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Chapter 657: Dumbledore's Intuition, Obtaining the Phoenix (Two-in-One)
Chapter 657: Dumbledore's Intuition, Obtaining the Phoenix (Two-in-One)
The news of Sirius Black's injury seemed to be deliberately concealed by the Ministry of Magic, and no one knew what had transpired the night before. There was not a word about it in the newspapers either.
The next day, life at Hogwarts continued as usual, with students eagerly discussing the upcoming Christmas holidays and their plans.
"What is the Ministry of Magic trying to do...?" Cedric grumbled as he put down his newspaper at the Hufflepuff table. "Two people nearly died, and they were no ordinary witches and wizards. Is this how they handle the situation—by turning a blind eye?"
"It seems that's exactly what they're doing." Kyle spread orange marmalade on his bread. "This is why I've been wanting Professor Dumbledore to run for Minister of Magic. It's a shame he refuses to even consider it."
"Yes, it would be wonderful if Professor Dumbledore became the Minister." Cedric sighed in agreement.
While he always believed that Hogwarts needed Dumbledore, the fact was that he would graduate next year... and whoever became the new Headmaster after that would be none of his concern.
So, deep down, he also hoped that Dumbledore would run for Minister of Magic.
"Anyway, let's change the subject." Kyle shook his head. "For Dumbledore to become the Minister, it would take something like Voldemort becoming the Headmaster of Hogwarts... So, what are your plans for the holidays?"
"I'm planning to visit Sirius at St. Mungo's with Cho," Cedric replied after taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "After that, we'll head to Diagon Alley. Fred and George have chosen a shop there, and I'm thinking of joining them."
"You want to join Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Kyle asked, puzzled. "But I thought you wanted to join a professional Quidditch team after graduation? Didn't the Motorbike Mongoose team send you a tryout invitation not long ago?"
"Yes, they did." Cedric remained calm. "But I just can't bring myself to leave Britain at this time. Joining a professional team can wait; it's not happening now."
"The Weasley brothers could use some help, and it'll give me something to do."
"Are you sure?" Kyle looked at him. "That's a great team, and it's a rare opportunity."
"Their Seeker is excellent," Cedric said nonchalantly. "Even if I made it through the tryouts, I'd only be a substitute. It won't hurt to wait a few more years."
Cedric seemed to have made up his mind, and he quickly changed the subject.
"What about you, Connor? Any plans for the holidays?"
"I'll probably stay at school since there's nothing much for me to do back home." Connor replied, "I plan to join the Extraordinary Potioneers' Association next year, so I'll use the holidays to read up on some advanced potion-making books."
"What about you, Kyle?" Cedric asked.
"I haven't decided yet." Kyle said.
"Do you want to come with us to see Sirius?" Cedric asked, then glanced at Connor, "But I think... you'd rather stay here at school."
"Those two options aren't mutually exclusive." Kyle smiled.
Even if he stayed at school, he could easily ask Dumbledore for a key to 12, Grimmauld Place and visit St. Mungo's. Or, even simpler, he could just take the Knight Bus.
As for which method he'd choose, it depended on whether Dumbledore would be at school during the holidays. If possible, Kyle preferred the convenience of using a key.
After all, the Knight Bus was anything but comfortable.
...
After breakfast, the group left the Great Hall to attend their first class of the day—Potions with the sixth-years.
Oddly enough, Snape was late today. Twenty minutes after the class started, he finally entered the dungeon classroom, his face grim.
This was unprecedented.
And during the class, Snape was terrifyingly strict. Even the slightest mistake, such as chopping ingredients too thickly, would earn the student a harsh reprimand.
This atmosphere kept everyone on edge, and no one dared utter a word.
When the class ended, Snape didn't linger for a second. He left the classroom as soon as the bell rang.
By the time Kyle stepped out, Snape's figure had already disappeared from the corridor.
"What's wrong with him?" Kyle turned to Connor, curious. "Could it be that one of his potion cauldrons exploded?"
"I don't know." Connor shook her head. "But it's definitely not that. Professor Snape has never failed at brewing potions."
