The Memory Charm wasn't a Stunning Spell, so by the time Kyle dragged Aberforth downstairs, he woke up fairly quickly.
But Aberforth had no recollection of what had just happened. He rubbed his forehead, confused as to why he was lying on the floor in the living room—and why his legs ached like he'd been dragged down the stairs.
Of course, that couldn't be right. The only other person in the house was Ariana, who seemed no different from an ordinary girl. There was no way she could've dragged him down the stairs.
Shaking his head, Aberforth decided he must have dozed off on the sofa and rolled off by accident, reopening an old wound from his trip to the woods.
He hadn't been sleeping well lately, what with all the strange noises at night. Nodding off in odd places wasn't unusual anymore.
Stumbling to his feet, Aberforth made his way upstairs, grumbling under his breath about his good-for-nothing brother. If Dumbledore were around, at least he wouldn't have to handle everything alone... taking care of Ariana day and night, with no help at all.
That thought only made his muttering louder.
Every word was faithfully recorded by a small ear-shaped device tucked in a corner.
Outside, hidden from view, Kyle sat holding the other half of the Extendable Ears, listening to Aberforth's entire tirade.
The resentment was impressive—if the shared surname hadn't reined Aberforth in, Kyle was sure the insults would have been even more colorful.
Only after seeing Aberforth return to his room through the window and start working with a quill did Kyle stow the Extendable Ears.
Good thing he wasn't planning to head back to the attic—otherwise, he'd be making another trip.
After that, Kyle released the Billywig, sending it toward the valley's southern entrance, while he went to the barn to wait.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually the Billywig returned. It buzzed around Kyle, bobbing up and down in a rapid flutter.
"You saw two wizards, didn't you?" Kyle asked.
The Billywig resumed bouncing up and down, almost like it was nodding.
It was nodding, in its own way—its wings were above its head, so the motion looked more dramatic than it was.
At this hour, there was no doubt who the two wizards approaching from the south were: Grindelwald and Dumbledore.
Kyle stood, ready to go alert Dumbledore—only to find him already standing outside the barn.
"Professor, I was just about to find you," Kyle said. "They're almost back. Did everything go as planned?"
As he spoke, he instinctively glanced toward Dumbledore's left.
Though it looked like Dumbledore was alone, Kyle could sense someone else nearby—Ariana, concealed under the cloak.
Sure enough, a second later, the air beside Dumbledore shimmered, and Ariana's tear-streaked face emerged from beneath the Cloak of Invisibility.
Her eyes were red—clearly, she'd been crying.
"I'm glad you've made your decision," Kyle said, pulling out a small vial of potion and stepping forward. He gently plucked a strand of hair from Ariana's head and dropped it into the bottle.
"According to the plan, it's time for the fake Ariana to take the stage."
The potion inside began to swirl and bubble, gradually shifting from a muddy brown to a clean, sky-blue color.
"Hm... shouldn't taste too bad," Kyle muttered to himself.
But just as he raised the vial to drink, it was suddenly snatched from his hand.
"Professor?" Kyle looked at Dumbledore in surprise. "You're backing out?"
"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "The plan stays. But we're switching roles—I'll remain here. You'll take care of Ariana."
"I don't agree," Kyle said, frowning.
Deceiving the younger versions of yourself and Grindelwald isn't exactly easy. Tricks wouldn't cut it—and a convincing act definitely wouldn't.
In other words, whoever was posing as Ariana would need to take a spell. A real one. The kind that could kill an ordinary person.
With his unique Shield Charm, Kyle was confident he could survive it without giving himself away. But Dumbledore... in his current state, there was no way he could endure that kind of impact.
"I understand what you're saying," Dumbledore said gently. "Ariana is my sister, and this was my decision. So whatever risks there are, I should be the one to face them—not you."
"But…"
"And," Dumbledore cut him off, "you're not familiar with the people who will appear next. But I know them—especially Aberforth. The smallest slip-up could raise his suspicion. You won't be able to pull it off perfectly."
"But what's about to happen—every second of it—is etched into my memory like it was carved in stone. I've replayed it for decades. Only I can play the role of Ariana without giving anything away."
Kyle fell silent.
