Hospital Wing.
It had been a month since Kaison's last stunt, when he recklessly sent a Wither Skeleton Skull zooming toward his feet in his office, blowing himself straight into the Hospital Wing. Of course, if it had just been the explosion, Madam Pomfrey could've patched him up in no time. The real problem was that the Wither's power had, inconveniently, invaded his body.
To put it politely, he'd been backfired by dark magic. Or, more simply, he was stuck in a Wither state, steadily losing health.
Unfortunately, he hadn't unlocked a milk bucket block yet, and regular milk didn't seem to do the trick.
This month in the Hospital Wing hadn't been spent idly, though. He'd worked on refining his abilities, making his spellcasting resemble that of a wizard. While he couldn't use actual wizarding magic, he could mimic their effects using the unique properties of his Minecraft blocks.
And now, he could even use a wand.
The difference was that his "wand" was the one he'd cobbled together with rose vines and a phoenix feather. It wasn't something he used often, but when he did, it felt surprisingly natural.
"Professor Heath, after my morning examination, you're cleared to leave," Madam Pomfrey said, knocking on the doorframe before pulling back the curtain and poking her head in.
"Thank you, and may magic bless you, Madam," Kaison replied, springing back to full health. He quickly got dressed, snapped his fingers, and summoned a pixelated carnation.
[Goodwill from Madam Pomfrey +10]
"I must say, even this flower won't make me forgive you. Your dangerous magical experiments cut my two-month holiday down to one," Madam Pomfrey said, accepting the flower with evident satisfaction but maintaining a stern tone.
"I'm truly sorry. If I didn't worry you'd find it tacky, I'd have given you a cubic meter of gold blocks. I can only hope this carnation conveys a fraction of my admiration for you, nothing more."
After Kaison left, Madam Pomfrey was alone in the Hospital Wing, her hand trembling as she held the carnation.
A single sentence was caught in her throat: "I'm exactly that tacky—give me my cubic meter of gold!"
But, in the end, she didn't say it aloud.
…
Just like any school, Hogwarts' professors returned before the students to prepare lesson plans or inspect the castle's various aspects.
Take Professor McGonagall, for instance.
"Kaison!"
Hearing McGonagall's voice behind him, Kaison froze, then quickened his pace.
"Kaison! Professor Heath!"
At the near-roar behind him, Kaison reluctantly stopped, turning around with a bright, forced smile.
"Professor McGonagall, what's up?"
"I recall asking you for your lesson plans for third to sixth years, as well as the advanced class…" McGonagall crossed her arms, her face stern, staring at Kaison like a scolded student.
He made a foolish decision. "I had them written, but they got destroyed in my magical experiment—you know, the Wither Skull. Remember that?"
McGonagall nodded. "I see, I see. Perhaps next year your office will explode again, or maybe you'll start keeping a dog in there. In short, your lesson plans have no room to survive in your office, do they?"
Having dedicated years to education, McGonagall saw right through his flimsy excuse and didn't budge an inch.
"You can just tell me orally. I only need a general sense of your direction."
"…"
"Don't tell me you've been lying in a hospital bed for a month and prepared nothing?"
"…"
"And the students' textbooks?"
"The ones they already have are fine," Kaison said, silently adding, "Not like it matters—I can't understand them anyway."
"…Kaison…"
Under McGonagall's withering glare, he ended up helping her move a stone statue that had been standing guard in a corridor.
Well, "move" wasn't quite right. Over the past month, he'd learned some basic magic and could mimic effects like the Levitation Charm. By manipulating tiny blocks, he could lift heavy objects, achieving the same result.
After they placed the statue by the Black Lake, McGonagall tapped her wand on its head, murmuring an incantation. The statue sprang to life, standing alert in place.
"Summon your Iron Knight," McGonagall said, finally revealing her true intent. "As Hogwarts professors, it's our duty to protect the school, including upgrading its defense systems."
"Alright." Kaison shrugged, waved his wand casually, and assembled iron blocks into a T-shape. He topped it with a carved pumpkin head, creating an Iron Golem.
He rubbed his chin, feeling something was missing. After a moment's thought, he crafted two more iron blocks and a wood block, forming a massive iron greatsword.
The Iron Golem obediently took the sword and planted it in the ground, standing motionless.
"Let them fight," McGonagall said, glancing between the golem and Kaison.
"Alright."
McGonagall waved her wand, directing the stone statue to attack the Iron Golem with its weapon. A loud clang rang out—clearly, it hadn't breached the golem's defenses.
The Iron Golem glanced down at the statue, lifted its greatsword, and swept it across.
Boom.
The statue shattered into rubble.
[Satisfaction from Professor McGonagall +10]
[Trust from Professor McGonagall +10]
McGonagall's eyes gleamed with excitement. She grabbed Kaison and started pulling him toward the Headmaster's office, clearly determined to convince Dumbledore to overhaul Hogwarts' defense system.
She could already picture it: with a wave of her wand, a torrent of iron golems would march from Hogwarts, crushing all enemies in an earth-shattering display. She could hardly imagine how thrilled she'd be.
"Hey, hey, hold on!" Kaison slowed his pace, pointing his wand at the Iron Golem and its sword. In an instant, they collapsed into blocks and vanished into the void.
"Kaison, I have to say, that was far too wasteful," McGonagall said, hands on her hips, exasperated.
"It took a hit already. I'm a perfectionist, you know."
"Oh, a perfectionist who doesn't write lesson plans?"
"Also a free spirit."
The two arrived at Dumbledore's office, where he seemed to have been waiting for them. Three cups of freshly brewed tea sat on the desk.
"When did he get so healthy? Usually, his drinks come with a side of insulin," McGonagall quipped.
"Huh?" Kaison blinked.
"Just a figure of speech."
"Oh."
McGonagall sat down gracefully and took a sip of tea.
Dumbledore, arriving a moment later, said, "Minerva, that tea was just sipped by Fudge."
Pfft!