Before Kyle and Konan could even reach their own campsite, they were intercepted by a large, dark crowd.
A quick glance over revealed that most of Kyle's old acquaintances were among them.
The Father-Troublers, the duo of close buddies Harry and Ron, Seamus, Neville...
Kyle's gaze searched through the crowd; thankfully, Hermione wasn't there.
Otherwise, if she and Konan ran into each other later, things would get messy again.
On an occasion like this world-class tournament, George and Fred were like the legendary Huskies capable of sinking aircraft carriers suddenly set loose in a snow-covered environment—their bloodline awakened in an instant.
The moment they caught sight of Kyle, their eyes lit up, and they appeared before him like a flash.
"Kyle, why did you two show up so late?"
"We've been waiting for you forever."
The pair launched straight into a rapid-fire verbal bombardment, not giving Kyle a single chance to get a word in edgewise.
"Did you see that old peacock's tent?"
"How about it, wanna figure out a way to blast it?"
Kyle was covered in black lines—was this what they called the telepathic connection between teammates?
The moment he arrived at the campsite, he too had targeted the Malfoys' peacocks, planning to head back to the tent, whip up a couple of barbecue grills, and strike under the cover of a high, dark night.
Yet before he could even voice his plan, the Weasley twins hit him with this.
Patting both of their shoulders, an evil smile played at the corners of Kyle's mouth. "We'll talk tonight. I'm heading back to my family's tent first."
The Dumbledore household's tent was located at the very edge of the campsite.
Generally speaking, for a powerful and influential grand family like Dumbledore's, the tent ought to be positioned in the center of the campsite.
Even Minister Fudge would have to obediently yield the central spot to Dumbledore.
However, taking into account a certain Dark Lord, and for the safety of those around them, Dumbledore ultimately chose to have the Acolytes under Grindelwald set up their tent at this outer edge.
Otherwise, if Grindelwald stepped out the door and happened to bump into Cornelius Fudge coming out at the same time, the scene would be beyond ridiculous.
If Grindelwald wanted to kill Fudge, should Dumbledore pretend not to see it, or pretend not to see it?
Standing in front of the tent, Kyle looked at the massive Deathly Hallows symbol on the entrance flap, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
This obvious... were they afraid people wouldn't know Grindelwald lived here?
Lifting the curtain, he stepped inside; in less than five seconds, Kyle backed right out again.
"Dad Albus and Dad Gellert aren't here," Kyle shook his head, a thoughtful look on his face. "These two couldn't have gone off to some secret spot for a stealthy date, could they?"
Hearing Kyle's words, Konan nearly choked on her own spit.
"Surely... it wouldn't come to that, right?" Konan gave Kyle a Hyūga-style Byakugan glare. "Talking about Lord Dumbledore and Lord Grindelwald behind their backs like this, aren't you afraid they'll teach you a lesson?"
"Fear a hammer? I, Kai 'Wild Blade Three-Waves' Er, have never known the meaning of..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a somewhat withered hand slammed heavily onto Kyle's skull.
Looking at the large bump swelling on Kyle's head, Dumbledore withdrew his hand with satisfaction.
Kyle clutched the large bump on his head, turning around in a huff. "Old man, if you hit me again, believe it or not, whenever I go out to cause trouble, I'll tell everyone I'm Dumbledore's son!"
Hearing his son's words, Dumbledore's old face darkened, and the fist he had raised again froze midair.
If Kyle actually pulled something like that, wouldn't his reputation as the greatest White Wizard in history be completely trashed?
A family misfortune, truly a family misfortune!
Dumbledore's right hand imperceptibly tightened around the Elder Wand. Sensing this, Kyle instantly flashed away, landing ten meters out.
At this moment, not far behind Dumbledore, a balding, chubby old man was staring slack-jawed at the interaction between this father and son. So this was the Dumbledore family's daily routine?
Why did he feel like Dumbledore's image was crumbling?
Dumbledore's hand gripping the Elder Wand finally loosened.
"Come over," he motioned to Kyle with a wave of his hand. "Let me introduce you. This is an old friend and former colleague of mine, Horace Slughorn."
"This is my son," Dumbledore patted Kyle on the shoulder. "I don't suppose I need to introduce him to you, do I?"
Slughorn offered Kyle a kindly smile. Under the shining sunlight, his bald head reflected bright, dazzling sunbeams, making his smile look a bit comical.
"Hello, Kyle," Slughorn said, his face brimming with smiles as he proactively extended a hand to Kyle. "Not long ago, I saw reports about you in The Daily Prophet every single day."
"Hello, Mr. Slughorn," Kyle replied with an equal smile, taking the man's hand.
As their hands continuously shook, the smile on Kyle's face gradually stiffened.
Why hadn't this old guy let go of his hand yet? And why was his gaze so burning, like a guy who...
Wait!
Gay?
Could this man share the same orientation as his old man?
Was the reason his Dad Gellert wasn't here because he felt his hair turning a bit green, triggering the European Vinegar King's traditional talent and causing him to storm off in a rage?
In just a few short seconds, Kyle had already constructed a romance drama in his head that could span forty to fifty episodes.
No, still not right.
If his Dad Gellert's head were turning green, what was the meaning of Slughorn staring at him with that kind of look?
Kyle felt a sudden wave of disgust and pulled his hand back imperceptibly.
Dumbledore smiled at Kyle and proactively explained, "I am currently inviting Horace to serve again as the Potions Master."
"Potions Master?" Kyle asked in some confusion. "Then Professor Snape..."
"If Horace agrees, then Severus can finally get the Defense Against the Dark Arts position he has been yearning for."
Just as Dumbledore cleared Kyle's confusion out loud, another voice belonging to Dumbledore was secretly transmitted into Kyle's ear via magic.
"Back when Horace was still teaching at Hogwarts, Tom was also a student there, and the relationship between Horace and Tom was very close."
A look of understanding flashed in Kyle's eyes as Dumbledore's voice continued to echo in his ear.
"Horace possesses a crucial memory—a memory regarding Horcruxes that may be the key to us finding all of them."
"However, he modified this memory himself, so..."
So you old man are thinking of tricking him back to Hogwarts as a professor just to find a chance to make a move on Slughorn.
————
Supporting me on Pa-treon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
pat-reon .c-om/Dragonhair
(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Pa-treon normally.)