(Note: Lily will be resurrected, but won't end up with Snape.)
Wayne was taken aback, not expecting Snape to still be fixated on the Resurrection Stone.
"You still have time for that now?" Wayne asked in surprise.
Currently serving as a double agent with Voldemort's return, Snape not only had to relay Dumbledore's intelligence but also gather information from Voldemort's side.
Frankly, he was busier than Dumbledore himself—juggling external crises while teaching a bunch of pure students. A single term of this would shave years off his lifespan.
"My affairs are none of your concern," Snape retorted stiffly, placing the potion on the table while staring intently at the young man.
Wayne considered this.
First stowing the potion away, he then spread his hands apologetically: "Sorry, but I can't lend you the Resurrection Stone."
Snape's expression twisted violently as he hissed in a low voice: "Lawrence, are you trying to double-cross me?"
Nearby, Finch-Fletchley noticed their exchange and cast a curious glance, only to flee with his cauldron under Snape's murderous glare.
"I'm a businessman of integrity."
Unperturbed by the accusation, Wayne patiently reassured him, "It's just that I need the Stone myself recently. We'll discuss it when I'm free."
Snape drew a deep breath: "Then return my Felix Felicis first."
"Tch." Wayne gave him a sidelong glance. "Once something enters Lawrence's pockets, do you really think it's coming back out?"
"When can I use the Resurrection Stone then?"
"Wait for my notice."
This was still bloody double-crossing!
Snape's cheek twitched violently as he glared at Wayne before abruptly turning to leave.
Soon, his venomous voice filled the classroom:
"Abbott! You've spilt potion everywhere! Five points from Hufflepuff!"
"Macmillan! Can't distinguish pale blue from indigo? Wrong flame colour ruins valerian root! Five points from Hufflepuff!"
"Shirley! Is your wand a bloody eggbeater? Stirring doesn't mean thrashing about like a rabid dog! Ten points from Hufflepuff!"
Wayne remained serenely detached, utterly indifferent to Snape's retaliatory actions.
The Resurrection Stone couldn't be lent. Firstly, Snape's frail constitution wouldn't withstand its drain—he'd be desiccated within seconds.
Secondly, one bottle of Felix Felicis per day was the old rate.
Now, the Stone was a genuine pseudo-artefact capable of summoning souls to the living world. Snape simply didn't possess anything tempting enough for trade.
Merely offering the possibility of future negotiation was Wayne's greatest mercy.
Wayne glanced up at Snape, who'd finished venting and now stood coldly observing him from the lectern, offering a polite smile in return.
...
The first Potions class of the term concluded with Hufflepuff losing fifty points.
Ravenclaw students were stunned, but the badgers took it in stride—they were quite accustomed to this.
Probably, Wayne had said something to provoke Snape again. This happened several times yearly, though earlier than usual this term.
At dinner, Wayne found Cedric and instructed him to find pretexts to regain the lost points.
Wasting authority was pure folly, and Cedric voiced no objections.
Fifty points could be discreetly recovered within a fortnight.
"By the way, have you heard?" Cedric suddenly remembered something, a mischievous grin appearing on his face.
"Last night, the bed in the hospital wing collapsed. Professor Umbridge moved out overnight and has already left Hogwarts."
Wayne was taken aback—he genuinely hadn't heard about this.
"Where did she go?"
"How should I know?" Cedric shook his head. "Probably thought Hogwarts was too unsafe and ran off."
Wayne: "..."
Honestly, he was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with the castle itself.
Even if it was cursed, surely it couldn't be this unlucky?
Umbridge, of course, hadn't fled out of fear—she could handle minor setbacks like this.
But Dumbledore's words last night and her own misfortunes had left her unsettled, so she'd returned to the Ministry of Magic first thing in the morning to seek Fudge's help.
...
"You want me to give you money?"
Fudge stared incredulously at Umbridge, who stood before him with exaggerated deference, wondering if his hearing was failing.
"Minister," Umbridge said cautiously, forcing a smile. "Not for me personally, but for the Ministry to allocate funds for repairs to Hogwarts Castle and the replacement of certain equipment."
Fudge: "..."
Good news—his ears were fine.
Bad news—Umbridge really was here to ask for money.
"Dolores, I sent you to Hogwarts to weaken Dumbledore's influence," Fudge snapped, slamming his hand on the table. "And after just one day, you're already speaking on his behalf?"
Umbridge flinched at his outburst and hurried to defend herself:
"Minister, I'm not helping Dumbledore—I'm helping you."
Fudge let out a disbelieving laugh. "You come asking for money, and that's helping me? I ought to thank your whole family."
"Headmaster, Hogwarts Castle truly needs repairs."
Umbridge pointed pitifully at her head. The nauseating velvet bow was gone, replaced by a large lump and layers of bandages.
"I was hit by falling stones during my very first lesson yesterday, and then the hospital wing bed collapsed last night."
"If you approve these funds, combined with newspaper coverage and my vigorous promotion, the students will surely be grateful to the Ministry, and my work can proceed more smoothly."
"This would also be beneficial in undermining Dumbledore."
Fudge listened, feeling an itch creep over his scalp.
Umbridge's reasoning made some sense, but something about it still felt off.
Seeing his hesitation, Umbridge seized on another brilliant argument: "Minister, this could also be an opportunity to uncover evidence of Dumbledore's embezzlement."
"With so much money flowing into the school every year, he couldn't possibly resist dipping into it—"
"Fine. I approve."
Fudge finally relented.
