Chapter Text
Hogwarts School for Exceptional Students was alive with its usual buzz. In the sprawling, ivy-covered institution nestled in the Scottish Highlands, whispers of a very important visitor had begun to circulate. The gossip had traveled faster than a letter in the staff room—probably thanks to the perpetually nosy Charms professor, Filius Flitwick, who had a knack for hearing everything before anyone else.
Harry Potter leaned against the large oak desk in his classroom, absentmindedly organizing a pile of quizzes. The corner of his mouth twitched in amusement as he caught snippets of conversation wafting in through the open window. He’d spent the better part of his twenties escaping the fame that had followed him since his youth, only to find that it had stubbornly lingered as he pursued his passion for teaching.
“Do you think he’s a donor?” came the high-pitched voice of Hannah Abbott, the school's potions master, from the corridor.
“I heard he’s some hotshot CEO!” said Professor Sinistra with barely contained excitement. “Gwendolyn in administration swears he’s involved in cutting-edge tech.”
Harry sighed and shook his head. He wasn’t entirely sure who the visitor was, but he knew it would be big—Hogwarts rarely entertained guests who weren’t prospective students or their parents.
“Stop eavesdropping,” Hermione said from the doorway, startling Harry. She stepped inside, balancing two cups of tea. As usual, her curly hair was slightly frazzled from teaching a particularly rowdy session of Advanced History. “It’s bad enough the kids are in a frenzy. Don’t tell me you’re joining in.”
“I wasn’t!” Harry protested, taking one of the cups and sipping. “But if you know who’s coming, I’d appreciate the hint.”
Hermione smirked. “Not a clue. Apparently, even the board’s in the dark. Though knowing Dumbledore, he’s probably orchestrating this whole thing to throw us all off-balance. You know how he loves a dramatic reveal.”
Harry groaned. “Don’t remind me. The last time he sprang something on us, we had to entertain half the Ministry for a week.”
“Poor thing. Stuck mingling with the pompous elite,” Hermione teased. “Besides, I hear this one’s a short visit—just a tour, maybe a dinner. Hardly the trial you’re making it out to be.”
Harry snorted and set his cup down. “Tell that to Ron. He’s already planning his exit strategy. Something about avoiding being roped into any impromptu speeches.”
Hermione laughed. “Typical Ron.”
They chatted for a while longer, their banter flowing easily. Hermione excused herself when a student popped in to ask for extra credit opportunities. Harry waved her off and turned his attention back to the papers in front of him.
It wasn’t long before Blaise Zabini, his sharp-tongued friend and occasional co-conspirator in avoiding staff meetings, wandered in. Blaise worked for some high-profile engineering firm now—Grindelwald Enterprises, if Harry remembered correctly—and still managed to pop by Hogwarts whenever he could to catch up.
“You look chipper,” Blaise remarked, slinging his jacket over a chair.
“Please. Chipper would imply I don’t have to deal with tomorrow’s surprise.”
Blaise raised an eyebrow. “You mean the Grindelwald visit?”
Harry frowned. “Grindelwald?”
“Gellert Grindelwald. CEO of Grindelwald Enterprises,” Blaise said casually. “Surely you’ve heard of him.”
“Vaguely,” Harry admitted. “What’s he doing here?”
“Touring. Rumor is he’s looking to sponsor some big educational initiative. Schools like Hogwarts are at the top of his list,” Blaise said, leaning back in the chair.
“Oh, lovely. A billionaire meddling in education. That always goes well,” Harry muttered.
“Don’t be so cynical,” Blaise quipped. “Grindelwald’s not just any billionaire. He’s… efficient. Sharp. Knows how to make things happen.”
Harry gave him a skeptical look. “Sounds… intimidating.”
Blaise shrugged. “He’s direct, sure, but he’s not a tyrant. Honestly, you might like him. He values people who know what they’re doing, and Merlin knows that’s rare in this place.”
Harry laughed despite himself. “I suppose we’ll see.”
As Blaise left to check in with Hermione, Harry leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. The idea of a high-profile visit didn’t thrill him, but he couldn’t deny he was curious about this Gellert Grindelwald. If nothing else, tomorrow promised to be interesting.
And Harry, against his better judgment, couldn’t help but feel a little intrigued.