I knew this damn old geezer was standing by, watching her make a joke of herself!
Kate cursed silently in her heart. However, her gaze remained like that of a true child, lingering on Dumbledore's face for a moment before shifting to Fawkes.
Compared to the old man, she definitely preferred the big fire bird!
"His name is Fawkes," Dumbledore noticed her gaze and took the initiative to introduce him. "As you can see, he is a Phoenix."
Kate stared at Fawkes with a face full of envy. "I truly envy you, Mr. Headmaster. To think you actually possess such a legendary magical creature."
She hadn't even seen one at Newt's place.
"Phoenixes are indeed rare magical creatures, but what surprises me more is that Fawkes likes you so much."
Dumbledore smiled beamingly and released Fawkes into the air. Unsurprisingly, the bird landed right back in Kate's arms.
And he continued to beg for hugs, nuzzles, and kisses.
"This..." Kate struggled to paw at him. "Teacher mentioned before that I seem to be naturally popular with magical creatures."
"That is why Newt took you to the dragon breeding ground, to let you chase down that lost dragon hatchling with him." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
At the thought of that day, Kate couldn't help but shiver.
The Hungarian Horntail she had subdued was indeed obedient to her afterwards, but in the instant it had lunged at her, she had still felt the terror of death close at hand.
"Your complexion looks poor. Have some sweets." Dumbledore waved his wand, conjuring a pile of snacks on the table.
One had to wonder if he kept a small snack warehouse in this Headmaster's office.
Kate struggled to return Fawkes to his perch before walking pale-faced to the table, grabbing a chocolate candy, and stuffing it into her mouth.
"Mr. Headmaster, actually I—"
"Child, just call me Professor."
She paused for a moment before correcting herself. "Professor, I was too overconfident at the time. I felt that after studying with Teacher for a year, nothing would go wrong."
"You do not look like someone who would be blindly confident." Dumbledore restrained his smile slightly, looking at her seriously.
Kate's heart gave a jolt. She lowered her head in dejection, her thin fingers tangling together nervously.
"I... I just wanted Teacher to know that I could successfully complete my apprenticeship and come to school to study with other peers."
"Teacher loves me very dearly. Before I left, he even asked if I wanted to go to Hogwarts. If I didn't want to, he could keep me there."
"I didn't know how to answer him back then. Later, I wanted to use this opportunity to prove myself, so he wouldn't have to worry about me anymore."
"But, I seem to have messed it up."
As she spoke, Kate's voice began to grow faint, eventually carrying a hint of sobbing.
Crying had always been a privilege of the young, especially for a cub like Kate with a Charisma score as high as 40 points.
Under her deliberate control, her weeping was truly like a pear blossom bathed in rain—a sight that invoked pity.
Although Dumbledore was an old gay man, he was, after all, the Headmaster and held a cherish for every child.
She quietly raised her head. Seeing Dumbledore remain unmoved on the surface, she didn't panic but instead asked him a question in return:
"Professor, Teacher said my body needs to be checked every month, and I've drunk so many bottles of those bitter potions..."
"Is it... that I shouldn't have come to Hogwarts, and shouldn't approach those classmates?"
She really wasn't smart enough, nor did she have the power to crush everything. The only thing she could use as a weapon was her own age.
Seeing her burst into tears at the slightest disagreement, Dumbledore's expression moved slightly. He walked over and took the initiative to pull her to sit down.
"I understand your feelings, Kate. It was Miss Wilson who actively attacked you last night, correct?"
Kate nodded with tears in her eyes.
A child who was already sensitive at heart, coming to a strange environment with strange anxieties, surrounded by strange students.
Just when she had managed to suppress her anxiety, she was sorted into a different House from Miss Granger, who had come with her.
Then, on the very first night after the Sorting, she was attacked by a peer.
Under such circumstances, she hadn't retaliated against the other party but chose to report to the Head of House.
Although she might have exaggerated a bit during the report—
Dumbledore looked at Kate's red-rimmed eyes and sighed softly in his heart.
It seemed he had expected too much of this child.
Under the influence of such inner anxiety, it wasn't actually excessive for her to view this behavior as school bullying and hope the professor would punish it severely.
Before Kate enrolled, Newt had already corresponded with him.
In a relaxed environment surrounded by magical creatures, Kate could actually show a childish side.
She could be lively, and she would even secretly cook food in the middle of the night when hungry.
That she was now as restrained as she had been a year ago was simply because she hadn't adapted to the environment yet.
"Professor Snape has already punished her. Kate, you no longer need to worry that someone will look at you with strange eyes. At Hogwarts, all young wizards are the same."
He comforted her gently, his bright blue eyes looking at her warmly: "Kate, you don't need to be so anxious in the future. It doesn't matter if you open up a little."
"Open up a little?" Kate blinked her eyes. "Can I make friends here too?"
"Of course. Besides learning, Hogwarts also advocates for harmonious coexistence among young wizards. Here, as long as you wish, you can gain friends for a lifetime."
Kate still hesitated: "But my body... I'm afraid I'll hurt them."
"Don't you go to the Hospital Wing for a physical examination every month? As long as you act as usual, how could you hurt your companions?"
Thank you, Old Man Dumbledore.
Now she could finally let go and properly "make friends" in Slytherin.
Kate raised her hand to wipe away the tears about to fall, sniffled softly, jumped off the stool, and bowed to him.
"I will work hard to meet your requirements, Professor."
Dumbledore felt helpless. This child still didn't seem to quite understand what he meant by "opening up."
Forget it, let's take it slowly in the future.
"Professor..." Just after walking a few steps outward, Kate suddenly stopped and looked back at him with some difficulty.
Dumbledore maintained his kindly appearance: "What is it?"
"It's almost curfew time. I'm afraid of the dark..." Kate lowered her eyes pitifully.
She had always been able to stick to her persona to the very end.
"Let him accompany you back."
Dumbledore waved his large hand, and Fawkes couldn't wait to fly onto Kate's shoulder, nuzzling her head affectionately.
Watching that silver ball of fluff disappear from the office, Dumbledore habitually popped a candy into his own mouth.
From the looks of it now, Kate, with her hidden magical dangers, only needed limited attention from Severus.
He could free up his hands to properly cultivate Harry.
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