Though he doubted Dumbledore would embezzle such paltry sums, it couldn't hurt to investigate. Who knew what surprises might turn up?
Clutching the approval slip, Umbridge held her head and skipped cheerfully off to Gringotts to collect the funds.
...
Hogwarts.
The brief lunch break ended, and fifth-year students arrived at the grounds with eager anticipation—today marked their first Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the term, taught by none other than the renowned Newt Scamander.
Nearly every Hufflepuff badger had signed up for this elective, along with a fair number of students from other houses. Many students who hadn't chosen the subject were now regretting it. Had they known Newt Scamander would be coming, they'd have signed up without hesitation.
Newt arrived earlier than anyone else. When Wayne brought Hermione to the gathering point, he stood alone in the sunlight, looking rather solitary.
"You won't be too nervous to speak later, will you?"
Seeing Newt's slightly awkward demeanour, Wayne deliberately teased him, hoping to ease his tension.
Newt smiled faintly and shook his head. "No, I've already taught two classes yesterday. It went much better than I expected."
"Perhaps because they're all children. It's quite easy to get along with them."
"That's good then." Wayne nodded and conjured a parasol. The sun was rather strong today, and he didn't want Hermione to turn 'as dark as night'.
Watching the young couple, Newt couldn't help but smile.
Back in the day, he and his sister-in-law had been just like that...
Fifteen minutes before class began, all the students had already assembled.
Newt gave a brief self-introduction—though this was somewhat redundant—and received polite applause from everyone.
"I've spoken with Hagrid, and he's briefed me on your progress."
Getting down to business, Newt's expression turned serious. "Professor Hagrid speaks very highly of you all. Fire Crabs, Doxies, Ashwinders... you've even had some exposure to Hippogriffs."
"He's done an excellent job. Even I couldn't have done better."
The young wizards didn't respond. Such praise was best taken with a pinch of salt—even Harry, who was closest to Hagrid, wouldn't believe that.
"This is your OWL year, but the Care of Magical Creatures exam has never been particularly difficult. I don't have a rigid lesson plan, so today we'll head straight into the Forbidden Forest."
The students buzzed with excitement.
Someone called out, "Professor, is that true?"
"Are you really taking us into the Forbidden Forest, or just skirting the edges?"
Newt drew his wand and said softly, "Magical creatures are inextricably linked to their habitats. Understanding the creatures alone is incomplete."
"I want to take you on a field study—to experience the world of magical creatures firsthand. Rest assured, I'll keep you all safe."
A Hufflepuff's promise was always reassuring. Not a single face showed fear.
Half of them had sneaked into the Forbidden Forest before, but going in openly with a teacher was unprecedented. Hagrid had only ever taken them to the fringes before bringing creatures out to them.
Following Newt, the group marched along the path in high spirits, deeper into the forest.
When it came to magical creatures, Newt's social anxiety seemed to fade. He began speaking confidently to the students.
"Although this subject is called Care of Magical Creatures, the first thing we should learn is how to protect ourselves from them."
Malfoy nodded vigorously. That made perfect sense.
He'd often gotten injured in the oaf's classes, and Hagrid would call him delicate for making a fuss over minor wounds.
Stopping before a massive tree, Newt gestured for silence.
He extended his arm and placed it against the trunk.
Soon, several Bowtruckles emerged from various crevices, climbing up Newt's arm to perch on his shoulders. "I believe everyone is quite familiar with the characteristics of Bowtruckles. They prefer trees imbued with magic. So, if a group of Bowtruckles appears here, what does that signify?"
Newt posed the first question, and the students exchanged glances, somewhat hesitant.
Hermione raised her hand high, and Newt called on her.
"Miss Granger, go ahead."
Hermione said loudly, "Magical trees usually bear fruits beneficial to magical creatures, so there's a high probability that other omnivorous animals would be nearby."
"Five points to Gryffindor." Newt smiled slightly. "A very clever answer. I hope everyone will keep that in mind."
"The only thing to add is that it's not just omnivorous creatures that would be attracted, but more predators as well."
"In Muggle society, they have a similar research system called the food chain."
"Predators follow their prey, while prey seek suitable living environments, forming a stable chain."
As he spoke, Newt observed his surroundings and quickly found clues.
The bushes to the west showed signs of being flattened.
He led the students through them, and not far ahead, they encountered a group of Dugbogs.
Further away, there was also a cluster of metamorphic lizards.
Newt's teaching style was rather spontaneous—whatever they encountered, he would teach about it. He didn't want students to memorise things by rote but aimed to spark their interest in magical creatures.
Interest was the best teacher.
If they were interested, they could easily remember the knowledge points and might even review them voluntarily later.
Studying purely for exams, in Newt's view, wasn't necessary at all.
At worst, they could end up like him—expelled from school.
The two classes passed quickly, and when it was about time, Newt led everyone out of the Forbidden Forest.
On the way, he assigned homework.
"Just write a travelogue later. The length doesn't matter. Focus on describing one magical creature that interests you and share your thoughts and understanding of it. That'll be enough."
The young wizards smiled, their fondness for Newt growing even more.
Upon reaching the grassy field, the class disbanded, and Wayne took out a magical camera.
"Senior, being a professor is such a meaningful thing. Let's take a few photos."
Grindelwald needed photos of Dumbledore, but Wayne thought about it and decided that since Grindelwald had gone through the trouble of splitting his soul, he deserved more compensation.
Old Gellert and Newt were old acquaintances, too.
Seeing his old friend come to Hogwarts as a professor, he'd surely be delighted, wouldn't he?