Chapter 557: Nicolette's Letter
Chapter 557: Nicolette's Letter
Was Diana once an Auror?
To be honest, this was a bit unexpected for Kyle, who subconsciously thought that Professor Moody had made a mistake. But upon further reflection, it seemed quite plausible.
Kyle recalled the day he received his acceptance letter and went to Diagon Alley to shop. The bustling Leaky Cauldron suddenly fell silent when Diana entered, as if everyone held their breath.
However, the identity of a Department of Mysteries Obliviator seemed insufficient to cause such a reaction, as this position was confidential and known to only a select few.
"An Auror..."
Kyle muttered to himself as he turned and walked back to the classroom door, joining Cona to head towards the stairs.
For the next two weeks, Kyle continued his weekly Saturday visits to the Headmaster's office to study with Dumbledore, much to the envy of those who knew about it.
With Easter approaching, it was the last long holiday before the end of the school year, and the O.W.L. exams for Year 5 seemed just around the corner. Assignments were piling up, and the professors' demands were becoming increasingly stringent.
The amount of parchment they used daily now exceeded what they had used in an entire week before.
However, Kyle was an exception. Since he was studying with Professor Dumbledore, he only needed to complete Potions and History of Magic assignments.
There was no need for Professor Snape to exempt Kyle from Potions homework, and as for History of Magic... even Dumbledore's words held no sway.
Nevertheless, this arrangement saved Kyle a significant amount of time. According to Mikel, Professor McGonagall required them to write a roll of parchment daily, and every time he went to Hogsmeade, he had to purchase a stack of parchment and two bottles of ink.
The day before the Easter holiday, which also happened to be a Saturday, anyone outside the castle would have noticed the Headmaster's office windows flashing with golden-red light.
Inside the office, the room had undergone a complete transformation. It had expanded countless times in size, and Dumbledore had brought in a lake that rivaled the size of the Black Lake.
The lake's surface was dotted with flickering flames that had not yet been extinguished, and the room's temperature was scorching hot, like a furnace. The former Headmasters were all squeezed into a painting with a winter background, perhaps to provide them with some relief from the heat, even though they couldn't physically feel the temperature change.
Fox, however, was delighted. It perched on a branch, its eyes half-closed, emitting a contented hum.
"Excellent, even I couldn't find any flaws," Dumbledore said, observing Kyle, who was sitting in a chair and panting heavily.
With a wave of his wand, the lake vanished, and the Headmaster's office returned to its original state.
"Have a drink, you'll like it," Dumbledore said, and a cup of hot cocoa appeared on the table beside him. Kyle took it and took a big sip.
"As I just said, Kyle," Dumbledore took a sip of his tea and continued, "you have completely mastered this spell, and there's no need to continue studying it...
"Starting next Saturday, you won't have to come to my office anymore. You can do whatever you like."
"Okay," Kyle nodded, calming his excitement before taking out the booklet Dumbledore had given him at the start. "Professor, can I have this?"
"Of course, if you like it," Dumbledore smiled, "To be honest, when these were published, almost no one read them... Most people had no interest in ancient runes."
"But there are still some who do, right?" Kyle asked.
"That's true," Dumbledore smiled, "Oh, and there's something else I wanted to tell you."
"What?" Kyle put the booklet back into his pocket.
"It's about the Easter holiday..."
Professor Dumbledore opened a drawer and took out a piece of red stone fragment.
"Is this Nicole's door key...?" Kyle blurted out.
The reason Kyle was so familiar with this object was that he had one himself, but it was blue. It was given to him by Nicole Lemer a few years ago, who said that if needed, it would allow him to return to the hidden library in his old Paris mansion.
However, up until now, Kyle had never used it and wasn't sure when Nicole was referring to.
"It seems you remember, so there's no need for me to explain further," Professor Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, this is indeed a door key.
"Yesterday, Nicole wrote to me, saying you might need this... Oh, it's here."
As he spoke, a brown owl appeared right outside the window.
Professor Dumbledore opened the window to let it in.
The owl flew straight to Kyle's side, placed a letter in his hand, and then shook its body, transforming into a pile of feathers and disappearing.
"Don't be surprised," Professor Dumbledore explained in a timely manner, "This is what Nicole made with owl feathers... to prevent others from finding his address through the owl."
Kyle nodded, indicating his understanding.
Then he opened the letter.
"I take back what I said to you before, you might need to come over, as a certain lady seems to want to have a chat with you..."
The letter was short, and there was no signature, only a crown-like pattern at the end.
"It seems you have a new matter to deal with," Professor Dumbledore chuckled, "Do you need my help? I've been quite free lately."
"Thank you, Professor, but I don't think I need it for now," Kyle said after a moment of thought, "It's something I asked Nicole to help repair, and it seems to have a problem."
The correct version is available at 69 Book Bar. 6=9+Book_Bar.
"This is indeed rare, for something Nicole took on to have issues," Professor Dumbledore exclaimed, "Oh, I think I understand now."
Professor Dumbledore realized, "I was wondering how you would deal with the locket box. I didn't expect you to give it to Nicole; this is indeed a great idea.
"I remember Nicole has studied Horcruxes for a long time, and no one knows more about them than he does."
"Yes, I think so too," Kyle agreed.
Professor Dumbledore's guess was correct, but only partially so. Nicole sought him out because of Horcruxes, but it wasn't about the locket box.
Previously, Nicole had mentioned that he was currently working on solving the Philosopher's Stone and the Time-Turner, and didn't have time to deal with other matters. So, the locket box should still be untouched.
Moreover, from the crown pattern at the end of the letter, it was clear that he was referring to the Ravenclaw Diadem.
Of course, Professor Dumbledore was unaware of this.
"Professor, when is the time for this door key?" Kyle asked.
"Anytime," Professor Dumbledore replied, "You just need to hold it and silently chant Nicole Lemer's name.
"However, I suggest you go tomorrow. Nine in the morning is the time for the train to leave the school.
"Don't forget that you're still a hero, and every move is being watched. If you leave school early, it might arouse suspicion among the guests."
"Then I'll go tomorrow," Kyle said.
He hadn't planned to leave immediately anyway.
Nicole's letter was too sudden, and there were many things he didn't understand that required careful consideration.
A lady wanted to chat with him, but who was this person... Kyle couldn't help but feel it wasn't Nicole's wife.
Combining this with the Ravenclaw Diadem... Kyle couldn't help but think of a possibility.
Although it sounded absurd, there didn't seem to be any other options.
(End of Chapter)
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