My question involves name change laws in the State of: Virginia

When my nephew was born, he was given his mother's maiden last name. He was raised by his mother and had very limited contact with bio father until his mother passed away 2 years ago. Nephew is now 13 years old.

Nephew spent summer break with his maternal grand parents. When he returned back to his fathers, he was told that both his middle and last name had been changed. His last name to his father's last name and his middle name to his paternal grand father's middle name (his original middle name was his maternal father's middle name).

My questions are this:
1. How can we find out if this is really true? He is still going by his original name at school so we aren't really sure that they told him this as a mean trick (which I would not put past them) or if they really did it. We are not on good terms with father so we can't just call and ask. Basically if we were to question the father, my nephew would get grounded and punished for telling us about the name change (What goes on in their house stays in their house and he's not allowed to discuss anything that happens there with us.).

2. Wouldn't this have to have gone through the courts? Would the court do this without even talking to the child? I know he's a minor but his name is his identity and after 13 years it just seems wrong to change it without his knowledge. He is already living in a house that he hates, with people that he hates and he doesn't have any choice or say so in the matter due to custody laws but you would just think he'd have some sort of say so in his own name.

3. With mother being deceased, I'm assuming the father would not have been required to notify any other family members? His grandparents have a court ordered visitation agreement and if they should need to go to court, wouldn't they need to know his name had been changed?

4. If they did change his name, will he be able to change it back once he turned 18? He has already informed us he has no intention of using his "new name" because that is not who he is.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.