Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 809: The First Test - Novel Cool

Chapter 809: The First Test

Chapter 809: The First Test

In the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, the portrait of Armando Dippet was brimming with excitement, crouching beside another portrait of a knight, seemingly anticipating something.

"Since we're just portraits, there's no need to be so uptight. We might as well double the length of those spikes," he said.

"But if they get any longer, the flail will turn into a mace," Kyle replied, picking up the palette again. "Might it be a bit too heavy?"

"It doesn't matter as long as it's fun," said another wizard with a prominent nose, squeezing in. "I've always wanted to try this kind of weapon. Go ahead and paint it."

Kyle nodded and used his wand to trace over the spikes once more.

Magical Portrait Technique, this was something Kyle had discovered in the bookshelves of Dumbledore's office. He had initially flipped through them out of curiosity, never expecting to find anything useful, but to his surprise, he had stumbled upon it.

The technique involved grinding special herbs and minerals into pigments, using a wand as a paintbrush, and embedding the pigments into the canvas using magical runes.

For portraits of people, an additional step was required, which was the most challenging part. However, for decorative items, the process was less complicated. With a basic understanding of alchemy, one could master it within a few days.

The only difficulty lay in the painting skills required.

Kyle's painting skills were average, and his creations resembled doodles that seemed out of place on the canvas.

Fortunately, he was self-aware of his limitations and didn't dare to create directly on the Headmaster's portrait. Instead, he found a random portrait of a knight outside and brought it in.

Although the knight himself wasn't thrilled about having random additions to his portrait, after much persuasion from the Headmasters, he eventually relented.

And so, the scene from earlier unfolded.

Kyle used his wand to make adjustments to the portrait, quickly finishing his creation.

As soon as he put down his wand, Headmaster Dippet eagerly picked up the...flail...or perhaps a hammer? Well, even Kyle wasn't sure what he had painted; if he had to describe it, it resembled an eggplant impaled with iron spikes.

Despite the peculiar design, the Headmasters seemed quite pleased, and Dippet treated it like a prized possession, heading straight towards another portrait not far away.

"Wuuu...Wuuuu..."

Phineas was tied up tightly, his mouth gagged, unable to speak. He struggled and whimpered, clearly aware of what was about to happen.

"Do you need me to cover the portrait for you?" Kyle asked kindly.

He had a soft heart and couldn't bear to watch.

"There's no need..." Dippet said, but then he reconsidered, "On second thought, cover it. I need to maintain my image."

"No problem," Kyle replied, fetching a piece of velvet cloth and draping it over Phineas' portrait.

Now, everything was set.

"Get someone to release him. We're about to have a fair one-on-one duel. No assistance from any of you!"

The thick velvet cloth not only covered the portrait but also muffled some of the sounds, leaving Kyle to hear only muffled shouts, making it difficult for him to guess what was happening inside.

However, it was evident that the Headmasters were usually quite bored, so Kyle didn't mind providing them with some entertainment.

Just as he was about to start on the second portrait, Fox, who had been sleeping, suddenly woke up and flapped his wings twice.

This was a signal to Kyle that someone was approaching.

Kyle quickly stuffed everything in his hands and on the desk into the drawer.

It couldn't be Professor McGonagall, who would prompt Fox to give a warning. Who could it be, coming to see Dumbledore at this time?

As Kyle wondered, he swiftly pulled out a silvery hair and dropped it into the Polyjuice Potion he had obtained from Professor Slughorn.

The potion tasted terrible.

But at that moment, Kyle didn't have time to worry about the taste.

Soon, with two half-hearted bangs, the door to the Headmaster's office was pushed open, and a figure strode in.

The black cloak was flung behind him, resembling a standing Voldemort.

"I heard you're back," Snape said, walking to the center of the office. He was about to say something but suddenly frowned and sniffed the air.

"What's that smell?"

Kyle's heart skipped a beat. Snape must have caught a whiff of the Polyjuice Potion, as he had arrived too quickly for the scent to dissipate.

"It's a potion, Horace wants me to approve the purchase of thirty-five self-stirring cauldrons, insisting on gifting them to me," Kyle maintained his composure, pointing to a few bottles on the nearby shelf.

"Self-stirring cauldrons..." Fortunately, Snape didn't question the explanation and dismissed it with a cold laugh.

