Wayne was currently just curious about how Newt had managed to leave Tina's side alive and unharmed, following Dumbledore back to school.
He knew all too well how deep Grandma Tina's resentment towards old Dumbledore ran.
Even mentioning him usually prompted some sarcastic remarks, let alone allowing Newt to leave.
Their escape from Britain this time had been Tina's idea, fearing Newt might get dragged into the whirlpool of conflict.
Yet now this man had run away... only to be pulled back again?
Wayne stared blankly at Newt, disguised as a man in his sixties. Sensing his gaze, Newt looked back.
Their eyes met, and Newt offered a bitter smile that perfectly conveyed the hardships of manhood.
Wayne's lips twitched. He had some guesses but decided to wait until after the feast to hear the gossip.
What kind of love potion had Dumbledore concocted, actually, to pry Newt away from Tina's side?
Though he could probably deduce it, gossip was always best heard firsthand!
Newt's arrival delighted the Hufflepuff students, with most Ravenclaws and Gryffindors equally pleased.
Considering Snape had been assigned to collect new students this year, they guessed Newt would likely replace Hagrid as the Care of Magical Creatures professor.
Only Harry and Ron managed somewhat forced smiles.
Their greater concern was for Hagrid's safety. Harry knew Hagrid must be off on some mission for Dumbledore.
At the staff table, Umbridge's eyes flashed with calculation, her smile fading slightly.
So this was Dumbledore's external support?
Noticing her gaze, Dumbledore turned and smiled at her. Umbridge returned the smile politely.
Soon, Professor McGonagall led the new first-years into the Great Hall.
Unsurprisingly, this year's intake set another record high.
The newcomers lined up as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat upon its stool.
The hat's brim split like a mouth as it began singing loudly.
At first, expressions were indifferent—older students had heard the Sorting Hat's song many times before. To them, this was just routine.
But gradually, faces changed.
Rather than singing, today the hat seemed to be telling a story.
"What pair of friends could ever hope to be better than Slytherin and Gryffindor?"
"Unless you count another pair—Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw."
"Alas, I witnessed this tragic tale..."
The hat narrated while students listened enthralled. These were secret histories between the founders, scarcely recorded in official texts.
Besides, reading could never match the thrill of storytelling.
Hearing how the four founders ultimately fell apart would make anyone sigh with regret.
Four extraordinarily talented wizards appearing in the same era as friends was already a once-in-a-millennium occurrence. Had they remained united at Hogwarts, the school would surely have achieved even greater glory.
Soon, the hat concluded.
Using the founders' story, it exhorted students from all houses to set aside divisions and unite against the coming crisis.
Umbridge's expression darkened as she shot Dumbledore—who was listening attentively—a penetrating look.
The Sorting Hat's song concluded, and a full five seconds passed before thunderous applause erupted in the Great Hall, more heartfelt than in previous years.
"Euan Abercrombie."
Professor McGonagall began calling names, and the first student was sorted into Gryffindor.
The Gryffindor students applauded enthusiastically together, watching the nervous first-year stumble to their table as if seeing their younger selves.
Slowly, the long queue of new students dwindled.
When the last one, Rose Zeller, was sorted into Hufflepuff, Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and stool and strode away.
Dumbledore rose to his feet.
"Welcome to our new students," Dumbledore said with an Amplifying Charm, arms outstretched in a beaming smile. "And welcome back to our returning students! There'll be plenty of time for speeches later—now, let's eat heartily!"
Laughter and applause filled the Great Hall as plates magically piled high with delicious food appeared.
Thick cuts of roast beef, pies, platters of vegetables, chicken wings glazed with honey sauce, and steaming soups emitting mouthwatering aromas.
The feast was as lavish as ever, making Wayne's mouth water.
Though the house-elves' cooking couldn't rival Sanae's, the boisterous atmosphere of communal dining and free conversation was something solitary meals could never replicate.
Between bites, Wayne listened to Norman recount family matters.
Norman wasn't an only child—he had a younger brother and sister.
This year, his brother had reached Hogwarts age, but disappointingly, no owl-delivered acceptance letter arrived all summer.
Norman had offered lengthy comfort before leaving, though it didn't help much.
"Common enough," Wayne said around a mouthful of ribs. "Take Brady's family—five kids, yet he's the sixth. Only magical one in the lot."
"Wait," Cedric paused mid-steak-cut. "Let me process that.
"This Brady—seventh-year Ravenclaw?"
"Right."
"Then please explain how five children makes him the sixth?" Cedric asked drily, glancing at the neighbouring table.
"His dad's got a lovechild."
Cedric gave a thumbs-up. "How d'you even know this stuff?"
"Marietta, obviously. Overheard her chatting with Cho." Wayne shrugged, launching into more gossip.
Contrary to stereotypes, the boys were just as riveted as the girls, all ears straining to catch every word.
With 'little spies' in all three other houses, Wayne couldn't avoid knowing these things.
The conversation soon spiralled into uncharted territories.
Only when the plates cleared and gleamed gold again did Norman recall his original topic.
As chatter faded, Dumbledore rose once more. The students watched drowsily—many already nodding off.
"Now that we're digesting another magnificent feast, I beg your attention for our customary start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First-years should note the Forbidden Forest is out-of-bounds—a rule older students would do well to remember too."
