Kyle's comment unexpectedly lightened the tense atmosphere in the Headmaster's Office. Even the usually composed Dumbledore chuckled softly.
Still, the proposal did have its allure.
"Alastor, Kyle is only in fifth year," Dumbledore said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Let's wait until he graduates before discussing this further."
"Perhaps you're right, Dumbledore," Moody conceded, though his gaze lingered on Kyle before shifting topics. "Should we inform Fudge about all this? He shouldn't have left yet."
"Of course," Dumbledore replied. "Voldemort's return threatens the entire wizarding world. We cannot act alone."
He turned toward Snape. "Severus, would you be so kind as to go out onto the grounds, find the Minister, and escort him here? We need to have a long discussion."
Snape nodded silently and exited the room swiftly.
"Professor," Kyle interjected, his tone thoughtful, "I don't think Fudge is going to want to hear this news. Without concrete evidence to confirm Voldemort's return, this conversation is bound to end poorly."
"You may be right," Dumbledore replied gently. "No one wishes to hear that Voldemort has returned, and I am certain of that. But as I said earlier, we cannot face Voldemort alone."
"Dumbledore, have you captured any Death Eaters?" Moody asked.
"Unfortunately not," Dumbledore said with a shake of his head. "They moved quickly, and I couldn't spare the time to apprehend them."
The mood in the room grew heavy once more.
With no solid evidence to present, Kyle could already envision the tense standoff that would result between Fudge and Dumbledore. Even if Dumbledore used the Pensieve to share his memories, Kyle doubted it would help; Fudge would likely dismiss it as falsified magic or some other fabrication.
Silence settled over the group.
Breaking it, Fawkes fluttered down from his perch and landed on Kyle's lap. The phoenix's golden-red feathers shimmered as Kyle stroked them gently.
The magical creature truly was magnificent. It was thanks to the tail feather Fawkes had gifted him for Christmas that Kyle had felt confident enough to touch the Triwizard Cup in the maze. Without Dumbledore's intervention, he might have managed to escape from the hilltop on his own, but it would have been far messier.
"Well," Dumbledore said suddenly, his eyes glinting as he glanced at Kyle and Harry, "Fudge will be here shortly. I don't imagine either of you wish to be involved in the conversation that's about to unfold, correct?"
"Goodbye, Professor," Kyle said promptly, standing and heading for the door.
Fawkes gave a soft trill, rubbing his head against Kyle's hand before returning to his perch.
"Goodbye, Professor," Harry echoed, realizing belatedly that it was time to leave. He quickly followed Kyle out.
"Oh, and one more thing," Dumbledore called after them. "Be sure to see Madam Pomfrey before turning in. I'd recommend getting a bottle of Dreamless Sleep Potion—it will do you both good."
"Yes," they replied in unison before making their way out of the office.
...
The group left the Headmaster's Office one by one.
As Kyle exited the passage behind the gargoyle with the water spout, he spotted Snape leading Fudge toward them, the Minister grinning broadly.
"Kyle, my boy," Fudge called out cheerfully, "Dumbledore will be so delighted he won't be able to sleep tonight! I've even brought a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky. Come along now—I think you're old enough to have a proper drink of it."
"Thank you, Minister," Kyle replied politely, "but I'm too tired right now. I'd rather just get some rest."
"Yes, yes, of course," Fudge said, nodding in understanding. "You deserve a good night's sleep. Very well then—I'll have Albus save you a glass, if he hasn't polished it off himself by then."
Laughing, Fudge walked past Kyle and the others, his jovial mood contrasting sharply with the tension lingering in the air.
Kyle, however, had no interest in Firewhiskey at the moment.
Instead of heading directly to the Hufflepuff Common Room, he decided to accompany Harry to the Hospital Wing. After everything Harry had endured, including witnessing Voldemort's return and the use of his own blood in the ritual, Dumbledore's advice about the Dreamless Sleep Potion seemed particularly prudent.
As they approached the first-floor foyer, they encountered Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. Floating alongside them on a stretcher was the unconscious form of Filch.
"Professor," Kyle asked, stepping closer, "what happened to him?"
"He was hit by a Stunning Spell and stuffed into a suitcase in his office," Professor McGonagall explained, her tone clipped but steady. "Fortunately, his life is not in danger."
Madam Pomfrey hurried off with the stretcher, and Professor McGonagall followed closely behind. She clearly intended to question Filch once he regained consciousness.
Harry followed them, but Kyle lingered. His eyes wandered toward Filch's office, its disarray catching his attention. The furniture had been left in shambles, with a cabinet leaning precariously against the wall and its contents scattered across the floor.
A sudden sound interrupted his thoughts.
"Oww..."
Mrs. Norris limped out from beneath the desk, her low, pained howl directed at Kyle. The cat's uneven gait made it clear that she hadn't escaped Barty Crouch Jr.'s attack unscathed.
Of course, Kyle thought. To get to Filch, you'd have to get past Mrs. Norris first.
Then, a thought struck him.
At Christmas, Karkaroff had clashed with Filch for some inexplicable reason and had even resorted to locking Mrs. Norris away to keep her from wandering around the school...
Could they have been considering using Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Filch back then?
It made sense. Mrs. Norris, with her Kneazle lineage, would have immediately recognized whether the "Filch" in front of her was genuine, even if a Polyjuice Potion had been used. Given how inseparable Filch and Mrs. Norris were, the cat could have posed a significant obstacle to any impersonation attempt.
Was Karkaroff preparing Barty Crouch Jr. for his mission at that time?
But Kyle quickly dismissed the idea.
No, that doesn't add up. There's too great a difference between a wizard and a Squib—Polyjuice Potion wouldn't mask the magic. Moody would have noticed immediately, even if the students didn't.
Perhaps it really was just a personal grudge between Karkaroff and Filch.
Or maybe they'd intended to go through with the plan but abandoned it upon discovering Filch was a Squib. Instead, they had waited until the night of the third task, when all the professors had left the castle, to ambush Harry.
Kyle shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside as Mrs. Norris hobbled past him, heading after Filch's stretcher.
Walking last, Kyle continued to ruminate.
There are so many strange things about Voldemort's resurrection.
He was certain that before Harry's capture, everyone at the school—including the referees—had been real. He had verified it multiple times using the Marauder's Map.
So how had Barty Crouch Jr. known exactly when to use Filch's identity to ambush Harry?
And how had the Triwizard Cup been turned into a Portkey? Only the referees had access to it, and Karkaroff's involvement in this had already been confirmed.
But then, why would Karkaroff help?
If anyone feared Voldemort's return, it would be Karkaroff, who had betrayed so many Death Eaters to secure his own freedom. It made no sense for him to assist Barty Crouch Jr. in orchestrating Voldemort's revival.