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The first Saturday of the new school year began, as it should be, with an early run through the still almost completely dormant castle. Curfew ends at six in the morning, rising at eight. During those two hours, you might see some of the students returning from their nightly adventures. Occasionally I came across students training in something, though mostly in kisses and cuddles in corners and audiences. But there were really few of them, and there was a much better chance of meeting a teacher on duty. Lupin was on duty today, and I met him, but we just said hello and went our separate ways.
After running up and down the stairs, I headed for one of the unused classrooms that Hermione and I liked.
Having transfigured several sports equipment from tables and chairs, such as all sorts of dumbbells, weights, and an ordinary bastard sword, a copy of my spiritual one, I began physical training for strength and endurance. Simultaneously practicing that small number of techniques and blows that I know, not forgetting to maximize the load on the body, weakening it with my own hemomancy. Strengthening or weakening my own body and capabilities is perhaps the only way to use my strange ability without revealing it.
I finished my physical workout, cleaned my drenched gym clothes with magic, and cleaned myself up at the same time. I went to the Hogwarts kitchen instead of the Great Hall for breakfast. The door there, as before, was on the first level of the dungeons, not far from the Hufflepuff living room. After tickling the pear on the tapestry, I got into the holy of holies of the castle. The house-elves there cheerfully greeted and fed me. It's good that they didn't tear me apart from the joy - these magical parasites like attention from wizards too much.
After such an unorthodox action on my part, I headed for the headmaster's office. When I reached the gargoyle in the large niche, guarding the spiral staircase up to the headmaster's office, I stood there with a kind of confusion - I didn't know the password!
"Dear gargoyle," I decided to try at random, just to see if this magical miracle was intelligent. "I was not invited, but I really need to get an audience with the headmaster."
Nothing happened for a few seconds, but then there was the thudding sound of rocks and machinery hitting, and the gargoyle turned around, opening the passage to the stairs. Going upstairs, I knocked on the door that blocked the way and gave it a gentle push.
The headmaster's office was inspiring and surprising at the same time. It was large and spacious, with high arched windows, a large desk, an armchair, sofas. I could see various artifacts spinning on the desk and cupboards, making noise, and carrying out other activities. A little farther back were bookcases and a passageway to another room, and closer to the opposite side of the entrance were stairs to the second floor, where I could see some bookcases and stuff, too.
"Ah, Mr. Knight..."
Dumbledore came out from somewhere in the adjoining room. As always, in his violet robe, mysteriously sparkling with halves of glasses.
"I've waited a long time for you, and you don't come in to see the old man."
"Oh, come on, Professor. Good morning, by the way."
"Yes, it's really good," Dumbledore nodded, walking over to his desk. "So, I presume you would like your permission to visit the Forbidden Section of the library?"
"You're right as always."
"Eh, if I were always right. Well, they were around here somewhere."
The headmaster sat down at his desk and searched for a few seconds for documents in a drawer.
"Here," Dumbledore pulled out two forms and placed them on the table, pushing them in my direction. "Your and Miss Granger's permission forms."
"Thank you very much," I nodded, smiling and taking the two forms.
"I wish I'd spent more time talking about magic and life," Dumbledore complained, placing a tall stack of plain parchments and papers in front of him. "However, I have work to do, and you, Mr. Knight, as I recall, have classes in Runes and Arithmancy?"
"Yes, Professor. You are correct. Have a good day."
The headmaster just smiled and deepened his reading of the first document from the huge stack, and I left the office as quietly as possible.
Runes and Arithmancy went by pretty quickly. I wish I could say I learned a lot, but no - it's all in the books. However, there was an obvious upside to taking a class with a teacher. In the runes, it was possible to learn some nuances unspecified in the books, like, say, projecting the runes in one's mind to better anchor the result on the matter. The better the projection in the head, the better the result.
On the other hand, Arithmancy was not particularly subtle, as our instructor, Septima Vector, served as a translator from the dry academic language of terms and numbers into the commonplace human language. However, despite my knowledge and horizon, I have to admit that sometimes it is very necessary and saves time because I do not have to waste it on independent attempts to "decipher" an academic text. Even if the letters are in Latin, and the words are familiar - the meaning put by the author of the Talmud magically escapes from understanding.