After hearing Rhys's ideas, Helga thought he was nothing short of a genius. She immediately brought out her alchemical materials and began working with him.
Their division of labor was clear: each would first handle the alchemy tools they specialized in, then they would work together to finish the rest.
The two of them busied themselves for several hours.
As components for a mass-produced automaton, Rhys normally wouldn't have needed to put much effort into it. However, since this particular model was meant to be presented to officials from the Ministry of Magic, he had no choice but to take it seriously.
By the time the sun began to set, Rhys had finally finished the first set of alchemy devices.
This set functioned similarly to the necklaces and bracelets he had made for Daphne and Astoria, though the quality was nowhere near comparable. Each of their personal accessories was worth more than an entire array of components fitted into this automaton.
After inserting three rather ugly square modules into the automaton's body, it now possessed the ability to cast one defensive spell and one offensive spell per day, and to self-destruct in a powerful explosion if fatally damaged.
Helga had also completed her part of the work—she equipped the automaton with the ability to clean floors and dishes and prepare simple breakfasts.
"It can even peel potatoes," Helga said with an oddly proud tone.
Just then, there was a knock at the office door.
Rhys immediately concealed himself from sight. Once he had vanished completely, Helga cleared her throat and called out, "Come in."
The door opened, and Cedric walked in, dressed in his Hufflepuff team uniform, his clothes drenched with sweat.
"Professor, Quidditch practice just ended…" he said, a little embarrassed as he rubbed his messy hair. He explained that he'd come to help.
Helga raised an eyebrow—so he had actually gone to practice? She'd thought her student had simply been trying to avoid being called in to do chores.
In truth, Cedric really hadn't wanted to do chores; at the time, he didn't want to interrupt his upcoming Quidditch training. But once practice ended, his priorities shifted, and he immediately came to his teacher's office.
"It's fine, I've already finished grading the papers." Helga poured him a cup of hot tea. "Have a drink, you must be exhausted from practice."
From the corner, Rhys silently quirked his lip. It was me who graded them!
"Ah, I see! Sorry about that—I'd already arranged practice with my teammates, so it wasn't easy to reschedule." Cedric took the teacup, still feeling guilty. His teacher had passed down such valuable knowledge, yet he hadn't been able to help lighten her workload.
Cedric's earnestness made Helga—the "heartless mentor" who'd been planning to exploit her student—feel a twinge of guilt. Such a good student… better to make Salazar suffer a bit more next time!
"Focus on your Quidditch training first," Helga said warmly, her eyes gleaming. "As for the grading, I can always find someone else to handle it. Just make sure to defeat the other teams and win the House Cup for Hufflepuff!"
In Helga's eyes, every bit of honor belonging to Hufflepuff House was something truly precious.
"Alright!" Cedric's fighting spirit was ignited as well. He believed this year was Hufflepuff's best chance yet. In their previous match, they had defeated Gryffindor. As long as they maintained their form, winning against Ravenclaw and Slytherin wasn't impossible either.
"Professor, is that the automaton you're preparing for the Ministry of Magic?" After they finished talking about Quidditch, Cedric noticed the automaton by the side of the office and the various materials and parts laid out on the desk.
"Yes." Helga proudly introduced her creation. At the end, she added, "In the future, Hogwarts will definitely establish a special position dedicated to maintaining and replacing the automatons' components for the Ministry. If you're interested, I can teach you the necessary knowledge. I can assure you, the pay for that job will be excellent. Of course, if you'd rather go out and gain some experience for a couple of years first, that's perfectly fine too."
In order to keep a talent like Cedric within Hogwarts, Helga had truly gone to great lengths to come up with such an idea. After all, Hogwarts would have to provide people to maintain the Ministry's automatons—so why shouldn't that person be her own student? The Ministry's annual funding wasn't a small amount, after all.
Her words struck a chord in Cedric's heart. Although the Diggorys were a wizarding family, they weren't nearly as wealthy as the pure-blood houses—more middle-class than noble. A stable, well-paid job held great appeal for him.
But even more importantly, it meant he could stay at Hogwarts! Cedric seriously considered his professor's suggestion.
After chatting with Helga for a few more moments, he finally prepared to take his leave.
Before Cedric left, Helga reminded him as she always did not to mention her true identity to anyone. Outside this office, she was still Professor Smith White.
Once the office door closed, Rhys revealed himself again.
"How surprising—you actually told that student your true identity." Rhys gave Helga a meaningful look.
Helga Hufflepuff truly trusted this student of hers—so much that she was willing to reveal who she really was. That kind of trust was rare.
"I'm not like you lot, hiding everything from your successors," Helga said pointedly. "Especially certain people who make their students do hard labor without even revealing their real identity to them."
Rhys looked at her calmly, saying nothing. He had his own thoughts. When the time came, he intended to be honest with the Greengrass sisters.
He didn't want to argue with Helga about teaching methods, so instead he turned his attention to the unfinished automaton.
"Let's keep working. We still have a lot to do."
For the next three days, aside from attending the more important classes, Rhys spent nearly all his time in the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office.
Thanks to his and Helga's combined efforts, a fully functional automatic combat automaton was finally completed.
Although Rhys didn't know exactly how strong the Aurors were, he was fairly certain they wouldn't be a match for this automaton. As for how many Aurors it could take on—well, that could only be proven through practice.
"All right, I've helped you grade your papers, and I've finished building the automaton for you. Helga, it's time for you to fulfill your end of the bargain." Rhys fixed his gaze on her, hinting that it was time for her to "deliver."
Helga understood perfectly well. If she kept pushing Rhys any further, once he received the method he wanted, things would be difficult to settle later. So, she straightforwardly handed over her teaching insights to him.
Seeing that Helga wasn't going to pile on any more tasks, Rhys's expression improved considerably.
Helga slid a stack of parchment filled with her notes and a crystal vial containing the memory of that day across the table. Rhys immediately snatched them up and began reading eagerly.
After going through Helga's insights, only one thought remained in his mind: Helga Hufflepuff, our friendship has officially sunk!
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