"That is strange." Kyle mumbled, "Unless... Professor Dumbledore asked him to take care of Sirius at St. Mungo's during the Christmas break?"
Kyle couldn't help but laugh at the thought. The image of Snape tending to Sirius and asking after his health was just too bizarre. If that were the case, there would surely be an explosive confrontation at St. Mungo's.
However, Kyle didn't dwell on this incident.
Snape being in a bad mood was normal; it would be strange if he ever seemed cheerful.
But for some reason, he suddenly became quiet and withdrawn, and a few days later, his temper began to flare.
According to Hannah, Harry had gotten into a big argument with Snape during a Potions class and had been kicked out of the classroom.
This was very unusual... Although Harry could be impulsive at times, he rarely argued with a professor during class.
Whenever he felt like doing so, Hermione and Ron would always be there to hold him back.
But this time was different... According to Hannah, even the two of them together couldn't stop Harry.
Kyle was curious about what had happened in the past few days that had caused such a big change in Harry, so he went to the Gryffindor tower.
But Fred told him that Harry wasn't in the dormitory and that he hadn't been there for several days, including at night.
"You don't think he's run away from school, do you?" Kyle frowned.
"Of course not," George shook his head. "I think he's probably spending the nights in the Room of Requirement."
"What?" Kyle was a bit confused. "Why would Harry leave the dormitory to stay in the Room of Requirement? Did he have a fight with Ron?"
"No, it's not about Ron. Actually... this has mostly to do with us."
Fred took Kyle to an empty corridor and explained, "It was probably three days ago. We included a special little gadget in our letters home—an upgraded Extendable Ear."
"We made it look like a blank piece of parchment," George said, "and since it was in our letters, Mom didn't check it..."
"So we were lucky enough to overhear one of their conversations."
"And Harry happened to be there, too."
Fred said with some regret, "Because he'd been feeling down about Sirius lately, we invited him to listen in on the conversation."
"It's related to Harry?" Kyle asked.
"Yes," George sighed and lowered his voice, "Mom said that Harry can possess the mysterious person in his dreams, and the mysterious person can do the same to him..."
"Is that really what Mrs. Weasley said?" Kyle furrowed his brows.
"Yes, that's exactly what she said," Fred confirmed. "Harry decided to leave the dormitory after hearing that.
"He probably thinks of himself as some kind of weapon that could potentially harm others."
"He doesn't even want to go to class anymore. It was Professor McGonagall who dragged him back to the classroom." George said with a hint of sadness, "If we had known things would turn out like this, we wouldn't have invited Harry to listen in."
Their intention had been to cheer Harry up, but it had only made him feel worse.
And they never expected that the conversation that day would be about Harry.
After understanding the cause of the incident, Kyle went to the corridor where the Room of Requirement was located.
However, upon seeing the two people who were already there, he turned around and left without even trying to meet Hermione and Ron, let alone Harry.
Fortunately, Christmas was just around the corner, and Sirius would surely lift his spirits.
Kyle thought.
...
Finally, Christmas arrived.
The day before the holiday, the Great Hall was decorated with twelve towering Christmas trees, and the ceiling was filled with sparkling snowflakes and stars.
Everyone was celebrating the upcoming break, except for Kyle... After the dinner, he was once again summoned to Dumbledore's office.
And this time, the headmaster was alone in his office, dressed in his colorful pajamas, just like before.
"You're not sending me on another errand, are you?" Kyle wondered.
But Dumbledore's next words took him by surprise.
"What? You want me to teach Harry the Mind-Closing Spell?"
"Yes, you heard me right," Dumbledore said, "Harry needs to learn this spell to protect his mind from external magical intrusion.
"I had intended to teach him myself, but I'm simply too busy..."
Dumbledore pointed to the pile of letters on his desk, "These are messages from all over the place, and I receive them daily. I must go through them all before I sleep."
"So, you want me to teach him?" Kyle asked.
"Let's say you'll be assisting Professor Snape," Dumbledore said,
"Harry's lessons in the Mind-Closing Spell began two days ago."
Two days ago? Kyle thought back and realized it was the same day Snape had been late for class.
