"I'm just a little curious about what they're doing. I heard this is a technique you taught them to strengthen their magical control?" Penelope smiled, her expression warm and beautiful.
In truth, Penelope's presence here wasn't merely out of curiosity.
Ever since that day in the Great Hall when Kyle had caught her attention, she had been planning this "chance encounter" for quite some time.
Penelope was, in fact, a highly ambitious witch—or rather, one with grand aspirations.
However, as a Muggle-born wizard, she faced significant disadvantages compared to pure-blood or half-blood wizards.
This applied to both power and influence.
The wizarding world was, ultimately, a place where strength reigned supreme. If you possessed the prowess of Albus Dumbledore or Lord Voldemort, there was no doubt you would be respected—or feared.
But how many wizards were as exceptionally gifted as Dumbledore or Voldemort?
The vast majority were merely average.
This was where resources and connections became crucial.
The founding of Hogwarts had indeed provided an opportunity for all Muggle-born wizards in Britain to learn magic, but that didn't mean they could stand on equal footing with pure-blood or half-blood wizards.
Perhaps in the early years at Hogwarts, all young witches and wizards learned magic at roughly the same pace.
But as students delved deeper into their studies, the advantages of pure-blood wizards gradually became apparent.
Wizards born into magical families, in addition to the spells taught at Hogwarts, could also learn family magics passed down through generations from their ancestors.
The resources accumulated by ancient pure-blood noble families over centuries were an astronomical sum unimaginable to a Muggle-born wizard starting from nothing.
Take, for example, the study notes on the Disillusionment Charm that the Weasley twins had given Kyle that day—a spell not part of the Hogwarts curriculum. For a Muggle-born wizard, this was an unattainable incantation.
Only in their sixth or seventh years might top-performing students, through close relationships with professors, have a chance to learn it.
Yet George and Fred, mere second-year wizards, had casually traded this spell to Kyle just for a chance to try out a sniper rifle.
The gap between Muggle-born and pure-blood wizards was that stark.
Moreover, the small population of wizards in their world created a social order akin to the city-states of ancient Greece—small and tightly knit.
It was a community where nearly everyone knew one another, where everyone studied and graduated from the same school, a self-contained society bound together by a vast web of relationships.
This also meant that in the wizarding world's governing body, the Ministry of Magic, many matters were inescapably tied to this network.
In other words, wizarding society was a world of favors and connections.
Ancient wizarding families had long entrenched themselves in this society, meticulously cultivating their networks, allowing them to thrive in a magical world where everything hinged on personal ties and relationships.
For Muggle-born wizards, this closed-off society made them feel like outsiders who didn't belong. Without connections to shield them, they faced immense difficulties.
Every Hogwarts graduate had to take the N.E.W.T.s—the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests.
In the wizarding world, these exams were akin to China's gaokao.
Even with outstanding N.E.W.T. scores, Muggle-born wizards in the Ministry of Magic could only secure the lowest-tier jobs.
Penelope Clearwater was, of course, not satisfied with this.
The solution to breaking free from this predicament was simple: latch onto a sufficiently powerful ally.
However, Penelope was a proud witch, and ordinary people simply didn't catch her eye.
When she heard Kyle Dumbledore's name from Cho Chang's mouth while dining in the Great Hall, Penelope immediately marked Kyle as her target.
Her previous target had been Percy Weasley of the Weasley family.
Of course, "target" here didn't mean the kind of predatory pursuit associated with players or heartbreakers. Though ambitious, Penelope wasn't the type to resort to such unscrupulous means.
Kyle, as her target, wouldn't be subjected to the cliché drama of falling for a goddess only to become one of many backups, used and then cruelly discarded. Penelope had never even considered such a thing.
She simply wanted to build a good relationship with Kyle.
If she could learn a few spells from this Dumbledore family member that weren't taught at Hogwarts, or if, after graduation, Kyle could offer her even a little help in finding a job, Penelope would be more than satisfied.
Penelope twirled a strand of hair around her finger, the casual gesture somehow exuding charm. "I know this request is a bit forward, but I still want to ask—can I learn with them?"
Kyle steadied himself, trying not to act like a complete novice. "They're just some minor tricks, nothing worth mentioning. If you want to learn, of course I can teach you."
At Kyle's response, Penelope's face lit up with a smile. "Then I'll trouble you."
Kyle glanced at the two brothers in the distance, arms slung around each other's shoulders, wearing sleazy grins and occasionally pointing in his direction. He suppressed the urge to chat more with the beautiful senior in front of him.
"Uh… Senior, we're heading back to the castle for breakfast. Let's meet here again later."
Penelope nodded politely. "See you."
Kyle dashed toward the two brothers, who were still muttering to each other. As he got close, he gave each of them a playful whack.
From the way they'd been acting, they were either gossiping about him and Penelope or saying something bad about him. A light smack each wasn't unfair.
Meanwhile, in Austria, a grim, black tower stood isolated far from human habitation.
An owl clutching a newspaper dated several days prior visited the dilapidated structure.
It landed on a narrow skylight at the tower's peak, and a gnarled hand took The Daily Prophet from its talons.
The hand belonged to a frail, gaunt old wizard, his eyes sunken deep into their sockets, making his face resemble a skull.
It was hard to imagine that this tattered, emaciated old wizard had once been a towering figure decades ago, a leader with fervent followers across the globe, his name striking terror into those who opposed him…
Gellert Grindelwald opened the newspaper.
After decades of unchanging imprisonment, his only remaining pleasure was learning about the outside world through newspapers delivered by owl.
He had thought nothing in the world could stir his emotions any longer—until today, when he saw a name in the paper: Kyle Dumbledore.
Complex emotions churned in the old man's mismatched eyes, then gradually turned icy, as if he had made a decision.
The first Dark Lord slowly rose to his feet and shuffled out of the cell he had occupied for forty-five years, leaving the crumbling tower behind.
Standing before the gates of Nurmengard Castle, Grindelwald turned to glance at the inscription carved above the entrance. His lips parted slightly: "For the greater good."
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