“My name?” Dumbledore looked at Kael with confusion.
Logically speaking, reporting his name would make Abeforth even less likely to sell out… Could it be that his brother has already forgiven him?
“Well…that’s how it is…” Kael stammered, “To be precise, the drinks are charged to your account, and they were just a tad bit more expensive than market price.”
“That’s fine, it doesn’t matter.” Dumbledore roughly understood but remained nonchalant.
Just a few bottles of spirits; he could afford it. Besides, this incident was somewhat related to his impulsiveness, reasonably and emotionally, he ought to pay for it.
“I will make up for the money later, you don’t need to worry.” Dumbledore said calmly.
“That’s good.” Kael remarked, though he already started considering finding a place to lay low for a while.
He had inflated the drink prices several times; God knows how high the markup by Abeforth, the unscrupulous guy, was per bottle, but one thing was certain, Dumbledore was probably going to be slaughtered this time.
Of course, that’s a matter for later.
A little while later, although he and the others hadn’t returned yet, Kingsley arrived. He must have just received the news and rushed over from the Ministry of Magic.
His father Chris was there too, along with another person cloaked entirely in a black hood, who was an Unspeakable. Kael remembered that Chris mentioned the person was entrusted by Diana to check if he was okay.
Upon seeing this Unspeakable, Dumbledore’s entire body suddenly stiffened, his eyes disregarding everyone else, just staring at the person in front of him.
At that point, Kael also confirmed his suspicion.
Indeed, the Unspeakable at that time must have been Arianna, just like the person he encountered at the entrance of the Department of Mysteries.
No wonder he always felt the person recognized him back then; Kael thought it was because of Diana, but he didn’t realize they had truly met.
Yet, he didn’t recognize her then.
“Professor, don’t be impulsive.” Kael patted Dumbledore’s shoulder beside him, “There’s a crowd there now, just be patient for a while longer.”
“Don’t worry.” Dumbledore snapped back to reality and said softly, “I’ve waited a hundred years; a moment longer doesn’t matter.”
Though he said that, Kael could still hear the longing and urgency in his trembling voice.
Yes, although they had seen each other not long ago, when Dumbledore’s memory returned, his yearning and regret for his sister came back too. Nearly a hundred years of emotional void couldn’t be completely filled by a brief reunion.
Dumbledore surely wanted to see Arianna regardless, to confide in her, and to apologize to her…
“Just wait a little longer, professor…” Kael said again.
Because the others had finally arrived, a larger group appeared collectively holding a Portkey beside No. 12 Grimmauld Place.
Kael saw Chris walk over, talking to him…
Dumbledore grew even more anxious; Kael could even feel the arm being held by Dumbledore start to struggle, the grip getting stronger and stronger.
At this point, the hooded Unspeakable seemed to sense something and suddenly turned her head towards them.
Almost instinctively, Dumbledore shrank back, hiding himself behind the wall.
“Professor, what are you doing…” Kael exclaimed, “You seemed so anxious just now, why hesitate at the crucial moment?”
“I, I don’t know either.” Dumbledore bit his lip, so nervous he couldn’t speak coherently. “I’m… I’m just afraid…”
“Afraid of what?”
“Afraid it will be like when I looked into the Mirror of Erised… Clearly right in front of me… Yet it disappears in a blink.”
“I see, I thought you didn’t want to see me.” Came a voice filled with a hint of delight from the side.
Dumbledore then realized the speaker was not Kael; he opened his eyes and saw a face that was unfamiliar yet extremely familiar.
“Long time no see, Albus brother.”
Tears burst forth as Dumbledore laughed and cried, appearing genuinely like a madman.
“And the same goes for you.” Arianna turned to look in another direction, “…”
“Stop, don’t say it.” At the moment she opened her mouth, Kael’s whole body shivered and he quickly stopped her from saying more.
“Just call me Kael, don’t add any suffix.”
Though unsure what magic the Department of Mysteries used to make her appear much younger than Dumbledore and Abeforth, by age she was over a hundred by now.
If she unknowingly called him “brother” like before, Kael would feel uncomfortable just thinking about it.
“Suffix… Ha, you’re dreaming.” Arianna chuckled lightly, “You guys deceived me quite thoroughly; you know how surprised I was when I first met you? I didn’t learn your name until two years ago.”
“Why, didn’t the people from the Department of Mysteries tell you the truth?” Kael asked puzzled.
As for the name issue, after traveling back in time, he’d been deliberately hiding it, worrying it might affect the future.
It could be said that even Kode Potter, whom he often drank with, didn’t know Kael’s name. Kode did ask, and more than once, but each time Kael would deflect with another topic or casually make up a generic nickname, like friend, or traveler.
“The truth? Do you think they would tell me?” Arianna said, “For an Obscurus, any stimulation could trigger the Obscurus within.