Dumbledore was right. The most important part wasn't just making it look like 'Ariana' died—it was convincing everyone present. And on that front, Dumbledore really was the better choice.
Still, there was one thing...
"Professor, are you sure you're planning to impersonate Ariana—not die in her place?"
"Don't worry, I get what you're thinking." Dumbledore gave a faint smile. "Back then, Grindelwald and I were just teenagers. It's not going to be easy, but that's all it is—difficult, not impossible. I still want to see Ariana again."
As he spoke, he glanced over his shoulder at his sister.
"…Alright."
Judging by the time, Grindelwald and young Dumbledore would be arriving soon. Kyle said nothing more.
He walked over to Ariana and led her out of the barn.
Behind them, Dumbledore raised the vial and drank the potion.
...
Meanwhile, the young Grindelwald and Dumbledore had returned to the valley.
Grindelwald's face was dark, his mood clearly sour.
"It's fine, Gellert," said Dumbledore beside him. "The Hallows have been lost for centuries. It's normal that they wouldn't be easy to find."
"But I've spent months preparing for this," Grindelwald snapped, stomping down on a flower at the roadside. "I've been planning this for half a year. I even risked getting expelled just so I could come here as soon as possible—and now this? That family moved away?!"
"We can keep looking."
"Don't try to comfort me. It's pointless," Grindelwald said furiously. "You saw them—just a few old wizards left behind, barely stronger than Squibs. They don't even remember where the others went. Even Legilimency doesn't work on them."
"You used Legilimency on them?" Dumbledore frowned.
He remembered those neighbors were elderly. Their frail bodies couldn't handle most magic, and Legilimency—especially—could shatter already-fragile minds.
More importantly, the clues suggested that family had moved away suddenly, decades ago, leaving much behind. How would they have had time to tell anyone where they went?
Legilimency was pointless in this case.
And most importantly—Grindelwald had promised not to use force.
"I must track down the Hallows," Grindelwald said to himself, unaware of the shift in Dumbledore's demeanor. "Even the smallest lead could be crucial."
The two of them walked to the house.
"I need to rest," Dumbledore said bluntly, no longer staying until evening the way he usually did.
"Ah—yeah, alright," Grindelwald replied absentmindedly. "I'm heading back too. I'll ask my aunt again about the Hallows. See you tomorrow."
...
"Albus, how do you have the nerve to come back?!"
An angry voice rang out.
Aberforth burst through the door in a rage.
"You left without a word! Do you have any idea how much Ariana needs someone right now?
"Or is that what you want? For her to die sooner, so there's nothing holding you back from running off across the world with him?"
"No, Aberforth, it's not like that. I can explain," Dumbledore said quickly.
"Explain?" Aberforth sneered. "You ran off—am I wrong? Good thing it's still the holidays. If Hogwarts term had started, would you have just left Ariana here alone to fend for herself, you bastard?!"
"I would never!" Dumbledore said firmly. "Absolutely not!"
"Easy to say." Aberforth panted, glaring at the two in front of him. "You've changed since you met him. I can see it. You don't want to stay here. You think you're some owl trapped in a cage—and Ariana's the cage."
Dumbledore stood silently.
In a way... Aberforth wasn't wrong.
He had thought that.
"You want to show off your talent? Fine. I'll make it happen for you. I'm pulling you out of school tomorrow. Get out—both of you—and don't ever come back!"
"That's enough, you idiot!" Grindelwald strode forward, drawing his wand, eyes blazing with fury as he stared down Aberforth.
"Don't take out your own failures on Albus. He has the power to change the entire wizarding world. Someone like him shouldn't be shackled to a Squib. That would be a disgrace to his gift!"
"Squib?" Aberforth's eyes went bloodshot. He drew his wand as well. "You bastard. You'll pay for that!"
"You dare insult me?" Grindelwald snapped, his temper flaring as he thrust his wand forward.
"Crucio!"
...
A piercing scream tore through the valley, followed by a clamor of shouting and cries. The noise was so loud that even Kyle, who was nearly out of the valley, heard it.
With a flick of his wand, the sound abruptly vanished.
Feeling a tremor in the small hand grasping his own, Kyle spoke gently, "Must've been a Fwooper. Nasty sound, huh?"
