At lunch in the dining room, Hermione's heart was no longer gripped by the same terror she had felt yesterday upon first meeting Grindelwald.
Everything she knew about Grindelwald came from A History of Magic. Having not lived through that era herself, it was difficult for her to imagine just how fearsome the world's most dangerous wizarding criminal truly was. Furthermore, thanks to a certain "Little Dark Lord," Grindelwald had been nothing but pleasant toward her family.
This put the Little Beaver's mind at ease. However, the events that followed made her feel as though her entire worldview was beginning to crumble.
After handling some lingering matters back at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore had also arrived in France.
In private, the Little Beaver overheard Kyle's address for Dumbledore: "Old Dad."
If she remembered correctly, when they arrived at New Nurmengard Castle the previous night, Kyle had called Grindelwald the exact same thing.
Hermione's expression instantly morphed into that of the "elderly man looking at a phone on the subway" meme. This meant the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald was…
Was Professor Dumbledore actually that kind of person?!
The look on her face suggested an idol's reputation had just collapsed—no, it was worse than that. The Grangers were equally shocked, though they quickly regained their composure. This was Britain, after all; such things were hardly a surprise.
What truly stunned them was the age gap between Kyle and the two old men.
Dumbledore was over a hundred and ten years old, and Grindelwald didn't look much younger. Kyle was the same age as Hermione, which meant that when Dumbledore and Grindelwald were around a hundred years old…
The Grangers could only silently give the two old men a mental thumbs-up. Truly, they were as fit as fiddles even in their twilight years.
Of course, the reality of Kyle's origins differed greatly from their imagination, though it was equally outrageous.
Noticing the expressions of the three Grangers, Grindelwald and Dumbledore shared a silent look before simultaneously looking away with practiced tacit understanding.
Lunch concluded in this bizarre atmosphere.
After the meal, the Grangers asked the Little Beaver where they should continue their travel plans. Indeed, as the top student, it was the Little Beaver who devised the itineraries, while her parents were merely the "attachments" following her lead.
Hermione's face showed a look of conflict and reluctance.
As Kyle had said, she hadn't come to France for a summer training course, yet she was extremely loath to leave the massive library at Kyle's home. Had it been an ordinary library, she wouldn't have been so obsessed. But this library contained incredibly precious magical knowledge—the kind that would be treated as a sacred heirloom in any typical Pure-blood family.
Not to mention, the collection included many ancient magics long lost to the wizarding world, the personal insights of two "ceilings" of the magical world like Grindelwald and Dumbledore, and even the alchemy notes of Nicolas Flamel.
Even the accumulated collection of Hogwarts across a thousand years was but a flickering candle compared to the full moon that was this library.
Seeing Hermione's hesitation, old Alfred stepped forward with a suggestion:
"Why don't I serve as a guide for the two of you? Miss Granger can remain in the castle with Master Kyle."
The Little Beaver nodded excitedly, while the Grangers gave helpless smiles. They knew their daughter's personality and hobbies all too well; it seemed their family vacation was about to turn into a private getaway for the two of them.
Actually… a private getaway sounded even better. Who knew? Perhaps by next July, Hermione might have a new little brother or sister.
And so, the matter was happily settled.
Meanwhile, in Cokeworth, England.
The mist that had once drifted outside the Prime Minister's window now floated over a filthy river. The river wound its way through overgrown weeds and piles of rubbish. A giant chimney loomed overhead like a dark sentinel—a relic of an abandoned mill, standing tall, eerie, and ominous.
There was no sound except for the gurgling of the dark water; there were no signs of life.
With a soft pop, a tall, thin, hooded figure appeared out of thin air by the riverbank. In the mysterious figure's hand, he dragged a half-dead man.
The man pulled back his hood, revealing a sallow face and a pair of obsidian eyes, with long black hair hanging like curtains on either side.
Severus Snape dragged the unlucky wretch he had kidnapped through an alleyway between the houses and turned onto another street. Soon, he arrived at a street called Spinner's End. His footsteps echoed against the cobblestones until he finally stopped in front of a particular house.
This was Snape's home.
Opening the door, Snape tossed the unlucky Dark Wizard onto the living room floor. It was a small living room, but it felt more like a dim, padded cell.
After sitting on the sofa, Snape reached into an inner pocket and pulled out a dark, lozenge-shaped stone. Toying with the Resurrection Stone in his hand, a pensive expression crossed his face.
Ever since he discovered that souls recalled by the Resurrection Stone became profoundly pessimistic due to the differing rules between the Underworld and the living world, he had been searching for a way to truly resurrect Lily.
If a soul could not adapt to the rules of the living world, would providing it with a physical shell as protection circumvent those effects?
As for the specific method to achieve this goal, Snape did not yet have a perfect plan. The only thing he could think of was using Dark Arts that targeted the soul to crudely force a dead soul into a living body.
This unlucky wizard was the experimental subject Snape had procured.
As he prepared to begin his attempt, Snape hesitated. Whose soul should he use for the trial?
It was impossible for him to experiment directly on Lily's soul. He feared even looking at his dream goddess's soul from a distance would disturb her; how could he possibly use her as a test subject?
Initially, Snape thought of using his rival and enemy—James Potter—as the poor subject. But considering James was Lily's husband, despite Snape's intense loathing for him, he eventually abandoned that "wonderful" idea.
Fine then. Let's use one of those Marauders who used to run wild with James.
Back when James Potter was at Hogwarts, he had three very close friends: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Of the three, only Peter Pettigrew was dead; the other two were still among the living. Thus, Snape chose to summon Peter's soul without hesitation.
However, he failed.
A look of startled surprise appeared on Snape's face. Since obtaining the Resurrection Stone, he had conducted many tests. Generally, as long as there was a specific target and they were deceased, their soul could be called back.
There was only one possibility for a failure like this.
The target was still alive in this world.
But wasn't Peter Pettigrew killed over a decade ago by Sirius Black, the man who betrayed the Potters? Black had cornered him on a crowded street corner and killed him brutally in an explosion; when the Ministry Aurors arrived, all they could find was a single finger.
A chill crept onto Snape's face. He suddenly realized a possibility, though it was merely a possibility for now.
Shaking his head to dispel the chaotic thoughts, Snape turned the Resurrection Stone once more. An ethereal, phantom soul appeared in the dim living room.
Snape's wand appeared in his hand.
Ever since the idea of resurrecting Lily had grown like wild weeds in his heart, Snape had spent his time in the Hogwarts Restricted Section, learning a great deal of forbidden knowledge regarding the soul.
He began chanting complex incantations at the spirit before him. Several black, illusory chains erupted from the tip of his wand, flying through the air toward the phantom soul.
————
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.)