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The current owner of the office arrived, and the portraits of past principals also sped up their movements. One of them gave Phineas a hard blow before returning to his own photo frame and continuing to pretend to be dead.
Phineas, feeling embarrassed, disappeared from the frame, probably running to the Black ancestral home to hide.
"Please take a seat, Mr. Lawrence," Dumbledore motioned for Wayne to sit across from him. "Would you like something to drink? Black tea, green tea, hot cocoa?"
Wayne was not polite. "Just black tea."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "I also like black tea very much. Bathilda just gave me some Ceylon black tea. Unfortunately, both Minerva and Filius prefer lemon tea and have never shared it with others."
Dumbledore tapped the table with his wand, and a beautifully shaped teapot and teacup appeared. The teapot floated up and poured tea for both of them automatically.
"What about dessert? I recommend you try the cockroach cluster," Dumbledore said as a silver dinner plate appeared. Wayne's expression changed. The plate was full of cockroaches, and like the chocolate frogs, they were still moving.
Dumbledore picked one up, put it in his mouth, and narrowed his eyes in enjoyment. It was explosive.
Wayne's expression changed. "Principal, do you have any sandwiches or macarons?"
"Certainly."
Though disappointed that Wayne had no intention of eating the cockroaches, Dumbledore still waved his wand and conjured up several sandwiches and colorful macarons.
"I think the appearance of the dessert is not important. What's important is its sugar content," Dumbledore said with a wink. "Are you sure you don't want some?"
Wayne did not answer. "Actually, according to research by Muggle scientists, good-looking food can also increase people's appetite."
"Principal, would you rather eat chocolate-shaped turds or turd-shaped chocolates?"
Dumbledore was stunned for a moment. "Can I not eat either?"
He had to admit, both choices were disgusting.
"Of course," Wayne laughed. "You are the BOSS."
Dumbledore smiled too. It was a novel feeling for a student to joke with him. He could feel that Wayne was really relaxed and treated him like an ordinary old man.
Picking up the Ceylon black tea, Wayne took a sip. His mouth filled with the aroma of flowers. Compared with traditional oriental black tea, Ceylon black tea has a stronger color and a rich floral aroma, but it lacks the sweetness and fragrance unique to tea. Each has its pros and cons; it just depends on personal taste.
As Dumbledore said that morning, most of the conversation between him and Wayne revolved around the Phoenix. Apart from asking Wayne how he met the Phoenix King, Dumbledore imparted some breeding experience.
Wayne patiently wrote it down. After the localization of the system, Phoenix King also possesses some of the abilities of Phoenix in this world. For example, disembodiment and tears can heal injuries. There are also many similarities in taste and habits.
Wayne took the opportunity to make his request and keep Phoenix King in the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore readily agreed. "Unlike an old man like me who has nothing to do, you have plenty of time to play with your pets. Letting them go free is a good choice."
The ghost had nothing to do. Wayne groaned inwardly.
"You old bee, I'm afraid you put most of your energy into the Mirror of Erised and Harry," he thought.
After talking about the Phoenix, Dumbledore started talking about wool socks again. "When it comes to protecting your feet, I think there's nothing more considerate than wool socks. I used to be dismissive of them, but now I can't get enough," Dumbledore said, blinking like an old mischievous boy. "I don't think any old man can refuse to receive a pair of woolen socks as a Christmas gift. But unfortunately, everyone seems to think I prefer books."
"Hello, Ministry of Magic? Someone here is asking for a bribe from a little wizard. Will you just ignore it?" Wayne thought, laughing.
Wayne promised Dumbledore that he would be satisfied with his Christmas gift. But he knew that what Dumbledore liked wasn't wool socks but the meaning behind them. In the UK, woolen socks represent family ties.
Dumbledore is indeed the greatest white wizard of this century, but even with his powerful magic, he cannot undo the mistakes he made in his youth. Such pain, and the one imprisoned in Nurmengard, have been tormenting him.
It was already past five o'clock, and Wayne was about to stand up and say goodbye, returning to the auditorium to eat some food that would really fill his stomach.
"Just a moment, Mr. Lawrence," Dumbledore said. He took out a piece of parchment, wrote on it, and finally handed it to Wayne. Wayne took it and saw that it was an approval note for the restricted book section.
Generally speaking, the approval note for the restricted book area will have specific titles. But the one Dumbledore gave him was time-limited. There were no restrictions on what books he could borrow, and it was valid until Christmas.
"You are still young, so you need to ensure adequate sleep and take appropriate night trips," Dumbledore smiled and said. "This is my reward for showing mercy to the three-headed dog."
"Thank you, Principal," Wayne said, not feeling the least bit embarrassed about being caught violating school rules. "I also think it's not good to go there all the time at night. There are no lights in the restricted book area, and my eyes are almost near-sighted."
Dumbledore's smile faltered. This little wizard always acts unpredictably. When others are caught, they often look at a loss. Why is it that when it's Wayne's turn, he acts as if he didn't make a mistake at all?
After Wayne left, calm returned to the principal's office. However, this calm only lasted a short time, and the portraits of the past headmasters became active again.
Big-nosed Fusco smiled happily. "This little guy is so interesting, not Hufflepuff at all."
"He should be sorted into Gryffindor!" Principal Dai Lisi retorted. "Why not Ravenclaw? This little guy must have known that his actions could not be hidden from the principal. With such keen insight, who else but the eagle Ravenclaw?"
"What are you talking about!" Rossiter, the principal of Hufflepuff, angrily threw an apple into Fusco's frame. "We at Hufflepuff can still cultivate outstanding talents!"
Dumbledore did not take part in the quarrels between the headmasters. He looked at the untouched velvet cloth and chuckled to himself.
"I didn't expect...it might as well be a child..."