Unfortunately, when Wayne and Hermione arrived at the entrance to the Headmaster's Office, they were informed that the Headmaster wasn't at school.
"Dumbledore won't be back until Monday," the gargoyle promptly revealed its master's schedule.
"He's gone to visit some old friends. You're just a bit late—Dumbledore left not long ago."
"Alright," Hermione said, somewhat dejected. She had finally mustered the courage to make a decision, only to find that Dumbledore wasn't here.
Still, luckily, they only had to wait one more day.
Just as the two were about to leave, the stone gargoyle suddenly called out to Wayne. "Why did you only send the Sorting Hat a Christmas present and not me?"
Wayne thought: 'Stuck at Hogwarts, not only being extorted by the Headmaster but also by his gatekeeper… statue. What next?'
Looking at the stern expression of the gargoyle, Wayne sighed helplessly. "That was something I promised the Sorting Hat during the Sorting ceremony. You never asked me for a gift either."
"I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it. You just don't care about me," the gargoyle shook its head frantically.
Wayne was speechless. "Where did you learn all this nonsense?"
"Last time, two Ravenclaw students were arguing nearby, and that's exactly what they said."
The gargoyle looked at him in confusion. "After the girl said that, the boy immediately apologised. What's the problem?"
"N-no, nothing. Keep it up." Wayne silently gave a thumbs-up.
Beside him, Hermione covered her mouth, stifling a giggle. This guardian statue of the Headmaster's Office was quite amusing.
"How about I gift you a set of polishing and waxing kits next time?" Wayne knew better than to argue—after all, this gargoyle was the Headmaster's gatekeeper. He had no choice but to humour it.
Sure enough, hearing Wayne's promise, the gargoyle immediately brightened up. "Deal! From now on, you won't need a password to enter the Headmaster's Office."
Wayne opened his mouth but hesitated.
He wanted to say that, apart from the first time, the gargoyle had always volunteered the password whenever he visited.
Since Dumbledore wasn't in, the two had no choice but to leave.
"What are you planning to do later?" Wayne asked casually.
"My homework's pretty much done. I thought I'd take a walk by the lake," Hermione mused. "Want to join me?"
"It's all snow—what's the fun in that?" Wayne shook his head. "How about coming to my trunk instead? I've got a surprise for you."
Hermione's curiosity was instantly piqued. "Did you find another magical creature?"
"You'll see soon enough." Wayne kept her in suspense and led her to find Cho, only to discover she'd already been dragged off to Quidditch practice.
Ever since Wotley had rallied Cedric and the others to start training yesterday, the other teams couldn't sit still either. The pitch had been fully booked for the next two days.
Who would've thought Hufflepuff would be the ones to start the grind?
The two passed by Hagrid's Hut and reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Wayne deftly set up a barrier before pulling Hermione inside.
"Gardevoir!"
Sensing her master's arrival, Gardevoir—who had been preparing food for the Kneazles—happily dispelled her psychic hold and teleported to their side.
Hermione was stunned at the sight of the poised, graceful Gardevoir. "Wh-what kind of magical creature is this?"
"Gardevoir, my head steward," Wayne introduced proudly. "You could think of her as my House-elf, but don't associate her with those ugly creatures."
He added, "Their roles are similar, but Gardevoir is far superior to any House-elf."
Hearing her master's praise, Gardevoir smiled, her eyes narrowing happily.
Wayne continued, "This is Hermione Granger, a good friend of mine."
Gardevoir bowed gracefully, and a voice echoed in Hermione's mind. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Granger."
The young witch was astonished once again.
Wayne chuckled and explained, "It's Gardevoir's special ability—telepathy. Makes communication much easier, doesn't it?"
"Incredible!" Hermione marvelled at Gardevoir. Whether in appearance or demeanour, she had never seen such a beautiful magical creature before.
Recalling the books she had read, Hermione found no mention of Gardevoir anywhere. Assuming she simply hadn't read enough, she didn't dwell on it further.
When she learned Gardevoir was going to feed the Kneazles, Hermione wanted to tag along. Gardevoir readily agreed and, enveloping Hermione in her psychic energy, the two vanished from sight.
Wayne wasn't worried about their safety—with Gardevoir around, nothing here could harm Hermione.
Stepping out of the wooden cabin, he shot a bolt of lightning into the sky.
"Scree~!"
Soon, the young Thunderbird Mia came flying over, nuzzling Wayne's cheek affectionately.
