On the first weekend of November, the long-awaited Quidditch House Cup finally resumed.
And the very first match was between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff – a major battle between the two teams most likely to compete for the championship.
As for Slytherin, ever since Malfoy became Seeker, their team hadn't caught the Golden Snitch even once, transforming from the originally strongest team into one that could only compete with Ravenclaw.
And Ravenclaw... their former captain, Roger Davies, had graduated, and the current captain was Cho. The skill level of the other players... couldn't be described as Troll-worthy, but one could only say they were patheti~cally weak.
Only Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's teams remained largely intact, with minimal personnel changes.
And a minor incident occurred just before the match started.
The so-called organisations in the Educational Decrees naturally included Quidditch teams. Umbridge had wanted to ban Harry from participating in the Quidditch match as punishment, but a sudden notice arrived from the Department of Magical Games and Sports:
[To ensure the selection of outstanding Quidditch players, Hogwarts Quidditch matches will be under the direct management of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.]
With just that simple sentence, Umbridge's ability to use this as leverage was stripped away.
The notice bore not only Ludo Bagman's signature but also Fudge's magical seal. She had to accept it, however unwilling she was.
With this small act of authority, Wayne gained another five hundred points.
The points he had farmed from Umbridge this term had already exceeded thirty thousand, a significant efficiency increase compared to before.
With ample points, Wayne immediately exchanged the synthesis permission for equipment.
'Indeed, this is the correct way to use the system. If I proceed without restraint, I could probably become a god within two years.'
He was already considering who should be the next Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.
'Voldy?'
'Not suitable. A dead Voldemort is a good Voldemort. Can't let him live too long.'
'Fudge?'
'Not suitable either... after all, Fudge has essentially surrendered, making him half an ally. And even if I asked him, he wouldn't want to come.'
After much thought, Wayne realised that only Snape was the most suitable candidate.
...
Snape, sitting in the teachers' stand, suddenly sneezed. He looked around warily, his gaze finally settling on the Hufflepuff spectator section.
'Hmm?'
'Lawrence isn't here?'
...
Headmaster's Office.
Wayne received a phoenix feather that descended from above. After reading Dumbledore's message on it, he hurried over with a frown.
He felt a bit sorry for Fawkes.
'Using feathers to send messages every day... soon he'll be plucked completely bald.'
"Professor, what's so urgent that you called me here? The match is about to start," Wayne asked, refocusing his attention on the old wizard before him.
"My apologies for interrupting your enjoyment, Mr Lawrence," Dumbledore first expressed his regret, then explained the reason for summoning him now: "Umbridge has been paying particularly close attention to my movements lately and has established numerous informants."
"Only at this moment can our conversation be most secure."
Wayne rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Professor, there should be limits to playing the weak card. No need to humble yourself to this extent, surely?"
"Force of habit," Dumbledore smiled.
When it came to the art of endurance, Dumbledore's skill still far surpassed most wizards. Both Grindelwald and Voldemort, in their time, had been outlasted by him using such methods.
"Wayne, I've asked you here today because I wish to entrust the school to you."
A sudden roar of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the pitch, shaking the skies – clearly the match had begun. Dumbledore got straight to the point.
"You're..." Wayne looked at him in surprise.
"Indeed, I plan to leave." Dumbledore gazed out of the window. "Voldemort's movements are becoming increasingly elusive, while Tom's activities in Russia have grown unusually intense. I intend to go and investigate."
"Moreover, I've been quite passive publicly. Only if Voldemort knows I've completely broken with Fudge might he act more freely and consequently reveal his weaknesses."
"Wayne, I'm aware of your current influence at the Ministry of Magic." Dumbledore's sincere eyes peered at the young man over his half-moon spectacles. "I need your help to increase the pressure on Fudge, to make my departure appear logical."
Dumbledore understood perfectly well that the school had now become his shackles, just as it had when Voldemort wreaked havoc over a decade ago.
Leaving the school meant he couldn't protect the students' safety, but staying meant he couldn't control the situation in the wider world.
Fortunately, fortunately they now had Wayne.
Though the boy was a bit lively, his strength and character were absolutely reliable, even surpassing his own.
Well, Dumbledore had felt that during their last encounter when he'd been beaten.
That time, Wayne had clearly been holding back when he hit him.
If the two of them were to fight seriously, he'd probably be no match for the boy.
So with Wayne at Hogwarts, he could leave with peace of mind, make more preparations, and lull Voldemort into a false sense of security.
The only thing Dumbledore worried about... was Wayne himself.
He truly feared that after he left, this child might get carried away and dismantle the entire school...
"I see..." Wayne understood this was Dumbledore's "final entrustment" and nodded readily. "You can rest assured leaving the school to me."
"As for Fudge, that's easily handled. I guarantee we'll send you off happily."
Dumbledore: "..."
Why did that sound so wrong!
...
Having become the legitimate successor to Hogwarts, Wayne returned to the Quidditch pitch in high spirits.
Old Dumble might find it easy to hand the school over to him now, but wanting it back later... that wouldn't be so simple.
Nothing that entered the Lawrence family's pockets ever came out again.