"After dealing with Longbottom, he's realized how fragile those fancy items are..."

"Don't say that, Severus. Neville has his strengths in certain areas."

"Yes, his mind is well-preserved, always as fresh as new," Snape drawled. "Now, you know I didn't come here to discuss Longbottom with you."

"Then why are you here?"

"Potter," Snape said. "I must remind you that it's best to keep an eye on him. The Death Eaters have been planning to lure him out of school recently."

"Harry isn't the type to be impulsive. He knows where he's safest."

"Are you sure?" Snape smiled, though it wasn't a pleasant sight.

"I've told you many times before, haven't I? He's just like his father—vile in character, foolish in behavior, and most importantly... arrogant."

Snape recited Harry's flaws as if they were a cherished collection, "Do you think he'll obediently listen to you and stay in school? I dare say that with just a little trickery, others could easily make him run out of school on his own."

"Do you remember the crystal ball from the Department of Mysteries? When Potter left school to play the hero at the Ministry of Magic, he probably didn't consult you at all."

"But we all found out later, didn't we?"

"Yes, because he naively thought that riding a Thestral would conceal him from everyone, but he forgot that not everyone can't see Thestrals. He also managed to save his own life." Snape said, "But this only proves his foolishness."

"Severus, perhaps we should pay more attention to his strengths."

"So, you're going to tell me that theory again? That he has a kind heart?"

Snape looked a bit impatient, "But a kind heart can't protect him from the Killing Curse. If it weren't for Kyle being there at the right time, he might not have lasted until you arrived."

"To be honest, I really can't understand where he gets all those... brilliant ideas. He only saw a few insignificant fragments from the Dark Lord's memories and foolishly believed he could solve all problems by himself."

"In this regard, he's not even as good as Kyle. At least Kyle knows how to use magical creatures to deal with Death Eaters instead of foolishly facing them with just a wand."

"Hmm... Severus." Kyle couldn't help but make a sound, interrupting Snape's monologue.

What does it mean that he's not even as good as Kyle? This sounded so awkward, as if he was always badmouthing Dumbledore like this.

"What do you want to say?" Snape glanced at him, "Don't tell me your theory again. I have my own judgment."

"No, you misunderstood. I actually wanted to say that your prejudice against Kyle might be a bit too much. As far as I know, other professors think he's not bad, and even McGonagall believes he has the potential to be the next Headmaster."

Snape didn't speak but looked at him with a strange gaze, "I don't deny that, but what does it matter?"

"What I mean is... you can try to accept him. At least, in my personal opinion, you can't find many young wizards among his peers who are... hmm, more outstanding than him."

Although he was currently using Dumbledore's form, Kyle felt embarrassed praising himself. To ease the atmosphere, he picked up the cup on the table and pretended to drink tea.

"Outstanding?" Snape raised an eyebrow, "Do you mean that deceiving an eleven-year-old witch before the Sorting Ceremony, telling her that she'll face the Killing Curse during the Sorting, is outstanding?"

Kyle's hand holding the cup trembled, almost spraying the tea he had just sipped back out.

He never expected that it had been seven years, and Snape still remembered. Not only did he remember, but he also spoke of it.

"Of course not, but Severus, I think... Kyle's intentions weren't bad." He explained, feeling a bit guilty, "We all know that using the Sorting Ceremony to scare new students is a little tradition among British wizards. Isn't it something that anyone from a wizarding family has experienced?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't." Snape said indifferently.

"What a pity."

"Pity for what?"

"You missed an interesting memory."

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"I don't think so," Snape shook his head.

Kyle wanted to say something more.

He realized this was a good opportunity to use Dumbledore's identity to persuade Snape to let go of his prejudice from a different angle.

However, it seemed like Snape wasn't interested in listening.

"All right, I didn't come here to chat about Kyle. We're talking about Potter." He continued, "The Dark Lord has never given up on killing him."

"As long as he's in school, he's safe. Tom wouldn't dare to declare war on Hogwarts at this time."

"You can't watch over him all the time," Snape said.

"But he has no reason to leave school."

"What if it concerns Black? Can you still be so sure?" Snape asked.

Kyle's tone paused, "What do you mean?"

"Can't you guess?" Snape's tone turned unpleasant, "If anyone could make Potter run out of school regardless of everything, who else could it be besides that dirty big dog?"

