"Cedric, open your eyes… I am…"
Kasenhis's words almost sounded like some kind of awakening spell. As his voice fell, Cedric slowly came to.
He stepped down from the stone platform and stretched his body. "Feels a bit strange. Last time I installed the mechanical arms, I was completely exhausted. Why does it feel so good today…?"
As he spoke, he twisted his neck, then saw...
"Holy— Professor, what the hell are these black-and-white twin things?" Cedric asked, utterly dumbfounded.
"It's a temporary beacon enhancement I added for you. You can feel the power, right? They're linked to your neural interfaces, so you can adjust their enhancement modes yourself," Kasenhis explained.
"But Professor, why put two skulls over the beacons?" Cedric asked.
"Because it's cool as hell, kid." Kasenhis let out a sinister laugh.
Cedric nodded. "Alright, Professor, you're right." As he spoke, he put on the custom-made loose robe he had prepared. The thick, soft fabric wrapped around his entire body, concealing all the mechanical arms.
"Mm, pretty handsome." Kasenhis circled around him twice and nodded in approval.
"As long as it's good, Professor." Cedric scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then was promptly sent away by a yawning Kasenhis using Ender teleportation.
Buzz!
"…Alright, alright…" Cedric, who had suddenly appeared outside the alchemy office, shrugged helplessly. At least this time he didn't have to row a boat himself.
As for Kasenhis in the office, he once again welcomed a day with absolutely nothing to do.
…Mm, time to call a few friends over for some barbecue. The office was spacious enough anyway.
…
Late at night.
On the other side, in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom…
"Let me see… Voldemort captured your aunt, your uncle, and one of your cousins, and is using the Cruciatus Curse on them in the Department of Mysteries?" Grindelwald asked calmly.
"Yes, Professor," Harry said, clearly troubled.
"No, this isn't your usual state, Harry. You already know that Voldemort can project these images into your mind, so why are you still showing such concern?"
"And not just that. Why would you feel sad or worried for your aunt and uncle? They never treated you well," Grindelwald asked, leaning back in his chair.
"Because… they did raise me, didn't they?" Harry said stiffly.
"Alright. Seems like another useless bait dream. Aside from letting us know that Voldemort covets whatever is in the Department of Mysteries, it's of no real use." Grindelwald shrugged and waved away the image in the Pensieve.
"But my aunt and the others…" Harry frowned.
"Oh… that's something you wouldn't know. Ever since Voldemort's resurrection, you've been staying at the Black residence, so you haven't heard."
"The last time I went there, I had a casual drink with Sirius. Your aunt, uncle, and their child have already gone to Australia to fight kangaroos, so you don't need to worry at all. Judging by your dream… well, it's clear Voldemort's fabricated scene is still stuck at Privet Drive," Grindelwald said calmly.
"That's good. They're far away from danger, and I'm far away from them," Harry's expression eased a little.
"I don't think that's good. Usually, your little head works quite well, but the moment anything happens to your friends or anyone you know, you lose your composure… even if that person isn't close to you at all. Your aunt and uncle?" Grindelwald asked.
"Mm… I won't do that again," Harry said.
"I hope so. This time, Voldemort only used three insignificant people, and it already affected you like this. What if next time, he happens to choose someone more important to you? Your three little friends, Sirius Black, Lupin, Kasenhis? If it were them in the dream, would you still react like you did today?" Grindelwald asked.
"I… I probably would… yeah. Alright, Professor, I might. I might lose control," Harry admitted, lowering his head awkwardly.
"That is your flaw. If you let useless, illogical emotions occupy your mind, then aside from your magic, it is your greatest weakness," Grindelwald said quietly.
"Alright, Professor." Harry nodded and left Grindelwald's office. He lifted his head slightly and glanced at the Iron Golem by the corridor. "I don't think that's a flaw."
…
"So this is why you dragged me out of my office in the middle of the night? Haven't you already figured out that it's all nonsense from Voldemort, completely fake? Instead of worrying whether the Dursleys might be taken back to Privet Drive and tortured, you might as well worry about them getting beaten to death by kangaroos in Australia," Kasenhis muttered sleepily as he walked out of his bedroom, looking at Dumbledore and Grindelwald in front of him.
"This dream is different from the previous ones. The earlier dreams were always a single, repeating scene, but this time it involved Harry's relatives suffering. So we believe this isn't ordinary mental interference or hypnosis. I think it's bait, something meant to lure Harry to Privet Drive," Dumbledore explained.
"Oh, I get it. So if we go now, we might be able to take out a few Death Eaters, right?" Kasenhis said bluntly.
"You could put it that way." Dumbledore nodded. "But please don't phrase it so… violently."
"Mm, no problem."
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