After feeding her a red lightning bolt, Wayne stroked the soft feathers on Mia's neck and asked, "I'm thinking of letting you live in the Forbidden Forest for now and taking you with me when I leave school. What do you think?"
Mia tilted her head, then let out two quick chirps.
Wayne detected refusal in her tone and was puzzled. "Why? The space here is still too small—the open sky is your true domain."
"Scree scree!"
"Scree scree!"
This time Wayne understood and couldn't help but laugh, gently patting her feathered head.
"You greedy little thing. For the sake of a snack, you won't even—"
It turned out Mia was worried Wayne wouldn't be able to feed her daily red lightning bolts if she moved to the Forbidden Forest, hence her refusal.
"Fine, if you don't want to go out, that's alright," Wayne conceded, playing with the little one for a while before releasing the Niffler to let it exercise.
Ever since Jerry's belly became stuffed with Galleons, he'd rarely gone out treasure hunting. His days consisted of eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating.
Lying in the golden nest Wayne had prepared, he'd stay put all day. His already plump body was visibly expanding at an alarming rate.
Lifting Jerry, Wayne gently scratched his soft belly, causing Galleons to clatter out. Jerry grew frantic, but with his scruff firmly held, his four stubby legs flailed helplessly.
After pocketing the Galleons, Wayne took out a glittering gemstone and hurled it into the distance before releasing Jerry.
Whoosh—Jerry shot off like an arrow. Wayne could even see the ripples of fat undulating across his body from the sudden acceleration.
After sprinting a considerable distance, just as Jerry was about to reach the gem—Accio gemstone.
Whoosh!
The ruby on the ground shot back to Wayne's hand like an arrow loosed from its bow.
Jerry blinked, momentarily confused, but when Wayne waved the gemstone, making it glint enticingly in the sunlight, he took off running again.
Thus began their game of fetch.
By the time Hermione and Gardevoir returned from feeding the Kneazles and saw Wayne teasing the Niffler, she angrily intervened.
"That's so mean! How could you bully Jerry?"
"I'm not bullying Jerry!" Wayne protested. "I'm helping him lose weight. He just eats and sleeps all day with no exercise—this was the only solution I could think of."
"Really?" Hermione flushed with embarrassment, realising she'd misunderstood.
"See for yourself," Wayne said, handing Jerry over. Upon closer inspection, the girl confirmed Jerry had indeed grown noticeably rounder.
"I'm sorry." Hermione lowered her head guiltily. "I misunderstood you."
"If apologies were enough, what would we need Aurors for?" Wayne suddenly turned the tables, his tone becoming unexpectedly assertive.
The young witch shrank back slightly. "W-well, what do you want me to do then?"
"Simple." Wayne flashed a mischievous grin and whispered something in Hermione's ear.
The girl's face instantly flushed crimson, the colour rapidly spreading to her earlobes and even her slender neck, which turned a delicate pink. She immediately pushed the boy away.
"No! That's absolutely out of the question. I refuse."
Wayne crossed his arms, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Miss Granger, you were the one who falsely accused me first. Have you lost the courage to make amends?"
"Who says I haven't?" Hermione glared at him before lowering her head again, her voice barely above a whisper. "J-just this once, alright?"
Seeing her agreement, Wayne's face lit up with delight. He grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her towards the lake, then—under her scarlet-faced gaze—proceeded to lay his head in her lap.
He even let out a contented sigh.
Though she was wearing jeans rather than the more comfortable black or white stockings, Hermione's soft thighs more than made up for it. Either way, Wayne was thoroughly enjoying himself.
A gentle breeze rippled across the tranquil lake surface. Enjoying the lap pillow service, Wayne soon closed his eyes and drifted into slumber.
Hermione's tense body gradually relaxed. Looking down at Wayne's handsome features and long eyelashes, she unconsciously allowed a small smile to grace her lips.
Before long, Hermione too had fallen asleep on the grassy bank.
Gardevoir silently Disapparated to their side, draping a thin blanket over them.
When they awoke, Hermione's legs had gone completely numb, forcing her to lean on Wayne as they made their way out of the crate.
Surveying the distant castle, Wayne patted his thighs and crouched down. "Come on, I'll carry you back."
"Absolutely not," she protested, yet still obediently climbed onto the boy's back.
As the sun set in the west, their elongated shadows gradually merged into one.
By the time they reached the castle gates, Hermione's legs had recovered. She jumped down, hastily reminding Wayne not to forget their appointment with Dumbledore the next day before darting off.
