Dumbledore nodded slightly and said:

"He is still a child. Even though he has made some mistakes, I believe he deserves a chance to correct them... Besides, he was originally supposed to be a Hogwarts student."

Wade had already expected the headmaster to say that.

After all, Caryll is only 13 years old. Dumbledore had given Voldemort chance after chance—so there was no way he would simply abandon a child who had been abducted and manipulated by others.

"But…"

Wade frowned slightly and said, "Mr. Johnson has been looking for him. Maybe we should reunite them first? I have a feeling Mr. Johnson won't want Caryll to attend any magic school anymore."

"That's the other bad news, Wade."

Dumbledore sighed. "Landon Johnson is missing. I went to his last known location, but it has been abandoned for a long time."

Wade froze. "He… Does that mean he's already…"

Dumbledore slowly shook his head. "I don't know. But young Mr. Johnson has nowhere else to go besides Hogwarts."

"For the past two years, he has received some… troubling education within the Organization. Wade, I need you to keep an eye on him and help guide him toward the right path."

…

As Wade left the headmaster's office, his mood was complicated.

He did not refuse Dumbledore's request—how could he, when the headmaster had asked with such exhaustion and sincerity?

But the thought of dealing with Caryll again…

Wade instinctively furrowed his brows.

His friends respected personal boundaries. If he wanted to be alone, no one would force him into their circle.

But Caryll

That boy didn't even seem to understand what 'personal space' is.

Still, whether Wade wanted it or not, Caryll appeared before him once again.

…

During dinner, Wade walked into the Great Hall, only to find that all four House tables were completely packed with students—a rare sight.

"Why is it so crowded today?" he asked as he sat down.

Michael, who had saved him a seat, replied, "No idea… Professor Flitwick asked the prefects to inform everyone that we all have to be here on time for dinner."

Several older students glanced toward the staff table.

"Professor Abigail is still here," Penelope sighed in relief. "Good. That means nothing happened to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"Nothing would happen to her, no matter what. Have you forgotten how powerful Professor Abigail is? I bet she could take down a troll without even using a wand!"

Marietta casually remarked.

"Who knows?" Penelope replied. "The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is always the most dangerous job at our school."

The students continued to chatter as more latecomers trickled into the Great Hall.

Suddenly, someone walked up behind Wade and patted him on the shoulder.

When he turned around, he was surprised to see Percy Weasley—someone he had barely spoken to before.

Percy's tone was polite, though it was still laced with a hint of his usual self-importance, but he made an effort to smile.

"Grey, I heard you signed up for twelve subjects too?"

"Yes," Wade replied, unsure of Percy's intentions.

"So that means you also got… that?" Percy gestured subtly with his hands.

"Of course."

"Be careful with it. Always remember the professors' warnings, and never break any of the rules," Percy said, sounding uncannily like Professor McGonagall. "It's all for your own safety."

"Uh… thanks?" Wade replied, confused. Beside him, Michael rolled his eyes dramatically.

Percy then continued walking forward at a slow pace—and then he was stopped by a group of girls.

"Weasley, what were you talking to Grey about?" one of them teased. "Was it some kind of secret?"

The girls giggled as they looked at him, and Percy's freckled face turned slightly red. But he tried to act composed and said,

"Just offering… some necessary guidance. Advice on managing multiple subjects and balancing time effectively."

"Ah, that makes sense," Marietta nodded. "After all, you did get twelve OWLs..."

Beside her, Cho Chang smiled knowingly but said nothing.

Percy coughed and subtly adjusted the Head Boy badge on his chest, angling it toward the light to make it shine even brighter.

"Ahem, I wasn't trying to show off," he said, "but very few students can manage this. I just hope Grey can stick with it like I did, instead of giving up halfway..."

Wade, feeling as if he'd just been subtly insulted, stared at Percy in disbelief, then turned to Michael.

"What was that about? Does he have a problem with me?"

"What else could it be?" Michael scoffed. "He's just looking for an excuse to talk to Penelope. You're nothing but a stepping stone in their little romance. Whatever he says, just ignore it."

Wade glanced over again, and sure enough—when Penelope started talking to Percy, his expression became noticeably more excited and he almost completely ignored everyone else around him.

"They're being so secretive just to have a conversation… Do they really think their relationship is well-hidden?" Wade asked in surprise.

"Not everyone has sharp eyes like we do," Michael smirked and then tilted his chin toward a particular spot. "Look over there—some people haven't even noticed."

He was referring to Marietta.

While Percy and Penelope were chatting, Marietta kept trying to join the conversation. Cho Chang, who was sitting beside her, attempted to cut her off multiple times, but Marietta still didn't get the hint.

However, Percy didn't chat for too long—soon enough, he had to make his way to the front section of the Gryffindor table, all while keeping a watchful eye on what his twin brothers were up to.

Fred and George weren't causing trouble at the moment; instead, they were eagerly waiting for something interesting to happen tonight.

At the staff table, most of the professors had already taken their seats—only one chair remained empty beside Dumbledore, which belonged to Professor McGonagall.

Seeing that nearly all the students had arrived, Dumbledore picked up his fork and tapped it against his goblet.

"Ding—ding—"

The clear, crisp sound echoed through the Great Hall, and everyone fell silent.

"Good evening, students—" Dumbledore stood up, smiling. "I hope you all had a pleasant weekend."

"Tonight, we are gathered here to welcome a transfer student—Caryll Johnson!"

A wave of murmuring immediately spread throughout the hall—

"Who is that? Have you ever heard of him?"

"Johnson? Is that a pure-blood family?"

"Hey, Angelina, is he one of your relatives?"

"No, I've never heard of him before."

"I think the Avery family once married someone with the last name Johnson… Maybe they're related?"

Just then, the Great Hall doors swung open, revealing Professor McGonagall standing at the entrance with a young boy completely unfamiliar to the students.

She was giving a sharp glare to those who were whispering, but they were too distracted to care—they were all focused on the mysterious new student.

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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters

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