I could surprise you." Dumbledore feigned disappointnt. "Well, hand it over. Those plants are far too dangerous to keep in a dormitory."
Kane sighed and pulled the "Naturalized" Mandrake from his pocket. The mont it had been uprooted and "converted," it had effectively ceased to be a biological hazard. He placed it on the desk.
"This is... a Mandrake?" Dumbledore poked the shriveled, silent, "ugly radish." It had been a hundred years since his last Herbology class, but he was fairly certain they didn't look like this. Yet, the magical signature was undeniable.
"So, your 'Shadow' ability turned it into... a dead vegetable?"
"Mmhmm. It's actually quite useful. It can be made into a magical instrunt called a Pan Flute that puts creatures to sleep," Kane explained, trying to save ti.
Dumbledore leaned back, fingers interlaced. His face practically scread: I don't believe a word of that. "Are there any other uses?"
"You can eat it," Kane said.
Dumbledore nodded. "Do you require a knife and fork?"
"Not at all." Kane walked into the Headmaster's private quarters as if he lived there.
"My bedroom doesn't have a dining table, Kane," Dumbledore noted, following him. He watched as Kane sat on the lower bunk of the bed, shoved the entire Mandrake into his mouth, chewed, and promptly fell backward.
In that instant, Dumbledore was convinced. The claim about "putting creatures to sleep" was absolutely true.
Because he, too, was starting to feel a bit...
Thud.
Evening
Kane walked back into the Gryffindor common room looking refreshed and energetic. He was imdiately sward by students. Most wanted to know where he was during Flying Class—Slytherin had been picking on Neville again—while others had more practical concerns.
"Did Dumbledore expel you?" Harry whispered.
Hermione, sitting nearby with a book, had already pried the truth out of Neville. She assud Kane was in trouble for the theft. But given his "Magic Aristocrat" status, she figured he'd just get a slap on the wrist.
Fine, he's a 'Celestial Dragon' of the wizarding world, she thought bitterly. But at least a punishnt would show that Hogwarts still has so sense of right and wrong.
Just as she was finalizing her cynical theory, Kane spoke.
"Expelled? Of course not. I just took a nap in his office. Dumbledore gave so private tutoring on the Summoning Charm and asked for my help with a few things."
Kane pulled out his wand and gave it a flick. Combining the Summoning Charm with his Shadows, a glowing-eyed toad manifested on the floor.
Kane looked at Harry. The toad seed to read his mind; it lashed out with its tongue and licked Harry. It didn't hurt, but it was incredibly insulting—especially when the toad retracted its tongue with Harry's wand stuck to it.
Hermione watched, her jaw dropping. A small part of her was happy for him, but the other ninety percent was a burning protest against the injustice of the wizarding world. This wasn't just "nepotism"—he wasn't even bothering to hide the back door anymore.
Change? Reform? Forget it.
This school and this society are rotten to the core. If I stay even one day past graduation, I'll write "Granger" backwards!
With a look of sheer indignation, Hermione stood up and stord out of the common room to find so fresh air.
Kane, Harry, and Ron didn't even notice. Harry snatched his wand back from the toad, which vanished into a puff of smoke.
"So, what about Dumbledore?" Harry asked. "What did he ask you to help with?"
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 200 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.
User Comments
0 comments from readers