"Heh heh, then you can just stay here, conservatively lying for another forty-eight hours..." Snape rolled his eyes, clearly not understanding such a peculiar idol burden or personal persona, and after saying a few more words, he left.
Cedric looked at Kayson, then at the retreating Snape, finally letting out a sigh of relief. Then, as if by Magic, he pulled out a paper-wrapped oil packet from his robe: "Professor? Are you hungry?"
Kayson nodded: "Indeed."
The scene became harmoniously strange. Kayson lay in the coffin eating, while Cedric sat beside him, watching kindly. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something: "Professor, are you going to lie here for forty-eight hours, or is that a conservative estimate?"
Kayson nodded while eating: "That's right."
"Then Professor, why don't you just apparate back to your office?" Cedric asked a rather pointed question.
"...Huh?" Kayson, who was halfway through his meal, suddenly stopped. Then he lowered his eyes and pondered for about three seconds.
...
...
...
"I forgot."
"Then Professor... do you need me to send another dinner to your office?" Cedric asked awkwardly.
"Clearly, yes, thank you." Kayson said, continuing to eat while lying in the coffin, until he finished all the food in the paper bag before directly apparating out of the coffin. Then he picked up the fragment that Cedric had pried off the ground and patted it back into the hole in the coffin.
"Alright, I'm heading back to my office first. You should go back and rest too. As for dinner... if you really want to bring it, just go to my bedroom on the fourth floor." Kayson said, stretching with a loud cracking sound, and then vanished with a hum.
Cedric stroked his chin, and finally walked towards the kitchen.
Meanwhile, on the other side...
"So... you don't have your own bedroom?" Kayson returned to his bedroom and before he could jump into bed, he saw Dumbledore sitting in a chair in the corner.
"I can't help it, I've always liked your decorating style, it's just a pity you never did it for me." Dumbledore said with a shrug.
Kayson remained silent, and then Dumbledore spoke again.
"So... you've been resurrected."
Kayson couldn't help but shiver; he heard a strong sense of mockery and amusement in that sentence.
"Not resurrected, still dead, I'm a ghost now." Kayson grumbled, directly burrowing into the covers and wrapping himself up completely. A moment later, the covers spat out his clothes.
"Oh, I always thought someone like you wouldn't become a ghost... Frankly, I can't quite imagine you fawning over Death." Dumbledore said, sitting in his seat with his legs crossed.
"Hmmph... what do you mean?" Kayson asked.
"For example, all the ghosts at Hogwarts, they all fear death, which is why they exist between life and death. It's quite pitiful, isn't it?" Dumbledore said.
"Mind your own business. Fear of death is something everyone has. Just because you're not afraid of that thing doesn't mean you can stand on high and point fingers, right?" Kayson turned over and grumbled at Dumbledore.
"Do you also fear death?" Dumbledore asked.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I always thought you were fearless of death because you had that golden Little Wizards, but today I felt the fluctuation of that golden Little Wizards on Harry..." Dumbledore suddenly said.
"That's right, I'm just idling away my days at Hogwarts, or cooped up in my office doing whatever. I don't even use that thing, so why not give it to him?" Kayson said casually.
"Do you only have one?"
"That thing wasn't made by me... it was given to me by someone." Kayson said glumly.
"Your teacher?"
Kayson gave Dumbledore a speechless look: "Are you playing a trick on yourself? Where would I have a teacher?"
"I'm sorry, you know, when you get old, it's easy to forget some important things. Who was it?" Dumbledore shook his head and said.
"My future self." Kayson sighed, sat up from the bed, and leaned against the headboard.
"Oh... that time, when you caused that big mess... But I don't think that was a good idea. Since your future self gave you that thing, it means you'll definitely need to use it, doesn't it?"
"Whether I use it or Harry uses it, isn't it the same? It's all saving a life. What's the difference?"
"I mean, if we're talking about contributions to the world, I think keeping it for yourself would be a more worthwhile approach." Dumbledore said, choosing his words carefully.
"So? Are you... let me think of a way to put it. Are you... cherishing my life? You weren't like this when you threw me directly into the coffin." Kayson pouted.
"That was just a joke, just like what you do to me, harmless." Dumbledore said with a wink.
"Of course I'm not angry about that." Kayson shook his head.
Dumbledore shrugged indifferently: "Of course I know. I just think you need another option. If you regret your impulsive decision, now you have a chance to regret it."
He said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a golden Little Wizards.
"How the hell did you pry that out of the Beacon cube?" Kayson clicked his tongue.
"A little magic. My point is, Harry is just one of your students, you really don't need to go to such lengths for him." Dumbledore placed the Little Wizards in his palm and handed it to Kayson.
"Oh, I'm sorry, this thing is bound to Harry's soul, it can't change owners."
"I'm sure you'll find a way."
"I don't, and if it wasn't Harry who needed this thing, but any Little Wizards, I would make the exact same choice." Kayson said, picking up the Totem of Undying, casually conjuring a magic mirror with his hand, and directly throwing it back into Harry's Beacon amulet through the magic mirror.
"...Alright." Dumbledore nodded, left the bedroom, and then went downstairs to the office, where he happened to run into Cedric who was bringing food.
"Um... uh... Principal?" Cedric scratched the back of his head with one hand while holding a paper bag in the other.
"He's upstairs." Dumbledore said.
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." Cedric quickly walked around Dumbledore and headed upstairs.
The latter then pulled out an old envelope signed Kaisen Heath from his pocket, clicked his tongue, and finally shook it casually. A flame consumed it, making it disappear from this world.
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