The Opening Banquet

From morning until evening, the Hogwarts Express traveled at a speed completely at odds with its name.

As they neared Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick went to the prefects' compartment to give them instructions. Professor Sprout did not go; she was trimming the excess branches and leaves from a Christmas cactus.

Kyle sat there, staring blankly out the window.

Before this, he had also worried about how Hogwarts' opening feast would be held.

If the most important part of the event had previously been the Sorting of the new students, then this year it would undoubtedly be Dumbledore's speech.

It was not that the Sorting of the new students was unimportant this year. People simply did not care about it as much anymore. Especially under the current circumstances, most people clearly wanted to see Dumbledore more.

He did not need to do anything. Just showing his face would reassure everyone.

Perhaps that was why Dumbledore had prepared in advance and asked Kyle to impersonate him.

If he did not even appear at the opening feast, people would inevitably draw unpleasant conclusions. The Death Eaters might also use it as an opportunity to probe the school.

Of course, as long as he showed himself, there would be no need to worry about any of that.

Ever since the week before term began, Kyle had been wondering when Dumbledore would return.

Honestly, he had been gone for rather too long. The closer it got to the start of term, the more worried Kyle became.

First of all, time travel was not actually safe, and it was full of uncertainty. Under normal circumstances, there could not be two Dumbledores in the same time period. If they saw each other, they might accidentally kill their past or future "selves."

For instance, if the