Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

"What on earth is going on?"

Seeing Dumbledore's bewildered expression, Kyle rubbed his forehead, momentarily unsure where to even begin.

He had come here to save someone—yet before they'd even exchanged a word, they were already dueling.

Fortunately, although Dumbledore had lost part of his memory, he was still clear-headed enough to recognize that something wasn't right. For now, he had put aside the idea of erasing Kyle's memory.

Still, Kyle had to admit—this version of Dumbledore had quite a temper. One disagreement, and he'd already drawn his wand. If not for his current physical weakness and some lingering caution, things could have gone far worse.

Kyle conjured a chair for himself and sat across from Dumbledore.

"Professor, you really don't remember anything?"

"No. I don't," Dumbledore said, shaking his head.

"You never questioned it?" Kyle pressed. "You believe you're still a Transfiguration professor—but that would've been decades ago, maybe even earlier. Clearly, you don't look like that age anymore."

"That's because this isn't my first time coming here," Dumbledore replied. "I can't recall how many times exactly, but I know I've returned many times. Altogether, it adds up to quite a bit of time."

Kyle sighed, exasperated.

So in Dumbledore's mind, the mismatch between his current age and memory made perfect sense—he believed the aging was just a natural result of repeatedly traveling back in time.

"But from the look of things now, it seems I was entirely wrong." Dumbledore looked directly at Kyle. "Would you be willing to tell me the truth?"

"Of course. But it's a complicated story... Let me think where to start." Kyle rubbed his forehead again.

"No rush. We have plenty of time," Dumbledore said. "Grindelwald won't return until 10:23 tomorrow morning. That gives us over ten hours."

His voice was calm now—he sounded once again like the familiar Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Then let's start at the beginning." Kyle pulled out a golden pocket watch. "This is the Time-Turner we used. It dates back a thousand years—crafted by Salazar Slytherin himself."

Dumbledore looked at the golden watch. A wave of familiar memory surged forward, but it was hazy, like a forest shrouded in fog—just a vague impression of shapes hidden in the mist.

"Go on," he said. "How could something from a thousand years ago end up in our hands?"

"That goes back to my third year," Kyle said. "Ninety-three years from now. You were the Headmaster of Hogwarts... That year, during the Halloween feast, the school caretaker's cat was suddenly petrified..."

Kyle carefully recounted the events of the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore sat silently, listening with a furrowed brow, but never once interrupted.

"...The Time-Turner sent me three months into the past and helped connect everything. When I returned to the correct timeline, it remained with me."

"But by then, it was completely broken. The one we're using now was repaired by you, Nicolas Flamel, and Professor Viktor from Beauxbatons."

More scattered memories stirred in Dumbledore's mind. A dull pressure formed in his forehead, and he reached up to rub it instinctively.

"Are you alright, Professor?" Kyle asked, concerned.

"I'm fine." Dumbledore took a deep breath. "Keep going."

"There's not much else," Kyle said, spreading his hands. "You used the Time-Turner to travel back a hundred years—to now."

"Then why did you come here?"

"Because after that, you never returned." Kyle looked up. "Nicolas believed something must have gone wrong. That you were pushed out of the correct timeline. I came here to bring you back."

"So what you're saying is... I disappeared after using the Time-Turner?"

"That's right," Kyle nodded.

"If that's the case, then things are more complicated than I thought." Dumbledore fell into thought. "I think I understand now why I lost parts of my memory."

"Why?"

"Because I'm in the process of disappearing," Dumbledore said calmly.

"Disappearing?" Kyle froze.

"Yes." Dumbledore looked up at the window above the barn. "After that summer, I tried every method I could find to save Ariana—including the Time-Turner. I spent five years combing through every bit of knowledge I could uncover. I even learned a little about time repulsion."

"I am disappearing. The missing memories are the most direct evidence." He pointed at himself. "Two versions of the same person can't exist in the same moment. So when my memories begin to overlap with the version of me in this time... I won't come back."

The barn fell into a heavy silence.

Kyle gripped the Time-Turner tightly and reached out with his other hand to grab Dumbledore.

"It's alright. Once we get back, your memories should start to return. There's still time."

But Dumbledore stepped back, avoiding Kyle's hand.

