"Limit you?!"
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise.
Kai Adler shrugged. "It's because of the Obscurus."
"The magic-restricting ring suppresses all forms of magic, and technically, the Obscurus is a kind of dark magic too."
He looked at the silver band in his hand and gave a faint, dry smile. "When I was eight, the Obscurus was surging out of control pretty often. I couldn't manage it well yet, and I was getting weaker each time it lashed out. So, to avoid being completely consumed, I wore this ring for six months straight."
"But…" he paused, gaze distant for a moment, "it ended up being a blessing in disguise. When I finally took it off, I realized I could control the Obscurus perfectly."
Kai gave a wry smile. "I guess it became a form of… magical weighted training."
"That's amazing…" Hermione whispered, eyes glowing with awe.
"???"
Kai blinked at her, clearly baffled.
What part of that was "amazing"? It was dangerous! He'd nearly died.
So her focus was… on him mastering the Obscurus in the end?
When the two returned to the Gryffindor common room, they found it bursting with celebration. The little lions had hoisted Harry Potter into the air, cheering so loudly that even the painted figures in the portraits clapped and whooped along.
Ron spotted them immediately. "Kai! Hermione! Where've you been? I've been looking for you!"
He bounced over, face lit with excitement. "You missed it! It was brilliant—Harry dodged that rogue Bludger like a pro, and then—bam!—he snatched the Snitch in this amazing dive! Malfoy looked so mad, I thought his hair might explode."
Kai and Hermione exchanged a glance but said nothing about the real reason for the victory.
Hermione leaned over and whispered, "Should we tell Harry?"
Kai nodded. After all, he'd been targeted.
They pulled Harry aside to a quiet corner and explained everything: the invisible house-elf, the cursed Bludger, and the confrontation that had followed.
Harry's eyes grew huge. "Wait—I've seen that elf!"
Kai and Hermione looked at him in surprise. "When?"
"Before school started. He showed up in my room at the Dursleys'—told me not to come to Hogwarts, that it was too dangerous."
Hermione's mouth dropped open. "He told us the same thing!"
Kai rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He had been skeptical of the elf's warnings, but now, seeing Harry's reaction, he had to admit: Dobby hadn't been lying.
Which meant… the Malfoy family was involved.
"The danger at Hogwarts… is it the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asked cautiously.
Kai gave a slow nod.
"Dobby really was trying to protect me… even if his way of doing it was…" Harry scratched his head. "A bit extreme."
"I also heard someone mention it might be related to Grindelwald's heir," Harry added.
Kai rolled his eyes. "That's just a rumor. Don't go spreading misinformation. If a professor hasn't confirmed it, it doesn't count."
Harry nodded sheepishly.
Hermione giggled softly but looked thoughtful. A flicker of determination crossed her face.
The weekend passed in a flash. By Monday morning, the usual buzz of student chatter filled the corridors again. That day's Transfiguration class was one Kai always took seriously.
Unlike other subjects, where he might let his mind wander, Transfiguration demanded precision—and Professor McGonagall, despite her stern demeanor, was one of the few instructors Kai respected.
But today, the lesson was suddenly interrupted.
Hermione's hand shot into the air. "Professor, I was wondering… could you tell us more about the Chamber of Secrets?"
The classroom erupted into whispers. Even Kai turned his head, surprised. Hermione gave him a small, meaningful glance.
Ah. She wanted McGonagall to publicly state that the Chamber was connected to Slytherin—not some baseless rumor about Grindelwald's heir.
Kai didn't really care about the gossip. Other than Dumbledore and Hermione, no one at Hogwarts even knew he had been raised by Gellert Grindelwald. The misunderstanding had actually helped him trace the real culprit.
But Hermione clearly couldn't bear seeing his name unfairly dragged through the mud. Since it was a gesture of loyalty—albeit one that interfered slightly with his plans—he let it be.
Professor McGonagall gave Hermione a long look, then turned to face the rest of the class. Sensing the students' curiosity, she finally sighed and began:
She spoke of the founding of Hogwarts, the schism between Salazar Slytherin and the others, and the legend of a hidden chamber that would one day be opened by his heir.
She was careful not to mention the Basilisk, only saying that "a terrifying creature" would be released.
Still, a wave of unease spread through the room, especially among the Muggle-born students.
From the back came a sharp, mocking laugh.
Ron turned and saw Draco Malfoy sneering at Hermione with barely concealed contempt.
Kai looked too, his expression darkening.
Later, as the trio walked back to the common room, Ron voiced what they were all thinking.
"Blimey… so the Chamber's real?"
"Of course it is!" Hermione snapped.
She and Kai had already been the first to encounter its effects, even if it hadn't succeeded.
Well, that was only because her Kai had protected her—
Wait. Her Kai?
Hermione froze, cheeks suddenly burning. She glanced at Kai and then quickly looked away.
Harry, lost in thought, murmured, "So… that thing that attacked Mrs. Norris—it came from the Chamber? That means—"
"Slytherin's heir is here," Ron finished grimly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Isn't that obvious?"
"But everyone keeps saying it's Grindelwald's heir—"
"Rumor! That's just a rumor!" Hermione said firmly. "The real question is—who is it?"
Ron scratched his head. "Well… who goes around talking about Muggle-borns like they're trash?"
Hermione turned toward Kai. "You think it's Malfoy?"
"Obviously," Ron scoffed. "You weren't there when Mrs. Norris was found. He was grinning like a lunatic when he saw the blood on the wall."
Kai looked thoughtful. "If you want to know whether it's him—just ask."
Ron blinked. "Wait, what?"
But it was too late. Kai was already walking ahead and placed a firm hand on the shoulder of a platinum-haired boy.
"Draco Malfoy. I have a few questions."
The trio stared in shock.
Draco froze mid-sentence, about to brag to Crabbe and Goyle about Slytherin's "purity". He turned and saw Kai's calm, piercing gaze.
His stomach dropped.
Why him? Had he found out?
Kai tilted his head. "You look nervous."
"I'm not afraid of you," Draco snapped, stepping back instinctively.
"That's not your decision," Kai replied coolly.
At that moment, Kai's eyes darkened. For a brief instant, shadows seemed to ripple across them like smoke.
Draco suddenly felt a sharp stab of pressure in his mind, like needles pricking behind his eyes.
Kai frowned, pressing in.
He was about to dig deeper when—
"Mr. Adler. What are you doing?"
The voice slithered through the air like a cold draft—Professor Snape.
Kai exhaled quietly and released Draco's shoulder.