Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 997: The Decision, Hogwarts Express (End)

The good news was, Fred and George never received the golden invitations they had been dreaming about.

What they did receive was a talking trinket.

It looked like a Bowtruckle dressed in a tailcoat and a round top hat. No one knew how it had gotten into the Burrow, but there it stood, tipping its hat with elegant politeness.

Remarkable—who would’ve thought they’d ever see a polite Bowtruckle?

Like a magic trick, glowing yellow text sprang from the top hat, floating mid-air.

“Oh, Kyle, you can’t be serious…”

...

Before dawn, Sirius came storming into St. Catchpole Village and knocked furiously on Kyle’s door.

“Another one. Look what youʼve started…”

The door opened, and Chris rubbed his forehead with a sigh. “Come in. But you’ll have to conjure your own chair.”

Sirius blinked, then finally noticed the house was already packed.

Right in the center of the sofa sat a cluster of unmistakable redheads—the entire Weasley family was there. Even Bill and Fleur, all the way from Shell Cottage, and Charlie from the dragon reserve had made it.

Next to them were Kingsley, Lupin, Tonks, and other familiar faces from the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry.

There were also others Sirius recognized but didn’t know well, and quite a few he didn’t recognize at all.

Kyle’s living room wasn’t large to begin with, and now it was overflowing.

As Sirius instinctively stepped inside, an owl clutching a red envelope swooped in through the open window.

Wait—was that a red envelope…?

Before he could process it, a suitcase flew across the room. A long tail stretched from within and snatched up both the owl and the letter in one smooth motion.

Moments later, the suitcase snapped shut, bounced a few times on the floor, then stilled.

“Knew it—your mother’s Howler,” Chris said, handing the suitcase back to Newt as he massaged his temples and looked toward Kyle, who was standing deeper in the room.

“Thankfully the Department of Mysteries didn’t have a mission today. Otherwise, it might not have been just a Howler.”

“Makes no difference,” Kyle said calmly.

The sight seemed to deflate Sirius’s indignation a little, though he still couldn’t help but ask:

“Didn’t we agree? I was supposed to handle the invitations.”

“I didn’t really have a choice,” Kyle said, spreading his hands. “None of us expected Nicolas to show up the moment we made the decision. He insisted on helping—how could we say no?”

“Nicolas?” Sirius frowned. “You mean Nearly Headless Nick?”

“Come on. You think I’d ask a ghost?” Kyle replied. “I mean Nicolas Flamel. The alchemist.”

“So that little thing I saw earlier…”

“Probably one of Nicolas’s creations.”

Sirius fell silent.

He’d wanted to give Kyle something impressive. But even he wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could outdo Nicolas Flamel.

“Well… I’ll save it for when Harry gets married.”

He muttered the words just as Harry walked past the door—causing Harry to go pale on the spot.

If what Sirius meant by “saving it” was the pile of gold meant for the invitations, then Harry might have to start planning a strategy of his own.

...

As expected, more and more guests arrived.

Although no one had expected Kyle and Kanna to marry on such short notice, once they considered who was getting married, they quickly accepted it.

“I’ll go borrow a wedding tent right now!” Mrs. Weasley stood up and started toward the door, only to be stopped.

“There’s no need for all that,” Tina said with a smile.

“But we’ll need a big space,” Mrs. Weasley insisted. “It’s Kyle and Kanna’s wedding. There’ll be so many people—St. Catchpole can’t possibly fit this many witches and wizards.”

“No, no. You misunderstood me. I mean we’ve got a better option.”

She turned and looked over at Newt.

Clearly not at ease in such a crowded room, Newt had been quietly curled up in a corner, doing his best to blend in like a ghost.

So far, the only thing he’d done was trap Diana’s Howler inside his suitcase.

But now, under Tina’s gaze, he had no choice but to step out of the shadows.

“Leave it to me...”

Newt took his suitcase and headed outside.

When he came back in, a towering set of double doors had appeared out of nowhere—standing squarely between the Burrow and the road.

Everyone froze in astonishment.

“Hogwarts…” Harry blurted out instinctively.

It was uncanny. Those two oak doors looked exactly like the ones at Hogwarts.

“I chose what I know best… and what I figured most of the guests would know best too,” Newt said.

And the moment everyone stepped through, a second wave of amazement swept over them.

It felt like they had entered a vast plain. Snow-capped mountains stretched before them. Turning around, they saw a lush, endless forest.