"Tom wants to use Sirius?"

"Don't play dumb, you must know, or you wouldn't have sent him to Hogsmeade." Snape said, "It's the closest place to Hogwarts, even if Potter ran there, he wouldn't be out of sight.

"But I must remind you, even if it's the closest, it's not within the school's jurisdiction. Keep an eye on Potter, don't let him get carried away by the nickname 'Savior Star'. He can't kill the Dark Lord.

"He doesn't even need the Dark Lord, Bartemius, Antonin, and Alecto, Potter can't handle any of them."

"Do they already know that Sirius is in Hogsmeade?"

"Not yet, someone just suggested the idea." Snape shook his head, "But even if they don't find out, it can only be hidden for a while. Although your method is clever, a new shop suddenly appearing in Hogsmeade will inevitably arouse others' suspicions.

"Also, if you don't personally deliver the Polyjuice Potion to him, maybe he can stay hidden a little longer."

Kyle knew that Snape probably mistook the Polyjuice Potion he smelled earlier as being prepared for Sirius, but he didn't explain, and that was fine.

"I'll be careful." Kyle said.

"That's best."

After that, Snape didn't speak again.

But he didn't intend to leave either, just standing there, staring at himself without blinking.

"Um... Do you have something else?" Kyle asked.

"Are you playing dumb with me?" Snape frowned, his voice turning cold, "Regarding what I mentioned to you before, we agreed two months ago, and you were supposed to give me an answer when school started. Now you're pretending you don't know?"

"Do you need me to provide you with a Potion to help you remember?"

As he spoke, he took out a red bottle from his robe pocket and threw it onto the table.

The bottle spun on the table, and Kyle's heart jumped.

Two months ago... it should have been when school ended, but he was just an impostor, not the real thing. What did they say then, and what did Dumbledore agree to... he had no idea!

Dumbledore's thoughts were a mystery, and he hadn't mentioned anything in the letter.

"Ah, Severus, you really should be more understanding of an old man's poor memory." Kyle said, but his heart was already in a panic.

If it were another professor, Kyle wouldn't be this nervous, but Snape was different.

Having spent years in Voldemort's inner circle, Snape's reactions and judgment were too sharp. If Kyle said something wrong, he might immediately realize that the Dumbledore before him was a fake.

At this moment, Kyle just hoped that Professor McGonagall would come over and help him solve this problem. As long as she could think of a way to get rid of Snape, it wouldn't be an issue.

But Kyle forgot that it was class time, and Snape not having a class didn't mean Professor McGonagall didn't have one either.

As time passed, Snape's gaze became increasingly unfriendly, and the surrounding air pressure seemed to drop. However, Professor McGonagall still didn't show up.

"Severus..."

There was no other way, so Kyle said with a heavy heart, "I'm sorry, I may have to disappoint you, but my answer remains the same as before."

"But you didn't tell me the answer before." Snape narrowed his eyes, "That's why I came to find you today... I feel like you're acting strangely today, so you decided then but never told me?"

"In fact, I already told you that day." Kyle deliberately ignored his last sentence, rubbing his hands behind his back on his robe. "You just didn't notice it."

For some reason, Snape frowned, as if recalling something.

"The matter is far from over... Ah, so this is your answer?" Snape suddenly sneered, "Then I really didn't understand your meaning, and you decided to keep it from me all this time?"

Kyle breathed a sigh of relief, even though it was a bit risky to say so, but he had won the bet.

Dumbledore was always like this, often saying strange things. If he went with an answer, there was a high chance he could find a way to fit it in.

However, facing Snape's interrogation, Kyle didn't respond because he didn't know what he should say.

Moreover, the more he said at this moment, the more mistakes he might make. The best solution was to let Snape guess on his own.

But his attitude only made Snape angrier.

"You're always like this, thinking you're in control, yet unwilling to share your plans with others." He almost roared.

"I'm sorry, Severus."

"You don't need to apologize to me, I didn't do this for you." Snape didn't stay any longer, turning to leave.

"I really shouldn't have wasted time looking for you."

The door slammed shut, almost shaking the sleeping Phoenix from its perch. It flapped its wings, squawking continuously at Snape as he left.

"Calm down, Phoenix." Kyle soothed the bird, sitting down and exhaling.

(End of Chapter)

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