Karkaroff suddenly felt much better.
Embarrassment was relative.
Compared to his student confessing voluntarily, Mahoutokoro now looked far worse.
One came clean willingly, the other got exposed – the difference was obvious.
Koga's expression said it all.
"Headmaster Koga, seems your control over students is lacking," Karkaroff sneered, gleefully diverting attention.
Koga's face flushed crimson with rage, veins bulging on his forehead.
Just as Wayne began worrying he might be having a medical episode, Koga suddenly bowed deeply. "My apologies!"
With that, he strode over to the collapsed student, hauled him up by the collar, and began delivering sharp slaps across his face—left and right in rapid succession.
Professor McGonagall looked shocked and moved to intervene, but Wayne held her back.
"Professor, this is their school disciplining their own student. We've no grounds to interfere."
McGonagall shot the boy a glare but remained where she stood.
Only when his own hand stung from the force did Koga finally release the student, bowing again. "My deepest apologies, Mr Lawrence. Please forgive Ohara Heiji's disgraceful behaviour."
"Mahoutokoro approaches this exchange with humility and reverence. This unpleasant incident reflects my failure in supervision. Rest assured, he will face appropriate consequences."
"Send Ohara back to school," Tomoyo spoke for the first time, her gaze steady. "His continued presence here would only damage Mahoutokoro's reputation."
Koga's pupils contracted slightly before he nodded. "Very well. That will be our course of action."
Hearing this, the boy's eyes rolled back as he fainted outright. He knew being 'repatriated' in this manner meant his school life was effectively over.
The entire institution would learn of his shameful conduct. Complete social ostracisation awaited him, followed by bleak employment prospects after graduation.
Wayne studied Tomoyo with surprise, unprepared for the weight her single statement carried.
Meeting his questioning look, she merely smiled softly, reverting to her usual gentle, refined demeanour.
At that moment, Krum emerged carrying a whip—a thick black implement some female students would struggle to grip properly.
Karkaroff snatched it and delivered ten lashes across the girl's body. Her screams pierced every ear in the vicinity.
Only after completing the punishment did he permit Durmstrang students to carry her away.
After a moment's hesitation, Karkaroff did not send the students back to Durmstrang, as they had only been standing up for his prized pupil.
"Lawrence, are you satisfied now?" Krum asked gloomily.
Wayne ignored him, instead turning his attention to Murray and White—the victims of this incident. Seeing them give slight nods, he smiled and said, "Both Headmasters' rulings were extremely fair and reasonable. Of course I'm satisfied."
He then led the Hufflepuff students in apologising to the other schools' pupils with sincere politeness.
It's hard to strike someone who smiles at you. Faced with such well-mannered badgers, those who'd suffered unwarranted treatment found it difficult to remain angry.
The students from Koldovstoretz had been levitated second only to Durmstrang's and were the most hot-tempered.
At first, they refused to let the matter drop. Still, when Wayne promised five hundred bottles of high-proof spirits as compensation by the day after tomorrow, their attitudes softened immediately. Some even began looking at Wayne with newfound warmth.
Hogwarts had many virtues, but the local alcohol was too weak, hardly satisfying to drink.
Ordering from home was prohibitively expensive and took ages to arrive. Some had already run dry.
Wayne's offer was nothing short of salvation!
Before leaving, Wayne extended further compensation—a 20% discount at Celia Store for all affected students, with no spending limit, including Cho's entire line of beauty products.
This dispelled most remaining resentment. The few who remained indifferent could no longer stir up trouble.
...
Back in the common room, Cedric—who'd been waiting anxiously—immediately rushed forward.
Upon hearing the outcome, he exhaled in relief and punched Wayne's shoulder reproachfully. "Next time something like this happens, I won't stay in the background."
Wayne grinned. "If you want revenge, just beat Krum in the tournament."
Cedric nodded firmly.
What followed was Hufflepuff's traditional celebration method—a feast.
The kitchens were nearly emptied. Even students who'd just eaten could've devoured an entire roast ox.
House-elves procured ample alcohol, and soon the common room echoed with raucous singing.
Cedric, remembering his later training session with Wayne, stuck to orange juice.
Meanwhile, Wayne chatted with classmates while checking his system.
[Mission: Spread Fear, Sow Chaos—As an agent of pandemonium, your ambitions now extend beyond your home turf. Set your sights on magical schools across five continents.]
