NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: CH 4
Hospital Wing
It had been a month since Kaysen's last experiment, where he had accidentally detonated a Wither Skull in his office, landing himself in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.
Of course, if it had just been the explosion, Madam Pomfrey, the matron of the Hospital Wing, would have easily restored him. The real problem was the persistent effects of the Withering Curse, which clung stubbornly to his body.
To put it kindly, he was suffering from a backlash of Dark Magic. Or, to put it bluntly, he was in a state of "withering," continually losing blood and vitality.
Unfortunately, Kaysen had not yet acquired the equivalent of milk buckets, and ordinary milk seemed to do nothing for him.
During his month in the Hospital Wing, Kaysen had not simply idled away his time. He'd used the opportunity to improve himself, focusing on making his spellcasting appear more like that of a traditional wizard. While he couldn't use standard wizarding magic, he had devised ways to emulate it using the unique properties of his MC Cubes.
He could now wield a magic wand, though it was still unconventional. He used the one he'd crafted himself with rose vines and a phoenix feather. While he didn't rely on it often, it was undeniably useful when needed.
"Professor Heath, after conducting a thorough diagnosis this morning, I'm happy to inform you that you're ready to be discharged from the Hospital Wing," Madam Pomfrey announced as she knocked on the door frame before drawing back the curtains.
"Thank you, magic bless you, Madam." Kaysen jumped up, fully recovered, and quickly summoned a pixelated carnation with a snap of his fingers.
[Favorability +10 from Madam Pomfrey]
Madam Pomfrey accepted the flower graciously but maintained a stern demeanor. "I'd like to remind you that no flower will make me forgive you. Your dangerous magical experiments shortened my two-month holiday to one month."
Kaysen smiled sheepishly. "Yes, my sincerest apologies. If I thought you wouldn't find it vulgar, I'd offer you a cubic meter of gold nuggets instead. As it is, I hope this carnation conveys my deepest admiration. No other intention, of course."
Madam Pomfrey, now alone in the Hospital Wing, stared at the carnation in her hand. Her fingers trembled slightly, and a thought burned in her mind:
"I am that vulgar. Bring me my cubic meter of gold!"
But in the end, she said nothing.
Just like every year before the start of term, Hogwarts professors were busy preparing. Some were finalizing lesson plans, while others inspected various aspects of the school, like Professor McGonagall.
"Kaysen!"
Hearing McGonagall's voice behind him, Kaysen froze mid-step, then quickened his pace, pretending not to hear.
"Kaysen! Professor Heath!"
Hearing her voice rise to just below a shout, Kaysen sighed and stopped in his tracks, turning with a bright smile.
"Professor McGonagall, how can I help you?"
McGonagall folded her arms and stared at him sternly, as if reprimanding a student. "I believe I asked you to provide me with your lesson plans for years three through six, as well as the advanced class, this term."
Kaysen made a foolish choice: "I wrote them, but they were unfortunately destroyed during my experiment with the Wither Skull, remember?"
McGonagall wasn't buying it. She'd heard excuses like this before—similar to "I did my homework but forgot to bring it." After decades in education, she saw through his ploy instantly.
"Then dictate them to me now. I just need the general structure."
"…"
"Don't tell me you spent an entire month in bed without preparing anything."
"…"
"What about the students' textbooks?"
"Their original ones should suffice," Kaysen replied, silently adding to himself, "Not that it matters to me. I don't understand them anyway."
"Kaysen…"
In the end, McGonagall made him help her relocate a stone statue that guarded a castle corridor to the edge of the Black Lake.
This wasn't so much "helping" as it was Kaysen demonstrating his newfound ability to mimic basic wizarding spells, like the Levitation Charm. Using small, invisible cubes, he managed to lift the heavy statue as though using magic.
Once they placed the statue by the lake, McGonagall drew her wand and pressed it to the statue's forehead, softly incanting. The stone statue seemed to gain life, moving slightly and assuming an alert posture.
"Create one of your Iron Knights. As professors of Hogwarts, we are obligated to protect the school, including upgrading its defenses," McGonagall explained.
"Alright," Kaysen said, shrugging. He drew his wand and scratched the air with it. Blocks of iron materialized, forming a T-shaped structure. He then placed a pumpkin skull on top, creating an Iron Golem.
Feeling something was missing, he added two iron blocks and a log block, crafting a massive steel broadsword. The Iron Golem obediently grabbed the sword and planted it in the ground, standing motionless.
"Let them fight," McGonagall said, glancing between the Iron Golem and the animated statue.
"Alright."
McGonagall controlled the statue with her wand, making it attack the Iron Golem with a weapon. A loud clang echoed as the attack failed to pierce the golem's defense.
The Iron Golem lowered its head, looked at the statue, and raised its heavy sword, sweeping it in a single motion.
Peng!
The stone statue shattered into pieces across the ground.
[Satisfaction +10 from Professor McGonagall]
[Trust +10 from Professor McGonagall]
McGonagall's eyes sparkled with excitement. The next moment, she grabbed Kaysen by the arm and began dragging him toward the Headmaster's Office. It was clear she intended to convince Dumbledore to fully upgrade Hogwarts' defense system, no matter what it took.
What she couldn't foresee was the sight of rows of iron golems marching from Hogwarts, crushing enemies with mechanical precision as if the earth itself were shattering beneath their feet.
Nor could she imagine just how satisfied she would feel when that day came.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Kaysen shouted, quickly pointing his wand at the Iron Golem and its sword. The constructs shattered into blocks and dissolved into the void.
"Kaysen, this is such a waste," McGonagall said, hands on her hips.
"It already won. I'm a perfectionist."
"A perfectionist who doesn't write lesson plans?"
"I'm also a free spirit."
When they reached Dumbledore's office, the Headmaster was waiting for them with three cups of freshly brewed black tea on the table.
"When did he become so healthy? His drinks usually come with insulin," McGonagall remarked sharply.
"What?"
"Just a figure of speech."
"Oh."
McGonagall calmly sat down, picked up a cup of tea, and took a sip.
Dumbledore, who had been watching silently, said:
"Minerva, Fudge just took a sip of your tea before you arrived."
PFFFF!!!