"Fwooper… what's that?" Ariana's voice came from beneath the Cloak of Invisibility. She hadn't caught the scream clearly before it faded.
She instinctively turned around, but thick trees blocked her view completely.
"It's a magical creature," Kyle replied. "Their screeches cause hallucinations. People see their worst fears. If it were you, you'd probably see Aberforth strung up and getting a good beating."
He said it so convincingly that Ariana quickly covered her ears in alarm.
Kyle chuckled and glanced back as well.
He knew perfectly well—the fight had begun. Next up was the fake Ariana's entrance.
Whether Dumbledore could play the part properly—or whether he'd take it too far and get himself hurt—didn't matter anymore.
From the sounds alone, things had already escalated. Even if he had second thoughts now, there'd be no way back. All he could do was move forward, get Ariana to safety, and see the plan through.
Kyle picked up the pace, leading Ariana down a narrow path. Once they reached this point, whatever happened back in Godric's Hollow was no longer their concern.
"How about I take you out to see the world a bit?" he said suddenly. "Didn't you always want to go somewhere beyond the attic? Well, now's your chance."
"Really?"
True to her childlike heart, Ariana immediately forgot the earlier chaos.
Her biggest wish had always been to leave the dark, damp basement and see the world outside.
Even after Aberforth moved her to the attic, it was still just part of the house. What she longed for was farther—like other people, to step outside, into the sunlight.
But she never said anything. She didn't want to make things harder for her brothers.
"Of course it's true," Kyle said with a smile. After thinking for a moment, he added, "Let's go to... Hogwarts. That's where both your brothers went to school. You were supposed to go there too."
His voice grew quieter.
"It's okay. I'd like to see it," Ariana said softly.
"Alright, Hogwarts it is." Kyle opened his suitcase. "But before we go, I need you to hop in and stay for a bit. I'll meet you there."
Due to Ariana's condition, Kyle didn't dare risk Apparition. The Knight Bus was far too unpredictable. If some wizard decided to cast a spell along the way and Ariana happened to witness it... that would be a disaster.
Even with the legendary Cloak of Invisibility, Kyle wasn't about to gamble. Success was within reach—he wasn't going to blow it now.
For safety's sake, the best option was to let her hide temporarily.
Thankfully, Ariana didn't mind. In fact, she seemed delighted—she loved Kyle's suitcase.
She'd never seen anything so magical. The inside was huge—much larger than the basement and attic combined.
There was sunshine, grass, a forest... It felt like another Godric's Hollow entirely.
So… is the place we live in also just a box someone else put us in?
The outside world is incredible!
Ariana watched in awe.
She even spotted a group of adorable creatures she'd never seen before, with long necks and big eyes.
They were pure white—absolutely beautiful.
"Come here and help me keep an eye on her."
While Ariana was still mesmerized by the Mooncalves, Kyle pulled aside the Niffler, the little gold-hoarding guardian of his trunk, and gave it a firm warning:
"Don't let her near the Basilisk or any of the dangerous plants. If she so much as gets startled, I'll turn all the gold in your pouch into rocks."
The Niffler stared at him in horror, clutching its pouch with both tiny paws.
Steal its shiny things?
The Niffler knew Kyle would absolutely do something that wicked—he had before. But at least he'd always left some behind, or paid it back later. That was tolerable.
But taking everything? That was terrifying.
Then it looked over at Ariana and gave a solemn nod.
"I'm counting on you," Kyle said, his smile warm again. "I knew you could do it. Here's a reward—and if everything goes smoothly, there's more to come."
He handed over five gold coins. The Niffler's eyes sparkled, and it nodded even harder.
"I'll leave it to you then."
Kyle then returned to Ariana and pointed out a few areas she absolutely must not approach before finally stepping out of the suitcase.
Ariana was very obedient. She wouldn't go near those places, no matter how curious she got.
In that sense, she was far less worrisome than a certain stubborn boy with a lightning scar on his forehead.
As for having the Niffler keep watch—it was just a precaution. The little guy wasn't doing much anyway, and it was better to keep him busy than have him obsessing over the gold stash in Norbert's nest.