[Requirements: Raise your reputation and notoriety in other schools before year's end. Final rewards are determined by completion level.]
This had merely been a small show of strength, with some interest collected for his housemates.
With plenty of time remaining, Wayne estimated the mission's completion rate would be substantial.
...
The feast lasted until past ten, when many students slumped into drunken slumber.
Wayne and Cedric slipped from the common room under Disillusionment Charms, heading for the Room of Requirement.
"What are you planning to teach me?" Cedric couldn't resist asking en route.
"First, I'll assess your current level," Wayne mused. "But most likely, I'll be teaching you Transfiguration."
He knew Transfiguration was Cedric's best subject among all his courses, having joined Professor McGonagall's club very early on.
Moreover, Transfiguration had wide-ranging applications and could flexibly handle all sorts of troubles.
Don't assume Transfiguration isn't much help in combat—remember, Dumbledore was most famous for his mastery of it. Even Grindelwald spoke of it with admiration, tinged with a hint of frustrated resentment.
Fighting Dumbledore was like being besieged by an entire army, with enemies endlessly multiplying.
Forget about the Killing Curse, the single most lethal spell—it couldn't possibly penetrate so many 'meat shields' to reach Dumbledore.
Large-scale Fiendfyre and destructive Dark Magic were equally ineffective.
No matter how many Transfigured constructs you destroyed, he could conjure even more with a flick of his wrist—an infuriatingly tenacious opponent.
Wayne thought this suited Cedric's combat style perfectly. Though his talent wasn't top-tier, his mind certainly was, and his grades were even better than Hermione's.
Soon, the two arrived before the Room of Requirement. After circling three times, they stepped inside.
The room was vast, nearly the size of the Great Hall, and littered with scattered objects—props Wayne had specifically requested earlier for Transfiguration practice.
"Shall we begin now?" Cedric asked excitedly, glancing around as he drew his wand.
"Not yet."
Wayne shook his head and gestured for him to extend his arm. "Let me take a look... ahem, study the principle behind the Command Seals."
"If you want to study Command Seals, why not ask Miss Delacour?" Cedric said dryly but still offered his hand.
Wayne gave him a look as if he were an idiot. "I don't understand Command Seals well enough. If something went wrong, I'd be devastated."
"You—" Little Ced nearly lost his temper.
So you care about your girlfriend, but I'm just expendable, huh?
"Hold still." Wayne smacked his hand lightly before resting his wand atop it, concentrating intently.
Command Seals, like the Holy Grail, were essentially highly condensed magical power.
In the world of Fate, they could be used to compel Servants to act against their will. But here, the Command Seals on Cedric and the other champions only served to amplify magic.
Still, that was enough. If Wayne could decipher their structure, he could develop a new means of magical burst—or even create life-saving trump cards for Hermione, Cho, and the others.
But it wouldn't be easy.
With his wand enhancing his senses, he could clearly perceive the flow of magical power within the Command Seal. When he attempted to interfere with his own magic, Cedric immediately hissed as his hand burned.
"Be gentler! If you activate the Command Seal, I'll be at a huge disadvantage."
"Fine, don't be so stingy." Wayne released Cedric's hand, deciding against further experimentation.
He'd been too hasty—continuing might actually trigger a Command Seal.
"Show me your skills first." Wayne stepped back, signalling for Cedric to begin.
Cedric nodded and got to work.
The shattered teapot, cushions, pipe, chairs, and tables on the floor began to shift. To observe more clearly, Wayne raised a hand, conjuring a dozen wooden stakes nearby.
"Have your transfigured animals walk around the stakes to the finish line."
Hearing this, Cedric grimaced but complied with Wayne's request.
He had transfigured cows, sheep, snakes, eagles, and the smallest of them all – mice – totalling over a dozen creatures.
The first two stakes went smoothly enough, with the small animals obeying commands reasonably well. But chaos soon ensued. The ox and goat knocked over several stakes, while the eagle soared overhead before crashing into a wall.
Cedric's face flushed as he cancelled the spell.
"That doesn't count! You didn't specify the requirements beforehand. I can't possibly control this many at once."
Wayne didn't argue, restoring the fallen stakes. "Then let's find your limit."
