Chapter 604: Harry's Decision
Chapter 604: Harry's Decision
In the evening, raucous laughter rang out from the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, carrying a hint of schadenfreude.
Soon after, Dumbledore emerged from the pub, his face contorted in a mix of emotions, looking as if he had just consumed a month-old butter beer.
"Kyle, must we do this?" he asked, his eyes flicking to the young man beside him. "In truth, Voldemort needs time to recuperate, and we don't have to rush into dealing with the Ministry. I believe you could come up with a more suitable plan during that time."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Professor," Kyle replied calmly. "But indeed, I already have a backup plan in mind."
"Do tell," Dumbledore said, his eyes lighting up with interest.
"How about we orchestrate a sudden riot of Dementors, who then storm the Ministry?" Kyle suggested matter-of-factly. "And perhaps a couple of them conveniently stumble into the Minister's office and have a little 'chat' with him. That way, we not only solve the problem of certain individuals holding us back, but we also draw attention to the threat posed by Dementors. It's a two-for-one deal."
Dumbledore turned his head, remaining silent for a long while before responding with a complicated expression, "Dementors won't riot, at least not now."
"I never said they would," Kyle shrugged. "I'm merely presenting a possibility."
Dumbledore fell silent and continued walking. It wasn't until they reached the entrance of Zoco's Joke Shop that he spoke again, his voice sounding a bit raspy, "You're suggesting we create a false impression, I understand... But I've never done anything like this before, and I can't guarantee Fudge will believe it..."
"Don't worry, Professor," Kyle reassured him with a smile. "It's not that difficult. You just need to occasionally interact with a few department heads, like Amelia Bones from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement or even Bartemius Crouch. Given Fudge's personality, he won't be able to ignore it."
Dumbledore opened his mouth as if to say something more, but ultimately shook his head silently.
He was starting to regret not going all out and ensuring Voldemort's demise once again, regardless of the cost, when they had their encounter on the mountain peak.
As the pair continued walking, Kyle, who had been deep in thought, suddenly felt his arm being grabbed. In a dizzying spin of apparition, he found himself in the entrance hall of 12 Grimmauld Place.
Mrs. Weasley, startled by the sudden appearance of the duo, almost dropped the plate she was holding.
However, she quickly recovered her composure. Only Dumbledore, or Fred and George, who had apparated within the house, could have bypassed the Fidelius Charm protecting the house.
"You..." She began, but was interrupted by another crisp sound.
After returning Kyle, Dumbledore didn't even stay for a second longer and left immediately.
"What's wrong with Dumbledore?" Mrs. Weasley asked, puzzled. "He looks a bit peaked."
"He's probably hungry," Kyle said, "After all, he hasn't eaten much all day."
"Oh, Merlin's beard! You've been busy all day?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, pulling Kyle into the kitchen. "Dumbledore really should have stayed for dinner."
"He probably had other matters to attend to," Kyle said casually.
"But he still has to eat," Mrs. Weasley insisted. "You wait here for a moment, dinner will be ready soon."
Kyle nodded.
To be honest, he was feeling a bit hungry himself.
While the Three Broomsticks had provided a relatively clean lunch, the taste left much to be desired, and the potatoes were undercooked and still hard.
There weren't many people in the kitchen at the moment, but within a few minutes, the rest of the family started to trickle in.
"Kyle... When did you get back?" Ron blurted out. "Where did you go today?"
"Hogsmeade," Kyle replied.
Ron was about to ask further when Mr. Weasley cut in.
"That's enough, Ron," he said, approaching from behind. "Dumbledore must have asked him to keep it confidential, so don't pry."
"Okay," Ron mumbled.
Ten minutes later, Mrs. Weasley brought in a whole roast chicken and some fried fish.
However, there weren't many people dining at Grimmauld Place that evening—only Tonks and Moody were present, and Tonks looked rather listless, her hair a dull, straw-like yellow.
"Really?" Tonks' hair turned a vibrant red, but then she paused as another thought occurred to her. "But didn't you take the night shift yesterday? Are you sure you'll be alright doing two in a row?"
"I'll be fine," Lupin assured her. "I can always catch some rest during the day."
"Thanks, that would be great. I'm absolutely exhausted from these past few days," Tonks said, yawning widely.
"No problem," Lupin replied.
...
In the days that followed, Kyle continued his routine of spending his days in the library.
This continued until the day before the start of term.
"You're leaving?" Mrs. Weasley asked in the kitchen. "Did Dumbledore ask you to do something else?"
The others looked up as well, curious about the response.
"No," Kyle shook his head. "I haven't seen him in a while."
"Can't you stay one more day?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Then tomorrow morning, Sirius can take you both to King's Cross Station."
"No, I need to head back," Kyle said. "I came here from the Ministry, and I left my holiday homework and books at home. I need to get them before school starts tomorrow."
Mrs. Weasley understood upon hearing Kyle's explanation. It made sense that he would need to bring his homework and textbooks back to school.
So, after breakfast, Mrs. Weasley accompanied Kyle to a street near Grimmauld Place.
Mr. Weasley was already waiting there with the car.
"Hop in, I'll drive you back to the village," he offered.
"That's alright, Mr. Weasley. I can make my own way back," Kyle said politely.
"Nonsense," Mrs. Weasley interjected, shaking her head. "The distance from Grimmauld Place to St. Kachibor Village is no small matter. And with the current situation, we never know where Death Eaters might be lurking. It's not safe for you to travel alone."
"They won't have the chance," Kyle said with a smile as he opened the car door and sat down. "By the way, remember to keep this under wraps."
With a crisp sound, Kyle vanished from the spot, using the car as a cover for his sudden disappearance.
This scene was witnessed by the others inside the house, who were looking out the window for safety reasons, as Mrs. Weasley had not allowed them all to go outside.
As luck would have it, their position afforded them a clear view of the inside of the car.
"Apparition?" Ron blurted out. "Isn't Kyle supposed to be starting his sixth year? How is he already able to do that?"
"Only you would think he couldn't," Hermione retorted without holding back.
Harry nodded in agreement, "I'm sure he's known how to do it for a while now."
"At least a year," Sirius added. "I saw him use it skillfully around this time last year."
"Last year?" Ron said, "So, he was only in his fifth year back then..."
"Yes, he had already mastered Apparition by the time he was your age," Sirius confirmed.
Perhaps sensing that this might be a bit discouraging to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, he quickly added, "Of course, among your peers, you three are exceptional as well."
"No wonder Professor Dumbledore only took him to Hogsmeade," Harry muttered.
He then turned to Sirius and asked, "Sirius, can you teach us how to Apparate?"
Ron and Hermione also looked at Sirius eagerly, their eyes full of anticipation.
"Can you teach us, please? We want to learn too," they pleaded.
"Learning Apparition can be dangerous," Sirius cautioned them. "According to the rules, you're not allowed to learn it until your sixth year."
"Please," Harry said, his eyes pleading.
"Don't look at me like that..." Sirius hesitated for a moment before giving in. "Oh, alright, I'll do it, but remember, you mustn't tell anyone, especially Remus."
"We promise!" the trio chorused.
"When do you plan to teach us?" Harry asked, his curiosity piqued.
"There's not enough time now," Sirius considered. "How about after school starts? Maybe during the weekends or the Christmas holidays?"
"Sounds good," they agreed.
...
(End of Chapter)
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