She sprinted all the way back to the Common Room, nearly colliding with Ron, who was heading down for dinner.
"What's got into her?" Ron scratched his head. "Is that really Hermione? Running in the corridors—isn't she afraid Filch will catch her and take house points?"
Harry looked equally puzzled. "Must be something urgent, I suppose."
...
A new week began.
After a night's rest, Hermione had returned to her usual self. When afternoon classes concluded, the pair made their way to the Headmaster's Office on the eighth floor.
The gargoyle proved true to its word—before Wayne could even speak, it stepped aside with a knowing wink.
"The Headmaster is expecting you."
"Cheers." Wayne waved and led Hermione onto the moving staircase.
This being Hermione's first visit to the Headmaster's Office, Wayne noticed her nervousness and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Pulling open the bronze gryphon-shaped knocker, they entered the office.
Dumbledore sat at his desk, smiling warmly at them—his expression growing particularly amused when he noticed their still-clasped hands.
Two chairs had already been placed before the desk, clearly prepared for their arrival.
"Good afternoon, Professor," Wayne greeted.
"Please, have a seat, Mr Lawrence, and Miss Granger," Dumbledore said warmly. As they settled in, a cup of black tea appeared before Wayne.
"Miss Granger, what would you like to drink?"
"Just water, thank you," Hermione replied softly.
A glass of water materialised before her, and Dumbledore pushed the cake stand closer to them both.
"I'm delighted you've taken the initiative to visit this dreadful old man for a chat. Afternoon tea always feels rather lacklustre alone—your company is most welcome."
Dumbledore had a knack for putting people at ease, and Hermione's nervousness soon dissipated.
After finishing a macaron, she took a deep breath. "Professor, there's something I need to tell you."
Hermione recounted everything—from her discoveries on Halloween to Snape muttering incantations during Harry's Quidditch match.
She spoke of uncovering Nicolas Flamel's connection to the Philosopher's Stone and her growing concerns, holding nothing back now that she was here.
Dumbledore's expression grew increasingly astonished. When she finished, he couldn't help but applaud.
Clap clap clap!
"Miss Granger, I'm truly delighted that Gryffindor boasts such an exceptionally bright young witch."
"Professor," Hermione flushed slightly, "Wayne deserves credit too. His hints led me to Nicolas Flamel's clues."
"You're too modest," Dumbledore shook his head, regarding her appreciatively. "Collating evidence, gathering information, forming logical deductions—these are all your own remarkable efforts."
"Though I'm afraid I can't award house points presently, as these remain theories."
"No points are necessary, Professor," Hermione said hurriedly. "I simply wanted to warn you about Snape's interest in the Stone. Please be cautious."
Dumbledore's eyelid twitched almost imperceptibly.
"Rest assured, the Stone is Nicolas's treasure, and I shall guard it meticulously. In fact, several staff members have contributed protective measures—Minerva, Filius, Pomona… With their involvement, the Stone is perfectly secure."
"Incidentally, Severus is among them. He's been most helpful."
Hermione gasped. "Snape? Protecting the Stone?"
"Quite so," Dumbledore nodded with utmost sincerity. "While Severus does favour Slytherin students, he remains firmly on our side."
"I trust him as I trust Rubeus, Minerva… and indeed, yourself."
Dumbledore blinked, having done his utmost to salvage his Potions professor's reputation.
Wayne remained silent throughout, steadily demolishing the cake stand.
At Dumbledore's words, Hermione leapt up in alarm. "I'm so sorry for doubting a professor—"
"No, no, child," Dumbledore interrupted kindly. "Your courage in seeking to protect the school and my property is commendable enough."
"Worry not. While I'm here, Hogwarts is safe."
Bravo! Wayne cheered inwardly, observing Dumbledore like an old general festooned with battlefield banners.
Years later, he'd have to ask the old man whether he regretted those words.
With the serious matters concluded, Hermione completely set down her burdens.
Dumbledore wasn't in any hurry to send them away. Instead, he shared quite a few amusing stories from Hogwarts' past and answered several of Hermione's questions about Transfiguration.
Nearly an hour passed before Hermione felt it was time to take her leave.
Wayne, having eaten his fill, no longer needed to visit the Great Hall for dinner.
Just as he rose to follow Hermione out, Dumbledore spoke: "Mr Lawrence, might I ask you to stay a little longer?"
The clever young witch knew the following conversation wasn't meant for her ears. After a polite farewell, she closed the office door behind her.