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Chapter 211: Compensation and Christmas
Chapter 211: Compensation and Christmas
Deep into the night, the Hospital Wing was pitch black, with only a few streetlights in the corridor casting a soft, warm glow.
Suddenly, a Black Shadow quietly slipped into the ward. As soon as it approached Liam's bed, Liam's eyes snapped open, and he grabbed his wand, pointing it at the Black Shadow.
"Don't move. It's me, Headmaster Fernandez." The Black Shadow then lit his wand, illuminating his face.
"It's you? But why are you sneaking up to my bed at three in the morning? I thought someone was trying to attack me." After all, no one could impersonate the Headmaster within the School, so Liam relaxed and lowered his wand. However, his mood was far from good, as anyone would be after being woken up from a deep sleep.
"I came to discuss the recent incident with you. After all, our mistake has caused you a lot of suffering." Headmaster Fernandez said, somewhat sheepishly, as he cast a Protective Charm around the bed. "There are some things that shouldn't be known by everyone, which is why I chose this quiet time to talk to you."
Seeing the Headmaster's sincerity, Liam's mood calmed down. He leaned against the headboard and gestured for the Headmaster to sit on the edge of the bed. "I just want to know what exactly happened. You should understand that your trap almost killed me and my classmates, not to mention the significant losses I incurred." He then pulled out the remaining handle of the Tooth of Klinvi to show the Headmaster.
"This was entirely a mistake", Headmaster Fernandez said as he sat down. "We never expected Professor Ferdinand to be replaced while on a mission to Mahogany Town. We also didn't anticipate that there was a Folded Dimension beneath the School, which rendered the leaf used for communication ineffective."
"However, thanks to you, the School avoided a major disaster. Your actions prevented the Blood God Cultists from launching an attack, which in turn stopped the Chimera Society from taking advantage of the chaos to escape. In the end, we managed to capture most of the core members who had infiltrated the School."
Headmaster Fernandez paused before continuing. "As a sign of our apology and gratitude, we will replace the Saint's Notes we initially promised with Grindelwald's Transfiguration notes."
"I know Grindelwald is powerful, but are his Transfiguration notes really that valuable?" Liam asked, curious.
"Everyone assumes Grindelwald's Dark Magic is formidable, but they often overlook the fact that his Transfiguration skills were equally impressive. Back in his day, his Transfiguration abilities were on par with Professor Dumbledore's."
"Alright, I understand its value, and I accept your compensation." Liam thought about it and decided it was a fair deal. After all, any knowledge or ideas from a powerful wizard like Grindelwald would be extremely valuable.
Moreover, his adventure in the Blood Deity Temple had yielded significant gains, although he didn't obtain the Blood Deity's legacy; the wizards who had been turned into Corpse Cocoons managed to exact their revenge and passed on some of their knowledge to Liam, such as the Emerald Tablet Necromancy Techniques, and he also acquired Gryffindor's Dagger, and now he would receive Grindelwald's Transfiguration notes, making his total gains substantial.
He had learned from the Taoist Legacy he had obtained that one should not enjoy all the good fortune at once. As a Muggle-born wizard with no influential background, gaining too much too soon could attract unnecessary trouble.
Furthermore, the amount he had acquired this time was overwhelming, and he needed sufficient time to digest and integrate it into his own power. Therefore, Liam didn't feel the need to push for more from the Headmaster. This approach would also leave a good impression, as overly greedy people are rarely liked.
Headmaster Fernandez's expression softened after hearing Liam's words. He then hesitated and said, "Actually, there's one more thing. Your Order of Merlin Medal has encountered a bit of a problem."
"Surely it’s not gone, is it?" Liam wore an exasperated expression. Although he wasn’t particularly interested in such things, it was certainly disheartening to be told something was available and then suddenly find out it wasn’t.
"No, no, of course not. I originally applied for you to receive a First-Class Medal, but we had to transport an important item ahead of schedule (Liam guessed it was the Doomsday Bell). Without that item as proof, the Wizengamot refused to believe you saved the School. So, we had to award you a Second-Class Medal based on the crucial role you played in the operation to eliminate the Blood God Cult, despite the risk to your life."
He glanced at Liam, noticing his lack of expression, and continued. "The trap you activated basically wiped out the core of the Blood God Cult. We later managed to capture almost all the remaining members, so you don’t need to worry about any retaliation. Also, because of our actions, you lost the First-Class Medal, but your contributions exceed what is required for a Second-Class Medal. Therefore, we decided to credit some of your accomplishments to your young girlfriend for her selfless acts and assistance in destroying the Blood God Cult, and awarded her a Third-Class Medal as compensation."
"Hermione… Hermione isn’t my girlfriend yet. We’re still young, after all", Liam mumbled, somewhat embarrassed.
"Ah, young people, I understand, I understand", Headmaster Fernandez gave him a knowing smile. "By the way, I’m very sorry about the loss of your magical dagger. After all, such a weapon, comparable in value to those made by Goblins, is quite rare these days. I will discuss it with the others and ensure you receive appropriate compensation. Rest well, and I hope you recover soon."
With that, Headmaster Fernandez stood up and quietly disappeared down the corridor. Liam lay back on his bed and fell into a deep sleep.
In the days leading up to Christmas, Liam and Hermione remained under observation in the hospital wing. Professor Sprout visited them and assured them not to worry about their remaining classes, as the professors would record their grades based on their current performance.
"After all, you would have achieved these grades even if nothing had happened", Professor Sprout said.
Besides Professor Sprout, students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw also came to visit. Especially notable was Alicia, a second-year Ravenclaw, who cried uncontrollably upon seeing them. According to Zhang Qiu, the girl had been feeling guilty, believing that her actions were the cause of the injuries to her senior students.
Liam and Hermione quickly comforted their junior, and in their conversation, they discovered that Alicia was also a passionate reader and learner. Sharing common interests, they chatted for quite some time. It wasn’t until the School Healer intervened, citing their disturbance to the patients’ rest, that Alicia and Zhang Qiu left.
Headmaster Fernandez also visited one evening, bringing good news. They had confirmed that the Blood God Cult leader who had cursed Centaur Betty was among those eliminated by Liam in the Pyramid. This meant that Aunt Betty’s curse had been lifted.
However, a suitable replacement for Liam’s destroyed dagger was not found, so it was decided that a shop in Diagon Alley would be given as compensation. Upon receiving the deed, Liam realized the true value of a powerful magical weapon in the Wizarding World: a well-located two-story shop in Diagon Alley. He had passed by this shop before and noticed that it was being used as a warehouse for other stores. The fact that such a prime location was being used as a warehouse only made him marvel at the wealth of Headmaster Fernandez’s associates.
Finally, Christmas arrived. That morning, they received numerous Christmas gifts, both from Britain and from their local friends. Among the most notable was a red and yellow striped scarf Hermione had knitted, which explained what she had been doing in bed, away from him, for the past few days.
Fortunately, after another comprehensive check in the afternoon, the School Healer finally gave them the green light to attend the Christmas feast that evening.
(End of Chapter)
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