After returning to his office, Douglas wasted no time. He opened the system shop and purchased a treasure basin—a bronze vessel steeped in history, shaped like a cauldron of fortune. Though bronze was once golden, this one gleamed with a deep, ancient green.
The handles on either side were carved into lifelike ruyi shapes, symbols of luck and fulfillment. Along the basin's body, swirling clouds and sixteen fierce Eastern dragons circled the center, where three bold, archaic Chinese characters for "Treasure Basin" danced in flowing script.
He chose the darker hue deliberately—after all, he was crafting a nest for Wangcai, and if it looked too bright and shiny, the little Niffler might just stuff the entire thing into its pouch.
Douglas cast an Extension Charm inside the treasure basin, then tossed in a specially crafted fake Galleon. This coin was enchanted with a Duplication Charm and bound to the basin itself—unless the spell was lifted, it couldn't be removed from the vessel.
Whenever a living creature touched the coin, it would endlessly duplicate, spewing out fake Galleons until the creature let go. The duplicates would vanish after ten hours.
With this setup, Douglas was confident: no matter how mischievous Wangcai became, it would always come home to the golden nest he'd made.
Once everything was ready, Douglas fished Wangcai out of his pocket.
Finding itself in unfamiliar surroundings, Wangcai squirmed anxiously. The moment it spotted Douglas, its first instinct was to clamp its little paws over its pouch and give him a look of wide-eyed innocence.
Douglas couldn't help but be charmed by that dopey expression. He grabbed Wangcai by its hind legs and gave it a gentle shake.
A torrent of treasures spilled from the Niffler's magical pouch, clattering across half the desk. There were, of course, coins and trinkets—but also a unicorn horn, a mithril arrowhead, rings, golden bells...
Douglas was certain: Professor Kettleburn had definitely forgotten to check Wangcai's pouch before handing him over.
He carefully sorted out the more valuable items, planning to return them to Professor Kettleburn or their rightful owners.
After picking through the loot, Douglas set Wangcai on the desk. The little thief immediately tried to scoop everything back into its arms. If Douglas hadn't been watching, Wangcai would have even made off with his fancy metal-plumed quills.
At last, Douglas plopped Wangcai into the treasure basin to play. The moment the Niffler landed, the sound of churning coins echoed from within—clink, clink, clink...
By the end of the afternoon, Douglas and Wangcai were thick as thieves.
Later, Douglas visited the kitchens, whipping up a few special dishes for that evening's Hufflepuff graduation farewell party.
With Wangcai in tow, he made his way toward the Hufflepuff common room.
Graduation farewells weren't a Hogwarts tradition. The Hufflepuff party was something Douglas himself had started back when he was a Prefect. It remained a cozy, house-only gathering—just Hufflepuff students and their Head of House.
Since Douglas had only graduated recently—and was the founder of the tradition—he'd been invited back.
No sooner had Douglas climbed out of Hufflepuff's signature barrel entrance than the students burst into raucous applause.
The common room had been transformed into a banquet hall. Long tables groaned beneath platters of food, and the wall partitions' lush plants swayed and danced as if celebrating, too.
Wangcai, ever curious, poked his head from Douglas's pocket—just in time to spot the Fat Friar, Hufflepuff's resident ghost, drifting through the candlelit air.
The students gawked at the Niffler in astonishment. According to their Care of Magical Creatures professor, Nifflers were rarely seen outside Hogwarts—goblins hoarded most of them, raising Nifflers to dig for treasure deep underground.
And of course, Nifflers were on the Hogwarts prohibited pets list—one careless moment and they'd tear your whole house apart.
Professor Sprout quickly warned the students,
"Keep a close eye on the silverware tonight!"
Douglas could only offer an apologetic grin, not daring to let Wangcai fully out of his pocket.
Professor Sprout had prepared a glass of red wine for each of-age seventh year, with drinks for everyone else. She handed Douglas the honor of opening the banquet and giving the first speech.
Douglas glanced at the seventh-years assembled before him. Only a few had been his students; the others had either struggled with Defence Against the Dark Arts or didn't need it for their future careers.
He paused, then spoke:
"It's such a joy to return to Hogwarts—to come home to the Hufflepuff family where I spent seven wonderful years.
The past flows like music; time may blur many memories, but some things you never forget…
For seven years, you've left your footprints—some deep, some faint—showing how each of you has grown into a true Hufflepuff.
Remember our house virtues: fairness, loyalty, honesty, and perseverance.
No matter where life takes us, never forget—we are Hufflepuffs."
All through his speech, Professor Sprout beamed with pride.
When Douglas finished, the common room erupted in thunderous applause and cheers—some muffled by mouths full of food.
Laughter and magic filled the air. The room's energy soared as students volunteered to show off their favorite spells in the center of the hall.
Douglas mingled with the seventh-years, sharing stories of Hufflepuff alumni and their paths after graduation, all while nibbling on delicious food.
Meanwhile, Wangcai had somehow wriggled free and was now bounding from student to student, causing small outbreaks of chaos and delight.
Before the party ended, Douglas and Professor Sprout slipped out early—after all, students could only truly cut loose once the professors were gone.
As they strolled through Hogwarts' underground corridors, Professor Sprout asked,
"Douglas, what are your plans next?"
Douglas smiled,
"I'll spend the summer prepping lessons, maybe travel a bit—and when term starts, I'll be right back here… I understand your concern, Professor. If anything feels off, I promise I'll make the right choice."
Seeing his determination, Professor Sprout didn't press further.
Back in his office, Douglas had barely sat down before Wangcai tumbled out of his pocket, clutching its pouch and sneaking toward the treasure basin.
The moment it caught Douglas's eye, it scampered faster.
With a snap of his fingers, Douglas made Wangcai float in midair. Instantly, a cascade of loot tumbled from the Niffler's magical pouch—shiny trinkets, assorted silverware, even the Quidditch Cup (Hufflepuff had won this year's tournament).
Douglas eyed the floating Wangcai, who was now desperately covering its face, and said with a wicked grin,
"We had a deal—if I catch you stealing again, I get to pick ten items from your stash at random…"
Wangcai shook its head furiously, blinking up at him with the most pitiful eyes imaginable.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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