Chapter 292: A Strange Occurrence
Chapter 292: A Strange Occurrence
Filch's office was located on the first floor, near the entrance hall, just below an empty classroom on the left corridor of the library.
Kyle ran along the corridor on the second floor, heading in that direction.
However, as he passed by the library entrance, he suddenly felt a sense of dizziness.
Vague memories of Voldemort's words from last year in the underground classroom flashed through his mind.
It was about the process of making Horcruxes...
As he hadn't been sure if Voldemort had mixed in any false information, Kyle hadn't dared to research it recklessly. But now, he felt a sudden clarity.
The abstruse and profound knowledge suddenly became simple and understandable, as if he had been studying it for decades. He could easily comprehend the reasons behind the steps and the principles involved.
"This feeling is incredible," Kyle thought.
Even the Ravenclaw Diadem might not be able to match this.
The knowledge in his mind gradually arranged itself into a scroll of parchment filled with illustrations and text.
"Regarding the process of creating Horcruxes..."
Each illustration on the scroll was crystal clear, and the accompanying text was extremely detailed. With just a glance—even just a fleeting one—he could master the process of creating Horcruxes...
But just then.
"Bang!"
Something seemed to be smashed forcefully onto the ground.
With a loud crash, Kyle was suddenly jolted back to his senses, and the knowledge that had filled his mind instantly vanished without a trace.
No matter how hard Kyle tried to recall, it was of no use; it was as if time had rewound and those thoughts had never existed.
Then... a water balloon smashed onto his head.
The balloon burst, drenching Kyle's head with a large amount of cold water.
He shivered instinctively, and his mind immediately cleared.
"What are you daydreaming about, Kyle, you little rascal," Peeves said as he flew past. "Hurry up and run! That big idiot Filch is coming right for you!"
After saying that, he disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
Then, Filch came running up.
He glanced at Kyle, who was soaked from head to toe, with water still dripping from his hair, and soon noticed the balloon fragments on the floor...
"Peeves, that little rascal, did this?"
Kyle nodded.
"Which way did he go!"
Kyle pointed casually...
In fact, Filch didn't even need to ask. Peeves had been throwing water balloons at the surrounding portraits as he fled, leaving wet marks all along his path.
Filch was furious. He ignored Kyle and angrily chased after Peeves...
"Peeves! I'm going to catch you today and kick you out of this castle!"
Kyle watched him leave, then turned and looked at the library door, feeling puzzled.
What had just happened to him? Was it a coincidence or some kind of special circumstance?
Also, could this situation be recreated? If so, what were the triggering conditions?
It couldn't be as simple as passing by the library... Kyle frowned and took a few steps back.
A few minutes later, when Harry left Filch's office and came upstairs, he witnessed the strange scene before him.
Kyle seemed to be wandering back and forth in front of the library door as if he were lost... Sometimes he walked normally, sometimes he ran, and sometimes he ran and jumped at the same time...
It was odd, to say the least, and a little eerie.
"Kyle."
Kyle suddenly stopped and turned around. "Oh, I was waiting for you and also doing some physical training."
"Physical training?" Harry asked, confused.
"Yes," Kyle replied calmly. "It's a special training method for Seekers. It's normal for you not to know since you're a Finder. So, how did it go with Filch? Did he give you a hard time?"
At the mention of this, Harry suddenly became excited. "No, he just let me go!"
Escaping punishment and getting away from Filch's office unscathed was probably a new record.
"Then you should thank Sir Poppleton," Kyle said with a smile.
As they spoke, Nearly Headless Nick suddenly emerged from a classroom behind them, with a golden and black cabinet smashed on the floor in his wake.
"I persuaded Peeves to smash it on top of Filch's office," he explained.
"It was you!" Harry said gratefully. "Ah, it was so timely! I wasn't even put in detention. Thank you, Nick!"
Kyle also noticed the cabinet and walked into the classroom to examine the golden patterns on it.
"What's wrong, Kyle?" Harry asked curiously as he followed.
"This is a Vanishing Cabinet," Kyle said, studying the golden magical text on it.
"A Vanishing Cabinet?"
"Yes, a rare alchemical artifact," Kyle explained.
"But it didn't vanish," Harry pointed out, "it's still here..."
"You misunderstood," Kyle clarified. "The Vanishing Cabinet means that whatever is placed inside will appear in another cabinet, as if it vanished into thin air."
Harry inspected the cabinet, and the more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.
"I think I've seen one like this somewhere before... Oh, I remember, it was in Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. There was an identical cabinet there."
Harry suddenly closed his mouth and cautiously glanced to the side.
Nearly Headless Nick floated over, suddenly seeming very interested in the wall.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Do you remember when I accidentally ended up in Knockturn Alley while trying to use the Floo Network, and I hid in a cabinet to avoid being seen by Malfoy and his father?"
"Borgin and Burkes?"
"Yes, that's the name of the shop," Harry confirmed. "I hid inside that cabinet, but I didn't vanish, Kyle. You must have mistaken it for another one."
"Did you close the door of the cabinet?" Kyle asked.
"Yes, I did," Harry replied after a moment's thought. Initially, he had left a small gap, but later, when Mr. Malfoy tried to touch something and was stopped by his son, he accidentally bumped into the cabinet door, closing the gap.
"Then the cabinet must be faulty," Kyle concluded.
Shaking his head, he added, "Either this one or the one in Borgin and Burkes is defective. I saw a Vanishing Cabinet in Paris, so I can't be mistaken."
"Oh, that's right," Nearly Headless Nick piped in as he floated over. "The storeroom contains only damaged items. This cabinet has been here for a long time, probably about fifty years ago when Dumbledore placed it here. He had just received the Order of Merlin, First Class, and the castle was bustling with activity back then."
(End of Chapter)
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