Because of his chance encounter with Hagrid, Kyle's morning training session had been delayed.
By the time he emerged from the Forbidden Forest, the sun had fully risen, its rays filtering through gaps in the clouds and bathing the entire Hogwarts castle in a faint golden hue.
After making up a hundred squats, Kyle abandoned his plan for a ten-kilometer run and decided to head back to the castle for breakfast instead.
Learning from yesterday's experience, Kyle had no intention of going to the Great Hall for those Western-style breakfasts he still couldn't quite get used to. Instead, he made his familiar way to a wide stone corridor in the castle's basement.
Torches illuminated the surroundings brightly, and the walls were adorned with delightful paintings—most of them depicting food.
Kyle stopped in front of a portrait showing a massive silver bowl overflowing with fruit. He extended his index finger and lightly tickled the large, emerald-green pear.
The pear squirmed, giggling softly, before suddenly transforming into a large green doorknob.
Behind the door lay the kitchen, a place Kyle was more than happy to see.
To Kyle's surprise, besides the ever-friendly house-elves, there was another student in the kitchen.
The student, caught sneaking a bite, gave Kyle a shy smile and explained, "Uh, today's the day the owls deliver the mail. In a bit, they'll make a complete mess of breakfast in the Great Hall..."
Kyle understood why the other boy was here and extended a friendly hand. "Hello, I'm Kyle Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore?" The boy's eyes widened in surprise. He paused for a moment before reacting, grasping Kyle's hand. "I'm Cedric Diggory, from Hufflepuff House."
Only then did Kyle take a proper look at the other's appearance.
Cedric was tall and strikingly handsome, with black hair and bright gray eyes.
Since it was their first meeting, the atmosphere in the kitchen felt a bit awkward.
Kyle didn't continue chatting with Cedric. Instead, he summoned a house-elf and skillfully directed them to prepare breakfast according to his specifications.
"Slice the roasted meat into small strips, finely chop the herbs and garlic, then mix with olive oil and sea salt for the filling!"
"Yes! Honorable Mr. Dumbledore!" One house-elf pointed at the cookware in front of it, and the knives and other utensils immediately began processing the ingredients automatically as per Kyle's instructions.
"Dice the fresh seafood, then mash it into a paste with the flat of the knife. Mix in the mushrooms, lean pork, spinach, seafood chunks, and herbs—we're making seafood dumplings!"
"At your command, sir!"
Thanks to Kyle, the kitchen became exceptionally lively.
Cedric watched everything with curiosity, and the aromas wafting through the air suddenly made the jam-covered bread in his hand seem unappetizing.
Before long, a variety of dishes were served one after another on the kitchen table.
Kyle gazed at the seafood dumplings, spiced sausage links, steamed ribs in herb sauce, creamy porridge with boat-shaped bread, roasted meat buns, and other hearty morning treats he knew like the back of his hand, his mood lifting immensely.
How long had it been since he'd eaten a proper home-style breakfast? It had been ten years since he'd crossed over.
Oh, you say there are authentic eateries in the bustling markets of old European towns?
Sorry, but Kyle had tried the food there, and he found it completely inauthentic—not a hint of the flavors from home.
"Come join me." Kyle pushed a plate of treats toward Cedric.
As a gluttonous little Hufflepuff badger, Cedric had been waiting for those exact words.
"Mmm, I'm curious—where did you learn to cook all this?" Cedric asked the question burning in his mind after swallowing a seafood dumpling.
"I taught myself," Kyle said leisurely, blowing on the steaming tea in his cup. "You might not believe this, but Professor Dumbledore found me while I was wandering the streets, and that's how I ended up here."
Cedric hadn't expected that answer. He looked at Kyle with a hint of guilt, as if he'd asked something too personal.
Kyle waved it off nonchalantly. "Actually, life on the streets wasn't as tough as you might think. It was pretty fun, in fact."
Of course, that comfortable lifestyle was built on the "generous contributions" of the city's street thugs.
If it had been a six-year-old child without any special abilities wandering out there, not starving to death would have been a miracle.
"Really?" Cedric looked bewildered. He didn't quite believe Kyle's words, but the cheerful smile on Kyle's face didn't look like that of someone who'd suffered greatly.
Seeing Cedric's expression, Kyle shrugged.
"Once you've seen the secret base I built myself during my wandering days, you'll understand."
At that, Cedric's interest was piqued. "I'm looking forward to visiting your base."
A child of the Dumbledore family—noble lineage, supposed to live a life of wealth and ease—how had he ended up homeless on the streets?
Cedric was genuinely curious about Kyle's bizarre past.
But digging into the truth behind it would have to wait. For now, he had to say goodbye to Kyle because his first class of the morning was about to start.
The two parted at the kitchen door. Cedric turned down a corridor toward the Potions classroom.
Kyle, meanwhile, planned to head to the eighth floor of the castle to report to Dumbledore about the gamekeeper he'd appointed secretly raising a forbidden magical creature in the Forbidden Forest.
But before he even reached the grand staircase outside the Great Hall on the first floor, he ran into the very person he was looking for.
"Are you finding Hogwarts to your liking?" Dumbledore asked with a gentle smile.
"Coming to Hogwarts feels just like coming home. Everyone here is so talented, and they speak so nicely—I absolutely love it!"
Something about Kyle's response struck Dumbledore as off.
Then he remembered something. Behind his half-moon spectacles, his eyes fixed on Kyle with a scrutinizing gaze.
"This morning, Professor McGonagall told me a student had fallen from a building. But when we arrived at the lawn below her office window, we found nothing."
Kyle froze. Could McGonagall have seen him climbing the wall?
Dumbledore's eyes gleamed with a faint blue light. For some reason, Kyle felt as if all his secrets were laid bare before those eyes.
He didn't know if wizards had some kind of mind-reading method, but even if they did, he had to deny what needed denying.
"Is the student who fell okay?"
"From the looks of it now, he seems fine." As he said this, Dumbledore's eyes didn't blink once, locked on Kyle.
"Good to hear he's okay," Kyle replied evenly, bullshitting right alongside Dumbledore.
Then Kyle remembered what Hagrid had asked him. "Oh, right, Professor, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it? Go ahead."
Kyle tugged on Dumbledore's sleeve, gesturing for him to lean down. "Hagrid's raising a three-headed dog!"
Dumbledore straightened up and raised an eyebrow. "A three-headed dog? How big is it?"
"Uh, about as tall as Hagrid, I guess."
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