After an unknown amount of time, Umbridge's office gradually quieted down, leaving only the rustling sound of the quill tip gliding over the parchment.
Sunlight streamed into Umbridge's office through the window, falling onto a thick stack of parchment by the desk.
Kael wrote the sentences over and over again, adding ink several times in the process, and finally completed the required five hundred repetitions by noon.
"So tired..."
He rubbed his slightly sore wrist; the last time he wrote this much was on the last day of Thanksgiving break last year when he stayed up all night in the dormitory finishing Potion Class assignments.
Kael got up and walked over to Umbridge. An hour ago, she was already grimacing in pain, unable to speak, only gritting her teeth and staring fiercely at Kael.
Although the wound on the back of her hand had healed, the skin was still reddish, like newly grown tender flesh.
"I'm done, Professor." Kael displayed the thick stack of parchment in his hands. "Look, not more, not less, exactly five hundred repetitions."
Umbridge did not speak, still glaring viciously at Kael.
She had figured it out; this was a school, Kael didn't dare to kill her, nor could he keep her locked up here forever.
When the time comes... she must retaliate doubly.
"Professor, I guess you must be thinking I wouldn't dare to kill you." Kael said with a smile, "You guessed right, I certainly wouldn't dare, after all, this is Hogwarts.
"However, as for whether you'll remember by then, that's another matter entirely."
Kael drew out his wand, aiming it at his head under Umbridge's terrified gaze.
"You... what are you trying to do! I am a Senior Deputy Minister of Magic!" Umbridge shouted.
"I know, you just mentioned it." Kael raised his eyebrows, "Which is why I can't let you cause trouble for me.
"There was a professor... also a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, who taught me a very useful little trick, just right for dealing with this situation."
"Oh, by the way, I seem to have been mistaken about one thing."
Kael pointed at the "Poisonous Tentacles" around her.
"The characteristic of Poisonous Tentacles is sharp round spikes like needles, but these triangular, serrated spikes are characteristic of the Fanged Geranium.
"This plant has mild toxicity and will only make someone feel uncomfortable for a while. If you could have plucked up the courage to rush out, picked up the wand on the ground, you might really have been able to escape.
After all, I was focused on writing sentences and wasn't paying attention to other things."
"Fanged Geranium... not Poisonous Tentacles?" Umbridge was at a loss, "You deceived me..."
"Obliviate!"
Instantly, Umbridge's once malicious gaze became dazed.
Seizing the moment, Kael waved his wand. The fragments on the ground reassembled themselves and leaped back onto the wall.
Including the overturned table and shattered vases, they all automatically returned to their original positions.
Kael waved his wand again, releasing the fixed axle on the door lock, as well as the Muffliato spell inside the room.
Finally, Kael hurriedly packed the Fanged Geranium into the box, and the office instantly returned to its previous state, as if nothing had happened.
Oh, and one more important thing had been forgotten.
Kael aimed his wand at the back of Umbridge's hand, and that striking red scar disappeared.
However, Kael hadn't healed the scar. Such wounds caused by Dark Arts Items were not easily resolved; he had merely covered the scar with a Transfiguration Spell.
With his current level of Transfiguration Technique, as long as the corresponding curse wasn't used, it would last until the end of this term.
...
At this moment, Umbridge finally regained consciousness, her eyes filled with confusion as she looked at Kael.
But the next second, her confusion turned into anger.
"Get out, why did you come into my office without knocking!"
"Sorry, Professor," Kael said with a smile, "I did knock, but you seemed to have fallen asleep and didn't hear it."
"I fell asleep?" Umbridge said, puzzled.
However, she indeed felt a bit drowsy, like she hadn't fully woken up.
Umbridge raised her hand to rub her forehead, but a sudden burst of pain from the back of her hand made her instinctively scream.
But when she looked down to check, she found nothing amiss.
"Professor, what's wrong?" Kael asked.
"None of your business," Umbridge said instinctively, but then immediately switched to that cutesy tone, "I mean, of course, I'm fine... but you're late."
She walked to the armchair, sat down, and glanced at the time, "According to the agreement, your detention time was eight o'clock, but now it's been over three hours, so the punishment needs to be doubled."
As she spoke, she rubbed the back of her hand again.
"That's reasonable, Professor," Kael said, "but I think I should explain something to you, the reason I acted that way in class was with a reason."
"What reason?" Umbridge asked.