Cedric nodded solemnly. He'd never attempted anything like this before and wasn't confident.
Reducing the animals to ten improved matters, but not enough.
With eight, the last two stakes descended into complete disorder.
Finally, with five creatures, he succeeded.
"I think I understand your level now." Wayne propped his chin on his hand, signalling him to stop.
This was likely the pinnacle of exam-oriented education – spells performed by rote, with rigid precision bearing clear traces of Professor McGonagall's influence.
Some minor innovations, but nothing substantial.
Don't mistake this for faint praise. Compared to adult wizards who couldn't even cast a proper Shield Charm, Cedric was remarkably skilled.
No wonder he'd become the school's theoretically strongest student by sixth year.
But it still wasn't enough.
Without comment, Wayne drew his wand. The room instantly transformed into a menagerie, various creatures circling the stakes in perfect coordination – walking, flying, without the slightest confusion.
Cedric wasn't surprised. He knew Wayne could manage this effortlessly, though envy still flickered across his features.
"Your issues mainly lie in these areas."
Wayne conjured a blackboard covered in handwritten notes.
"First, your Transfiguration speed. Single transformations are passable, but group transfiguration needs work. This relates to insufficient practice – drill this more after today."
Cedric produced parchment to take notes.
"Second, control."
"Your creations should respond like extensions of your body – moving precisely as directed without deviation."
Wayne snapped his fingers. A comically plump white pig stood upright and performed an energetic tap dance.
"Uncontrolled magic is worse than useless. Understood?"
"I see." Cedric nodded, frowning. "Multitasking is incredibly difficult. In tournament conditions, I might perform even worse."
"Don't worry about that. Look at my eyes."
Cedric instinctively raised his gaze, meeting Wayne's. The simplified Meditation Technique imprinted itself into his memory.
"Meditate using this method before sleeping to strengthen mental endurance. For context, Harry mastered this last term – at considerable cost. Starting later means you'll need to work harder."
In truth, Wayne believed that if Harry and Cedric were to compete fairly, Harry—having been trained by him for so long, having consumed the Potential Elixir, and mastered the Meditation Technique—stood a chance of being selected as the champion.
His issue wasn't his combat potential but rather his lack of knowledge.
After processing the information, Cedric shook his head and spread his arms wide.
"I'm broke. Take whatever you fancy."
"Piss off," Wayne retorted with a laugh. "The Headmaster has already paid your dues."
"How much did he give you?" Cedric asked curiously.
"Not money," Wayne replied coolly. "Three House-elves."
This time, Dumbledore had essentially exploited his position as Headmaster to transfer ownership of three House-elves to Wayne, who sent them to manage his family's holiday castles.
Hearing the price was so steep, Cedric finally grasped just how valuable the Meditation Technique was.
The last remnants of his resentment over Harry becoming the champion faded away.
"Alright, let's start with practising Transfiguration speed first. Focus your mind—you must solidify your intent before casting the spell. Don't wait for the wand's movement to visualise the pattern."
...
Cedric was obedient, a far more diligent student than Harry or Malfoy.
Whatever Wayne instructed, he followed strictly, executing it without cutting corners. Under such intense training, he felt mentally drained and dizzy within just half an hour.
Transfiguration demanded as much mental focus as it did magical power—the clearer the image in one's mind, the higher the quality of the transformation.
Holding out this long was already impressive. Seeing Cedric swaying on his feet, Wayne called a halt.
"Take a ten-minute break before continuing."
With a thud, Cedric collapsed onto the floor, closing his eyes to rest.
The moment ten minutes were up, Wayne hauled him back up to endure more torment. This cycle repeated three times before the day's training finally ended.
By the end, Cedric was seeing stars. His voice hoarse, he asked, "Is this how you usually train Potter and Malfoy?"
"Of course not," Wayne said lightly, shaking his head. "This is an accelerated course for you—just ten times the intensity."
"..." Cedric lacked the energy to even curse in response.
"One last lesson for tonight. Memorise it, and you can leave."
Wayne suddenly turned serious. Cedric forced himself to focus, watching him intently.
"Go on."
"The Holy Grail War is, for you, a real war. You must understand what war truly means."
With that, Wayne raised his wand, pointing it directly at him:
"Avada Kedavra!"
His pupils dilated violently as a green light flooded Cedric's entire vision.