A lake spanned the middle of the landscape, its waters divided into two distinct colors. Above them, the sun blazed in a cloudless sky—but directly across, the moon hung brightly in the twilight.

A few Mooncalves were drinking at the water’s edge, occasionally lifting their large, luminous eyes to curiously watch the guests.

“Where is this?”

“I know—itʼs your suitcase!” Fred blurted out.

Although the surroundings had shifted slightly, he recognized it instantly—they were inside Kyle’s suitcase.

And...

He looked up at a nearly fifty-foot-long dragon flying overhead.

Surely the wedding tent didn’t come with a bonus dragon service...

Mrs. Weasley had been a little nervous at first, especially when she saw the dragon and the shadowy black creature perched in a nearby tree. But then she remembered who was with them, and her anxiety eased.

With the legendary Magizoologist Newt Scamander here, this place had to be safe.

“Well then, let’s get to work—we’ve got a lot to do.” She pulled out a pair of glasses and perched them on her nose, scanning a very long list on a sheet of parchment.

It was the prep list she’d made a few days ago with Diana and Chris, filled with tasks ranging from cleaning the rooms to repainting the walls—over eighty items in total.

Kyle wasn’t sure why they needed to clean rooms when the wedding was being held inside a suitcase, but since the list was put together by Mrs. Weasley and Diana, he didn’t exactly have the right to object.

Before long, everyone was busy.

And thanks to Newt, they had plenty of help from magical creatures.

Fire Crabs were trimming the grounds, and Occamies were hanging up balloons and streamers. Dobby had also shown up, wearing a golden tuxedo with a brand-new bow tie around his neck.

It was a shame Tata wasn’t here—he and Dobby might’ve had something to talk about.

After all, aside from Dobby and Tata, you’d be hard-pressed to find a third House-elf in the wizarding world dressed quite so formally.

...

With so many people working, the venue was transforming rapidly—visibly changing by the minute.

From early morning to noon, the interior of the suitcase had completely transformed. The most dramatic change, though, was Norbert.

Once a fearsome Norwegian Ridgeback, Norbert was now decked out in balloons, ribbons, and garlands, floating begrudgingly above the ceremony site like a giant mascot.

Oh—and the Nundu had been fitted with a line of fireworks launchers. Whenever it ran, specially enchanted fireworks would shoot off in all directions. Very efficient.

In fact, the only creature in the entire suitcase quick enough to avoid all this was the Wampus Cat. Using its natural Legilimency, it bolted the moment it sensed they were planning to “decorate” Norbert.

It had slipped off into the forest—far, far away.

...

Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the venue was finally ready.

“Mum, don’t you think this might be a few chairs too few?” Bill asked, frowning at the hundred chairs that had just been arranged.

There had been more than that at his wedding.

And Kyle—he was the Triwizard Tournament champion and the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin, Second Class. The guest list was bound to be long.

There might even be international guests.

A hundred seats just wouldn’t cut it.

“That was Kyle’s request.”

Mrs. Weasley agreed it seemed too few, but there wasn’t much she could do—Kyle had insisted on only setting out a hundred chairs.

“Maybe it’s because of... Nicolas Flamel,” Minerva McGonagall offered. “I heard he’ll be attending the wedding. You know he’s not exactly comfortable being seen by too many people.”

“Nicolas Flamel...” Mrs. Weasley’s mouth dropped open before she quickly covered it with her hand.

“Are you sure, Minerva? The Nicolas Flamel? That legendary wizard is really coming?”

She’d already known the special invitation was crafted by the famed alchemist—but hearing that he’d actually be attending in person was an entirely different matter.

“If I remember correctly, Mr. Flamel hasn’t made a public appearance in over two centuries.”

“Roughly that,” McGonagall said.

She wasn’t an alchemist herself and didn’t follow Nicolas Flamel closely, but he really hadn’t been seen publicly in a very long time—though some said they’d spotted him now and then at the opera.

Mrs. Weasley couldn’t help getting excited.

She wasn’t exactly a fan, but the idea of meeting a legendary wizard who had lived for over six centuries... it felt like a figure from A History of Magic or some old folktale had just stepped out of the page.

“We’d better get ready…” Mrs. Weasley grabbed the two who had just dashed past her and shouted, “Fred, George! Get your formal robes on—don’t embarrass us in front of the guests!”

“Formal robes? Those things are hot and tight, no way I’m wearing one!”

“Besides, Kyle said he didn’t want any of that stuffy formality. We can wear whatever we want!”

The two of them laughed and took off running.

Mrs. Weasley was about to chase after them when more guests began arriving.

