After leaving the Headmaster's office, Wayne didn't feel any fear or anxiety about Dumbledore having noticed all his actions.
In many speculations from his previous life, Dumbledore was painted as a ruthless mastermind, but most of those theories didn't hold water.
If Dumbledore were truly cold-blooded and intolerant of anything deviating from his plans, then Tom would never have become the future Dark Lord—he'd have been dealt with back at Hogwarts.
Maybe after everything that happened with Voldemort, Dumbledore did change to some extent. But the principle he always upheld was guidance.
He believed that by offering students more care and education, they wouldn't repeat the same mistakes.
Even when Malfoy came with the intent to kill him, Dumbledore still tried to change him—hoping to awaken the sliver of goodness in his heart.
Wayne wasn't nearly that bad.
The books he read in the Restricted Section were mostly about white magic, alchemy, or potions.
Sure, there was a lot of dangerous content, but compared to true dark magic, it was nothing.
Besides, it was Dumbledore's fault for being so ruthless—even Polyjuice Potion was kept in the Restricted Section!
So you couldn't blame Wayne entirely.
…
Back in the dorm, Wayne planned to organize the materials he'd bought from Diagon Alley, sorting them by category before placing them into his magically expanded pouch.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his two roommates—he just worried they might mistake something inside for snacks and eat it. That would be a real problem.
As soon as he entered the changing room, he saw Cedric still holding the broomstick, examining it fondly.
Cedric also noticed him and reluctantly handed the Nimbus 2000 back.
"No wonder it's a Nimbus 2000. The craftsmanship, the quality—it's perfect. I just don't know how it flies."
"You didn't try it out?" Wayne took the broom back, a bit confused.
Cedric shook his head. "I told you—we were just looking."
"This is your brand-new broom. I didn't dare ride it. If I broke it, even selling myself wouldn't cover the cost."
Wayne patted his shoulder with satisfaction. "You underestimate yourself. Just by being the only heir to the Diggory family, you're definitely worth it."
The common room erupted with laughter. Many of Hufflepuff's parents worked at the Ministry of Magic, so they all knew just how much Amos Diggory doted on his son.
Cedric's face turned red. He swatted Wayne's arm playfully.
"Get lost, stop teasing your senior."
"Alright," Wayne replied, tossing the broom back to Cedric under his surprised gaze.
"Take it. Try it out for a few days—get used to it. You can use it for the Quidditch match, too."
Before Cedric could respond, Quidditch Captain Watley jumped up.
"Really?! Wayne?!"
If Cedric, their Seeker, had a Nimbus 2000, their chances of winning the House Cup would skyrocket.
"Why would I lie?" Wayne said casually. "Harry's already joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Professor McGonagall even gave him a Nimbus 2000."
"What?!"
Watley was stunned, then suddenly understood.
"No wonder Wood's been acting like he found ten Galleons these past two days. And those secret training sessions… sneaky bastard!"
Cedric clutched the broom tightly, eyes full of emotion.
"Say no more—Godfather!"
Another round of laughter broke out. Even Wayne couldn't help but laugh.
He really enjoyed this kind of warm, harmonious atmosphere. Compared to the other Houses, Hufflepuff felt more like home—a place where you could truly relax.
However, the broom he lent Cedric wasn't the custom-made one.
Wayne planned to buy another broom and donate it directly to Hufflepuff House.
He wasn't going to be a sucker like Malfoy, donating six brooms at once, but he was happy to give one.
After all—spending money to make yourself happy is always worth it.
And considering how many points he'd probably cost Hufflepuff in the future, this could be his advance compensation.
With Wayne's approval, Cedric skipped dinner entirely, grabbing the broom and sprinting out of the common room to test-fly it on the Quidditch pitch.
Several teammates and curious young witches and wizards followed behind to join the fun.
Wayne headed to the Great Hall to grab something to eat before going to find Hermione.
As soon as he entered, he drew quite a bit of attention.
By now, everyone in the school knew that Wayne had a phoenix as a pet and had exploited a loophole in the rules to buy a Nimbus 2000.
Either of those things alone would have made people jealous.
At the staff table, Snape was cutting into a steak and stuffing it into his mouth, chewing furiously as if he were biting into Wayne himself.
That brat would rather lose points than strike a deal with him.
How infuriating.
Second only to Potter!
"Wayne..."
Hearing the soft, sweet voice behind him, Wayne set down his knife and fork and turned around.
"What is it, Cho?"
Since a lot of students had gone to the Quidditch pitch to see the brooms, there were plenty of open seats at the Hufflepuff table. Cho simply sat down beside Wayne, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"I heard... you have a phoenix? And you bought a Nimbus 2000?"
She had arrived late that morning and had only heard the rumors—not seen anything firsthand.
"Yeah."
"Really?" Cho's eyes widened slightly. "I thought it was just gossip."
"I found the phoenix, and I bought the broom after flying class," Wayne said with a smile.
"And here's an extra little secret—I lent the broom to Cedric."
"What?!" Cho was first shocked, then puffed out her cheeks like a little pufferfish.
"You're being unfair."
Because she had joined the Quidditch team, her family had given her a Comet 260 as a reward. It was a decent broom.
But compared to the Nimbus 2000, it was at least a tier or two below.
"How is that unfair? I'm just helping out my house," Wayne defended himself.
"Hmph." Cho huffed indignantly. "If you join the Quidditch team next year, I'll switch to being a Beater just so I can knock you off your broom."
"Then I'll be waiting." Wayne shrugged.
He wasn't particularly interested in Quidditch. He had only bought the broom to enjoy the feeling of flying.
So Cho's wish might not come true.
"Where's your bird then? Can I see it?" Cho blinked her eyes. She had never seen a real phoenix before.
"No idea where it's off playing. I'll call it over in a bit—Hermione wants to see it too."
"How about I join you two?"
"Sure!"