In a three-story house near the village of Ottery St. Catchpole...
Eleven-year-old Kyle Jobar stood by the window, carefully examining the parchment in his hand.
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class; Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Jobar,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of required books and equipment.
The term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
...
Yes, it was indeed the Hogwarts acceptance letter.
Ever since he had found himself in this world eleven years ago, Kyle had been waiting for this day.
Why was he so sure? It was simple—just a little way from his house lived several rather extraordinary families.
The ones Kyle was most familiar with included the eccentric editor, Xenophilius Lovegood, and the Weasleys.
Especially the Weasleys. Their bizarrely constructed house and their entire family of redheads instantly confirmed for Kyle exactly which world he had ended up in.
It was worth noting that living in this area meant Kyle, in this life, also belonged to a wizarding family.
His father, Chris Jobar, worked at the Ministry of Magic as the Deputy Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and Head of the Beast Division. Thanks to a family gift that allowed communication with magical creatures, he was also a renowned Magizoologist and one of the few students of Newt Scamander.
Kyle's mother, Diana, also worked at the Ministry, though in the Department of Mysteries. However, what exactly she did there remained a mystery to Kyle. Despite his various attempts at subtle inquiry, he had always failed. Clearly, his parents were remarkably skilled at keeping secrets, revealing not even a shred of information.
As for the family's status... well, since there had never been any notable figures in their lineage, they could only be described as ordinary. They were far from the stature of famous names like Dumbledore or Grindelwald.
But Kyle was more than content. At least both his parents were wizards, so getting into Hogwarts was guaranteed.
Unless, of course, he was a Squib.
But that possibility had been ruled out when his first burst of magic occurred at the age of three.
Even though Kyle had always known this day would come, when the owl finally tapped on his bedroom window with the letter, he was so thrilled he nearly jumped for joy.
He held the parchment as if it were a treasure, refusing to let go of it even when he slept, and he would take it out every now and then just to admire it again.
...
"My dear, you've been staring at that acceptance letter for three days straight. Could you put it down? I assure you, it's absolutely real!"
Chris, looking helplessly at his son, who was once again grinning foolishly, reminded him, "Don't forget, we've arranged to go to Diagon Alley today with the Weasleys. Let's not keep them waiting."
"Okay, Dad. Coming!"
At his father's words, Kyle hurriedly put away the Hogwarts acceptance letter he had read countless times. He stood up quickly and knocked on a nearby wooden stump, saying, "Groot, I'm heading out."
As soon as he finished speaking, a small green creature jumped out and waved at Kyle.
The Jobar household did keep magical creatures, though not many. Apart from Groot, a bowtruckle, they had a Kneazle named Tom.
Even though Chris, as Deputy Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, could have kept a dozen or more magical creatures with ease, he chose not to. In fact, both Groot and Tom had only stayed because they refused to leave.
It wasn't that Chris didn't like magical creatures; he simply believed that truly magical creatures didn't belong at a wizard's side.
If you kept one close, it was no longer a magical creature—it was just a pet.
On this point, the usually affable Chris, often referred to as a softie in the Ministry, held a surprisingly firm stance.
This view was supported by none other than Newt Scamander himself.
Newt also believed magical creatures should remain in the wild, and he lived by that principle.
As for why his magical suitcase housed so many creatures? Well, that was purely due to Newt's peculiar charm.
Kyle had met the old man more than once and was certain of one thing.
Just like a certain tiny detective who always encountered murder cases, Newt Scamander seemed to possess a similar fate.
Kyle vividly remembered the day when, at the age of five, he accompanied Newt for a stroll in the garden, only to witness a Snidget dive headfirst into Newt's arms.
Keep in mind, Snidgets were natural-born experts at Disapparition. Though not particularly intelligent, they had strong territorial instincts and an acute sense of danger.
At the slightest hint of a wizard or any other potential threat, they would immediately vanish.
The very first sentence describing Snidgets in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was: "They can only be observed from afar but never approached."
