Chapter 578: A Heart-Throbbing Job
Chapter 578: A Heart-Throbbing Job
The award ceremony for the Triwizard Tournament Champion was grand.
Cornelius Fudge, representing the Ministry of Magic, presented the Triwizard Cup to Kyle, along with a thousand Galleons as the prize.
Madame Maxime and Fleur were clapping on the side... Fleur's expression looked somewhat regretful.
After all, she hadn't even started the task, and the competition had already ended, leaving her with no experience at all.
But that's how the tournament works. Who could blame her for having a low score? Moreover, Madame Maxime had just mentioned that Kyle used a single spell to destroy half of the maze... The path made of flames hadn't even extinguished yet, and it could be clearly seen from the spectator stands.
This indirectly proved that Kyle was indeed very powerful, something Fleur herself couldn't have achieved.
The sky gradually turned dark, and the award ceremony ended in a lively atmosphere.
The only ones who didn't seem to be smiling were probably the students from Durmstrang.
Their Champion, Viktor Krum, had fallen into a coma and been carried out shortly after entering the maze, and their Headmaster, Karkaroff, was nowhere to be found.
With both key figures absent, they felt like outsiders, unsure whether they should join in the celebration or return to their ship.
After the ceremony, Dumbledore quietly approached Kyle and whispered:
"Follow me, I have some questions for you."
"Sure." Kyle nodded, glancing at Dumbledore's left hand.
"Oh, don't worry about it." Dumbledore seemed to have read his thoughts and extended his left hand, saying, "It was just a burn from the Inferno, and it will heal quickly."
The blackened scorch marks were gone, leaving only a faint scar.
"Of course, there's no such thing as a cost-free victory." Dumbledore smiled, "And Tom didn't fare much better. I didn't come out of it at a loss."
He winked, exchanged a few words with the people around him, and then returned to the castle.
Kyle followed behind him.
The students who had been watching the competition hadn't returned yet, and the castle was silent. The two of them followed the staircase to the Headmaster's Office on the eighth floor.
Harry was already waiting there, along with Professor McGonagall, Professor Moody, Snape, and Sirius.
Thus, Harry recounted the entire process of his abduction and everything that had happened on the mountaintop.
"That man, Barty Crouch Jr., was indeed cunning." Professor Moody couldn't help but remark, "I believe he must have taken the Polyjuice Potion after we all left the castle.
"Flich... I saw the Squib before dinner. He definitely hadn't taken the Polyjuice Potion then."
"Professor, can you see through such a potion?" Harry asked curiously.
"Not really." Professor Moody replied, "But distinguishing a Squib from a regular wizard isn't that difficult."
Harry suddenly realized that there was something off about Filch when he came to him, and he had even seen the outline of a wand in Filch's pocket.
But at the time, his mind was preoccupied with the third task, and he didn't give it much thought. Then he was knocked out and taken away.
"Wait!" Harry suddenly remembered something, "If the person who took me was Barty Crouch Jr., then where is the real Filch?"
Silence fell in the Headmaster's Office.
It seemed that Dumbledore and the professors had forgotten about the castle's caretaker.
"Minerva..." Dumbledore said, "Could you please go to Filch's office? And bring Madame Pomfrey. I think Filch will need some treatment?"
"I'll do it." Professor McGonagall nodded and quickly left the room.
"Let's continue." Dumbledore looked at Harry again, "You mentioned that Kyle repelled those Death Eaters?"
"Yes, Professor," Harry said excitedly. "It was a dragon made of flames, and it scared off all the Death Eaters as soon as it appeared."
Everyone's gaze subconsciously turned to Kyle, and some believed it was the spell he had used during the competition. However, Professor Moody thought of another possibility.
It wasn't just any fire spell that could form a dragon... Just like the spell Kyle used in the maze, although powerful, it was still just the most basic form.
Only Inferno could easily take the shape of a magical creature.
Although this spell was undoubtedly Dark Magic, the former Auror didn't say anything inappropriate.
He had already retired from the Auror Office and was now just a professor at Hogwarts. Even Dumbledore hadn't said anything, so naturally, he wouldn't speak out of turn.
It was best to act as if he didn't know anything.
"Was Dumbledore the one who went there at that time?" he asked.
Calculating the time, from when Kyle was sent there by the Portkey to when he cast the Inferno Curse for self-defense, it was around the time when Dumbledore left.
"I guess so," Harry hesitated, "Suddenly, a thick fog appeared, and it was so dense that I couldn't see anything inside. After that, I heard the Headmaster's voice."
"Fog?" Professor Moody frowned, "Was it there originally?"
"No, it was this." At this moment, Kyle suddenly spoke, and he took out something and placed it in front of everyone.
It was a crystal blue bead, slightly smaller than a Golden Snitch, and inside, one could see a white mist slowly swirling.
It looked like a miniature crystal ball.
"What is this?" Sirius asked curiously.
"Fogstone," Kyle said, "Just crush the bead, and the white mist inside will continuously flow out. The effect is just as Harry described."
"This is a great thing," Professor Moody's magical eye stared unblinkingly at the Fogstone, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be from Vagadu."
"When I was chasing a foreign Dark Wizard, he used a similar object. He threw a stone, and hundreds of Spike Spiders flew out from it."
"It's similar," Kyle said, "I bought this in Hogsmeade. The shop owner also said it came from an ancient tribe on Moon Mountain.
"Because the effect is good, I've been carrying it with me."
"You did the right thing," Professor Moody said sincerely, "In a situation where there's a huge disparity in strength, using this method to restrict the opponent's actions and gain an advantage is the most correct approach... I guess this was your original intention when you bought it."
Kyle didn't speak, indicating his agreement.
"Are you really not considering becoming an Auror after graduation?" Professor Moody couldn't help but ask.
Although he didn't have a high opinion of the current Ministry of Magic, when he encountered a suitable person, the first thing he thought of was still the Auror Office.
"I can make the decision, waiving all your examinations. You can even become a Named Auror in the Ministry of Magic in your sixth year without participating in missions, and you'll receive a generous salary every month."
"How much?"
"Fifty Galleons."
"That's a bit little," Kyle muttered.
"It's not a small amount," Professor Moody said, "Don't forget that you don't need to do anything, and until you graduate, all this money is given to you for free."
Kyle was a bit tempted, and after thinking for a moment, he asked, "What if I want to do something else after graduation? Can I quit?"
Professor Moody was taken aback and then shook his head repeatedly, "Of course not."
Wow, quitting after receiving a salary for two years for free... Would a Hufflepuff say something like this?
(End of Chapter)
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