Inside the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, the current Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, stood before a tall cabinet, peering at the various badges and trophies within.
Lucius Malfoy sat elegantly in a high-backed chair, eyes scanning the room with thinly veiled disdain. Compared to his manor, everything here reeked of age—dusty and draped in fading grandeur.
On the surrounding walls, portraits of former Hogwarts Headmasters peered down at the two visitors, their painted eyes filled with cold scrutiny.
"Lucius," Fudge turned around, gaze sharp beneath his top hat. "Are you sure your source is reliable?"
"Of course," Lucius drawled, tapping the floor with his silver snake-headed cane.
"You know, no one ever actually witnessed the final battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. All we know is that he returned unharmed while Grindelwald was 'apprehended.'" His tone curled with sarcasm.
"The Ministry even awarded him the Order of Merlin, First Class," he added with a scoff.
Lucius's grey-blue eyes glittered with accusation. "Now there are rumors that Dumbledore is sheltering a student sent from Nurmengard?"
He leaned forward slightly, voice low and poisonous. "It raises the question—was there ever a true victory, or just an arrangement between old friends?"
Fudge hesitated, fidgeting with his robe. "But Dumbledore did stop the Dark wizard, and he's still the most powerful wizard of our time."
Lucius sneered. "He was. Now he's just… old."
"As long as we can prove that student—Kai Adler—is connected to Grindelwald…" Lucius's smile thinned like a blade, "…even if Dumbledore isn't involved directly, it will prove he's unfit to lead. He allowed a potential threat into the school, endangering children."
"That alone is grounds to petition the Board of Governors for his removal."
Fudge's brow furrowed, weighing the implications.
"And once Dumbledore falls," Lucius added smoothly, "Hogwarts will need guidance—oversight. Naturally, the Ministry would step in. And you, Cornelius, would be remembered as the Minister who finally brought Hogwarts under control. A legacy your predecessors only dreamed of."
Fudge didn't respond. Though easily manipulated, he wasn't entirely unaware of Lucius's ambitions. He knew that if Hogwarts fell under Ministry control, Lucius Malfoy—through his wealth and influence on the Board—would be the one truly pulling the strings.
Still, he played along, for now.
"And how do you intend to prove this… connection?"
Lucius's smile widened as he dropped a leather-bound dossier onto the desk.
"I've investigated Adler's arrival. He entered Britain through an illegal Portkey—no Ministry authorization. The Portkey was traced back to a two-way link between Britain and southern Germany."
He tapped the file. "As for the origin? It belonged to the Rosier family."
Fudge flinched.
"Yes," Lucius continued smoothly. "The Rosiers, who were once the most devoted followers of Grindelwald. Vinda Rosier, in particular—his right hand. If Adler came through their channel, then what does that say about him?"
"A young, unknown wizard smuggled in through Dark channels, bearing unknown magical abilities? His very presence is a risk."
Lucius didn't say the rest out loud—but his intentions were clear: expel the boy, smear Dumbledore, and install himself at the helm of Hogwarts.
As Fudge frowned, Lucius turned his eyes toward the center chair behind the desk. In his mind, he was already sitting in it.
Just then, the door to the office creaked open.
Lucius's expression froze in place.
Albus Dumbledore entered first, his long robes trailing like starlight, but Lucius ignored him. His eyes locked instantly onto the boy following behind.
Kai Adler.
The boy met Lucius's gaze with perfect calm, his black eyes like polished obsidian, unreadable and cold. His features showed no fear, only quiet composure.
Then, ever so slightly, Kai smiled.
It was a courteous, elegant smile—but Lucius felt mocked. It was as if the boy were silently saying: Isn't this the gentleman I knocked to the cobblestones in Diagon Alley?
Lucius's knuckles whitened around his cane, but the smile on his lips only deepened.
Let's see if you're still smiling in a moment.
Fudge stepped forward to greet them, his expression awkward and uncertain.
Meanwhile, deep underground in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry and Ron remained frozen in place.
They had just heard the name that sent chills down every wizard's spine: Grindelwald.
Ron was pale. Harry was blinking rapidly. The silence between them was thick with disbelief.
"Grindelwald?" Ron croaked. "Isn't that… the original Dark Lord?"
Harry's face hardened. "Why would Professor Dumbledore call Kai in about something like that?"
Their heads turned in unison toward Hermione.
If anyone knew Kai Adler, it was her.
But Hermione was already biting her lower lip, brows furrowed in distress. She didn't even notice them staring.
Grindelwald… Professor Dumbledore wouldn't bring Kai in unless the situation was serious. And if someone else pushed this matter…
Her eyes widened.
The Ministry.
A second later, she turned and bolted from the Chamber of Secrets without a word.
Harry and Ron shared a look.
"I trust Kai," Harry muttered. "And I trust Dumbledore's judgment. He wouldn't allow someone dangerous to stay at Hogwarts."
Ron hesitated, then muttered, "Well… unless it's like Quirrell last year."
That silenced both of them.
Last year, Professor Quirrell had been possessed by Voldemort—right under Dumbledore's nose. And this year… Kai was the Defence Against the Dark Arts assistant.
Harry didn't want to think about the coincidence.
But Ron, still staring at the magical book Kai had assigned him to study, was lost in thought.
Kai's words echoed in his head:
"Dark Magic doesn't make someone evil. Light Magic doesn't make someone good."
He remembered the moment in the Chamber of Secrets when his mistake nearly got Harry killed. If he had known just one spell—any spell—he could've protected his best friend.
Even Dark Magic…
"You coming?" Harry asked gently.
Ron rose slowly. "Yeah. Let's head back. Maybe it's nothing."
"Besides," Harry added, "if it were that serious, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have mentioned it in front of us."
"…True."
The two quietly left the Chamber.
Behind them, enchanted tea sets tidied themselves with practiced efficiency. The soft rustle of pages echoed for a moment—then fell silent.
On the far shelf, where a thick, ancient tome had sat just a few minutes earlier, there was now only dust.