Ariana absolutely adored Kyle's suitcase. She had never felt so free—able to close her eyes and run without restraint for as long as she liked.
The soft grass beneath her feet was a sensation she had never known. Lying down on it, all her worries seemed to melt away, and she sank into a state of blissful laziness.
There were also adorable animals that popped up from time to time—creatures Ariana had never seen before.
The only thing that disappointed her a little was that her favorite creatures—the ones with long necks and big eyes—seemed terribly shy. Every time she tried to approach them, they would dart away into the distance.
But that small frustration did nothing to ruin her mood. In fact, she even found herself thinking that maybe... living in this place forever wouldn't be so bad.
But that thought never had a chance to become reality.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, Kyle appeared in front of her again.
Though reluctant, Ariana still followed him out of the suitcase, glancing back again and again with every step.
Her reluctance didn't last long. The moment she emerged, her eyes were drawn to the grand structure before her.
"Allow me to introduce you…" Kyle said with a smile, pointing ahead. "What you're looking at is the famous Hogwarts—the school your brothers attended."
Because of their situation, they couldn't actually enter the school. So Kyle had brought them to a high vantage point near the Quidditch pitch, where the full view of Hogwarts was laid out before them.
"What a huge house!"
Ariana's mouth hung open, her eyes sparkling with wonder.
She had never seen anything so big. One attic here might've been larger than her whole house.
So this is where her brothers went every time they left home?
Ariana stared hard, trying to memorize every detail of Hogwarts' appearance—but it was so massive, she couldn't take it all in.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the floating rings in the air.
"Those are goalposts," Kyle explained patiently. "They're used in Quidditch."
"Quidditch?" Ariana blinked.
"It's a sport—one of the most popular ones among students. When there's a match, the stands fill up with spectators," Kyle said.
But...
He glanced at the faded hoops.
They clearly hadn't been used in years. The bleachers looked dilapidated, many areas buried under thick dust.
Rumor had it Phineas Black had canceled Quidditch during his time as headmaster. Judging by the state of things, that wasn't just a rumor.
From the look of it, this pitch hadn't hosted a match in at least five years.
"Come on, I'll take you to see somewhere else," said Kyle.
"How do we get down?" Ariana asked, looking around.
"By the fastest method, of course—flying." Kyle pulled out a broomstick and helped her onto it.
"Make sure you wear the Cloak of Invisibility, and no matter what, don't let it fall off," Kyle reminded her.
Ariana, though unsure why, nodded and clutched the edge of the cloak.
Then Kyle mounted the broom himself. At his command, the Firebolt soared into the sky.
"Ahhh!"
The sudden ascent startled Ariana into a scream!
But soon her fear turned into exhilarated shouts.
She felt like the bird she'd always dreamed of becoming, soaring freely through the wide-open sky.
Kyle flew her through the towering goalposts, then curved back around. At one point, the broom even flipped upside down.
Ariana thought she was going to fall and shut her eyes in panic—but nothing happened. She was still seated securely, and the black mist that occasionally rose from her body was kept completely in check by the Cloak of Invisibility.
Kyle carried her over the pitch, skimmed past the tallest tower of the castle, and eventually hovered above the lush Forbidden Forest.
At that time, Hogwarts didn't yet have a Gamekeeper, so the Forbidden Forest was still separated from the castle by a long wooden fence.
"Who's there?!"
A shout came from below. Someone came running from a distance, yelling up at them:
"This is Hogwarts! Who are you, sneaking in during the holidays? I'll have you sent straight to the Ministry of Magic!"
"Oh no, looks like we've been spotted," Kyle said lazily, not at all surprised.
Honestly, flying this blatantly over Hogwarts and not being noticed would've been the real surprise.
"Will we be arrested?" Ariana asked anxiously.
She had been told since she was little that if she ever went outside, someone would catch her and take her to a terrifying place where no one could find her.
The thought made her even more frightened.
"As long as they don't catch us, there's no problem," Kyle said with a grin. "Hang on tight."
He spun the broom around, and the Firebolt pulled a sharp turn midair, speeding off into the distance as the man below watched in stunned disbelief.
"By Merlin's beard..." the man muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Broomsticks can fly that fast now?"
Since the headmaster had canceled Quidditch six years ago, he hadn't seen a single broom at the school. He hadn't realized how much things had changed in the outside world...
He came to a halt.
There was nothing the man could do. As much as he wanted to catch that brazen intruder, there was no way his legs could keep up with a broomstick flying through the air. In the blink of an eye, the pair had vanished from sight.
Meanwhile, Kyle had already taken Ariana through a small stretch of the Forbidden Forest and arrived in Hogsmeade Village on the other side.
To soothe Ariana's lingering fear, Kyle brought her to Honeydukes—and proceeded to shamelessly clean out half the shop.
