HP: The Root of Everything - The Magician

After watching Teach Carr carry Princess Hermione away, Professor Lupin immediately ended the Defense Lesson and sealed the box containing the Boggart.

The young wizards gradually left the classroom, none of them smiling. They all felt remorse and guilt for their earlier mockery and contempt towards Hermione.

No one would have guessed that Hermione's fear wasn't of any terrifying creature, but rather of the scene where her hopes were ruthlessly shattered.

.......

In the office, Teach placed Hermione on the bed and then sat quietly by her side.

This time, Shake wasn't jealous of having her master, Gentle Hermione, back with her, because she was also in the classroom at the time and saw those imagined scenes clearly.

Shakky then approached Hermione and placed her hand on her forehead, using magic to soothe Hermione's heartbroken emotions as she lay unconscious.

Teach looked at his disciple, who was being nurtured by Xia Ke's magic, with a complicated expression.

Hermione has many identities to him.

It is a bargaining chip, a threat, and Dumbledore's Achilles' heel when facing him.

It was a bet that Hermione would become the Minister of Magic in the original story, and Teach saw this potential. After witnessing Hermione's talent and potential to become a magician, he took her on as his apprentice.

Hermione is an accomplice; her intelligence is an aid to Teach's magical journey, and she is also someone he wants to cultivate as his successor.

Magicians treat all life equally, and Teach Carr has always adhered to this principle in his code of conduct.

Therefore, he never had much genuine affection for Hermione.

Teach reached out and stroked Hermione's face, his heart filled with emotion: "I never imagined you, my child, would go to such lengths for me!"

Then, looking up at Xia Ke, he revealed his true feelings for the first time: "Xia Ke, do you think I'm a good actor? A good deceiver?"

Xia Ke couldn't answer this question; she had long sensed an inexplicable unease about Teach.

To put it bluntly, it's all fake affection.

But is it really true or false? Not really, because the tenderness Teach showed Hermione deeply warmed her heart. In this situation, does the truth or falsehood of the feelings even matter?

Shake is not Hermione; she knows that her position by Teach's side is far less important than that of Hermione, his disciple.

That's why she carefully protects and hides her love and feelings, to prevent them from being shattered by Teach's ruthlessness if revealed.

Silence means tacit agreement; Teach now knows what Shake thinks of him.

Teach waved to indicate that he wanted to be alone for a while.

After Xia Ke left the office, Titch fell into self-examination and contemplation by the bedside.

Years ago, his adoptive father, Croton Karl, asked Teach a question: "What is victory to a magician?"

Tichy answered without hesitation, "Abolish all preconceived notions and obstacles, and just focus on achieving the ultimate goal."

As an assassin, Teach displayed a ruthless nature at the time, but he was unaware of the problems with his own personality.

And now.

When Teach saw Hermione's fear for him, her efforts for him, and how she regarded him as someone as important and indispensable as her own parents in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, it was at that moment that Teach truly realized the flaws in his own personality.

In a moment of self-reflection, Teach closed his eyes and murmured to himself, "Father Croton... I wish I could have asked you the same question you asked me back then."

"I'd love to hear your magician's creed."

Teach took Shake's place, placing her hand on Hermione's forehead and using her life magic to soothe and comfort her.

And so, Hermione slept for a day and a night in a deep, reluctant sleep.

Teach also used his life magic to soothe Hermione, his disciple, for a day and a night.

A few strands of white hair had appeared in Teach's long, reddish-brown hair.

......

The next day, after Boggart's fear and trauma towards Hermione had been soothed, she finally awoke from her deep sleep.

When Hermione woke up, the first thing she saw was the person she had been longing for.

The moment she opened her eyes, Hermione forgot her emotional pain and smiled radiantly.

Hermione didn't wake the half-asleep Teach. Instead, she blushed and carefully felt the warmth from the large hand on her forehead, and felt a sense of happiness as she stared at Teach.

When the morning light shone on his face, Teach opened his eyes and withdrew his hand amidst Hermione's reluctant pout.

Just as Hermione was feeling reluctant, Teach smiled warmly and gently pinched Hermione's nose, his affection for her evident: "Get up, you sleepyhead, the sun's already high in the sky."

Hermione stared at Teach for a moment, then said uncertainly, "...Teacher, you... seem different today?"

"Really? Doesn't my little Hermione like her current teacher?"

Personality cannot be changed overnight, nor can flawed personality traits be filled in. Teach, realizing that there are problems with his personality, can only continue to act in his emotions, acting with sincerity.

As a result, Teach's tenderness and doting affection towards Hermione changed.

It has become warm with the sun, instead of the false feeling of being hot on the outside but cold on the inside that I used to feel.

Xia Ke went to the dining hall to bring out breakfast, then gently placed it on the table beside the bed. She then said intimately to Hermione, who was like a rival in love, "Little Hermione, you haven't eaten for a day and a night while you were unconscious. I brought you some pumpkin porridge, as well as some desserts and pastries that you like."

Hermione noticed Shake's change in attitude, which made her extremely puzzled: [Why is everything different after I woke up?]

Hermione got out of bed and ate her food, feeling very hungry.

At this moment, Xia Ke took out the carefully prepared breakfast and placed it on Teach's table. It was a bowl of light Chinese stir-fry: "I know you love chicken leg burgers and the like, so I ordered the house-elves in the castle to make this dish for you according to the recipe I wrote down when I peeked at you cooking."

Looking at the stir-fry dish made with Xia Ke's heartfelt intentions, Titch remained silent for a while before saying, "Xia Ke, I am ashamed..."

Before Teach could say anything more apologetic, Shake interrupted, "You've changed today, you're different, and that's why I like you so much."

"Whether it's true or false, I like it all."