First came Cedric and Cho, followed by Hermione.

Then several much older wizards appeared.

“Dugald—”

“Oh, Armando!”

The two elderly wizards recognized each other immediately and greeted one another warmly.

Dugald McPhail was someone Kyle had met during his time at Nicolas’s old manor. They had become pen pals and exchanged many letters.

The other was a far more familiar name—Armando Dippet, one of Hogwarts’ former headmasters and the only one still alive.

Most people assumed he had passed away long ago, but he was very much alive—and now over 360 years old.

They had barely begun catching up when they were both stunned by the grandeur of the venue.

“Hey, Dugald, did Newt have dragons at his wedding?” Armando asked quietly.

Even with more than three centuries of life experience, he had rarely seen anyone use a live dragon and a Nundu as decorative elements.

“Probably not,” Dugald replied.

His eyes, too, were fixed on Norbert circling overhead.

He’d heard that Kyle had a legitimate dragon-handling license—probably the only one who could pull off something like this.

Anyone else, no matter how capable, would’ve been arrested by Aurors on the spot.

“He said he’d be here… where’s Kyle?” Armando looked around.

He’d heard bits and pieces from the portraits in the headmaster’s office, but he’d never met Kyle in person.

So when he learned from one of the portraits that Kyle was getting married, he immediately returned to England to meet him.

And now, after finally arriving, the groom was nowhere to be found—no one seemed to know where he was.

Had Kyle really vanished?

Of course not.

At that moment, he was on the other side of the suitcase venue, staring wearily at the man standing in front of him.

“It’s just a simple wedding. You really didn’t need to come all the way from Nurmengard.”

“What, I’m not welcome?” Grindelwald raised an eyebrow.

“I helped you with something major, and not only do I not get a thank-you, now you want me to leave?”

“Is that what Dumbledore taught you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous—I haven’t taught in years,” came another familiar voice.

Kyle turned to see Dumbledore gliding toward them like a ghost, and he couldn’t help pulling a face.

He was numb at this point.

Honestly, besides Sirius’s involvement, one major reason he made this decision was to avoid all these complicated acquaintances.

Too bad. Grindelwald seemed determined to crash the party and didn’t care in the slightest if anyone recognized him.

But Kyle couldn’t afford not to care.

Besides members of the Order of the Phoenix and his former classmates, there were plenty of veteran wizards attending.

Newt, for one, would absolutely recognize Grindelwald.

And once he did, things would get very exciting… just not the kind of excitement Kyle wanted at his wedding.

And Dumbledore?

No one knew whether he was dead or alive. He looked ghostly, but he was in color.

And just like Grindelwald, being spotted would cause serious complications.

“Your expression is breaking my heart,” Dumbledore said with mock sorrow. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“I would’ve been—if you hadn’t brought him.” Kyle shifted his gaze to Grindelwald. “So, you two coordinated this?”

“Absolutely not.”

Grindelwald said nothing, but Dumbledore quickly denied it. “I came with Ariana. I’ve been staying with her recently.”

“Oh, right—thank Ariana. Your mother was furious when you suddenly announced the wedding. Ariana’s been speaking on your behalf.”

Kyle let out a dry laugh.

Meanwhile, Grindelwald was beginning to look irritated. He stared at Dumbledore—and in fact, he hadn’t looked anywhere else since Dumbledore had appeared.

“Why couldn’t you come with me? Is my name that repulsive to you?”

“It’s not that. I just had better options,” Dumbledore replied calmly.

“I thought… with your sister alive, we could be as we were. Like that summer in Godric’s Hollow—we told each other everything.”

“But I searched for you. Again and again. Why wouldn’t you see me?”

Dumbledore turned away, his expression stiff. “Ariana was saved by Kyle. It had nothing to do with you.”

“But at least you know I didn’t kill her. Isn’t that enough?”

“There’s no right or wrong to be argued in that matter.”

“Why…”

Their exchange grew more and more heated. Kyle tried to cut in several times, but failed. In the end, he simply stepped aside in silence.

Fine. If he couldn’t deal with them, he’d avoid them.

Maybe Grindelwald didn’t even come for him in the first place… even if this was his wedding!

…

“Oh, Kyle, where did you go?”

As soon as Kyle returned to the venue, he saw Ron, Harry, and Hermione hurrying toward him, holding something in their hands.

“What is it?”

“Someone just dropped this off—said it was a wedding gift for you,” Ron explained, handing it over. “A middle-aged wizard, didn’t say a word, just left.”

