Chapter 580: Directional Magic in the Department of Mysteries
Chapter 580: Directional Magic in the Department of Mysteries
As Kyle followed Professor McGonagall and the others through the quiet Entrance Hall, his thoughts raced. Soon, they arrived at the Hospital Wing.
Filch was lying on the innermost bed, and Mrs. Norris immediately jumped onto it. Next to him, Viktor Krum lay unconscious.
"Professor, why is Krum here as well?" Harry asked curiously, having missed the match and unaware of what had transpired.
"He collided with the Three-Headed Dog," Professor McGonagall whispered. "If he hadn't fired a red signal into the sky in time, it might not have been just a simple case of unconsciousness."
"I've said it before—the maze already had the Eight-Eyed Spider and the Chimaera. There was no need to bring in a Three-Headed Dog as well."
At this moment, Poppy Pomfrey, who had just walked over, twitched her lips several times. Each time Professor McGonagall mentioned a magical creature, it tugged at her nerves.
Although Poppy Pomfrey knew that the Triwizard Tournament was inherently dangerous, it didn't mean she could accept it easily.
In fact, since the first task, she had been complaining about Dumbledore non-stop.
"I really hope they won't hold this kind of event again... at least not in Hogwarts," Poppy Pomfrey muttered as she approached, "Those dangerous things shouldn't be allowed in the school."
"You're absolutely right."
Professor McGonagall nodded in deep agreement, "But rest assured, the Triwizard Tournament is held only once every five years, and the three schools take turns hosting it. The next time it will be held in Hogwarts is fifteen years from now."
"That is, if they don't cancel the tournament again," Professor McGagall added.
The Triwizard Cup had been turned into a Portkey, directly transporting the champions out of the competition area. After such a major incident, and with Voldemort's resurgence, it was hard to predict whether the tournament would be canceled again.
However, Kyle didn't care much about this. After all, he had already won the championship once, and it didn't matter to him whether it was canceled or not.
Harry, standing next to him, felt the same way. He was already in his fourth year, and the next tournament wouldn't include him.
"Here you go."
Poppy Pomfrey approached Harry and handed him a bottle of purple potion.
"You need to drink all of it," she said, "This potion will help you sleep comfortably."
Harry took the bottle and drank a few sips.
The magic potion immediately induced a state of drowsiness, and he stumbled to the nearest bed, lying down and falling asleep.
"And this is for you."
Poppy Pomfrey took out another identical bottle and turned to Kyle.
"Thank you," Kyle said, putting the bottle in his pocket, intending to drink it later when he returned to his room.
Poppy Pomfrey gave Kyle another once-over, seeing that he seemed unaffected, and decided not to say anything further.
At this moment, the door to the Hospital Wing was pushed open again, and Chris and Diana entered, one after the other.
"Go ahead," Professor McGonagall said, "I think they have a lot to say to you, but this is obviously not the best place for a chat."
Kyle nodded and left the Hospital Wing.
The three of them made their way to the courtyard outside.
"What happened?" Chris asked eagerly, "When you touched the Triwizard Cup, why did you suddenly disappear? I don't remember that being part of the tournament rules."
"It was Karkaroff," Kyle explained, "He turned the trophy into a Portkey."
Kyle then proceeded to briefly describe what had transpired on the mountain.
Upon hearing the news of Voldemort's resurrection, Chris shuddered.
"Is this true?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Professor Dumbledore witnessed it, and he's currently discussing it with Minister Fudge," Kyle replied.
Unexpectedly, the two of them quickly accepted the news.
"No wonder Karkaroff insisted on putting the trophy in the maze," Chris whispered, "He had this plan all along."
"How are you?" Diana grabbed Kyle and carefully examined him.
"I'm fine, Mom," Kyle assured her, "I used the Phoenix Feather, and Professor Dumbledore arrived just in time to get me and Harry out of the battlefield."
"And I have this..." He held out his hand, revealing a ring.
Only then did Diana breathe a sigh of relief. After hearing about Voldemort's resurrection, she had momentarily forgotten about the ring.
The magic on this ring allowed Kyle to Apparate at any time, ensuring his immediate escape unless he was in a special location like Hogwarts.
"You didn't even notice the trophy being switched, and now you're letting Death Eaters take people right under your nose... When did you become so careless, Dumbledore?" Diana directed her anger towards Chris.
Chris knew he was in the wrong and didn't try to defend himself. If he had known this would happen, he definitely wouldn't have let Kakaroff touch the trophy. But the problem was, no one could have predicted this.
So when faced with his wife's fury, he could only remain silent and lower his head.
Kyle didn't speak either. His intuition told him that if he spoke up for Chris now, he'd likely get scolded as well. It was better to stay quiet and not draw Diana's anger towards himself.
Fortunately, a few minutes later, an owl flew across the dark night sky and landed in front of Diana. Unlike other owls, its eyes were blue, and it didn't carry any letters in its claws. It opened its beak as if speaking after seeing Diana, but strangely, Kyle didn't hear any sound at all.
"This is a mission owl from the Department of Mysteries," Chris explained in a low voice. "Only Silent Ones can hear its voice."
Kyle nodded.
At that moment, the owl closed its beak and flew back into the night sky.
Diana seemed a bit agitated. "I have to go now. We'll talk about your issues later." She glared at Chris and then looked at Kyle. "The same goes for you. Regardless of what you've discovered or what you're thinking, you'd better stay put in the castle before the holiday. Otherwise..."
Diana narrowed her eyes, and Kyle felt the temperature around him drop instantly. He quickly nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll stay at school and won't go anywhere."
"Good." Diana's expression softened. "Things are different now, so be careful..."
She stepped forward and gently kissed Kyle's forehead.
Just as Kyle was about to say something, he noticed Diana's expression change again.
"Tell me the truth!" she said sternly. "Did you kill a Death Eater on that mountain?"
This...
Kyle's heart skipped a beat. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he hadn't told anyone about this, not even Harry. When he returned, he had specifically asked Harry not to mention it.
Harry also understood the seriousness of the matter, so whether it was Dumbledore or Sirius, he chose to ignore this detail and only mentioned that Kyle had driven off the Death Eater with fire.
But how did Diana know... Even her tone earlier wasn't one of suspicion but certainty.
"Tell me, is it true!" Diana asked again.
"Yes..." Seeing that he couldn't hide it anymore, Kyle whispered, "But it's not my fault. He ran away on his own. I was just defending myself, and the Aurors shouldn't have any issues with me..."
"If it was a Death Eater, then it's fine." Diana waved her hand, interrupting Kyle.
She furrowed her brows and thought for a moment, seeming to get angrier the more she thought about it. She glared at Chris again and said through gritted teeth, "Look what you've done!"
"I..." Chris opened his mouth but eventually sighed softly.
To be honest, this was something he hadn't expected either, and he didn't want Kyle to be involved in such matters prematurely.
Even if they had to face Voldemort and Death Eaters again, like they did in the war over a decade ago, it wouldn't be Kyle's responsibility as an ungraduated student.
"Forget it, we'll talk about this later." Diana checked the time, "I have to go. Remember, no matter what happens, don't leave Hogwarts before the holiday."
She reminded Kyle once more and then disappeared in a blink of an eye.
Kyle was taken aback and subconsciously said, "Has the restriction on Apparition been lifted at school?"
"No, this isn't Apparition." Chris shook his head. "It's a special Directional Charm that allows Silent Ones to return to the Department of Mysteries instantly, but it has many limitations. It can only be used when receiving a mission owl."
(End of Chapter)
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