Snape's gaze darkened as he stared at Charles Gold, a wave of murderous intent practically seeping from him.
That kind of "I want to stab someone" look was impossible to hide. But since Charles had already spoken this far, there was no way for Snape to keep arguing. If anyone was to blame, it was his own absurd sense of pride.
Still, while Snape managed to keep his composure, the same couldn't be said for some of the other staff.
From a distance, Charles could already smell a distinct garlicky odor drifting his way. Seeing that, he immediately began packing up the food from the table—planning to enjoy it later in peace.
Professor Kettleburn came limping over with his wooden leg tapping briskly against the floor, with Quirinus Quirrell following close behind.
"Sorry to interrupt your conversation," Kettleburn said cheerfully, "but we can't play favorites when it comes to choosing the Badge Guardians, can we?"
Charles smiled faintly. He hadn't been especially close to Kettleburn before—after all, the Care of Magical Creatures class didn't begin until third year, and Charles had been expelled long before that semester ended.
However, since returning to Hogwarts, Charles had visited Kettleburn several times, and the two had gradually become more familiar.
The old professor had long been fascinated by the Pokémon in Charles's Reserve. He'd even suggested establishing an observation post inside the Reserve and swore that once he retired, he wanted to serve there as a "forest ranger grandpa."
Quirrell, on the other hand, had no particular interest in Pokémon themselves. But he suspected that his master might be intrigued by such mysterious creatures—or rather, covet their power. And so, he too took the initiative to approach.
"G-Gold—m-may I also r-request... a P-Pokémon?" Quirrell stammered.
Charles exchanged a brief glance with Dumbledore, both their expressions perfectly neutral.
Originally, Charles hadn't intended to consider other professors as potential Gym Leaders, precisely because of Voldemort's existence. Handing a Pokémon to the Dark Lord would be far too dangerous.
Yet, if he gave Pokémon to everyone except Quirrell, Voldemort would surely grow suspicious.
Now, however, Quirrell had come forward on his own—forcing Charles to adjust his plan.
As the old saying goes: It's not the thief you catch that's the problem—it's the thief who keeps thinking about stealing.
If Quirrell wanted a Pokémon, perhaps this was a perfect chance to plant one beside him—to keep an eye on Voldemort.
Still, the Pokémon he chose couldn't be too weak. After some thought, Charles decided to part with his Gengar.
His Gengar was Level 49, second only to his Level 52 Charizard—a key member of his main team and a powerful Ghost type known for its unpredictability.
Quirrell himself would never be a match for Gengar. Even if Voldemort fully took control of his body, he might not be able to defeat it. And if things turned bad, Gengar could easily escape.
After all, Voldemort's power was still limited by Quirrell's fragile vessel.
Dumbledore remained silent throughout, likely thinking along the same lines.
"Of course, Professors," Charles said at last, smiling easily. "I wouldn't want to disrupt your work schedules. How about this—I'll prepare suitable Pokémon for each of you and deliver them personally. Sounds fair?"
"That would be splendid!" Kettleburn exclaimed delightedly.
That made seven professors chosen as Badge Guardians—only one more was needed to complete the eight required Gyms.
Charles's gaze drifted toward Snape. Coincidentally, Snape was already looking back—his eyes filled with both irritation and a flicker of expectation.
"Professor Snape—" Charles began slowly. As Snape's expression began to soften, Charles suddenly turned his gaze elsewhere. "—Professor Babbling, would you perhaps like to serve as our eighth Badge Guardian?"
Snape's face immediately turned darker than his hair.
Bathsheda Babbling covered her mouth with a laugh; she could tell perfectly well that Charles was teasing him.
Professor Babbling, who taught Ancient Runes, wasn't particularly eager to seize such an "honor." Ancient magic was mostly lost in the modern era, and her subject didn't draw much attention.
"I think I'll pass, Professor Gold," she said lightly. "Better let Professor Snape have the role."
"I would be delighted if Professor Snape agreed to be a Badge Guardian," Charles said with mock politeness, "though I suspect he might be unwill—"
"I accept!" Snape cut him off sharply before he could finish, terrified that he might once again miss out on access to new magical ingredients.
"I'm sorry—what did you say?" Charles asked, feigning confusion, which made Snape grind his teeth audibly.
"I said—I am willing! Completely of my own accord! Not forced in the slightest!" Snape all but hissed, glaring like a furious bat ready to lunge.
Charles decided not to press him further; best not to push Snape into drawing his wand and demanding a duel in front of everyone.
Not that it would do him any good—if Snape actually tried, Charles wouldn't hesitate to hang him from the Great Hall ceiling in front of all the students.
"Well then," Charles said with a bright smile, "let's welcome Professor Snape as our newest addition! That completes our eight Badge Guardians—or, as we might call them, the Gym Leaders."
"I will represent Slytherin House as its Badge Guardian," Snape added stiffly.
"Perfectly fitting," Charles replied.
He had no intention of competing with Snape for that position—he wasn't particularly fond of Slytherin anyway.
Hearing that, Snape nodded, satisfied. To him, it felt like Charles had made a concession.
Charles could only think, Ah yes, the true spirit of self-comfort—Professor Snape really gets it.
As the other professors returned to their seats, Charles reminded them to start thinking about the designs for their respective Badges.
He himself planned to reshape the Thousand Arm of Arceus—that golden ring upon Arceus's back—into his own Cosmic Badge.
[System Notice: Host has selected eight Gym Leaders. Initiating Stage Tasks.]
[Stage Task 1: The Path of a Trainer — Establish and complete the eight Gyms, and open the path for Trainers to challenge them.Reward: Moltres's Flame, +8 Random Technical Machines]
[Stage Task 2: The First Pokémon Conference — Host the first-ever Pokémon Tournament and present the Champion's Trophy.Reward: Depends on the scale and success of the event.]
Charles: "???"
System—you're still alive?!
He hadn't expected that a random moment of inspiration would trigger not one but two quests. That blasted system really was like a tube of toothpaste—you had to squeeze it yourself to get anything out.
The first quest would be easy enough to complete. But the second, with its "variable reward," meant he'd need to figure out how to make the tournament big.
If he wanted the best rewards, keeping it limited to Hogwarts was clearly not enough.
Just as he was deep in thought, his drink began rippling on its own. Then the liquid shifted and rearranged itself to form words before his eyes:
"Bubble Tea So Good It Makes You Want to Cry!?"
Turning his head, Charles caught Dumbledore winking at him from across the hall.
(End of Chapter)