"I'm sorry. I can't go back just yet."

"But Professor, you know you can't change anything," Kyle said seriously, meeting his eyes. "Maybe that's exactly why time rejected you—because you tried to change something. And now you're stuck in the past."

"No, you're mistaken," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "I have changed something. And I have a feeling… I've already succeeded."

"Succeeded? What did you change?"

Kyle's frustration grew, especially when he saw the colorless, drawn look on Dumbledore's face—clear signs of severe mental strain.

Kyle had gone through something similar himself. Though he hadn't lost his memories, the constant pressure had left his mind in chaos for days.

And that was after only three months in the past.

But how long had Dumbledore been trapped here? From what he'd said earlier, the cycle had repeated for decades—possibly even longer.

Kyle shoved open the barn door.

"Look at yourself. You've come back to this point in time again, and you've lost everything you knew before. No matter how many times you do this, it's always the same."

"Even if you do save Ariana, eventually you'll end up right back here, starting all over again. An endless loop. What's the point of that?"

"Because of you," Dumbledore said suddenly, a faint smile on his face. "You weren't here before. But now, you are."

"I came to save you," Kyle said.

"And that's the difference," Dumbledore replied calmly. "According to what you said, you don't belong to this era. Your presence here proves that something has changed."

He gave a short laugh.

"I figured it out. 'My' plan… and I've succeeded."

"So your plan was to use me?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.

"Not use—ask for help," Dumbledore said, staggering to his feet. "This isn't something I could do alone. It needs someone outside of time. That's why I'm asking you—help me."

Kyle didn't answer.

This was the perfect moment. If he took Dumbledore back now, they could return to their proper time a hundred years in the future, no complications. Everything would be back on track. Problem solved.

But if he stayed to help Dumbledore... then everything ahead would become uncertain.

Whether or not they saved Ariana was one issue. The bigger problem was that, succeed or fail, Dumbledore could still be rejected by time again.

If that happened, he'd lose more of his memory—and no one could say how much. Maybe, as he feared, he'd disappear entirely.

And Kyle himself wasn't immune. There was every chance time might reject him too. If it did... they'd never get back.

Kyle was torn, and said nothing.

Dumbledore wasn't in a hurry. He simply sat quietly beside him, waiting.

The sky slowly brightened. The sun rose on a slant in the sky. Someone pushed open a door nearby and stepped out, beginning another day.

Godric's Hollow gradually came to life.

At last, Kyle lifted his head.

He looked at Dumbledore and took a deep breath.

"Professor, are you absolutely set on staying?"

"I am," Dumbledore said firmly. "This is the closest I've ever come to succeeding. I won't give up—no matter what."

"And if I insist on taking you?" Kyle pulled out his wand. Crimson flames began gathering at its tip.

"You've lost most of your memories. You're physically drained. Defeating you wouldn't be all that difficult."

Even before Kyle finished speaking, the flames had taken shape—a small fire dragon, coiled around his wand, flickering with heat.

"Even I, at this age, couldn't handle Fiendfyre so precisely," Dumbledore said with a faint smile. "You must be my proudest student."

"That doesn't matter, Professor," Kyle said, lifting his arm. "I just want to take you back. You promised—you'd only look at Ariana, do nothing more. But you broke that promise."

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said quietly. "If you want to kill me, I won't resist. Or you can leave on your own—it's not your burden to bear."

"But if you try to take me by force... I will fight back."

His voice was soft, but unwavering.

Just as he had said before, this was his one chance—perhaps the only chance—to save Ariana. He couldn't let it go. Whatever the cost.

Whether Kyle chose to stay or leave didn't matter. His presence alone marked the beginning of change. That was enough.

Dumbledore raised his wand too. From within his weakened body, magic surged once again—deep and immense.

The power gathering between the two made the old barn shudder violently, its fragile structure on the verge of collapse.

"Forget it, I give up." Kyle let out a helpless laugh and waved his hand, dispelling the fire dragon coiled around his wand.

"To be honest, in your current state, I'm really afraid I might accidentally kill you."

"I'll admit that," Dumbledore said, steadying himself against the chair. "At most, I can dispel the Fiendfyre two more times—but I doubt that's the only spell you've mastered."

