They did not take the main street out of Hogsmeade.
Dumbledore led them along the familiar sloping road that curved gently away from the village, lanterns lining the path as dusk deepened into evening. The chatter of shops and crowds faded behind them, replaced by the quiet crunch of gravel underfoot and the distant call of night birds waking up.
Hogwarts grew larger with every step.
The castle lights had begun to glow, warm points of gold against dark stone. Towers rose cleanly against the sky, steady and patient, as if the place had been waiting and had no intention of pretending otherwise.
Dumbledore walked with his hands folded behind his back, humming softly, as though this were a stroll he had taken a thousand times. The dwarf kept pace beside him, posture stiff, eyes forward, looking like someone who would rather be anywhere else.
"You remember this road," Dumbledore said pleasantly.
Wayne nodded. "Hard to forget. It's where students decide whether they're excited or terrified."
Amber smiled. "I'm both."
Dumbledore chuckled. "An excellent combination."
The dwarf cleared his throat. "Headmaster," he said, voice firm, "we should—"
"In a moment, Borin," Dumbledore replied kindly.
Wayne glanced at the dwarf. "Borin," he repeated. "That explains a lot."
Borin frowned. "Explains what."
"Why you sound like Professor Flitwick when you're annoyed," Wayne said.
Dumbledore stopped walking.
Slowly, he turned, eyes twinkling. "Ah. I wondered when that would come up."
Amber looked between them. "Come up how."
Dumbledore gestured lightly toward Borin. "Borin Flintwick," he said. "Cousin to a cousin of a cousin, twice removed, on his mother's side, to Professor Filius Flitwick."
Borin sighed. "Uncle. Second uncle."
"Second uncle," Dumbledore corrected cheerfully. "Though some records say great-uncle. Family trees can be tricky."
Amber blinked. "Wait. Professor Flitwick?"
Wayne burst out laughing.
"You practiced that," he said immediately.
Dumbledore smiled, entirely unashamed. "I may have arranged the wording."
"You absolutely rehearsed it," Wayne said. "The pause, the genealogy, the dramatic reveal."
Borin crossed his arms. "It is relevant."
"It's funny," Wayne replied. "And unnecessary."
Dumbledore resumed walking, clearly pleased. "Filius speaks highly of Borin," he said. "Usually after long pauses and deep breaths."
"He talks too much," Borin muttered.
Amber laughed openly now. "I already like him."
Borin looked alarmed. "Please don't."
They continued down the road, the castle now looming close enough that individual windows could be seen, glowing like watchful eyes. The iron gates stood ahead, tall and dark, framed by stone pillars worn smooth by time.
Wayne slowed as they approached.
"This is where the carriages start," Amber said, noticing the line of dark shapes waiting near the gates.
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "They'll take you the rest of the way."
Amber squinted. "Are they… moving."
Wayne smiled slightly. "Some people see more than others."
She glanced at him, then decided not to ask.
The carriages waited in silence, doors open, lanterns glowing softly. Students were already climbing inside, voices low, excitement restrained by the hour.
Borin stopped a step short of the gates. "I'll leave you here," he said stiffly.
Wayne raised an eyebrow. "That's it."
"That's it," Borin confirmed.
Wayne extended a hand. Borin hesitated, then shook it firmly.
"You were loud," Wayne said. "But you were thorough."
Borin nodded once. "You were difficult."
"That's fair," Wayne replied.
Dumbledore watched the exchange with clear satisfaction.
"This is as far as we go together tonight," he said. "The rest, I leave to the castle."
Amber looked up at the gates, then back at Wayne. "Ready."
Wayne nodded. "Ready."
Dumbledore stepped aside, giving them a clear path forward. "Welcome back," he said quietly.
Wayne paused, then looked at him. "We'll talk soon."
"I look forward to it," Dumbledore replied.
Wayne and Amber moved toward the gates together. The stone seemed to rise around them, old and solid, familiar without being welcoming, exactly as Hogwarts had always been.
Behind them, Dumbledore stayed where he was watching them go.
The gates remained open, lanterns glowing softly as students and carriages continued to pass through.
And the road ahead led only one way, toward the castle that remembered more than it ever said.