"Well, Kyle, let's go," Dumbledore glanced at his watch. "We can just make it to breakfast."
Dumbledore led Kyle along the stone bridge built into the mountainside, heading toward the castle.
On the way, Kyle racked his brain, trying to recall the movie's plot from his previous life. Shouldn't they have sent an owl first?
Why did the headmaster come in person to get him?
Although, his situation was a bit special.
And what was with the Aurors from MACUSA wanting to arrest him?
Kyle, filled with doubts, began to speak, "Professor..."
"Just call me Professor," Dumbledore turned and winked at Kyle, smiling.
"Alright, Professor." Kyle readily agreed, then asked the question that was on his mind. "Why is all of this related to my father?"
Dumbledore sighed softly, considering whether to tell Kyle the truth about his origins.
Kyle followed behind Dumbledore, unaware of the changing expressions on Dumbledore's face.
After a moment's thought, Dumbledore decided to speak.
"Do you know your last name?" Dumbledore stopped, turning to look at Kyle.
"Grindelwald?"
His current surname, according to the orphanage director where he was raised, was written on a note found with him in his swaddling clothes.
Kyle had no idea what was wrong with that surname.
This wasn't his fault; after all, he hadn't been very interested in the Harry Potter series in his previous life, having only seen The Sorcerer's Stone, let alone the two Fantastic Beasts movies.
So, Kyle didn't know what the surname Grindelwald meant to the European wizarding world.
"Your father's name is Gellert Grindelwald." The mention of the name immediately plunged Dumbledore into a reverie.
Kyle's question brought Dumbledore back from his memories, "What kind of person was he?"
"Let's talk as we walk." The Scottish Highlands in February were still freezing. The cold wind blowing down from the mountains in the early morning made Dumbledore shiver. He, a man of a hundred years, couldn't stand the cold.
"Your father, Gellert Grindelwald, was a very complex person. He was very idealistic, and at the same time, extremely talented."
"I became friends with him in the summer of 1899. We became close friends because of a shared, great goal."
Kyle: ??? The summer of 1899?
Kyle picked at his ears, trying to confirm whether his hearing had gone bad.
"But then, for some reason, we broke up," Dumbledore said, a look of pain flashing across his face. "After that, Gellert went against the law and started a dark revolution."
"He pursued reform outside the law, and committed countless crimes with his followers. His influence spread across America and Europe…"
"He is therefore considered one of the most powerful Dark Wizards of all time."
Kyle opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin with his complaints.
His father, a man over a hundred years old? Well, actually, this age gap… wasn't a huge problem.
The biggest problem was that his father was a…
The word "terrorist" was an insult to his father, who had once stirred up a storm in Europe.
Kyle couldn't think of a word to describe him either.
World's most heinous criminal?
Hold on! His old man isn't Monkey D. Dragon, and he doesn't want to be the Pirate King either.
Wizarding World Asura?
Hold on! His old man isn't Uchiha Madara, and Dumbledore isn't Hashirama Senju.
Kyle pulled his thoughts back from their increasingly wild tangent. "So, this is why the Aurors want to catch me?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"When every young wizard turns eleven, their name automatically appears on the enrollment list of the local magical school. The people from MACUSA discovered you because of this."
"Fortunately, the wife of Mr. Scamander, who was here just now, used to work at MACUSA. Newt and I were able to find you before the Aurors arrived."
Dumbledore's words cleared up some of Kyle's confusion.
"So, what about my father? Where is he now? Why didn't he ever come for me?"
Kyle's voice held a hint of resentment as he spoke, even though he felt no attachment to the father he had never met.
But anyone abandoned in an orphanage for six years, and then forced to live on the streets at the tender age of six, would be bound to harbor some resentment.
Even though he was doing well now, he couldn't help but feel a little resentful towards Gellert Grindelwald.
Unknowingly, they had passed through the castle's entrance hall and arrived at the castle gates.
Dumbledore stood at the castle gates, his expression somewhat sorrowful.
"It's not your father's fault; he didn't want to, but he couldn't."
Dumbledore's slightly gaunt hand rested on Kyle's short, golden hair. "In 1945, I defeated him, and from then on, he imprisoned himself in Nurmengard, never leaving the castle."
Kyle was stunned when he heard this. So, his never-before-seen cheapskate of a father was still in prison? And the white-bearded old man in front of him was the one who sent him there?
"What about my mother?"
When Kyle mentioned the word "mother," he noticed a hint of embarrassment on the old man's face.
Kyle instantly guessed there might be some unspoken secrets involved, so he quickly changed the subject.
"Then my identity... will taking me in cause you any trouble?"
Starting as the son of a Dark Lord was a tricky situation. If enemies came looking for him, it would be quite troublesome. Kyle asked this on purpose; he was just trying to find a protective umbrella for himself.
Because Dumbledore wouldn't just leave him alone. Besides Dumbledore himself, who else could be a better choice for this protective umbrella?
However, Dumbledore's answer was somewhat unexpected:
"If you wish, your name on the Hogwarts student roster will be Kyle Dumbledore."
"It won't be too late to reclaim the Grindelwald surname once you're strong enough to stand on your own."
Alright, changing the surname solved the problem. And with this surname, he'd be able to strut around Hogwarts with no issues in the future.
"I'm honored, Professor." Kyle grinned.
It seemed Dumbledore and his father were indeed very close, otherwise Dumbledore wouldn't have made such a suggestion.
Dumbledore smiled and patted Kyle on the shoulder. "Let's go, we'll eat in the Great Hall."
The Great Hall of Hogwarts.
When Kyle and Dumbledore appeared at the doorway, the Hogwarts students were already seated at the four long tables, the Great Hall illuminated by thousands of floating candles.
The tables were laden with gleaming silverware, and filled with a wide array of delicious food. Even for breakfast, the spread was extravagant.
Porridge, bread rolls, orange juice, kippers, eggs and bacon, toast, buttered bread with jam, cornflakes…
Having spent several years in an orphanage, Kyle had assumed that a typical foreign breakfast consisted of bread and jam, with a glass of milk.
It seemed the orphanage was just too poor to afford anything better.
At the head of the hall was another long table, reserved for the teachers.
Kyle, dressed in Muggle attire, stood out sharply against the Hogwarts students, all uniformly clad in their wizarding robes.
Just as he began to feel awkward, Dumbledore's gentle voice spoke in his ear.
"You can have dinner with me, or you can sit at any of the long tables."
Facing the unfamiliar faces at the long tables, and the curious gazes they were all giving him, Kyle thought it would be better to stay with Dumbledore.
"Professor, I'll stay with you," Kyle said, catching up to Dumbledore's pace.