The match hadn't ended yet. Lee Jordan's commentary sounded listless – Gryffindor was already eighty points behind, and Cedric had completely neutralised Harry.
The biggest contributor to Hufflepuff's performance in this match was Ron – he was Gryffindor's new Keeper who hadn't managed to save a single goal throughout the entire game.
Wayne had barely been seated for ten minutes when Hufflepuff's new Chaser Ericsson spotted the Golden Snitch and made a series of gestures.
This was the pre-arranged signal. Cedric immediately understood and, without hesitation, abandoned his pursuit of Harry, turning instead to fly toward the Gryffindor goalposts.
By the time Harry noticed his movement, it was too late. They maintained a three-length gap until Cedric caught the Golden Snitch, ending the match.
The Gryffindor team left the pitch dejectedly.
Harry took it relatively well, not appearing too disheartened.
Since Voldemort's return, what had once made his blood boil with excitement had become rather dull, merely serving as a way to pass the time.
Not to mention, he was currently preparing for something even more meaningful.
"Harry, over here."
A faint, mosquito-like voice reached Harry's ears. He instinctively looked up and scanned around before spotting Wayne waving at him from near the Whomping Willow.
Harry jogged over, broom in hand.
"Hermione mentioned you're planning to teach everyone Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Wayne asked directly.
"That's right. Umbridge isn't doing her job, but Voldemort is out there. I have to do something."
'Very typical protagonist sense of responsibility,' Wayne nodded approvingly. "Good idea. I support you. Let me know if you encounter any difficulties."
Harry looked down sheepishly. "Could you help me find a classroom... something like the Room of Requirement?"
He had originally intended to use the Room of Requirement, but Harry instinctively felt that, since Wayne had introduced him to it, bringing others there might be inappropriate. That's why he wanted Wayne to help find a secure location.
"That's simple enough. I'll find an abandoned classroom later and cast the Fidelius Charm on it, just like Grimmauld Place. Only people you tell the location to will be able to find it."
Harry was overjoyed.
"Here's the deal - if you can gather twenty... no, fifty people, I'll attend the first lesson too. How about that?"
Wayne gave Harry another pleasant surprise.
Harry knew perfectly well that gathering fifty people through his own influence wouldn't be easy, but if he could use Wayne's name, things would become ten times simpler.
At least when contacting Hufflepuffs, it would definitely work every time.
"Not including Hufflepuff students, though," Wayne added, dampening Harry's excitement.
"What?"
Wayne's purpose in getting involved wasn't to satisfy any teaching aspirations, but to harvest some leeks through this opportunity. He'd already exhausted most of the little badgers in Hufflepuff.
If he let Harry take shortcuts to complete the task, all his efforts would be wasted.
Harry could only agree with a pained expression before returning to the castle to recruit people.
Thanks to previous groundwork, recruiting companions in Gryffindor went quite smoothly.
Everyone had witnessed Harry's abilities last year. Hearing that he planned to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, not just younger students but even many older ones showed interest.
Like the twins, who signed up immediately after hearing about it - Harry suspected their motivation was mostly about watching the spectacle.
In Ravenclaw house, Wayne's name came in handy.
As the house with the most female students, without even considering ability or status, Wayne's face alone was an absolute pass in Ravenclaw.
Hearing that gathering fifty people would mean Wayne personally teaching them, many girls spontaneously recruited friends to join. The spread was comparable to pyramid schemes, forcing Harry to raise the entry requirements somewhat.
He wouldn't teach those too young - they wouldn't learn much anyway. Nor would he teach those with excellent grades—they could study independently.
As for Hufflepuff, Cedric noticed when Harry was speaking with Justin Finch-Fletchley.
But Harry didn't pay it much mind - Cedric wasn't the type to report them.
To his surprise, Cedric actually proposed joining voluntarily and even offered to share some of the teaching pressure.
"A classroom of several dozen students isn't easy to control. You should find more teachers, or perhaps assistants," Cedric suggested to Harry.
"Hermione is considering whether to come as well," Harry said. "But she needs to ask Wayne's opinion first."
"That would be even better." Cedric rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Teaching magic to others... I've never actually tried that before. When is the meeting?"
"This Saturday, at the Hog's Head."
Cedric nodded. The Hog's Head was somewhere students rarely visited, making it quite a safe location.
After agreeing on the time, Harry handed over the organisational work for Hufflepuff to Cedric before leaving.
"Remember to invite Toby and Norman as well."
A faint voice sounded by his ear, causing Cedric to stumble in fright. He turned to look at Wayne, alarmed. "Are you trying to scare me to death? You walk without making a sound."
Wayne ignored his complaint and continued instructing, "Find an opportunity to let Smith know about this, too. He needs to be told both the meeting location and time."
"Smith?" Cedric was taken aback. "Aren't you afraid he'll report us?"
Recently, Zacharias Smith had been getting very close to Umbridge, often seen leaving her office.
"I want him to report us." Wayne chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to set you up. Just do as I say."
This was merely one small part of the plan to drive out old Dumbledore.
Not to boast, but when it came to methods for expelling a Headmaster, he had already prepared hundreds of schemes.
He just wondered how many spoonfuls old Dumbledore could withstand...