https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-658-Another-Day-of-Envying-Dumbledore/13012119/
Chapter 657: Dumbledore's Intuition, The Phoenix in Hand (Part 2)
Chapter 657: Dumbledore's Intuition, The Phoenix in Hand (Part 2)
It seemed that the Ministry of Magic had deliberately concealed the news of Sirius Black's injury, as no one knew what had transpired the night before, and there was not a word about it in the newspapers.
The next day, Hogwarts was as lively as ever, with students eagerly discussing the upcoming Christmas and their holiday plans.
"What is the Ministry up to..." Cedric put down his newspaper at the Hufflepuff table, frustration in his voice, "Two powerful adult wizards nearly died, and this is how they handle it? By turning a blind eye?"
"It's quite obvious..." Kyle spread marmalade on his bread, "This is why I've been urging Professor Dumbledore to run for Minister of Magic, but he refuses to even consider it."
"Yeah, it would be great if Professor Dumbledore became the Minister," Cedric sighed in agreement.
Although he always believed that Hogwarts couldn't do without Dumbledore, the crucial point was that he would be graduating next year... and the Headmaster's position would have no bearing on his life thereafter.
So, in his heart, he also leaned towards the idea of Dumbledore running for Minister of Magic.
"Alright, let's change the subject," Kyle shook his head, "For Professor Dumbledore to become the Minister, it would take Voldemort becoming the Headmaster of Hogwarts. What are your plans for the holidays?"
"Autumn and I plan to visit St. Mungo's to see Sirius," Cedric took a sip of pumpkin juice, "Then we'll head to Diagon Alley. Fred and George have chosen a shop there, and I intend to join them."
"Join the Weasley Joke Shop?" Kyle asked, puzzled, "But I thought you wanted to join a professional Quidditch team after graduation?"
"If I remember correctly, the Motora Golden Macaw team also invited you for a tryout not long ago."
"That's right," Cedric confirmed calmly, "But I just can't bring myself to leave Britain at this time. Joining a professional team can wait, but it definitely won't be now."
"It's good that the Weasley brothers need help too. I guess this is a way to keep myself occupied."
"Are you sure?" Kyle glanced at him, "That's a pretty good team, and this opportunity is hard to come by."
"But their current Seeker is also excellent," Cedric said nonchalantly, "Even if I pass the tryout, I'd only be a substitute. It's not bad to wait and observe for a few more years."
Cedric seemed to have made up his mind, and after saying this, he proactively changed the subject.
"Conna, what are your plans for the holidays?"
"I might stay at Hogwarts. There's nothing much for me to do back home anyway," Conna replied, "Plus, I plan to attempt the Potioneer's Guild exam next year, so I can use the time to read some potion-related books."
"What about you, Kyle?" Cedric continued.
"I haven't decided yet," Kyle said.
"Why don't you come with us to see Sirius?" Cedric asked, then he glanced at Conna, "But I think... you'd rather stay at Hogwarts."
"That doesn't conflict," Kyle smiled.
Even if he stayed at Hogwarts, he could still ask Professor Dumbledore for a key that could lead to 12 Grimmauld Place, and then go to St. Mungo's.
Or, more simply, he could just take the Knight Bus there.
As for which method to choose, it would depend on whether Professor Dumbledore was at Hogwarts during the holidays. If possible, Kyle would still prefer the convenience of a key.
After all, the Knight Bus wasn't exactly comfortable.
...
After finishing their meal, the group left the Great Hall and headed to their next class.
For the sixth years, the first class was Potions, and Kyle and Conna arrived at the underground classroom on time.
But strangely, Snape was nowhere to be seen... It wasn't until twenty minutes into the class that he pushed open the door to the underground classroom, his face grim.
This was something that had never happened before.
During the class, Snape was even more terrifying than usual, scolding students for even the slightest mistakes, even if it was just a matter of cutting ingredients too thickly.
This caused everyone to fall silent, none daring to speak up.
When the bell rang for the end of class, Snape didn't linger for a second, leaving immediately.