"You also taught me another one, a spell from Rune Magic," Kyle said with a shrug. "It works pretty well, just... loud. If I used it, forget the barn—even the whole street might not survive."

"Then I really did just escape with my life," Dumbledore said with a calm smile. "So, when do you plan to leave? Oh, and once you're back, make sure Hogwarts appoints a new Headmaster soon. Didn't you say Minerva is the Transfiguration professor? I think she's a great choice. That girl has a strong sense of responsibility."

"I'm not planning on going back—for now," Kyle said as he sat down again. "I'm staying to help you."

"You're not afraid?" Dumbledore hesitated. "What I said earlier was out of selfishness—I wanted to ask for your help. But if you stay, you might end up like me, rejected by time."

"There's definitely a risk," Kyle said. "Honestly, it would be a lie to say I'm not afraid. But just now, I went through my memories carefully and found a few things—things I'd never paid attention to before. That's why I've decided to stay."

"What kind of memories?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"For example, this..." Kyle picked up the Time-Turner and studied it carefully. "You clearly took this with you. So why did it reappear? And why did it end up in my hands?"

"Oh?" Dumbledore blinked. "What do you think that means?"

"Hard to say," Kyle replied, shaking his head. "At first, I thought you must have returned to the proper timeline and then sent it back—that's what made sense. But now... it feels more like I was the one who sent it."

Dumbledore's eyes lit up slightly, though he didn't speak. He simply looked at Kyle and asked calmly, "What do you think that suggests?"

"I'm not sure..." Kyle frowned. "I don't really understand time theory, but maybe... this is the correct moment. Maybe this is the version of the past that was meant to be preserved."

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed even brighter.

"There's one more thing I found interesting," Kyle continued.

"Go on."

"I saw someone—but I can't say who, not yet," Kyle said as he put the Time-Turner away. "Anyway, it was that discovery that made me decide to take the risk."

"What time is it now?"

"Eight o'clock," Dumbledore answered instantly.

"How do you know?" Kyle looked around. "Is there a clock here?"

He glanced around the barn. Aside from a few protruding wooden beams, there was nothing that resembled a timepiece.

"It's the Corder family's roosters," Dumbledore explained. "They crow exactly at eight. That's also when Grindelwald and I meet each day."

Now that he mentioned it, Kyle did hear faint crowing in the distance.

"And young me and Grindelwald will return at 10:23."

"I noticed that earlier. Is the time always that exact?" Kyle asked.

"Because that's when Ariana's accident happens," Dumbledore said, his voice heavy.

"You mean... she dies when you come back this time?"

"Yes." Dumbledore closed his eyes. "When we return, Aberforth will be furious at me for leaving without a word. We'll have the fiercest argument we've ever had."

"Grindelwald will have just come back from searching for the Invisibility Cloak, and he'll have found nothing. Already in a foul mood, he'll snap under Aberforth's shouting, and the two of them will start dueling—throwing the nastiest spells they know without holding back."

"Aberforth could hold his own against Grindelwald?" Kyle asked skeptically. He didn't really believe it was much of a fight—more likely Grindelwald was just beating Aberforth down, and not gently.

"He's still my brother," Dumbledore said with a bitter smile. "I acted on instinct and sided with him. That made Grindelwald even angrier, and the duel between two turned into a full-blown three-way fight."

"Ariana saw it all from the attic. She ran out, trying to stop us..."

At that point, Dumbledore's voice caught. His eyes welled with tears.

Kyle could understand.

Aberforth and Grindelwald had gone into that kind of fight where they were out for blood. Dumbledore, trying to stop them, would have fought with everything he had.

And Ariana—though she was an Obscurial—was still just a girl. One who didn't even know how to cast a Lumos. For someone like her to rush into the middle of a wizard duel... the outcome was all too easy to imagine.

Any stray spell could've killed her. Or worse, it could've triggered the Obscurus inside her to explode.

Kyle thought of that little girl—one who just wanted to make friends, who could light up over something as simple as a piece of candy.

He let out a sigh.

Well, that was that. Even knowing how dangerous it would be to stay, he wanted to help even more now.

No helping it. He'd always been soft-hearted.