Fred and George exchanged grins.
"Mr Filch has requested me again..."
After Dumbledore recited a lengthy list, he finally finished announcing the newly prohibited items and a pile of regulations.
At last, his gaze turned to the head table.
"This year, there are two changes to our teaching staff." Dumbledore's tone became noticeably cheerier:
"I'm honoured to welcome Mr Newt Scamander as our new Care of Magical Creatures professor."
The socially awkward Newt desperately wished he could be a tiny bird Animagus, small enough to hide in the teapot before him rather than sitting there enduring the applause.
He rose stiffly to acknowledge the welcome. Fortunately, Dumbledore understood his discomfort and helped divert everyone's attention.
"Additionally, Defence Against the Dark Arts will—"
He stopped abruptly, looking questioningly at Umbridge.
Even when Umbridge suddenly stood up, she barely appeared taller than Dumbledore's seated position.
"Might I introduce myself?" Umbridge said with a simpering smile.
"Of course."
Dumbledore sat back down without hesitation, seemingly eager to hear her speak.
The other professors weren't as composed. Professor Sprout's eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline, while Professor McGonagall pressed her lips into a thin line.
The students were equally astonished—they'd never seen anyone interrupt Dumbledore before.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Umbridge said with her trademark false smile. "For that warm welcome."
Wayne looked puzzled. He turned to Norman and asked, "Did the Headmaster actually welcome her just now?"
Though spoken softly, somehow his whisper carried across all four house tables and reached the professors at the high table.
Several students immediately burst into laughter.
Professor McGonagall's tight lips relaxed slightly, and Professor Sprout's runaway eyebrows settled back into place.
Snape smirked coldly.
He knew some of the history between Lawrence and Umbridge from Dumbledore...
No, it couldn't even be called history. Perhaps Lawrence had merely stepped on her incidentally—Umbridge wasn't worthy of having any proper history with him.
But judging by today's events, the young master seemed ready to play.
Because Snape realised Wayne didn't regard Umbridge as a professor at all.
In Snape's estimation, while Lawrence possessed numerous flaws—being despicable, cunning, bullying, reckless, and unrestrained—he also had rare redeeming qualities.
Namely, his respect for professors.
Even when speaking to Snape, he maintained polite courtesy. Though his words might be infuriating, his attitude was never improper.
This direct confrontation was unprecedented.
Turning his head to admire Umbridge's rapidly changing complexion, Snape already wondered when she'd meet her end.
Offending Lawrence... and expecting to leave this school unharmed?
What foolish dream was that?
Umbridge had mentally cast the Killing Curse at Wayne countless times, but she knew she couldn't engage now.
If she truly argued, she'd lose all momentum.
Her nails dug deeply into her palms as she forced herself to maintain that sickly sweet smile.
As if deaf to Wayne's whisper and the students' laughter, she cleared her throat.
"I must say, it's wonderful to be back at Hogwarts.
"I am Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, Head of the Department of Magical Education, and your new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of utmost importance..."
The lengthy speech began, and the students gradually lost focus. Even Hermione, who was still listening attentively, had begun to look impatient.
Umbridge seemed oblivious to the students' disinterest, continuing to recite her speech at a leisurely pace. One could reasonably believe that even if a riot broke out at that moment, she wouldn't stop speaking.
Hannah's head kept nodding forward until Wayne gave her a nudge, making Hannah and Susan lean against each other so they wouldn't drool on him.
He had initially considered kindly offering a few interjections to liven things up, but a sudden notification from his system completely captured his attention.
[Detected host bullying a professor. Achievement 'Defying Authority' unlocked. Reward: 500 points.]
[Detected someone attempting to challenge the host's authority as the Chaos Demon King. Generating major mission...]
[Mission generation complete. Major continuous mission — 'The Pink Toad's Regret' — has been issued.]
[Mission description: Outdated beliefs often blind people to reality. Umbridge seems to think that wielding authority allows her to provoke the dignity of the Chaos Demon King.]
[The host may employ bullying, torment, elimination, and other methods to strike at Umbridge, making her regret coming to Hogwarts and offending the Demon King's majesty.]
[Note: Points earned through Umbridge during the mission are doubled. Upon submission, the completion rate determines a comprehensive reward package.]
[Mission is considered complete when the target feels genuine regret. Submission may be delayed to increase the completion rate. Deadline: this academic year.]
After reading it, Wayne's expression first turned cold as he mentally demanded:
'System, what do you mean by 'defying authority'?
"What kind of thing is Umbridge? How is she an 'authority'?
"Change it immediately."
[Scanning... Scan complete.]
[As per the host's request, the achievement was officially renamed to 'Lawless.' Additional compensation of 500 points granted. Thank you for your feedback.]
Only then was Wayne satisfied.
If the system hadn't changed it, he would have rather forfeited the points than complete that achievement.
Watching Umbridge still enthusiastically droning on, Wayne deliberately coughed loudly twice, startling many dozing young wizards awake.
Umbridge also paused, staring at him in surprise, but when she saw Wayne innocently examining his plate, she cursed inwardly and resumed her speech.
[Disrupting speech. Points +40.]
Wayne's eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead as his gaze toward Umbridge transformed.
This wasn't some pink toad.
This was his point-farming big sister...