When Kyle stepped out, Snape's figure was already gone from the corridor.
"What's wrong with him?" Kyle turned to Conna, curious, "Could it be that his potion brewing went wrong?"
"I don't know," Conna shook her head, "But it's definitely not that. Professor Snape's potions have never failed."
"That's strange," Kyle muttered, "It can't be that Professor Dumbledore asked him to take care of Sirius at St. Mungo's during the Christmas break."
After saying this, Kyle couldn't help but laugh. The image of Snape showing concern for Sirius was so bizarre that if it were true, St. Mungo's would surely witness a great battle.
However, Kyle didn't dwell on this matter too much.
It was normal for Snape to be angry; it would be stranger if he were in a good mood one day.
However, Kyle soon discovered that it wasn't just Snape who was unhappy, but also Harry.
After returning from St. Mungo's that day, Harry had been pretending that nothing had happened in order to avoid arousing Umbridge's suspicion.
But for some reason, he had suddenly become taciturn, and a few days later, his temper had started to flare up.
According to Hannah, Harry had gotten into a big argument with Snape during a Potion class and was kicked out of the classroom.
This was rare... although Harry could be impulsive at times, he rarely argued with professors during class.
Whenever he wanted to do so, Hermione and Ron would always be the first to restrain him.
But this time was different... according to Hannah, even the two of them combined couldn't hold Harry back.
Kyle was curious about what had happened over the past few days to cause such a big change in Harry, so he went to Gryffindor Tower.
However, Fred told him that Harry wasn't in the dormitory and hadn't been there for several days, not even at night.
"He won't have run out of school, will he?" Kyle frowned.
"Of course not," George shook his head, "I think he's probably been spending the night in the Room of Requirement."
"What?" Kyle was a bit puzzled, "Why would Harry choose to stay in the Room of Requirement instead of the dormitory? Did he have a fight with Ron?"
"It's not Ron, actually... it's mainly related to us."
Fred took Kyle to an empty corridor and explained, "I think it was three days ago, we sent a special little gadget in our letter to our family... an upgraded Extendable Ear."
"We made it look like a blank parchment," George said, "and since it was our letter, Mom didn't check it..."
"I think she just put it aside after reading it..."
"This allowed us to eavesdrop on a conversation between them."
"Harry was there too," Fred said with some regret, "because he's been feeling down about Sirius lately, so we invited him to listen in on the conversation."
"Something about Harry?" Kyle asked.
"Yes," George sighed, his voice very low, "Mom said that Harry can connect with the mysterious person through his dreams, and the mysterious person can do the same..."
Kyle frowned, "Mrs. Weasley really said that?"
"Absolutely true," Fred said, "Harry heard that and decided to leave the dormitory."
"He probably thinks he's a weapon or something, and might hurt others at any time."
"He didn't even want to attend classes, and it was Professor McGonagall who dragged him back to the classroom," George said with a faint smile, "if we had known things would turn out like this, we wouldn't have invited Harry to listen in."
Their intention was to give Harry something to cheer him up, but it ended up making him even more miserable.
But they hadn't expected that the conversation would be about Harry.
After understanding the cause of the situation, Kyle went to the corridor where the Room of Requirement was located.
However, when he saw the two people who were already there, he turned around and left... if even Hermione and Ron couldn't see Harry, then he certainly couldn't.
Fortunately, Christmas was just around the corner, and Sirius should be able to cheer him up.
Kyle thought to himself.
...
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 holiday, but Kyle... after the feast, he was summoned to the Headmaster's office by Dumbledore again.
And this time, the office was empty, with only Dumbledore present, dressed in his usual nightgown.
"Am I going somewhere again?" Kyle thought to himself.
But Dumbledore's next words were unexpected.
"What? You want me to teach Harry Occlumency?"
"Yes, you heard that right," Dumbledore said, "Harry needs to learn this technique to protect his mind from external magic invasion.
"I was going to teach him myself, but I'm too busy..."
Dumbledore pointed to the pile of letters on his desk, "these are messages from all over, and I receive them every day, I have to read them all before I sleep."
