Kyle had spent the last few months bouncing around Europe looking for answers. So far he had been to Hogwarts to search the library, Inverness to work at the Council and see what they had missed, Italy to check with some other elementals there, all the while bleeding the incredibly small purse he had been given by his parents after starting school nearly 8 years ago. Kyle was broke; the young man desperately in need of work. So Kyle had decided to return to Diagon Alley to see if any of the shops needed a hand. He couldn't do anything magical, but Squibs found places to help the magical community, and it wasn't like he was a Squib after all. It would be hard finding work he could disguise as mundane enough to not bother with magic, but he hoped that a simple, working class job would be enough to keep him from being noticed as different while he replenished his means and went back to the only thing that mattered, finding out how to help Linnet.
Making his way down the cobbled streets, Kyle passed many of his old favorite shops. Olivander's had captured Kyle's imagination all those many years back when he had just been told he was a wizard and had gone to buy his first wand. Kyle had been so excited; now the young elemental could hardly tell anyone the last time he had used it. He still carried it as to appear more like the rest of the magical crowd, but it was as useful to him as any other stick would be, this one he had just paid more to own. Quality Quidditch Supplies had several new displays up for the seasonal break. They were likely about to roll out their new lines just before the season picked back up again; but that was one place Kyle wouldn't be shopping anytime soon as he had neither the expendable income nor the time for broom care, Quidditch or leisure reading. As his first interview was not for a while, Kyle decided to make his way to Flourish and Blotts. While he may not buy anything, he could still find something hidden in a tome that may help him.
Tracing his steps down towards the familiar shop, Kyle noticed how much had changed in the past 7 years. Shops had undergone changes in ownership, management, and even some had just gone away completely. It was a different feeling than it had been when he had arrived the first time those many years ago. Turning his focus back to the book search that was at hand, Kyle stepped through the door of the shop and was greeted with the smell of parchment and ink, as he had grown quite accustomed to in the library at Hogwarts. Heading towards the sea of shelves, Kyle began to lose himself in the search.
Ancient tomes, newer herbology texts, moderately well used resale text books. The shop had it all and Kyle was sure that if he looked hard enough he might find something of use. After striking out with Herbology texts and finding nothing at all related to elementalism, Kyle made his way to the Alchemy section. He couldn't explain why, but there was some kind of connection the young man felt between the changing of substances and magical properties and the changing of an elemental into their element. The morphing process seemed to have some alchemical roots. It was a long shot, but who knew, maybe this time it would pan out. About the time Kyle picked up his second book in a vain attempt to find something, he heard someone speak up. Realizing once again he was in a shop full of people, Kyle turned his attention to the speaker and apologized hurriedly, replacing the book and assuming it was someone from management scolding him for not buying it. As the other man spoke though, it was apparent he was not a manager, he was someone who seemed to remember Kyle.
Kyle studied the man from top to bottom. He did look somewhat familiar, but the Madin could not place why. He certainly wasn't an elemental, that much would have been obvious immediately to the young man. Kyle didn't recognize him from Wales or from the Ministry as one of those who had anything to do with the family dragon reserve. His only assumption was something related to Hogwarts...Then it hit him. Kyle knew exactly where he had seen the man. The Battle. Kyle hated discussing it and hated reliving it even more. There was a ball of negative energy still stuck in the young man's chest every time he thought of that terrible day. Resolving himself not to let that ball of energy consume him and drive him back down the paths he had traveled in those dark days, Kyle did his best to smile as he said, "Yes, you look quite familiar as well, I do believe that we were both at Hogwarts together. During the war I mean." Kyle left it at that. He didn't need to mention the Creevy brother who never left the battle, or the countless others who had been killed. All told, Kyle would rather have walked right past the man and out of the shop. But that would have been rude and might have brought more attention to himself, attention he would rather avoid at this point in his life.
