The train safely completed the remainder of its journey, and the Ministry raid that Kyle had anticipated never came.
Over at the Ministry of Magic's Auror Office, after listening to Dolores Umbridge's report, the staff members involved all had looks of utter exasperation on their faces.
In wizarding law, there was a specific clause: when a wizard's own life, or the lives of other wizards or Muggles present at the scene, are threatened, they may use any and all means to defend their personal safety.
The Dementor search of the Hogwarts Express was entirely a spur-of-the-moment decision by Cornelius Fudge, who had been manipulated by Umbridge.
Because it was an impulsive action, all the preparations had been rushed. It wasn't until just before it began that the Ministry finally notified Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
By then, the Hogwarts Express had already left Platform Nine and Three-Quarters God knows how long ago.
The students hadn't received any prior notice at all, so when the Dementors boarded the train, it was only natural that it was perceived as an attack.
As a result, Kyle's actions became entirely legal.
Furthermore, Kyle's identity carried a massive amount of exceptional status. The mere surname of Dumbledore meant the Ministry couldn't touch Kyle, let alone the fact that he was a member of the Order of Merlin.
Who would dare move against him?
The Ministry could only tearfully swallow the bitter pill brought about by Cornelius Fudge's willful obstinacy.
Cornelius Fudge immediately shifted the blame to the instigator of the operation—namely the pink toad... sorry, Umbridge.
Upon her return to the Ministry, Umbridge was promptly sent by Fudge to cool her heels in the Centaur Liaison Office, which fell under the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
Due to the centaurs' hostile attitude toward the Ministry, not a single centaur had ever come to this department seeking assistance. If anyone at the Ministry was assigned to this department, it meant they were not far from being fired.
The train pulled smoothly into Hogsmeade Station.
The students crowded off the train in a noisy bustle. Led by Hagrid, the first-years headed toward the Black Lake, where they would have to experience the same mountain trek and lake crossing that Kyle and the others had gone through before.
The second-years and above walked down a different path. Over a hundred carriages pulled by Thestrals carried the students toward the castle.
As they passed through the grand, magnificent cast-iron gates of the school, the students noticed that this year, the Hogwarts gates were different from the usual empty, unguarded state—two Dementors stood guard on either side of the entrance.
As Harry stepped off the carriage, a slightly worried voice sounded in his ear.
"Um... I heard you fainted, Harry. Are you okay?"
Malfoy roughly shoved Ron away from Harry's side, his pale eyes gleaming with concern for Harry.
"Get lost, Malfoy!" Ron said through gritted teeth. He hadn't forgotten how Draco's father, Lucius, had slipped Tom Riddle's diary to Ginny last year.
Harry held back Ron, who wanted to throw a punch at Draco. "I'm fine. I was with our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at the time. He drove the Dementors away."
Just then, Lupin hopped down from a carriage behind them and saw the crowd gathered at the castle entrance. "Is something the matter?"
"No, Professor. I was just checking on a classmate." Draco bowed slightly to Lupin, then turned and led a dense-looking Crabbe and Goyle up the steps into the castle.
Kyle, Hermione, and the others also joined the crowd heading up the stone steps. However, the moment Kyle stepped into the entrance hall of the castle, he was intercepted by Dumbledore.
"Kyle, come with me for a moment."
The two left the noisy crowd. They didn't go too far from the Great Hall, stopping just at the top of the grand staircase right outside it.
"You've caused a lot of trouble for me," Dumbledore sighed, looking thoroughly exhausted. "The Ministry sent someone over to negotiate with me."
Kyle tilted his head and glanced at his old man. "Which absolute genius at the Ministry came up with the brilliant idea to send Dementors onto the train for a search?"
At the thought of the "highly talented" Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore felt even more exhausted. He made up his mind not to discuss anything related to the Ministry with Kyle anymore; otherwise, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from running off to find Grindelwald to help him bury Cornelius.
"You sent an owl saying you had something important to report to me."
"It might be hard to explain quickly," Kyle said, pulling Dumbledore along. "I need to borrow the Pensieve in your office."
"Sirius... to think we've misjudged him all these years..."
After watching the memory of Kyle capturing Sirius in Diagon Alley, Dumbledore pulled his head out of the Pensieve with a complex expression.
"Is he with you right now?" Dumbledore looked at Kyle.
Kyle placed his suitcase on the floor and then called out loudly into it.
Before long, the head of a man with long black hair popped out of the suitcase.
Compared to the filthy state he was in when Kyle first met him, Sirius Black was looking much cleaner and tidier now. His appearance finally showed a hint of the Black family's pure-blood aristocratic refinement, though his skeletal thinness from over a decade of imprisonment largely ruined the effect.
"Dumbledore?"
Sirius looked around at the decor in a daze, realizing that he was currently in Dumbledore's Headmaster's office. At this moment, the last shred of doubt remaining in his heart regarding Kyle's identity as Dumbledore's son completely vanished.
"Sirius, I never imagined our reunion would look like this." Dumbledore smiled faintly. "Kyle has told me everything about you."
"Professor, what are we still waiting for then?" Sirius said impatiently. "We should go over right now and capture Peter Pettigrew!"
As he spoke, he tried to rush out of the Headmaster's office, but Kyle yanked him back.
"Don't forget, to the other students, you're still a wanted fugitive. Barging in so recklessly will only terrify them." Kyle pushed Sirius down into a chair, then turned to look at Dumbledore. "Old man, let's leave the catching up for later. The Sorting Ceremony should be just about over by now.
"Let's head to the feast first. Once it's over, we'll bring Ron Weasley to the Headmaster's office. You can do whatever you want with Peter Pettigrew then."
Hearing Kyle's words, the restless Sirius thought it over for a brief moment before slowly nodding his head.
Dumbledore agreed with Kyle's approach as well, turning to follow Kyle out of the office. To prevent the eager and reckless Sirius from slipping out, he took the extra precaution of using magic to lock down the Headmaster's office.
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