HP: It's a snake, not a badger.

Chapter 29: I got beaten up again!

Emeric obediently put the clothes back in the closet, preparing to complete most of the orders for the medical wing today, so that Severus could have less tedious work.

Before he saw Dumbledore's Patronus, this was what his perfect day looked like.

"Allie, come to the principal's office. I need to speak with you. If you don't come, I'd be happy to talk to Severus about your teaching."

Emeric left a note telling Severus that he was going to see Gellert to discuss German assets, and that he shouldn't worry, he would be back for dinner.

Fifteen minutes later

"Albus, I'm here. Where's Gellert?"

"Airi, come in first. Let's sit down and chat over tea."

Dumbledore beckoned to Emerick, signaling him to come in and talk. Two cakes and two cups of tea were prepared on the table next to the sofa.

His eyes were hidden behind his crescent-shaped glasses, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Emeric knew he couldn't escape this beating, and he couldn't help but grumble about whether Gellert was incapacitated, allowing Dumbledore to get out of bed today.

"Relax, Ellie. You can choose between me and Gale. Whoever you fight, this matter is over."

"Isn't it a great deal?"

Gellert emerged from the shadows and stood behind Dumbledore, resting his hand on the back of Dumbledore's chair. The most powerful white wizard and the dark wizard stood together, the bright sunlight shining on their faces, and the surrounding air seemed to solidify, pressing heavily on Emeric.

"Of course, if you don't want to, that's fine too. I think Severus should be out of class soon..."

"Okay, where should we get it?"

With his lifeline held by the two old men, Emerick had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree. "No matter the outcome, you have to keep your word. This matter is over, but you can't forbid me from using anything else." Seeing that Dumbledore and Gellert both nodded in agreement, he said, "Then I choose Gellert."

"Fox, could you please take us to Pighead Bar?"

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"Aberforth, I need to take care of some personal business on your turf."

Dumbledore pushed open the door of the Hog's Head and said to the man inside, "This boy is Americh Thaddeus, and this is my brother, Aberforth."

"Hello, Grandpa Aberforth, I'm Gellert's grandson." Aberforth immediately glared at Gellert and pulled his hand away from Albus's. "My father is Gellert's godson."

"It's alright, Airi. You don't have to respond to that. Al's healing magic is very good; he'll heal you."

"Alright, go inside. Don't damage my place. You'll have to pay for it if you do."

"Thank you, Aberforth. We'll be careful."

Dumbledore and Gellert stood behind Emeric to prevent him from escaping; the boy had too many good things in his hands, and it was clear from how often they fell for his tricks that it was impossible to guard against them.

With Dumbledore acting as referee, Gellert and Emeric walked to opposite ends of the field, raised their wands to their chests, and bowed to each other in respect.

Before Gellert could even stand up straight, Emeric launched a sneak attack. Laughable, he wouldn't have won if he hadn't attacked.

"Fainted and collapsed"

"Sweep it away in a whirlwind"

"Eliminate your weapon"

"Clear water like a spring"

Just as the fight began, a handful of sand flew towards Gellert's eyes. He took a step to the side to dodge the spell, blew away the sand, and then used two spells to retaliate against Emeric's sneak attack.

Emeric, who could initially launch sneak attacks, now relies solely on his armor for protection, while Gellert can leverage his experience to maximize his gains with minimal effort. Gellert, lacking such experience, can only move extensively to evade spells. Suddenly, Emeric had a brilliant idea.

"A loud voice," "Gellert, Albus likes Newt Scamander, and now he likes Harry Potter the most, otherwise why wouldn't he take the medicine? He doesn't want to kiss you."

Dumbledore felt hurt. Why would Emeric attack an old bystander? "Allie, don't talk nonsense. Focus on the duel."

Gellert's attack slowed slightly, and he quickly followed up with a spell. But it was too late. Emeric transformed into an Animagus, pounced on Gellert, pinned him down, looked up at Dumbledore to let him announce the result, and then used a silent, wandless levitation charm to move him away.

Emeric sensed something was wrong and tried to escape by twisting his limbs. He saw Gellert pull out his belt, and he knew he was going to get a beating on the backside.

Gellert smacked the cat's rear end three times, and Emerick immediately turned back into a human, looking pitifully at Gellert in an attempt to soften his heart.

Gellert protected him during the previous two beatings, so he didn't cry at all. But this time, he was just provoked, and crying might save him from getting hit a few more times.

"Al, are you coming? He's so annoying." Gellert ignored the drama queen's performance, who had been using the same tactic of crying on cue for so many years without changing it.

Dumbledore had never seen this move before. Seeing the child being hit and crying, he wondered to himself why he had to hit so hard. "Never mind, Gale, Ellie is crying. I think he should know he was wrong."

Of course, he also knew that Gellert was angry because of what Emerick had just said. Dumbledore swallowed his pride and kissed Gellert on the cheek, feeling relieved that no one else was around.

"Quick Healing"

He reached out and put Emeric down, tending to his scrapes and bruises from the fall, ignoring the people standing there dumbfounded, and took the child's hand to find Aberforth.

"Aberforth, do you have any milk? Ellie just used up a lot of energy and needs to replenish it."

"Airi, did you bring a cup and some snacks? I'm a little hungry."

Dumbledore pulled a cup from the bar, cleaned it several times but still couldn't get it clean, so he immediately threw it back into the sink and washed his hands.

Emeric never made himself sick. He took out four spare cups, poured himself a glass of milk, and poured green tea for the other three. Each of them had a piece of cake and a scone. It was the perfect afternoon tea, perfect for replenishing energy before dinner.

The stunned person caught up. "Al, is this what I meant? Are you willing to start over?"

"Gail, we're all getting old and don't have many years left to live. It's pointless to dwell on the past. Besides, we still have Ellie. He's not like you; he doesn't like to be direct." Actually, he wanted to say that if they didn't reconcile soon, given Ellie's personality, he might drug them whenever he was unhappy. He was so old; he shouldn't have let them off the hook.

"Aberforth, watch out for the Qilin's tears. I've found them useful recently. If we succeed, we'll all get what we want."

"Okay, I'll write to you if I have any leads."

Aberforth knew from a young age that he wasn't as smart as his older brother; his brother simply had to do whatever his brother asked him to do.

While eating and chatting, Emeric didn't forget his fabricated excuse, pulling Gellert aside to discuss business, just in case Severus asked.