A small, three-story building stood near the village of Ottery St. Catchpole. Inside, eleven-year-old Kyle Chopper was standing by the window, staring intently at the parchment in his hands.
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, President of the International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Chopper,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A list of required books and items is enclosed. Term begins on September 1st. We look forward to receiving your owl by no later than July 31st.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress
It was an acceptance letter from Hogwarts.
Kyle had been waiting for this moment ever since his transmigration eleven years ago. Why had he been so sure? It was simple: several notable magical families lived nearby, confirming his suspicions about the world he had been reborn into.
Among them was the Lovegood family, where the editor-in-chief of The Quibbler lived. He frequently argued against the school's policies. Then there were the Weasleys—a family with an impossibly strange house and a lot of redheads, immediately cementing this world's identity for Kyle.
Moreover, the fact that he lived in this area also confirmed that Kyle, in this life, came from a wizarding family. His father, Chris, worked at the Ministry of Magic as the Deputy Director of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, specifically heading the Beast Division. With a family talent for communicating with magical creatures, Chris was also a famous magizoologist and one of the few students of Newt Scamander.
Kyle's mother, Diana, worked at the Ministry too, but in the Department of Mysteries. He didn't know exactly what she did there—his attempts to find out had all failed. His parents were excellent at keeping secrets, never revealing a single detail.
As for his family's social standing... it was, well, mediocre. They had no famous ancestors or prestigious history, nothing compared to names like Dumbledore or Grindelwald. But even so, Kyle was more than satisfied. At least both his parents were wizards, and he was sure to attend Hogwarts. Unless, of course, he turned out to be a Squib.
But that concern had been laid to rest when his first bout of accidental magic occurred at age three.
Still, even though Kyle had known this day would come, he nearly jumped out of his skin when the owl pecked at his window with the letter in its beak. He had been clutching the parchment like a precious treasure ever since, even sleeping with it and rereading it obsessively.
...
"Honey, you've been staring at that letter for three days now. Can you put it down? I promise you, it's real!" Chris said, looking at his grinning son with a hint of exasperation. "Don't forget, we're meeting the Weasleys today to go to Diagon Alley. Don't keep them waiting."
"Okay, Dad, I'm coming!" Kyle replied, quickly tucking the Hogwarts acceptance letter away—though not without one last glance—before jumping to his feet. He rapped a knuckle on a nearby stake and called out, "Groot, I'm heading out!"
At his words, a small green Bowtruckle leaped out and waved goodbye to him.
The Chopper family didn't have many magical creatures—only Groot and a Kneazle named Tom. Despite his role at the Ministry, Chris didn't keep large numbers of magical creatures. Even Groot and Tom had only stayed because they refused to leave.
It wasn't that Chris disliked magical creatures—far from it. He just believed they shouldn't be kept by witches and wizards unless they were truly pets. This belief was firm, even though Chris was known as a gentle, agreeable man at the Ministry. Newt Scamander had the same view, always advocating that magical creatures belonged in the wild.
In fact, Kyle had met Newt Scamander several times, and he noticed something interesting about the legendary magizoologist. Magical creatures seemed to flock to him.
Kyle remembered clearly the day he had witnessed a Diricawl, a bird known for its natural camouflage and flighty nature, diving headfirst into Newt's arms. It was absurd, considering that Diricawls usually kept their distance from humans.
Over the years, Kyle had encountered magical creatures around Newt time and again—Salamanders, injured Unicorns, even a Fire Crab that had narrowly escaped being used in potion-making.
Some creatures were smuggled into Britain and escaped, while others seemed to find Newt by sheer coincidence. They appeared by his side in the most unbelievable ways, and Newt's peculiar bond with magical creatures was undeniable.
This talent had earned Newt a blacklist from many Ministries of Magic, since injured or protective magical creatures were prone to sudden, dangerous outbursts. Just imagine sipping afternoon tea when a wild Manticore or Nundu suddenly lunged at you! It was enough to make anyone sweat.
Why would dark wizards like Voldemort bother causing havoc when Newt could do it simply by taking a holiday? Kyle thought with a grin. Newt didn't even need to lift a finger.
It was a wonder that Tina, Newt's wife, had managed to "seal" him away at home. The entire wizarding world probably owed her a First-Class Order of Merlin for that.
Still, Newt's presence had undoubtedly made life hectic for the Ministry's Magical Creature division. Smugglers had turned the British wizarding world into their favorite marketplace. Even so, most incidents remained minor, with only a few wizards suffering injuries over the years. It seemed that Newt's residence added an odd sort of protective charm to the area.
But Chris wasn't as lucky. His job often meant working overtime, yet Kyle could tell his father secretly enjoyed it.
...
As Kyle headed for the door, he noticed his mother, Diana, had come home early from work. She was smiling at him, her long black hair impeccably styled, and her elegant black robes with white trim accentuated her dignified appearance. Her light blue eyes glowed with affection as she looked at Kyle.
Elegant and intellectual, Kyle thought, admiring his mother as always. Then he glanced at his father—Well, he's handsome enough, he mused, noting how the two made a good pair. Most importantly, Chris wasn't balding yet, which put him ahead of Mr. Weasley in the looks department.
With such strong genes, it was no surprise that Kyle had turned out well, too. In fact, among his peers, he was considered quite striking, though he hardly paid it any mind. Looks weren't something he cared about.
"Sorry I'm late," Kyle said as he joined his parents by the door.
"If you had put the letter down earlier, maybe you wouldn't have been, Hogwarts isn't going to leave the United Kingdom just because you let go of the letter," Chris joked, grinning at his own remark.
Kyle didn't quite get the joke, but he offered his father a polite smile for his effort.
"Alright, let's go. We've got a lot to buy, and we shouldn't keep the Weasleys waiting," Diana said, ending the awkward exchange as she gently took Kyle's hand. With a loud pop, she Disapparated, taking Kyle with her.
Seeing them vanish, Chris quickly followed suit.