“But don’t worry, I’ve already checked it—there’s no Dark magic on it,” Hermione added. “Do you have any idea who it might be from?”

“I’m not sure.” Kyle took the item from Ron, frowning.

It was a book.

The Minstrel in the Wind.

Kyle recognized it immediately. When he’d first started at Hogwarts, Dumbledore had recommended it to him. It was filled with practical magical tips and tricks.

But…

This copy looked exactly like the one he remembered.

So why would someone send him this?

Kyle flipped it open casually.

“What’s that?” Hermione suddenly noticed something inside and leaned in closer.

“It’s a broomstick,” Harry said.

Kyle had spotted it too—right after opening the cover, the first thing he saw was a drawing of a broomstick, sketched neatly across the page.

“But what’s it supposed to mean?” Ron scratched his head.

“I think I know who sent it,” Kyle said.

“It’s a message. The drawing is a reminder—keep a broomstick with you. Sometimes it’s more useful than a wand.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Ron still looked confused. Even Hermione seemed unsure.

“It’s nothing,” Kyle said with a slight shrug. “Just something I learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts back in first year.”

He closed the book without elaborating.

Oren—at least, when he’d come to Hogwarts as a professor—had been a bard.

Kyle had almost forgotten about him.

In truth, Oren had vanished after Voldemort’s defeat.

Kyle had long wondered what his real purpose was in joining the Death Eaters, and had even asked Dumbledore about it.

But Dumbledore didn’t know either. Oren hadn’t been one of his, and they’d never even interacted.

All he could say was that Oren had spent a lot of time asking about werewolves—and that before the final battle, Hogwarts had received a map, carefully marked with the numbers and positions of the Death Eaters.

Dumbledore’s exact words were: “Bards are like the wind. You can’t catch the wind—and you’ll never guess what a bard is thinking.”

Kyle tucked the book away, deciding he’d ask Oren directly what it meant—if he ever caught him.

He didn’t care about wind or poetry. One way or another, he wasn’t letting Oren off the hook.

Still… for not making trouble for Kanna back then, he’d let this slide—just this once.

“Sorry.” Kyle turned to the trio, as if nothing had happened. “The ceremony’s starting soon—I’ve still got a few things to take care of…”

“Oh, of course,” Hermione said quickly. “Go! I just saw Kanna waiting for you by the entrance.”

“Right.” Kyle turned and walked down the aisle, stepping out of the suitcase.

Moments later, the Weird Sisters changed their tune, golden balloons burst in the sky, and fireworks erupted in unison.

All eyes turned to the entrance.

But they waited... and waited... and no one appeared.

Not a single soul walked in from outside.

What they heard instead was a sharp, furious outburst—someone shouting in a rage.

It sounded like Snape. No one was quite sure who had set him off.

It wasn’t until Professor McGonagall rushed in that everyone finally learned the truth:

The bride and groom had ditched the ceremony and run off!

“Brilliant!” Fred stood up instinctively, laughing loudly. “This is the best wedding I’ve ever seen!”

“Totally,” George agreed. “When I get married, I’ll—OW!”

Before he could finish, Mrs. Weasley had already grabbed his ear.

The room instantly erupted in laughter and chaos.

Except in one quiet corner, far from the crowd, where Nicolas Flamel and Perenelle sat nestled together.

In front of them stood a winged mirror.

Inside it, they could see the Hogwarts Express. In one of its compartments, Kyle and Kanna were locked in a warm embrace.

“How wonderful… to fulfill a lifelong promise in the place they first met.” Perenelle dabbed at her eyes.

But just then, the image in the mirror faded and vanished.

At the same time, aboard the Hogwarts Express, Kyle reached up and pulled a decorative pin from Kanna’s dress, tossing it out the window.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Kyle shook his head.

Kanna opened her mouth to ask something more, but before she could speak, her lips were met with a kiss. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Kyle’s neck.

No one knew how long the moment lasted.

“Let’s take a trip,” Kyle said suddenly. “A honeymoon.”

Kanna laughed. “Is this really a trip, or are you just trying to avoid the fallout? I bet half the wizarding world is looking for you right now.”

“Well, that’s part of it,” Kyle grinned. “So… do you agree?”

“Of course. I’d love to,” Kanna said with a smile.

Then, whatever Kyle did, the Hogwarts Express—which had been completely still—suddenly began to move, carrying the two of them away from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

Just like it had that very first time they’d boarded it for Hogwarts.

...

(The End)