Of course, Ariana stayed hidden under the Cloak of Invisibility, so the shopkeeper never saw her.
When they stepped out of Honeydukes, Ariana was still stunned... She had never seen so many sweets in her life. She was so overwhelmed that she didn't even notice how much Kyle had actually bought.
By the time she came back to her senses, Kyle had already paid and was leading her outside.
"T-That's way too much..." Ariana stammered.
"It's fine," Kyle said with a wave of his hand. "Just take it. Someone's going to reimburse me at ten times the price."
Ariana didn't understand, but Kyle didn't explain—he just took her to The Three Broomsticks.
There, Ariana once again drank the sweet Butterbeer she used to get only once a year—this time, with no limit. She could have as much as she liked.
She also tried cherry sparkling soda with a curious tang, mint iced tea that made her shiver with just one sip, and what she decided was the best thing she'd ever tasted: hot honeyed cream cocoa.
Maybe it was a family trait, but the Dumbledores all seemed to have an exceptional sweet tooth.
Seeing Ariana eyeing him curiously, Kyle mischievously let her sip a little of his Firewhisky.
Her face turned red in an instant, and she started gasping for air, downing three drinks in quick succession before she could breathe normally again.
Even the Cloak of Invisibility puffed up slightly—but it quickly settled back to normal.
By the time they left The Three Broomsticks, Ariana was so stuffed she could barely walk. She was full to the brim—on water and sugar alone.
They'd originally planned to visit more shops and have lunch, but that now had to be postponed.
Afterward, Kyle took Ariana to several more places: they went to an opera in France, washed their faces in the magical fountain at Beauxbatons, and when they were discovered, fled just like they had at Hogwarts.
This time, though, Ariana wasn't as frightened. On the contrary—she found it thrilling.
"You little brat!" a furious guard shouted. "Just wait till I find out who you are—you'll be expelled!"
Washing your face in the sacred magical fountain—outrageous!
The guard didn't even consider that the intruders might be outsiders. He didn't believe anyone could breach Beauxbatons' enchantments... So clearly, it had to be one of their own misbehaving during the holidays.
"It's just a bit of fun in the fountain. No need to talk about expulsion—that's far too harsh," came a calm, elderly voice nearby, startling the guard.
He spun around, assuming it was another accomplice.
"It's not your place to decide who gets expelled—who do you think you—oh! Mr. Nicolas Flamel, my apologies. I didn't see you there. Why didn't you let us know you were coming? We would've prepared a proper welcome."
"It's fine," Nicolas Flamel said cheerfully. "I just had a sudden urge to drop by today. No need to fuss."
"But did I hear you mention expelling those two students?"
"Two? Not just one?" the guard muttered in confusion, but quickly recovered, forcing a smile. "Well… that's up to the headmaster, of course."
"I say, since it's the holidays, let's just pretend we didn't see anything. No need to trouble Colmdé over something so trivial."
"Of course. Whatever you say." The guard nodded repeatedly.
This was Beauxbatons' biggest benefactor—his word was law.
Nicolas Flamel didn't spare the man another glance. He simply turned to watch the direction Kyle and Ariana had fled, a twinkle of curiosity in his eyes as he murmured, "What interesting people. Seems it really was a good day for a stroll."
...
Kyle had no idea what had happened at Beauxbatons.
After leaving the Pyrenees, he brought Ariana to Austria's famous Musikstraße for dinner. After a brief rest, they made their way to the Norwegian coast and watched the sunrise from the top of a towering mountain peak.
After all, this was a hundred years in the past. That infamous "suitcase villain" hadn't made his move yet, and the various Ministries of Magic had virtually no regulation over Apparition or Portkeys.
As long as Ariana was safely back in the suitcase, Kyle could go wherever he wanted with just a thought.
He took her across several countries and only returned to Britain the next morning.
Ariana had a wonderful time—but she was utterly exhausted. She'd experienced more in a single day than she had in her entire life.
"Where are we going next?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
"The Ministry of Magic," Kyle said calmly. "After that, I need to head back."
Ariana flinched, her excitement vanishing instantly.
The joyful day had nearly made her forget everything that had happened yesterday—until Kyle brought it up again. Only then did she remember that she couldn't go home anymore. If she did, her brother Albus would be in danger.
Kyle noticed her disappointment but didn't know what to say.
He should have taken care of this yesterday. Delaying it until today had already been pushing it. He had to return and check on Dumbledore.
"You'll be alright, Ariana," Kyle said softly. "One day, you'll see your brothers again. They may look different by then, but your bond with them won't change—not with time. I promise."
Ariana nodded without a word.
"Then come with me." Kyle led her into a record shop on a London street. Under the shopkeeper's puzzled gaze, he casually pointed his wand at a pillar.
The shelves shifted apart on their own, revealing a hidden passage behind them.
