The next morning, news of the attack spread through Hogwarts like wildfire. Whispers of a blood-written message and Filch's cat being attacked by something unnatural were on every tongue. The rumor that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened once again sent a wave of fear through the student body.
But the teachers acted swiftly, assuring students that Hogwarts remained the safest place in the magical world—as long as Headmaster Dumbledore was there.
What they didn't know was that their revered Headmaster had already concealed the true danger—thanks to Kai Adler's silver tongue.
At breakfast, Kai received a letter from Nurmengard.
He stroked Luna, his owl, who was panting from the long flight. Gently placing her into Hermione's arms, he gestured for her to be given double the mealworms, then quietly unfolded the parchment and read it in a few short seconds.
With a flick of his fingers, the letter erupted in blue flame midair, disintegrating into shimmering ash.
"A letter from your family?" Hermione asked, gently stroking Luna's pale feathers.
Kai nodded, his voice calm. "Just a brief reply. He said I should continue learning under Professor Dumbledore, and that he wouldn't harm me."
Hermione blinked. "Why would you think Dumbledore would harm you?"
Kai gave her a faint smile but didn't explain the dream he'd had—of Dumbledore pointing a wand at him and casting the Killing Curse.
He had asked in the letter what, exactly, the old man had done to earn such infamy. The response was characteristically curt:
"Find a history book—or ask a wizard who's lived through that time. Mention my name. You'll see."
That meant a trip to the library… or simply asking Dumbledore himself.
Just then, Hermione leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "About the Basilisk…"
"It's alright," Kai cut in gently. "Professor Dumbledore said he'd take care of it. But during this time, don't wander off alone. Stay near me."
Hermione nodded quickly. Across the table, Harry and Ron were watching them speak, puzzled by how close they seemed.
Ron muttered, "Hermione's spending a lot of time with him lately."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Are you… competing with Kai?"
Ron turned to him in disbelief. "Why would you even think that?"
At that moment, Kai and Hermione noticed them exchanging looks. "What are you two gazing at each other so tenderly for?" Kai asked casually.
The reaction was immediate and dramatic.
"Oi! Kai! I wasn't looking at him like that!"
"Why would you think that!" Ron and Harry shouted at the same time.
Their flustered expressions made Hermione burst into laughter. The other two exchanged a look and started laughing as well.
The first class of the day was History of Magic with Professor Binns. The ghostly professor hovered above his desk, droning from a stack of faded notes in a voice so weak and dry it could lull the dead.
Everyone was either half-asleep or fully slumped, except for Hermione, who listened attentively and took careful notes.
Even Kai had to fight back a yawn.
Professor Binns' story was interrupted by his own question. "Now then, where were we? What year did we finish last class?"
Silence.
Unfazed, he shuffled through his notes. "Ah, 1945. A significant year. Albus Dumbledore defeated the most dangerous Dark Wizard the world had ever known—Gellert Grindelwald—and put an end to his terror campaign across Europe. That was the year he was recognized as the greatest wizard of the age."
He continued, "Now, moving into 1960…"
"Professor, wait," a voice said suddenly.
Students snapped awake in alarm, thinking class was over. Some started to rise from their seats, only to sit back down in embarrassment as Kai Adler stood from his chair.
"Apologies, Professor. I'd like to ask: how did Dumbledore defeat him? And what exactly did Grindelwald do that made him so dangerous?"
Professor Binns blinked behind his transparent spectacles.
It had been a long time since a student asked a question—especially during his lectures.
"What is your name, young man?"
"Kai Adler, sir."
"Very well. Please sit."
To everyone's surprise, the ghost gave a small twitch of his lips that might have been a smile. He hovered higher, his ethereal form flickering with faint interest.
"Then let us discuss the most powerful Dark Wizard in history."
That stirred immediate chatter. Someone spoke up.
"I thought You-Know-Who was the most powerful?"
"Oh, Voldemort?" Professor Binns said plainly.
The class gasped in collective horror at the name. But the ghost carried on, unfazed.
"Compared to Grindelwald, Voldemort was a butcher. A powerful one, yes. But Grindelwald had something else—vision, ideology, and a kind of terrifying charisma."
He cleared his throat.
"Gellert Grindelwald was born around 1838 or 1840—records are unclear. He was educated at Durmstrang Institute, a school that allows the teaching of Dark Arts. Yet even they expelled him at sixteen for conducting dangerous magical experiments."
The room was silent now.
"After his expulsion, he vanished for some time. Some say he traveled across Europe and America, recruiting followers. Others believe he was in contact with Albus Dumbledore during this time."
Kai's eyebrow twitched.
Hermione gave him a sidelong glance, as though trying to read his thoughts.
"But we will not delve into speculation," Professor Binns said. "What we do know is this—he sought to overturn the International Statute of Secrecy and build a new magical order ruled by wizards. He believed Muggles should serve wizardkind, as beasts of burden, and saw magic as the rightful guiding force of the world."
The students erupted into low murmurs.
"Honestly, he had a point," someone muttered.
Kai turned to see Draco Malfoy speaking animatedly with a few Slytherins, his eyes flicking to Kai with a provocative expression.
Kai didn't respond.
"Professor, did you agree with his beliefs?" someone asked.
Professor Binns gave a neutral shrug.
"This is a history class, not a debate. I do not take sides—I report facts. And the facts are grim."
He turned the page.
"In 1926, Grindelwald's influence had spread across Europe and reached the Americas. He infiltrated MACUSA—the Magical Congress of the United States—searching for an Obscurial to fuel his vision."
Hermione glanced again at Kai, but he sat still, his fingers interlaced.
"He was initially thwarted by Newt Scamander. But by 1927, he succeeded in rallying support in Paris."
"From there, his revolution exploded. He and his followers waged a campaign of magical terrorism across the continent. Countless lives—Muggle and wizard alike—were lost."
"But Britain remained untouched. Grindelwald never crossed the Channel."
"Why not?" someone asked.
"Because of Albus Dumbledore," Binns said. "Grindelwald feared him—not necessarily defeat, but what Dumbledore represented."
Kai couldn't help but smirk. That part was true—but not in the way Binns thought. The "fear" wasn't of power. It was of heartbreak. Of regret.
"In 1945," Binns continued, "Dumbledore finally accepted the requests of the international community. Their duel is legendary. It lasted a full day and night. No one knows exactly what happened. But when the dust settled, Grindelwald was defeated. Dumbledore personally built a prison for him—Nurmengard—and ensured he would never escape."
Kai's eyebrow twitched.
That part wasn't quite true either—not the whole truth, at least. Dumbledore had built the prison, yes. But their correspondence hadn't stopped. There was more history behind that duel than anyone would ever know.
So that was the reason for Dumbledore's caution. He feared Kai would follow in Grindelwald's footsteps.
The thought made Kai relax a little. There was no danger of that.
He didn't care about conquering the magical world—or the Muggle one. He wasn't here to reshape civilization.
He was here to drink tea, sleep in, master magic, and—most importantly—pursue a certain bushy-haired Gryffindor.
Changing the world? He'd leave that to someone else.