"Are you... really?"
After his brief shock, Harry looked at the Dumbledore before him and asked hopefully.
"You could think of it that way..." Dumbledore said after pondering for a moment.
Harry looked somewhat excited. If Dumbledore could return, everyone would surely be thrilled.
Kyle watched them from the side without saying anything.
In truth, ever since seeing Dumbledore, he had only grown more doubtful. At the heart of it was Dumbledore's flimsy excuse from earlier.
To be honest, Dumbledore was not a perfect wizard. Or rather, at certain times, he could even be a little cruel...
For instance, in order to keep Harry away from the praise and glory of the wizarding world, he had let him live alone for ten years with an aunt and uncle who hated magic.
But if anyone said Dumbledore had stood by and watched students and professors be slaughtered by Death Eaters just so he could retire smoothly, not only Kyle, but even Ron would never believe it.
That excuse was terrible.
If Fawkes had not shown no reaction, Kyle would have released the Basilisk to kill this Dumbledore on the spot.
But Fawkes had not reacted, which meant the person before them really was Dumbledore. Besides, if he were an impostor, he could not possibly have known that Harry was a Horcrux.
Yet that was also what Kyle found hardest to understand.
He had not even had time to ask before Harry and the others interrupted him.
"Harry, he isn't Headmaster Dumbledore." Hermione suddenly said after coming to her senses, drawing everyone's attention.
"How could that be, Hermione? He's obviously Professor Dumbledore." Harry asked in confusion. "I remember you saying that only hair taken from a living person can be used to make Polyjuice Potion, so he can't possibly be fake, right?"