Kyle frowned. He didn't want anyone else teaching magic involving memories and thoughts — not even Dumbledore. Many wizards felt the same way, and Chris should have known this.
But looking at his father's expression, he could tell that his father completely trusted this person.
Kyle hesitated, not outright refusing. He decided to see for himself first — he could always make excuses to leave later if things didn't feel right.
Chris had planned to wait until after Kyle's birthday to arrange the meeting, but Kyle had other ideas.
Birthdays happened every year, and missing one day wouldn't matter. Besides, his curiosity about this mysterious Occlumency teacher was overwhelming. If the teacher wasn't suitable, they could always seek other options.
Since Kyle was so insistent, Chris readily agreed.
The two stepped into an open space outside the room, and Chris extended his arm, "We can Apparate there directly — grab my arm."
Kyle took a deep breath and grasped the outstretched arm.
"Well then, let's go!"
With a loud crack, both disappeared from the spot.
✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭
When Kyle opened his eyes again, he found himself in front of a red-roofed wooden cabin.
The cabin was small but cozy, with immaculate corners and a low fence surrounding it. An elderly couple stood nearby, smiling warmly at them.
"Grandpa Newt? Grandma Tina?" Kyle exclaimed in surprise.
He hadn't expected his father's mysterious teacher to be Newt and Tina, but their presence put him at ease.
"Little Kyle, you're here to learn Occlumency, aren't you? Don't just stand there — come in!" Tina came forward, affectionately pinched his cheek, and led him inside, where she presented him with cookies and homemade bread.
Kyle sighed inwardly. Despite having just finished breakfast, he couldn't resist stuffing his cheeks with the treats.
Once he'd eaten his fill, he patted his stomach and asked, "Grandma Tina, will you be my teacher?"
She likely had the strongest Occlumency skills in the household — a necessity, given that her sister Queenie was a natural Legilimens. Without robust mental defenses, she'd have no secrets from her sister.
Tina smiled and shook her head, "I'll only teach you the basic theory. After that, someone else will take over."
"Not you?" Kyle turned to Newt questioningly.
"Not me either, child." Newt placed an open suitcase on the ground with a smile, "Come with me, I'll take you to meet your teacher."
Um... At the sight of the suitcase, Kyle's stomach dropped.
But Newt had already climbed inside, leaving Kyle no choice but to follow.
The space within the suitcase was enormous — a vast expanse filled with trees, complete with rivers and lakes. It was indistinguishable from a real forest.
Newt led Kyle to an open space by a lake.
A Wampus cat approached them gracefully, as if it had been waiting for their arrival. Its bright blue eyes fixed on them as it lowered its head slightly.
"This is Natalie." Newt said with a smile, gently scratching under the Wampus cat's chin, "Remember, Kyle? Every Wampus cat is a natural Legilimens."
"Of course... I remember." Kyle's mouth twitched as his sense of dread grew stronger.
Chris walked over and patted his son's shoulder, "So, what do you think of the teacher I found for you?"
"You mean my teacher is actually Natalie?"
"That's right." Chris said, "To learn Occlumency quickly, you need proper pressure — it's the only way to trigger those deep emotions inside you. We all agreed that Natalie would be the perfect teacher, and she accepted.
After you learn the basic theory, we'll bring you here for her to test your defenses. Your task is simple: try not to get overwhelmed. If you can last five minutes unscathed, you've mastered Occlumency."
"Hold on — five minutes?" Kyle interrupted incredulously, "But this is a Wampus cat! Even with perfect Occlumency, I wouldn't stand a chance!"
A six-legged Wampus cat was among the fastest magical creatures. Truth be told, it wouldn't even need Legilimency to overcome him — that would be excessive.
"Don't worry." Newt assured him, "Natalie is highly intelligent. She knows exactly what she's doing."
"But..."
Before Kyle could continue, Natalie approached and gently nuzzled his face.
"Meow..."
"Of course I trust you." Kyle said quickly, scratching under her chin, "I just think this method seems a bit... unreliable..."
"On the contrary, it's the perfect solution." Chris said firmly, "If we were teaching you, we'd also need to use Legilimency to create pressure — just like with a Wampus cat. The difference is that Natalie can practice with you whenever and wherever you need. We can't offer that. Plus, she'll keep your secrets safe."
Kyle considered this and realized his father had a point.
While being subjected to Legilimency wasn't pleasant, having a Wampus cat as a teacher did seem more bearable.
"All right then, I'm in." Kyle nodded.
The Wampus cat let out a satisfied purr, then raised its front leg and delivered a perfect straight kick to his backside.
Whoosh!
Not surprisingly, Kyle spun through the air and landed in the nearby lake.
Chris and Newt were startled at first but quickly understood what had happened.
"Looks like we won't need to teach him the basic theory." Newt said with a chuckle, "I need to check on Anny — she just gave birth to a litter of Nifflers and is still quite weak. What about you? Heading back to the Ministry?"
"I'll go with you." Chris shook his head, "I'm off work today."
Newt nodded and headed toward another area.
Chris followed behind, but after a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and called out, "Remember, no spells!"
A hand emerged from the lake and waved at him.
✭✭✭
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