"I needed to find an opportunity to talk to you alone, and detention was a good excuse."
"Oh?" Umbridge looked at Kael with interest, her smile ingratiating as she asked, "What would you like to discuss with me?"
"Dumbledore," Kael said. "I discovered that he intends to run for Minister of Magic."
With a start, Umbridge stood up from her chair, but her hand accidentally hit the armrest, causing a sharp pain to shoot through her again.
But at this point, she didn't care about any of that.
"Don't joke around, you can't fool me."
She feigned nonchalance as she said, "Everyone knows that Dumbledore only wants to be the headmaster at Hogwarts. You can't escape punishment with just any excuse."
"That was in the past, Professor; people can change," Kael said. "You might not know, but during the break, Dumbledore held a secret meeting at Hog's Head Pub, and the topic was getting others to nominate him to replace Cornelius Fudge as the new Minister of Magic."
Umbridge's expression gradually turned serious.
Of course she knew about it. So many foreigners coming to the United Kingdom at the same time—how could the Ministry of Magic not be aware? Fudge had always wanted to know what was discussed at the meeting, but no matter how the Aurors and Hit Wizards investigated, they never found out.
One of the reasons she came to Hogwarts this time was to investigate the contents of that meeting.
She originally planned to start with the professors, but unexpectedly... Kael gave her a surprise.
"How do you know?" Umbridge asked.
"Because I was there too," Kael said with a look of pride. "Dumbledore trusts me a lot."
"If that's the case, why are you telling me?" Umbridge asked suspiciously.
"Because I believe only Cornelius Fudge is the best Minister of Magic," Kael blurted out.
Umbridge stared intently at Kael, then suddenly laughed after a moment:
"I won't be fooled by such a clumsy trick."
"Believe it or not," Kael shrugged indifferently, turning to walk out the door, saying as he walked, "It's a pity. If Dumbledore becomes Minister, who knows how many people will be replaced... the Magic Realm can't afford such upheaval..."
One step, two steps...
Just as Kael was about to leave the office with the door open, Umbridge's voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Wait!"
She ran over, closing the door with a bang.
"Tell me everything about the meeting, and I can waive your detention this time."
"I've already said all I can," Kael shook his head. "As for anything more detailed, sorry, I'll only tell Minister Fudge.
"You know, for someone who wants to work at the Ministry of Magic, this is a great achievement,"
For some reason, after hearing Kael say this, most of the vigilance in Umbridge's eyes instantly faded, turning into a scrutinizing gaze.
"Are you afraid I'll steal your credit?"
"I trust that you definitely wouldn't," Kael smiled, "But this is a gift to Minister Fudge, and since it's a gift, it should be personally delivered to him, right?
"Besides, I'm just in the sixth year; it'll be two years before I graduate. Even if I have credit, it's useless... At most, it might give me just a tiny bit of help after two years."
A light flickered in Umbridge's eyes; she almost forgot that Kael was still a student.
"If you dare lie..."
"I only wish to maintain stability in the Magic Realm, Professor," Kael said.
"A wise choice," Umbridge said softly. "I'll convey this to the Minister. If what you say is true, I promise that as soon as you graduate, you'll smoothly enter the Ministry of Magic and, moreover, in its best department. How does the Minister's office sound?"
An excitement flashed through Kael's eyes but vanished quickly.
Umbridge squinted her eyes.
"Then, Professor, about my detention today..."
"Of course, it's unnecessary," Umbridge said. "Consider it a reward for providing the lead."
Kael left the office, but soon returned.
Umbridge was sitting behind the table, seemingly preparing to write a letter. Hearing the movement, she looked up instinctively.
"Kael?"
Her voice carried a touch of friendliness that was never there before, "Do you have anything else?"
"Indeed, there is a small matter..."
"It's alright, go ahead."
"It's like this, yesterday in class you docked me twenty points,
Kael said somewhat embarrassedly, "Although it might sound a bit much, but you know, in order not to let Dumbledore harbor suspicion, I could only use this way.
"So, could those twenty points be added back... The term has just started, and our Hufflepuff is already second to last."
"You're right, this is Hogwarts; one should indeed be more cautious here." Umbridge appeared a bit disappointed but nodded nonetheless and said:
"Protecting your own house's honor is quite normal; your request is not excessive.
"So... for your honesty and bravery, Hufflepuff gets twenty... no, fifty points."