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"Was it you?"
After Professor McGonagall brought Rey to the Headmaster's office and left, Dumbledore's first words were those three simple ones.
"Yes, Professor."
No need to ask what he meant. With such a massive commotion, if Rey pretended he didn't know what Dumbledore was asking about, he'd just be insulting the man's intelligence.
"Quite an improvement!"
Dumbledore nodded and offered praise. Rey hadn't expected that.
Rey had told him about transforming into a giant dragon before. Combine that with the issues with his magic, and Dumbledore naturally put two and two together.
"Professor, I didn't expect it to cause all this..."
Rey said somewhat sheepishly. After all, the stir he caused was huge—even the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was alerted.
When he transformed into the Black Dragon, he hadn't thought that far ahead. Even succeeding in the transformation had been beyond his expectations. It just happened.
"I know, I know. It's fine. But for the time being, it's best to take it easy."
Dumbledore said to Rey with a smile. Rey solving his own problem was a sign of growth, and seeing a student grow so quickly was very gratifying for him.
"Yes, Professor. I understand."
Rey nodded in agreement. Since Dumbledore didn't seem to blame him at all, Rey felt relieved. And he knew "the time being" referred to the period when the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures would be stationed at Hogwarts.
---
Talking to Dumbledore was always a pleasant experience for Rey.
Dumbledore always exuded a sense of trust. Rey had felt guilty about the trouble he caused, but Dumbledore's words easily wiped that guilt away.
"After a successful Animagus transformation, you need to practice to maintain the state. Once might not be enough. Just remember not to roar excitedly next time."
That was what Dumbledore said to Rey before he left the office. His expression and the wink he gave made Rey feel that beneath Dumbledore's aged exterior lay a young heart.
The older Dumbledore got, the more he seemed like a child; after all, old men could be mischievous too.
Animagus practice was a must. Before the Ministry officials arrived at Hogwarts, Rey needed to practice a few more times.
"It's best to practice again tomorrow. Consolidating it promptly would be good."
With Dumbledore's approval and support, Rey, who had originally planned to lay low for a while, decided on this course of action. Strike while the iron is hot.
Leaving the Headmaster's office, Rey didn't return to his dorm immediately. Instead, he went to the top of Ravenclaw Tower.
Aside from Dumbledore and Madam Hooch, only Helena knew he could transform into a Black Dragon.
Now that he had made significant progress in controlling his magic, the first person Rey wanted to share it with was Helena.
Even though he knew Helena probably wouldn't come out to see him, Rey still wanted to try his luck here.
He hadn't seen Helena for nearly a month, so he was still anxious.
Crossing the corridor and climbing the spiraling stone stairs, he reached the top of the tower.
As soon as he turned the corner, Rey saw someone—a student who hadn't gone to bed yet.
It wasn't Agnes, nor was it Helena, and it certainly wasn't the Bloody Baron.
This student wasn't tall but was very sturdy. Wearing a Hogwarts uniform, he was leaning over the railing, scanning the surroundings with his eyes.
It was a stranger. Looking at the back, Rey didn't recognize him.
There were many students at Hogwarts, but very few would be up here this late.
The person was focused intently on searching the dark world outside Hogwarts. He didn't even notice Rey approaching.
---
Rey didn't intentionally hide his footsteps. When he was only two or three meters away, the person whipped his red hair around and turned to face him.
He looked nervous, likely sensing something approaching from behind. His forehead was covered in sweat. He must have been spooked; people who are intensely focused are easily startled, even by a simple cough.
"It's you!"
Night had fallen long ago, so visibility atop the tower wasn't great. Only after the person turned around did Rey recognize him.
Charlie Weasley. Seeing the red hair, Rey should have guessed it was him. At Hogwarts, red hair basically meant one of the Weasley brothers.
"Ah, it's me. You scared the hell out of me, Rey MacFusty."
Charlie gasped for air, sweat beading on his forehead. Clearly, he had been genuinely frightened.
"What are you doing here?"
Rey looked at the slightly chubby Charlie Weasley in confusion. He was a fifth-year student; what was he doing here at this hour?
"Hey, just enjoying the view. But speaking of which, little Rey, is your hand really okay?"
Charlie laughed it off, awkwardly changing the subject to stare at Rey's right hand. The incident where Rey punched away a Bludger in the Quidditch stands must have left a deep impression.
"Enjoying the view... at this time?"
Ignoring the question about his hand, Rey looked at the pitch-black surroundings and asked in a teasing tone.
Charlie understood the teasing immediately. As Rey looked around pointedly, Charlie realized how flimsy his excuse was.
"Hey, don't ask me first. What are you doing here?"
Caught in a lie but refusing to admit it, Charlie turned the tables. Since he wasn't here for the view, this first-year student's purpose was equally questionable.
Rey pointed at the sky and smiled. "Oh, me! I'm here to stargaze."
Following Rey's finger, Charlie looked up at the dark night sky.
It was May, and there were indeed plenty of stars visible. At the very least, it was a much better excuse than Charlie's "enjoying the view."
---
Charlie was embarrassed, but Rey didn't care.
"Still won't tell me your real purpose?"
This was Rey and Helena's spot. Having someone else here made him inexplicably annoyed.
"Hey, I'm your upperclassman. Show some respect."
Charlie looked at Rey, who wasn't much shorter than him, and felt very unimpressed by this junior.
In fact, it felt like their roles were reversed—like Rey was the senior and Charlie was the first-year being scolded.
"Is that so?"
"Then I'll just have to go tell Professor Dumbledore that even after he repeated the school rules, a certain upperclassman is still in the mood to enjoy the scenery up here."
Rey wasn't buying Charlie's act. In terms of actual age, he was probably around the same age as Charlie's dad. A kid trying to pull rank on him was barking up the wrong tree.
"Aren't you here 'stargazing' too?"
Charlie might be a kid, but he wasn't stupid. He threw Rey's words right back at him, looking a bit smug.
His meaning was clear: I, your upperclassman, won't be threatened by a freshman.
"Okay. Since you don't care about losing points either, I have nothing more to say. I've been in a bad mood these past two days anyway, so let's get points deducted together."
Rey shrugged casually, acting like he didn't care at all. As he spoke, he turned to leave.
His relaxed indifference wasn't an act. Seeing Rey turn to leave, Charlie panicked.
"Hey, hey! Okay, okay, I give up."
Gryffindor lions had a strong sense of collective honor. They couldn't let Rey actually go report him. Charlie immediately called out to stop Rey.
Being defeated by a freshman stung a bit. Looking at Rey, who had turned back to face him, Charlie sighed. "I came here to look for that black dragon from today."