Chapter 398: The Music Room That Caught His Eye
Chapter 398: The Music Room That Caught His Eye
The Christmas dinner was lavish, probably prepared by the house-elf Tata to ensure Kyle experienced the festive cheer.
"Don't be shy, child. Please dig in," said Nicol's wife, Perenelle, with a warm smile.
As for herself, she only ate a slice of ham, a small portion of pea shoots, and half a pudding before setting her cutlery aside.
Nicol, on the other hand, didn't even join them for the meal. Ever since he obtained the crown, he had locked himself in that same room and hadn't come out all afternoon.
Fortunately, Kyle had Norber with him, so there was no need to worry about the feast going to waste.
After the sumptuous dinner, Kyle stayed at Nicol Flamel's estate.
The estate was vast, but one could always find something interesting to do and never feel bored.
Kyle particularly enjoyed lounging on a shape-shifting sofa, taking apart and reassembling simple alchemy items.
Or, he would lie on the sofa and appreciate the operas and concerts from centuries past.
Just like in the Paris mansion, there was a room-sized "meditation basin" here as well, which Nicol specifically used for opera appreciation.
However, he had been busy with other matters lately, and Perenelle preferred tending to the flowers and plants in the estate, so the space was left for Kyle to enjoy.
...
Time flew by, and the fulfilling and joyful holiday break seemed to end in the blink of an eye.
Two weeks later, as usual, Kyle came to enjoy one last time the grand opera performances of 1791.
However, as he approached the door, Tata suddenly appeared from the side.
"Master Kyle, Headmaster Dumbledore is here," Tata informed him.
"Professor Dumbledore..." Kyle asked, "He's probably here to see Nicol, isn't he?"
"Tata doesn't know," the little elf shook his head. "But Master hasn't come out at all. Would you like to go see him?"
"Sure, let's go take a look."
As Kyle followed Tata to the entrance hall, Dumbledore was chatting happily with Perenelle.
"Indeed, I knit them myself—both the sweaters and the gloves."
"What wonderful craftsmanship," Perenelle praised.
"I'm thinking of retiring," Dumbledore said with a laugh. "Opening a sock shop in Hogsmeade sounds rather appealing."
"I suspect someone won't agree to that," Perenelle replied.
"Not now... but I will retire eventually."
At that moment, Dumbledore spotted Kyle approaching with Tata and immediately asked with a smile, "How are you enjoying yourself here?"
"It's fantastic," Kyle replied. "The operas and concerts that Mr. Flamel left behind never get old. I wish I could take that entire room with me."
"It seems you've discovered the greatest treasure this place has to offer," Dumbledore winked and whispered, "And you're not the only one with that idea. I've been thinking about adding a music room to Hogwarts for quite some time now."
"I support you, Professor!" Kyle exclaimed.
The two of them blatantly discussed their plans to acquire the room, while Perenelle stood by, smiling silently, saying nothing.
Only Tata looked a bit nervous, worried that they might actually take the room away.
"I guess I'll have to prepare a lock from now on..."
Just as they were discussing how to transport the room back to Hogwarts, a door in the distance opened, and Nicol stumbled out, looking like he might fall over at any moment.
"A potion?" Dumbledore looked at Kyle curiously. "Did you come here to have Nicol brew a Felix Felicis for you?"
As far as he knew, only Felix Felicis took that long to brew.
"No, it's a different kind of potion," Nicol said.
For some reason, he didn't mention the Ravenclaw Diadem or Horcrux, merely alluding to helping Kyle repair an ancient magical artifact.
Dumbledore didn't suspect anything, as he had already guessed that Kyle's visit to Nicol was most likely related to alchemy, which wasn't unusual.
Moreover, there was something else on his mind.
"I see," Dumbledore nodded. "I was just about to say, if you're in need of Felix Felicis, you could always ask Professor Snape. I doubt he would refuse."
Ask Snape?
Felix Felicis?
Kyle shrugged, not entirely convinced by Dumbledore's suggestion.
To put it bluntly, if he dared to make such a request, the best outcome he could hope for would be getting kicked out... or perhaps enduring a round of sarcastic ridicule before being shown the door.
And even if, by some miracle, Snape agreed and actually gave him a bottle of Felix Felicis, Kyle wouldn't dare use it!
Who knew if there might be something extra mixed into the potion.
On this matter, Kyle was cautious.
Just then, Tata served them some tea, and Dumbledore looked at Nicol a few times, as if hesitating to bring up a topic. Finally, he couldn't resist asking, "Nicol, about that matter..."
"I knew you'd ask about that," Nicol turned and walked back toward the room. "Come with me, I found a new lead a few days ago."
Dumbledore quickly got up and followed, but as he passed by Kyle, he paused briefly and turned to say, "I suggest you head back now. That way, you'll just about have enough time to unwrap all the gifts piled up in your dormitory before the feast begins.
"Or you could stay for one more opera, but remember not to be late. See you at the feast."
With that, he hurriedly followed Nicol into the room.
Kyle suddenly realized what he had been forgetting, smacking his forehead.
No wonder he felt like something was missing. Now he remembered—he hadn't received his Christmas present yet.
The area around Nicol Flamel's estate was warded with various protective enchantments, not only Fidelius Charms but also ancient magic that Kyle couldn't name.
Under such protection, ordinary owls wouldn't be able to find his location.
Thinking of the gifts waiting in his dormitory, Kyle also grew restless.
...
Just like on the way there, the return trip was made by Thestral-drawn carriage.
Under Tata's care, the three Thestrals were in good condition and quickly took to the skies with the carriage.
Kyle stuck his head out the window and waved.
Once the carriage had flown a certain distance, the estate vanished, leaving behind only an empty patch of land with stones.
Additionally, the three Thestrals seemed to lose their bearings for a moment, hovering around the area for a while before finally finding the way back to Hogwarts.
(End of Chapter)
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