Once Cedric's worries were behind him, his mood lightened considerably. He put down his book and, with a newfound cheerfulness, struck up a conversation with Kyle. "Hey, can I call you Kyle?"
"Of course," Kyle nodded. "Actually, my father works in the Department for the Control and Management of Magical Creatures, just like your father. They're colleagues."
"Your father?" Cedric's eyes widened in surprise. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is it... Mr. Chris Chopper?"
"Yes, that's him," Kyle confirmed.
Cedric's face lit up with realization. "Your last name is Chopper, and you know the Weasley twins… Oh! I should have figured it out—we're neighbors!"
With this revelation, the two boys quickly grew comfortable with one another, their conversation flowing naturally, as if they were old friends catching up after a long time apart—even though they had only just met.
After a moment, Cedric's curiosity seemed to get the better of him. "By the way, Kyle," he began, his voice tinged with excitement as something came to mind, "I remember trying to visit you once, but you weren't home. My father mentioned that you'd been studying under Mr. Scamander since you were young, and that you were going to do great things in the future. Is that true? Did you really learn from Mr. Scamander?"
Cedric's curiosity was palpable. After all, this was Scamander. There were many well-known figures in the wizarding world, but most of them were famous only within their own countries—textbook authors, Order of Merlin recipients, and the like. These figures might be recognized at Hogwarts, but go to a place like Ilvermorny or Castelobruxo, and few would know their names.
Only a select few wizards were truly famous across the entire magical world, with their portraits printed on Chocolate Frog cards while they were still alive. Scamander was one of those rare individuals.
It was Cedric's first time hearing about someone being so close to such a legendary figure, and his curiosity was understandable.
...
On the other side, Kyle was staring at Cedric in disbelief. He had also tried visiting me, and I wasn't home? The coincidence was almost too much to believe.
And Mr. Diggory—wasn't he in the same department as Chris? How had he come up with such a wild story? Where did he hear that Kyle had been with Newt Scamander all this time?
Rubbing his head, Kyle thought for a moment before explaining, "Well, it's true that I have a bright future ahead," he said with a grin, "but as for Newt Scamander… my father was actually his student. I've only been to his place a few times to hang out."
Kyle's thoughts drifted to Newt. Unlike Dumbledore, Newt had a serious case of social anxiety. In his younger years, it hadn't been as bad. Though he was reserved and preferred solitude, he still managed to make a few friends, help defeat Grindelwald, and take on a couple of students to share his knowledge of magical creatures.
But ever since Grindelwald's imprisonment in the high-security tower of Nurmengard, Newt had withdrawn from public life. He devoted himself entirely to his magical creatures, and over the past 30 years, he had hardly spoken to strangers. His social anxiety only deepened as time passed.
Kyle couldn't imagine Newt becoming a teacher, much less lecturing young wizards every day and grading their homework like a professor at Hogwarts. That just wasn't him. Newt was well aware that his personality wasn't suited for teaching. In his mind, a proper teacher needed to be someone like Dumbledore.
Chris, Kyle's father, had been Newt's last formal student, and although many had tried to follow in Chris's footsteps over the years—some even asking Dumbledore to intervene as a mediator—Newt refused every request. He was convinced that teaching would only do the students a disservice, and despite others' willingness to overlook his quirks, he couldn't get over the hurdle of his own self-doubt.
Kyle's visits to Newt's home had started by chance. Both Chris and Diana were incredibly busy at the time and needed someone to watch over their young son. It was around then that Newt's wife, Tina, learned about their predicament and offered to take care of Kyle.
Tina had been eager to help out, and perhaps also, in a way, to find something to occupy herself. Living with Newt, who preferred the company of magical creatures to people, could be quite isolating. If she hadn't found some way to engage herself, she might have gone stir-crazy long ago.
Kyle had just turned six at the time, a notoriously energetic age in Tina's experience. She had hoped Kyle might even help draw Newt out of his shell a bit, much like their grandson had when he was that age—talking non-stop and driving Newt slightly mad with questions.
Kyle didn't disappoint. While he wasn't a troublemaker, he was incredibly curious, especially when surrounded by so many fascinating magical creatures. He couldn't help but ask endless questions, which, to Tina's surprise, Newt patiently answered. Even though Newt rarely initiated conversations, whenever Kyle asked something about magical creatures, he would respond earnestly.
Before long, Newt was talking more than usual, though only because Kyle's questions gave him something meaningful to focus on. This arrangement satisfied everyone: Newt got to share his knowledge, Tina found purpose in managing the household, and Kyle had an extraordinary education in magical creatures.
And even after Chris and Diana's work schedules became less hectic, Kyle continued to visit the Scamanders every year, if only for a short time.
...
Of course, Kyle had no intention of sharing any of the real details with Cedric. After all, Newt Scamander's reputation as a reclusive Master of Magical Creatures was far more impressive than the truth of him being a socially awkward older man. It was better to leave that image intact. So, after offering a brief explanation, Kyle decided to steer the conversation away from any further discussion that might expose the reality of his visits to Newt's home.
"By the way, Cedric," Kyle said, changing the subject smoothly, "what do you think of the Hogwarts professors? Are they easygoing? You know, this is my first time going to school, so I don't know much. What if I accidentally make one angry? Could I get expelled?"
Cedric, completely unaware of Kyle's earlier deflections, smiled reassuringly. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. The professors are generally quite nice... well, most of them," he added with a slight grin. "Even the strictest ones won't expel you unless you do something that really breaks the school rules."
Cedric's expression grew more serious as he mentioned breaking rules, and his mouth opened slightly, as if he wanted to say more but wasn't sure how to put it into words.
Sensing what was on Cedric's mind, Kyle quickly waved his hand to dismiss any concerns. "Don't worry, I'm not a Weasley—I'm not going to break any rules."
Cedric let out a sigh of relief, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry... that wasn't what I meant."
"It's okay, I get it," Kyle reassured him.
The topic of Hogwarts piqued Cedric's interest, and he began sharing more about the school and its professors. He explained that the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor seemed to change every year, so no one took that class too seriously in terms of long-term expectations. Then there was the Transfiguration professor, who had a reputation for being strict but fair—and who, apparently, had an obsession with turning into a cat, which amused the students endlessly. But the most notorious of all was the Potions professor, who had a habit of deducting points from students for the most trivial of reasons, including not washing their hair properly.
Kyle listened attentively, but most of what Cedric told him was information he had already picked up from other sources. Nothing Cedric said was particularly new, though hearing it from a current student made it feel more real.
Still, Kyle felt relieved that Hogwarts, while daunting, seemed manageable. The way Cedric described the professors painted a picture of a school that, despite its challenges, was welcoming enough—unless you happened to cross paths with a certain Potions master, of course.