"Is he with the Ministry?" the shopkeeper wondered.
He'd never seen this man before, so by rights, he probably wasn't a Ministry employee—but he sure seemed to know his way around the staff entrance.
Maybe a new hire.
The shopkeeper didn't give it much more thought. It was just one of the Ministry's many entrances, and the only real benefit over the mailbox three streets over was that this one was more convenient.
Besides, verifying visitor identities wasn't his responsibility.
And so, Kyle entered the Ministry of Magic with ease—much easier than he'd expected. He had even considered using a Confundus Charm to bluff his way through, but clearly, that wouldn't be necessary.
"Close your eyes. Don't look. Don't listen," he said.
Trusting him, Ariana obeyed.
She had no choice. The Ministry was unlike any other place—saturated with magic. It was better to be cautious.
The Ministry hadn't changed much in a hundred years. In the center of the atrium stood the same impressive golden fountain.
Kyle headed straight toward the lifts. Whether it was because they came through the staff entrance or because the security protocols weren't fully established yet, they encountered no one asking for ID and entered the lift with no trouble.
Three owls flew out, each carrying a slip of parchment in its talons, and Kyle stepped inside.
As the lift moved, Ariana stayed completely silent. If he hadn't been able to sense her presence, Kyle might have thought she'd slipped away.
"Department of Mysteries."
At last, a cold female voice broke the silence.
"We're here… You can open your eyes now," Kyle said.
"Where are we?" Ariana asked, speaking for the first time since entering the Ministry.
It was very dark—no windows lined the corridor—and the gloom unsettled her.
"A very mysterious department," Kyle replied. "If there's any place that could take you in, this would be it."
There was one more thing he didn't say: he also wanted to test a theory. If he was wrong, they could still look elsewhere.
He led her to the end of the corridor, stopping before a black door.
"Stop."
A figure appeared out of thin air behind them. The person wore a hood, their face obscured, but Kyle recognized the golden embroidery on the robe—a mark of the Unspeakables.
"Who are you? This isn't a public area of the Ministry. Please leave."
"No. I came to see the Department of Mysteries," Kyle said.
With a flick of his hand, he lifted the Cloak of Invisibility from Ariana.
Instantly, the Unspeakable's head snapped up, revealing an utterly ordinary face—the kind that would disappear into any crowd.
"Obscurial!" he blurted, recognizing her at once.
…Maybe it wasn't that hard to tell. Perhaps it was the fear of a strange environment, but the Obscurus inside Ariana had been unusually active. The moment the cloak came off, Kyle felt a sharp sting in his left arm.
"That's right," Kyle said, eyeing the Unspeakable. "Forgive me, but you don't seem all that surprised."
Even in the wizarding world, Obscurials were vanishingly rare. One that had lived past the age of ten—nearly unheard of. You could count the cases on one hand over the past few centuries.
"No, I'm surprised," the Unspeakable said, shaking his head. He lowered his hood and added, "But interestingly, just a month ago, a new crystal ball appeared in the Hall of Prophecy—its contents were about an Obscurial."
"Oh? And what did it say?" Kyle asked, curious.
"No comment," the Unspeakable replied, narrowing his eyes. "You seem very familiar with the Department of Mysteries."
"No comment," Kyle echoed.
The Unspeakable choked for a moment, but before he could respond, the door behind him opened.
A dozen more Unspeakables stepped out, dressed in identical robes. Leading them was a blonde witch.
"That's enough, Merck. You should welcome our new colleague."
"New colleague? You mean this brat with the bad attitude?"
"No. Her." The witch stepped up to Ariana and gently knelt beside her, her soft blue eyes meeting the girl's.
"You've been through a lot, child."
Perhaps it was those familiar blue eyes, like her brother's, but the Obscurus inside Ariana quickly quieted down.
"Excuse me," Kyle said. "Did you know I'd be bringing Ariana here?"
"The prophecy told me we'd be welcoming a new colleague today, so I came to meet you."
"There's a Seer in the Department of Mysteries?"
"No, there isn't," the witch replied, shaking her head. "But Unspeakables are chosen by prophecy—their names appear in a special crystal ball in the Hall of Prophecy. I just happened to see it…"
"Even though there were two of you, it was clear you wouldn't be the one named Ariana."
"Fair enough," Kyle shrugged. "Looks like I don't need to explain anything, then. So—can you take care of her?"
"We'll do everything we can to help her keep her Obscurus under control," the witch said calmly.
"Good." Kyle nodded.
He paused, intending to say goodbye to Ariana—but when he looked up, all he saw was the black door. Everyone was gone, including Ariana, who had apparently already been taken away by the other Unspeakables.
Oddly enough, Kyle felt a wave of relief.
The Unspeakables certainly worked quickly. Maybe that was for the best—at least he didn't have to struggle with what to say.