Leaving the Headmaster's Office, Wayne felt no fear or unease despite knowing Dumbledore had been observing his every move.
In many past-life theories, Dumbledore was often painted as a scheming villain, but most of those claims didn't hold up.
If Dumbledore truly were the ruthless type, willing to eliminate anyone who didn't conform to his plans—
Tom would never have had the chance to become the future Dark Lord. He'd have been obliterated by Dumbledore back in his Hogwarts days.
Perhaps after the rise of Voldemort, Dumbledore had changed somewhat, but his guiding principle remained the same: mentorship.
He believed that with enough care and education, history need not repeat itself.
Even if Malfoy came to him with murderous intent, Dumbledore would still try to change him, to awaken whatever shred of goodness remained in his heart.
Wayne was nowhere near that point. He went to the Restricted Section to read books, focusing on topics like White Magic, Alchemy, or potion-making.
There was certainly plenty of dangerous information in there, but compared to real Dark Magic, it was nothing.
Who could blame Wayne entirely? Bloody Dumbledore was so strict that even something like Polyjuice Potion was kept in the Restricted Section.
And honestly, it wasn't all Wayne's fault.
Blame it all on Benzema—no, wait, Voldemort!
...
Back in the dormitory, Wayne sorted and organised the materials he'd bought from Diagon Alley before carefully storing them in a small pouch enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his two roommates not to steal—he was more worried they'd mistake the contents for food and accidentally eat them. That would be a disaster.
As soon as he returned to the common room, he saw Cedric still cradling the broomstick, examining it closely. Cedric noticed him too and reluctantly handed the Nimbus 2000 back to Wayne.
"Truly a Nimbus 2000. The craftsmanship, the texture—absolutely flawless. I just wonder how it feels in action."
"You didn't try it?" Wayne took the broom and gave him a puzzled look.
Cedric shook his head. "Like I said, we were just looking.
"This is your brand-new broom. I wouldn't dare test it—if I broke it, selling myself wouldn't cover the cost."
Wayne patted his shoulder approvingly. "You're selling yourself short. As the only son of the Diggory family, you're worth that much."
The common room erupted in laughter. Many Hufflepuffs had parents working at the Ministry of Magic and knew just how much Amos Diggory doted on his son.
Cedric flushed and punched Wayne's arm in mock annoyance. "Piss off. Stop teasing your senior."
"Alright," Wayne said, then, under Cedric's confused gaze, tossed the broom back to Diggory.
"Take it for a couple of days. Get used to it. I'll even lend it to you for the Quidditch match."
Before Cedric could respond, the Quidditch Captain, Wotley, was the first to jump up. "Seriously, Wayne?!"
If their Seeker, Cedric, had a Nimbus 2000, their chances of winning the House Cup would skyrocket!
"Why would I lie?" Wayne shrugged. "Harry's already joined Gryffindor's Quidditch team, and Professor McGonagall gave him a Nimbus 2000."
"What?!" Wotley was stunned, then realisation dawned. "No wonder Wood's been grinning like he found ten Galleons these past few days, sneaking around with secret training. That's downright sneaky!"
Cedric clutched the broom, eyes glistening. "No words. Just—godfather!"
Another round of laughter filled the room, and Wayne couldn't help but chuckle too.
He thoroughly enjoyed this kind of camaraderie. Compared to the other houses, Hufflepuff felt more like home—a place where he could truly relax.
However, the flying broomstick he planned to lend Cedric wasn't this custom model.
Wayne intended to buy another one and donate it directly to Hufflepuff House.
He wouldn't be a fool like Malfoy and donate six at once, but he was more than happy to give one to the team.
A thousand Galleons couldn't buy his satisfaction. Besides, he'd probably cost Hufflepuff plenty of points in the future. Though no one cared, Wayne still felt he ought to make it up to them—consider this an advance apology.
With permission granted, Cedric didn't even finish his meal. He grabbed the broom and dashed out of the Common Room, heading straight to the Quidditch Pitch for a test flight.
Several teammates and curious young witches and wizards followed suit.
Meanwhile, Wayne made his way to the Great Hall for a quick bite before meeting Hermione. The moment he entered, he drew numerous gazes.
By now, the entire school knew Wayne had a Phoenix as a pet and had exploited a loophole in school rules to purchase a Nimbus 2000.
Either of these feats was enough to inspire immense envy.
At the staff table, Snape cut a piece of steak and shoved it into his mouth, chewing vigorously as if he were biting Wayne himself.
That brat would rather lose house points than strike a deal with him.
Utterly detestable.
Second only to Potter!
"Wayne..."
Hearing a soft voice behind him, Wayne set down his fork and turned. "What is it, Cho?"
With many having left for the Quidditch Pitch to see the broom, the Hufflepuff table had plenty of empty seats. Cho took the opportunity to sit beside Wayne, her clear, reflective eyes brimming with curiosity.
"I heard... You have a Phoenix and bought a Nimbus 2000?"
She'd arrived late that morning and only heard about it second-hand, missing the actual spectacle.
"Correct."
"Really?" Cho's eyes widened slightly. "I thought it was just a rumour."
"I found the Phoenix and bought the broom after Flying Class," Wayne said with a smile.
"Here's a secret for you—I've lent the broom to Cedric."
"What?!" Cho gasped, then puffed up her cheeks like an angry little pufferfish.
"That's just unfair."
Having joined the Quidditch team, Cho had been gifted a Cleansweep Seven by her family as a reward—a decent broom in its own right.
But compared to the Nimbus 2000, it fell short by a tier or two.
"How is that unfair? I'm just helping my house," Wayne defended himself.
"Hmph." Cho snorted indignantly. "If you join the Quidditch team next year, I'll switch to being a Beater and knock you right off your broom."
"Good luck with that," Wayne shrugged.
He wasn't particularly keen on Quidditch; he'd bought the broom purely for the joy of flying.Cho's wish would likely remain unfulfilled.
"Where's your bird? Can I see it?" Cho blinked. She'd never seen a real Phoenix before.
"Who knows where it's off playing? I'll call it over later. Hermione wants to see it too. Why don't you both come together?"
"Sure!"