And yet, a Snidget had unerringly flown straight into Newt's arms.
It was utterly absurd.
There was also the incident when Kyle was seven, and they encountered a fire crab. At eight, there was the injured unicorn.
By ten, it was a fire crab that almost ended up in a cauldron.
...
Some of these magical creatures were escapees from smugglers in the British wizarding world, while others had wandered over on their own. Somehow, they always found their way to Newt in the most inexplicable ways.
And that was while Newt stayed at home.
During the time he roamed the world with his suitcase, returning magical creatures to their habitats, the situation was far worse.
For every creature he returned home, a dozen more would come seeking him out. It was no surprise his suitcase had ended up so full of magical creatures.
...
Possessing such a unique gift, it was no wonder nearly every Ministry of Magic worldwide had placed Newt on their entry blacklists.
After all, before encountering Newt, many of these magical creatures had been less than friendly, especially the injured ones or those with young to protect. A single wrong move could lead to explosive consequences.
Imagine sipping tea peacefully on a bustling street, only for a Nundu or a Graphorn to suddenly rampage through—just thinking about it could make anyone break out in a cold sweat.
So, who needed a Dark Lord to wreak havoc? Gellert Grindelwald? Voldemort? Amateur hour!
Just look at Newt Scamander. He didn't need to lift a wand—just buy a plane ticket, spend a few days enjoying coffee and sightseeing, and the chaos would unfold all on its own.
Tina, his wife, truly deserved praise. By keeping Newt grounded, she had practically saved the world. Without exaggeration, the entire magical community owed her an Order of Merlin, First Class.
But that left the British wizarding world in quite a bind.
According to incomplete statistics, ever since Newt settled in Dorset, incidents involving magical creatures had skyrocketed. The British wizarding world had inexplicably become the go-to destination for smugglers to offload their contraband.
Fortunately, while these incidents had been numerous, none had caused significant harm over the years. At worst, some unlucky individuals had suffered minor injuries.
It seemed the land itself carried some sort of passive protection, perhaps as a result of being Newt's birthplace.
Chris, however, was less fortunate. Due to his job, he often found himself working overtime for days on end.
Judging by his demeanor, though, he didn't seem to mind.
...
As Kyle reached the door, he noticed that, in addition to Chris, his mother, Diana, had also returned early from the Ministry. She stood there with a gentle smile, watching him.
Her sleek black hair was immaculately styled, and her black robe with white trim suited her elegant and dignified aura. When she looked at Kyle, her light blue eyes radiated warmth.
Elegant and intellectual—that had always been Kyle's impression of Diana.
Out of habit, Kyle glanced at Chris… Well, he looked a bit dashing too, with faint traces of his youthful charm. Together, they made a good pair.
Most importantly, Chris wasn't balding. Even at nearly forty, his hairline was still a solid inch above his eyebrows—a stark contrast to Mr. Weasley next door.
Naturally, with such strong genes, Kyle's appearance was also above average. Among the people he knew, he could confidently rank first. Even at his age, he was already showing signs of growing into a heartbreaker.
Not that it mattered to Kyle. He wasn't planning to rely on his looks.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Kyle walked up to his parents, apologizing sheepishly.
"If you hadn't been so preoccupied with that acceptance letter, you wouldn't be late. Rest assured, Hogwarts isn't going to leave Britain just because you misplaced the letter."
Chris teased, attempting to make a joke.
Well, it could count as a joke—at least Chris seemed quite amused after saying it.
Kyle, though he didn't quite get the humor, politely pulled up the corners of his mouth, humoring his dad.
Fortunately, the awkward moment didn't last long.
"All right, it's getting late. We should head out."
Diana smiled, cutting through the father-son banter and gently taking Kyle's hand.
"There's a lot to buy for school, and it wouldn't be polite to keep the Weasleys waiting."
With a crisp pop, she Disapparated with Kyle.
Chris quickly followed suit, vanishing with a loud crack.
...
[End of Chapter]