"Enough… it's really enough…"
Kasenhis looked on in despair as one young student after another walked into the office.
He scanned each of them, recalling their personalities and habits...
Inviting them in wasn't just bringing wolves into the house—it was like throwing himself into a fiery pit.
For instance, there was Tracy, a third-year who had been bubbling with pink hearts and admiration from the very first class. She was definitely a no-go.
Then there was Cassidy, a seventh-year witch who, as Kasenhis clearly remembered, had an afternoon class today. He quickly shooed her away, sending her back to attend her lesson like a proper student.
And so it went, as Kasenhis watched one young wizard and witch after another come in and then leave, until…
A pair of twins walked in.
The Patil sisters. One was in Gryffindor, and the other in Ravenclaw. Both were first-years.
Even Hermione was a bit taken aback. She had overheard earlier that Parvati had requested leave from her afternoon class and had assumed it was for something important. Turns out, it was for this.
Kasenhis examined the twins curiously.
He vividly remembered that whenever these two appeared together, they were always holding hands.
While this habit of theirs tended to draw ire, especially on the staircases, the pattern was unmistakable. If they were in the same space and standing, they were always hand-in-hand.
It wasn't his fault he knew them so well. Back before he had mastered Ender-style teleportation, the twins' tardiness to several of his classes had left quite the impression.
This time, however, the Patil sisters behaved differently.
One kept her hands behind her back, while the other instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, though she seemed to realize it wasn't very ladylike and slowly lowered them. Still, they couldn't quite conceal their distinctive demeanor.
Something is definitely wrong with them!
"Alright, it's decided! Cedric and the Patil sisters—it'll just be the three of them!" Kasenhis declared.
"Fine. Three should be enough," Hermione said, though she'd considered bringing in a couple more. After some thought, she nodded and went outside to dismiss the remaining students still waiting in line. Gathering her books, she and Harry's group hurried off toward the classroom.
The office was now quiet, leaving only the four of them. Kasenhis stretched lazily, relaxing a bit. Suddenly, two bottles of milk appeared in his hands.
He couldn't even remember when this ability had been unlocked.
Lately, it seemed like every time he woke up, a new block or item became accessible. The milk source block was just one of many.
"Heh~ The potion must have been bitter. Here, drink this."
Kasenhis tossed the bottles to the Patil sisters, who caught them effortlessly. After exchanging a glance, they drank the milk in one gulp.
Cedric, however, looked utterly dumbfounded.
"You really went all out to get here..."
Kasenhis nodded in agreement, eyeing the Weasley twins, who had now reverted to their original forms. "How did you manage to convince the Patil sisters to give you their hair? I remember them being very particular about it. There's no way they'd just cut it off and hand it over to anyone."
The twins, changing out of their disguises, exchanged a glance and shrugged.
"That's not important. What's important is this milk of yours—it's amazing!"
"And, most importantly, we're here!"
"To rescue you from the dire straits you're currently in!"
"Truly, I must say... Harry and the others are treating you like a fire salamander!"
"No, no, no. Even a fire salamander couldn't handle this kind of heat," Kasenhis said, feeling uncomfortable as he threw off the blanket. "Enough already! You're not the Patil sisters anymore. Doesn't using that formal tone feel awkward?"
"Yeah, Professor McGonagall always says it's a 'tone.'"
"Right, a tone called 'politeness.'"
In the corner, Cedric still seemed stunned by the Weasley twins' audacity.
"Alright, enough joking. You still haven't answered my question. Where did you get the Patil sisters' hair? Did you sell yourselves for it?"
Kasenhis, now in his pajamas, leaned back comfortably on a small sofa in the bedroom and asked.
The twins exchanged a glance. "..." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
"I sincerely hope you really did sell yourselves, and it wasn't some bizarre potion or… worse, knocking them out and snipping it off..." Kasenhis said, narrowing his eyes.
The twins remained silent. "..."
"Third-floor corridor, end of the hall, in an empty classroom, Professor," one of the twins answered.
"Don't worry, they're perfectly safe," the other added.
Kasenhis stood up stiffly, putting on his clothes. "We'll settle this later. You'd better pray to Merlin that they're just taking a nap... no, actually, I should be the one praying."
Soon after, Hogwarts students witnessed an unusual sight: Kasenhis, who was supposed to be recuperating in his office, striding purposefully through the castle. Behind him trailed Cedric and the Weasley twins.
Kasenhis, clearly in a hurry, was dressed in a trench coat over his pajamas, with Tom and Jerry slippers on his feet.
"Merlin's beard... Hermione's going to lose her mind when she sees this," a Gryffindor student whispered to their friend while slacking off in the hallway.
"Should we tell her?"
"...We're doing this for Professor Kasenhis's health. Yes, that's it. Definitely not some pointless prank," the student declared, pulling out a Remembrall-like recording sphere. Infusing it with magic, they captured the scene in full detail.
When the four arrived at the classroom, they found the Patil sisters diligently practicing magic inside. One sister attacked while the other defended, then they swapped roles, taking turns in what looked like a turn-based duel.
"Uh... Professor Kasenhis? What are you doing out here? And why are you dressed like that?" Parvati Patil asked curiously.
"...Care to explain?" Kasenhis turned his icy gaze toward the Weasley twins.
"We told you, they're perfectly safe here," one of the Weasley twins began.
"Unless, of course, they injure themselves while practicing magic," added the other.
"And everything else you've been imagining is entirely in your head."
"Really, you can't blame us for this," they chimed in unison.
The twins' seamless banter left Kasenhis momentarily speechless. Finally, he decided to flip the metaphorical table.
"Then how exactly did you get their hair?" he demanded.
The Patil sisters simultaneously turned their gazes toward the twins.
The Patil twins quickly turned to Kasenhis in confusion.
"Professor? What's going on here?"
"Don't tell me you stole it without even telling them." Looking at the Patil twins' confused expression, Kasen was now looking at the Weasley twins with some understanding.
"Damn, I think it's only fair you face some consequences for stealing their hair," Kasenhis said, raising an eyebrow and giving the Patil twins a knowing look that said 'destroy them'.
After delivering this line, Kasenhis leaned over to Cedric and whispered discreetly, "Time to run—move!"
With that, Kasenhis quickly led Cedric out of the chaotic classroom.
Once outside, not only did he lock the door behind him, but he also reinforced it by sealing it shut with solid obsidian.
"Perfect," Kasenhis said, dusting off his hands with satisfaction.
"Uh... Professor, isn't this a bit too cruel?" Cedric asked hesitantly.
"Cruel?" Kasenhis pressed his ear against the obsidian barrier, trying to catch any sounds from inside.
"I think it's fine. Besides, do you really believe that two first-year witches could seriously harm the twins?"
Cedric shook his head. "Um.. Not at all."
(～￣▽￣)～Read two weeks ahead of WN:
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