Chapter 435: Let's Talk Terms
Chapter 435: Let's Talk Terms
Dementors, at least a hundred of them, were approaching menacingly along the lakeshore. From a distance, they resembled a looming dark cloud.
And in the darkness, more Dementors were appearing from all directions, surrounding them.
Kyle quickly turned to Black.
He was trembling, curled up on the ground, his hands covering his head, his whole body racked with fear.
"Change back, now!" Kyle shouted. "Do you want Harry to die here?"
At the mention of Harry's name, Black's nearly broken spirit seemed to stir slightly.
His body began to twist, transforming him into a large dog.
Just then, the Dementors arrived.
Upon finding Sirius' scent gone, they turned their hooded heads towards Kyle and the others.
A bone-chilling cold permeated the air, as if it would freeze them solid.
"Accio Patronum!"
Kyle waved his wand, and a silver jellyfish appeared, dancing above his head.
Dazzling silver light radiated outward in circles, dispelling the cold.
But there were too many Dementors surrounding them, hovering just outside the circle of light, refusing to retreat.
One Dementor even reached out from under its cloak, waving a withered hand as if to brush away the Patronus.
But just then, a long, ribbon-like silver thread silently appeared behind it.
The tendril gently wrapped around the Dementor's body once, then tightened abruptly.
In an instant, the ensnared Dementor was pulled into the Patronus charm, struggling violently. One could even hear its labored breathing.
Harry gasped.
He could see clearly that the tendrils were extending from Kyle's Patronus... they were its tentacles.
At that moment, the massive jellyfish remained beautiful, but below, over a dozen Dementors were suspended in mid-air, writhing. Where they were entangled, puffs of black mist continued to emanate, creating an even more eerie scene than when Professor Lupin transformed into a werewolf.
The Dementors went berserk and tried to flee, but one remained, seemingly the leader.
It emitted a strange sound that Kyle couldn't understand, probably a signal.
"Leave," Kyle said, stepping forward.
"Let them go... wizard..." The Dementor's voice was icy cold, devoid of emotion. It tried to approach Kyle but was blocked by a sheet of silver light.
"Alright, but you must leave as well and not report this incident to the Ministry of Magic."
The Dementor hesitated, seemingly surprised that Kyle could communicate with it.
"We have orders... Sirius Black... it is an order."
"He's already gone. He's not here," Kyle said. "Check if you don't believe me."
The Dementor took a long breath.
Then it took a step back. "Let them go... we will leave..."
"Fine..."
Kyle willed it, and the jellyfish loosened its tendrils.
Over a dozen Dementors floated over unsteadily; their cloaks looked even more tattered, and their entire bodies seemed to have shrunk.
Without waiting for Kyle to speak, they fled into the darkness and disappeared.
Kyle rubbed his nose. He had only intended for his Patronus to try attacking those Dementors, but he hadn't expected it to be so effective.
"Remember, no snitching," Kyle reminded them.
"We... have been harmed..." The Dementor's voice remained cold.
"You want to go back on your word?" Kyle frowned. "Don't forget that you trespassed on school grounds, and you tried to attack students and professors. We were just defending ourselves."
"There is... Sirius Black's scent here... We have orders... We can capture..."
"Then where is Sirius?"
"We have orders... we can check..."
"Do you think Professor Dumbledore will believe you?" Kyle continued, "By the way, you should know who Dumbledore is, a powerful wizard, probably stronger than any wizard you've ever met."
Visibly, the Dementor trembled uncontrollably... evidently, it had encountered Dumbledore and even dealt with him before.
It was likely due to the incident that occurred during the Quidditch match. It was said that when Dumbledore returned, he flew into a rage and drove away all the Dementors surrounding the school.
"Then go tell the people at the Ministry," Kyle said deliberately. "You scared the students... We had to defend ourselves, and it's understandable if a few Dementors get hurt in the process. Even the Ministry can't fault us for that."
He pointed to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were still huddled together, shivering. "But it's a different story for you... Trespassing onto school grounds and attempting to attack students and professors, tsk tsk, I doubt Professor Dumbledore will let you off easily this time."
As he turned to leave, Kyle muttered, "That old wizard has a terrible temper. If he gets angry, he might just take it out by killing a few hundred Dementors..."
Suddenly, the Dementor floated in front of him, blocking his path.
"What else do you want?" Kyle asked.
The Dementor remained silent, simply standing in front of Kyle, preventing him from passing.
"Alright then..." Kyle sighed. "If you agree to one condition, I'll pretend I didn't see you today."
"What is it...?"
"Hmm, let me think." Kyle's eyes flickered. He had only intended to get the Dementor to leave, pretending that they hadn't seen each other.
But he had just thought of something...
Kyle pondered for a moment before saying, "There's a woman named Bellatrix imprisoned in Azkaban. She has a key, and I need to know where that key is."
"Impossible..." the Dementor said, "It is not permitted... and we do not understand keys..."
"Then I guess that's it?" Kyle sighed. "Looks like I'll have to tell Dumbledore..."
The Dementor floated in front of Kyle once more, still silent.
"I only have this one request," Kyle stated.
"The guards will change tomorrow... I can... take you there..." the Dementor offered.
Kyle's lips twitched. What a joke! He wasn't about to go to a place like that. If he were discovered by the Ministry, he might never get out.
However... change of guards? Kyle inquired, "How often do you change guards?"
"Every two days..."
"So that means you'll be back here in two days?"
The Dementor nodded. "There is no food here... we must return."
Kyle's eyes lit up. He lowered his head and fiddled with something for a moment before handing the Dementor an envelope and a small bottle.
"Mix the contents of the bottle into her food. After she eats it, open the envelope. Remember what she says, and tell me when you return.
Don't try anything funny, or I'll not only tell Professor Dumbledore about your intrusion but also report you to the Ministry for deliberately letting Sirius Black escape. And I assure you, they will believe me."
Kyle's tone exuded confidence.
By then, Sirius himself could write a letter of complaint, stating that the Dementors were negligent in their duties. How could the Ministry possibly disbelieve such a claim?
Sensing something, the Dementor's body stiffened, and it extended its withered hand from beneath its robes to take the envelope and the small bottle.
(End of Chapter)
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