Rebirth

Children growing up in Europe had clearly never heard of a distinctive educational institution in the distant East called "cram school."

Otherwise, they wouldn't have come so cheerfully to attend the "Mutual Aid Society" Klein had founded.

Saturday morning, nine o'clock. Second floor of Hogwarts Castle, outside the girls' bathroom.

Little wizards in robes of every color whispered among themselves, looking both excited and confused.

This was the meeting place of the "Mutual Aid Society" founded by Klein Grindelwald.

"Harry, do you think Klein made a mistake?"

In the crowd of Gryffindors, Ron looked up at the bathroom sign and frowned slightly. He spoke quietly to the friend beside him.

"I don't know."

Harry shrugged.

"Maybe he made a mistake?"

"No, Klein would never make such a basic mistake. I mean, he's Klein Grindelwald."

Ever since Klein had saved Ron's life on Halloween, Ron had transformed into the leader of the "Three Klein Fanboys."

As a side note, Neville was second, and Harry was third.

Of course, Ron would never admit that they were called the "Three Brothers."

Their official name was the "Klein Fan Support Club—Gryffindor Branch."

"Who knows? Neither of us can guess what Klein is thinking."

Though Harry agreed with Ron, he still couldn't understand why Klein had gathered them here.

Could it be—

that he was going to tutor them in the girls' bathroom?

Oh, come on. That was impossible.

Never mind whether the place was suitable; the short, plump ghost who was always crying in there would be a huge nuisance.

After waiting a long time with all their questions, the man of the hour finally appeared.

Klein came around the stairwell corner, looked at the dense crowd, and paused for a moment. Then an apologetic expression crossed his face.

"Sorry I'm late."

Without using magic, Klein still easily drew every little wizard's attention.

His voice wasn't loud—in fact, it was soft. Yet, for some reason, the moment he spoke, everyone fell silent.

"That's Klein's charisma for you~"

In the crowd, Pansy gazed at his figure with adoration.

"Make way, please. I'll take you all inside in just a moment."

Klein hadn't actually been late. He had kept precisely to the agreed time.

But there was one thing he hadn't anticipated:

his popularity and the little wizards' enthusiasm.

"Make way, Klein's coming through." "Back up, back up." "Hey, don't step on me!"

Like a stone dropped into a still lake, his arrival sent ripples through the crowd. The little wizards scrambled to get out of his way, afraid of blocking his path.

To put it this way, it might not have been quite like ardent fans seeing their idol, but it was close to ordinary people spotting a celebrity.

Well—

Klein really was a Hogwarts celebrity now.

Thanks to the spread of those four New Spells and the Order of Merlin's strong support, the Daily Prophet had run stories about the "Child of Magic" more times than anyone could count.

In the Magical World, where news channels were so limited, Klein Grindelwald's name had spread far and wide—so far that it had already eclipsed even the famous Harry Potter.

Awe, excitement, curiosity.

A jumble of emotions swirled together as the little wizards watched Klein walk past them and take his place at the front.

"All right, you've been standing around for a while. You must be tired. Let's go in."

Klein glanced back at the dense crowd, turned the handle with practiced ease, and led the way into the bathroom.

Although the little wizards had endless questions, they still chose to trust Klein.

And then—

they witnessed a sight they would never forget.

At the urging of the Parseltongue spell, the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets slowly opened.

"Oh my goodness."

The shock overwhelmed everything else. The little wizards lucky enough to see it were instantly dumbstruck.

They were curious about the spell Klein had cast, which made his voice turn into a snake, and astonished by the pitch-black opening.

The girls in particular were stunned.

What—

What on earth was this?

The bathroom where they washed up every day had been hiding a secret like this?

"Students, welcome to the Chamber of Secrets."

Standing by the entrance, Klein smiled faintly.

The wind howled, and the weather had grown bitterly cold.

Huddled inside his thin robe, Quirinus Quirrell looked sallow. Even the turban wrapped around the back of his head had become filthy.

Since resigning, his life had been miserable.

After leaving Hogwarts Castle, he had returned to the Black Forest in Baljiria and activated the Dark Mark.

But no one answered.

His followers and servants had abandoned their master!

"This is betrayal!"

Quirrell was furious, and swore he would hack the traitors to pieces.

Voldemort, however, seemed quite calm.

He had realized that the problem wasn't with his followers, but with Quirrell himself.

He was too weak.

Too weak to truly activate the Dark Mark.

The skull spewing a giant serpent was nothing but a hollow show of smoke.

I have to leave this body as soon as possible.

Voldemort thought to himself.

There was no doubt about the Magic Ring's power. He could even clearly feel his magic growing stronger with every passing second.

But at the same time, Quirrell's body was growing weaker and weaker.

It was time for a change.

"Quirinus."

Having made his decision, Voldemort spoke softly in his mind, his tone giving nothing away.

"Yes, Master."

Quirrell immediately bowed his head respectfully, a stark contrast to his earlier ferocity.

"Quirinus, what are you willing to do for me?"

"Anything. I am willing to give you everything, my Master."

Voldemort's question came slowly, but Quirrell's answer was quick, without the slightest hesitation.

"Good, Quirinus. You are my most loyal servant."

A trace of satisfaction crept into Voldemort's voice, then it turned as cold as a spring in winter.

"Then offer me your life, Quirinus. The time has come."

Servants were nothing but substitutes. If it meant he could make a comeback, he wouldn't hesitate to abandon anything.

Quirrell was of no use to him anymore.

"Yes, yes, my Master."

At those words, Quirrell's face turned deathly pale. A flicker of struggle passed through his eyes before they settled into obedience once more.

Quirinus Quirrell, once Ravenclaw's top student, shakily drew his wand with his thin arm and turned its tip toward himself.

"Long live Voldemort!"

Quirrell growled, casting the final spell of his life.

He sacrificed everything!

"Ah, this feels wonderful."

Waves of pure magic flowed back into the depths of Voldemort's soul. The sensation was so exquisite he nearly moaned aloud.

Quirrell's body rapidly dissolved, but at the same time, a small, hunched yet tangible body slowly began to grow.

"My precious."

At last, a half-grown little monster rose from the pool of blood.

He murmured excitedly, a ring still clenched tightly in his palm.