"So, it's not going well?" he asked tentatively.
"Harry doesn't seem to be adapting well to Professor Snape's teaching style..." Dumbledore couldn't help but clear his throat.
In fact, he was understating the situation; Harry and Snape were like fire and ice.
So, after returning from St. Mungo's, he began to arrange for Harry's training in the Mind-Closing Spell.
However, things did not go as smoothly as planned.
Snape chose to use Legilimency to force Harry to find a way to seal his mind...
This in itself was not a problem, but in a moment of desperation, Harry used another type of magic, or perhaps it was instinct... Without his wand, he reflected the Legilimency back at Snape.
In those brief few seconds, Harry also saw some of Snape's secrets... Though it was only for a moment, it was enough to embarrass Snape.
The first lesson ended in a hurry, with the two of them angrily arguing and completely failing to achieve anything.
Then, Dumbledore thought of Kyle.
"You're also skilled in the Mind-Closing Spell," Dumbledore said. "If you could help mediate, the teaching might go a little smoother. At the very least, they won't part ways halfway through the lesson like last time."
"But I'm just a beginner myself," Kyle replied, intending to refuse. "I doubt I can be of much help."
He had other plans for the holidays and didn't want to waste time on something he couldn't help with.
The Mind-Closing Spell took time and dedication to master, and if he took on this task, his holiday plans would be ruined.
Besides, Snape was doing just fine on his own. His teaching style might be a bit harsh, but he certainly wouldn't harm Harry.
And given the current situation, it was good to give Harry some pressure to help him master the spell quickly.
But Dumbledore seemed to ignore Kyle's hint of refusal.
"You're too modest, Kyle," he shook his head. "When it comes to the Mind-Closing Spell, there aren't many people I know who are more talented than you, including some well-known wizards."
"You're just joking, Professor," Kyle continued to refuse. "Professor Snape is much better than me. If he can't do it, then I certainly won't be of any use."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and while two years ago, Kyle might have been right, things were different now.
"Even if it's just to help Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, "after the incident with his dream, you want him to cheer up, don't you?"
Kyle frowned and hesitated.
If it was truly as Dumbledore said, he didn't mind helping, but something still felt off.
While Dumbledore's words made sense, Hermione and Ron were better suited to comfort Harry.
Additionally, teaching Harry the Mind-Closing Spell was Snape's responsibility, and he doubted he could change Snape's mind or decisions, unless Connor was also involved.
In both matters, he wasn't the best choice, yet Dumbledore still sought him out.
However, Kyle thought long and hard and couldn't figure out any other motive Dumbledore might have.
"But I also have to guard the snake monster... I can't afford to be distracted," Kyle said, looking up.
Dumbledore's lips twitched imperceptibly, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Don't worry about that," he said with a smile. "Fawkes can help."
"Then it's settled," Kyle said without much hesitation, as if afraid Dumbledore would change his mind. "I'll go find Professor Snape right now."
With that, he opened the door to the headmaster's office and stepped out, hugging Fawkes, who had been sleeping with his head tucked under his wing.
Startled awake, Fawkes blinked at Kyle, then at Dumbledore, before burying his head back under his wing.
"Bang!"
The door to the headmaster's office closed.
"What a cunning young man," said Phineas Black from his portrait. "He's clearly making a condition, can't you tell?"
"I'm not a doddering old fool, Phineas," Dumbledore said as he walked back to his desk and picked up a letter to read.
Of course, he understood what Kyle meant. If the snake monster was truly so unstable that it needed constant supervision, he wouldn't have allowed Kyle to bring it into the school.
But now, he had to get Kyle to take on this task.
Helping Harry was secondary; the more important reason was...
To keep Kyle busy during the holidays, giving him so much to do that he wouldn't have time to think about anything else.
He had a feeling... well, a sort of intuition that old wizards sometimes had. If he left Kyle to his own devices during these two weeks, the boy would undoubtedly do something unexpected, and it would most likely involve him.
And the closer the holidays loomed, the stronger this feeling became.
Dumbledore chose to trust his intuition.
...
(End of Chapter)
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