The class hadn't thought much of it at first, but after hearing Grindelwald's words and picturing the scene, several students had to fight the urge to laugh as well.
Still, upon seeing Dumbledore's displeased expression, they all forced themselves to keep quiet.
Even Wade quietly stared at the illustration of the Kappa in his book, feeling like there was no way to take this seriously anymore.
"To make a Kappa bow, I don't necessarily have to bow first," Dumbledore said firmly.
"In my opinion, to deal with a Kappa, there's really no need to make things so complicated, Professor Dumbledore." Grindelwald stood up. "Although this method is written in the textbook, your class is quite disappointing. Reading straight from the book—that's not your usual standard, is it, Professor Dumbledore?"
"My lesson has only just begun, and it's my habit to start by explaining the textbook's method," Dumbledore replied coldly. "But if you keep interrupting like this, your so-called investigation will lose any semblance of fairness, won't it? Shouldn't you at least finish listening to the entire class before judging me?"
As Dumbledore's words fell, the entire classroom became silent enough to hear a pin drop.
Except for Wade, everyone else sat tensely, watching the two men stare each other down.
Everyone worried they might suddenly start fighting—and drag the rest of the class into it.
At this distance, a stare like that could only mean two things: they were either about to fight or… No, it was definitely going to be a fight!
Tom quietly shifted his feet, already prepared to bolt at any moment.
After being under Wade's oppressive influence for so long, Tom had developed an instinctive sense for danger.
Wade patted his shoulder and shook his head.
Then Tom heard Wade's voice through a Whispering Charm: "Relax. They're not going to fight. If they really wanted to, they'd have done it eight hundred years ago."
"Really? But the atmosphere's wrong! I can feel killing intent!" Tom replied wide-eyed.
"That's normal. Killing intent doesn't always mean a fight's coming. Dumbledore's just warning him. Honestly, I've felt plenty of killing intent before… after all, you used to want to kill me seven or eight times a day, didn't you? And we never fought."
"Hmph! That's only because I wasn't strong enough to beat you! Otherwise—"
"So you see, Grindelwald also knows he can't beat Dumbledore. How could he possibly make a move? Tom, when something happens, your first reaction should be to calm down and think rationally, not immediately run away."
"I think running first and analyzing later isn't so bad. If I'm dead, what's there left to analyze?" Tom said dismissively.
"Tsk, tsk. Tom, you really don't have the heart of a strong man."
"Only if I stay alive do I have the chance to become strong! Not everyone's born like you, starting from such a high point," Tom said with a hint of bitterness.
"Ah…" Wade rubbed his chin. "You're right, Tom. That was arrogant of me. You have to take things one step at a time. In that case, do as you see fit for now. Though… that mindset of yours won't last long."
"Huh? Why not? I think I'll always stick to it," Tom asked, puzzled.
"When you grow up, you won't think like that anymore, because by then, you'll already be strong. Once you're powerful, you won't always think about running away." Wade spoke with certainty.
In this world, purely in terms of talent, the young Voldemort's potential might even surpass Dumbledore's at the same age.
Someone like that, even without delving into Dark Arts or dangerous magical transformations, would never be weak.
All the more so now, since this version of Tom—like Dumbledore—had experienced the magic of love.
"I really don't understand why you always believe I'll become strong," Tom couldn't help asking.
"Tom, honestly, among people our age, who can you not beat besides me? You've even fought upperclassmen before," Wade said with a smile.
"Ah… when you put it that way, I really am pretty strong…"
"If even that's not enough to make you see your own talent, then I might as well find a wall and bash my head into it."
"No wonder…"
"So don't underestimate yourself. When I tell you not to fear Grindelwald, it's not just meaningless comfort. No matter how powerful those old relics are, they're still remnants of a bygone era. But we… the future world belongs to us, Tom!"
Tom's eyes lit up as he listened to Wade's words. "You're right… I can do it too! I'm only weak because I'm still young!"
Fired up by Wade's inspiring words, Tom moved a little too abruptly, and his chair scraped loudly against the floor, producing an ear-piercing sound.
Instantly, both Dumbledore and Grindelwald on the platform turned to look at him.
Under their gaze, the boiling blood in Tom's veins immediately turned cold.
"Sorry… I… I just wanted to use the bathroom…" Tom said nervously.
Cowardly or not, it didn't matter—it was fine. Wade had said it himself: for now, he should act according to his own instincts.
After all, no matter how talented he was, he was still just a twelve-year-old second-year wizard… without Wade's kind of strength.
And those old relics like Grindelwald were still terrifyingly strong.
As Tom kept trying to calm himself down, the two men on the platform finally seemed to realize that this wasn't the right place to start a serious confrontation.
So, using Tom's noisy distraction as an excuse, both took a step back.
"All right, I admit you're right. I'll patiently listen to your class, then," said Grindelwald, turning back to sit down.
"Then I hope that afterward you'll provide some genuine, constructive feedback," said Dumbledore, turning away from him and addressing the students again.
"My apologies, let's continue with today's lesson… Tom? If you still need the toilet, go now. I'll hold off on the most exciting part of the lecture until you're back—so please, be quick."
Tom gave a strained smile. "Uh… sorry, I… I don't feel like going anymore."
At that, Dumbledore glanced briefly at the floor, then nodded in relief. "Good, then let's continue."
Tom stared at Wade in confusion and whispered through a Whispering Charm, "Why did he look at the floor?"
Wade shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? He was checking to see if you'd already gone there."
"..."
Tom's eyes went wide. "I— I'm not some baby who can't control himself!"
"Exactly. That's why Dumbledore's relieved you're not. Otherwise, knowing your personality, if something that embarrassing really happened, he'd have to comfort you afterward."
"Stop talking… the more I think about it, the worse it sounds… Why did I even say I had to go in the first place?"
"We're still young. Feeling afraid in front of those two isn't shameful. You can make up for it later."
"But I…"
"Wait, you don't want me to comfort you, do you? Well, even if it's a bit awkward, I suppose I could… after all, you're my friend."
"You bloody—"
…
Dumbledore's lesson was, indeed, of excellent quality.
After thoroughly explaining the content from the textbook, he closed it and began sharing several other countermeasures, each accompanied by a real-life example.
That immediately made the entire lesson feel lively instead of dry and dull.
By the end of class, even the students who usually disliked studying had paid close attention throughout.
"All right, that's it for today's lesson. I want you all to write an essay on how to deal with a Kappa. Turn it in before next week's class. No restriction on parchment length… Of course, I look forward to seeing some original ideas. If your ideas are interesting enough, I'll award extra points to your House. Class dismissed!"
The students quickly packed up their things and hurried out of the classroom.
Even though Dumbledore's class was fascinating, having Grindelwald present the entire time made everyone feel extremely uneasy.
"I must admit, my earlier assessment of your lesson was rather unfair. I owe you an apology," said Grindelwald, giving a slight bow.
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