"So you want me to teach him?" Kyle asked.
"Actually, I want you to assist Professor Snape," Dumbledore said, "Harry's Occlumency lessons started two days ago."
Two days ago?
Kyle thought for a moment and realized it was the same day Snape was late to class.
"So, it's not going well?" he asked tentatively.
"Harry seems to be having trouble adapting to Professor Snape's teaching methods..." Dumbledore coughed lightly.
In fact, he was holding back, Harry wasn't just having trouble adapting to Snape's teaching methods, they were completely incompatible.
Harry now had no choice but to protect his mind from Voldemort's potential invasion in the future, and Occlumency was the best option.
This was why Snape had mentioned a few days ago that Harry was constantly in danger.
So, after returning from St. Mungo's, he arranged for Harry to receive Occlumency training.
However, things didn't go as planned.
Snape chose to use Legilimency to force Harry to find a way to close his mind...
This was understandable, but in a moment of panic, Harry used another type of magic, or perhaps it was instinctual... Without a wand, he reflected the Legilimency back.
Harry then also caught a glimpse of Snape's secrets... Although it was only for a few seconds, it was still embarrassing for Snape.
The first lesson ended hastily amidst the furious argument between the two, completely ineffective.
Then Dumbledore thought of Kyle.
"You're also proficient in Occlumency," Dumbledore said, "and if you can mediate between them, the teaching effect should be better."
"But my Occlumency is still at the beginner level, and I probably won't be of much help," Kyle declined, not wanting to waste time on this matter.
He had other things to do during the break and didn't want to waste time on this.
Occlumency was not something that could be mastered overnight, and if he took on this task, his vacation would be completely ruined.
Besides, Snape was doing a good job, and his teaching method, though a bit rough, wouldn't harm Harry.
Moreover, this was a special period, and giving Harry some pressure would also help him master this technique quickly.
But Dumbledore seemed to ignore Kyle's refusal.
"You're too modest, Kyle," he shook his head, "when it comes to Occlumency, there aren't many people I know who are better than you, and that includes some well-known wizards."
"Professor, you're joking," Kyle continued to decline, "Snape is much better than me, and even he can't do it. What use would I be?"
Dumbledore's eyes flashed, and if it were two years ago, Kyle's words would have been correct, but now it was debatable.
"Even if it's to help Harry, is it possible?" Dumbledore said calmly, "The dream from the other day has left him feeling low, and you also want him to cheer up quickly, right?"
Kyle frowned and hesitated.
If it were as Dumbledore said, he wouldn't mind helping, but Kyle still felt something was off.
Although Dumbledore's words made sense, comforting Harry... This task was obviously more suitable for Hermione and Ron.
Moreover, teaching Harry Occlumency was Snape's responsibility, and even if Kyle went, he wouldn't be of much help... Kyle didn't think he could change Snape's mind or decision, not even with Cona's help.
For both matters, he wasn't the best choice, but Dumbledore still sought him out.
However, Kyle thought for a long time and couldn't figure out what Dumbledore's other intentions were.
"But I still have to guard the Basilisk... I can't be distracted," Kyle said softly, raising his head.
Dumbledore's lips twitched visibly, but he quickly regained his composure.
"It's fine, Fox can help," he said with a smile.
"Then it's settled," Kyle said without hesitation, as if afraid Dumbledore would change his mind, and immediately agreed, "There's no time to waste, I'll go find Professor Snape right now."
After saying this, he opened the door to the headmaster's office and walked out, taking Fox, who was sleeping on a branch, into his arms.
Startled awake, Fox opened his eyes in a daze, looked at Kyle, then at Dumbledore, and buried his head in his wings again.
"Bang!"
The door to the headmaster's office was closed.
"He's a cunning little one."
Phineas Black, the portrait on the wall, opened his eyes and said to Dumbledore, "That kid is obviously setting conditions, can't you tell?"
"I'm not an old fool, Phineas," Dumbledore walked behind the desk and picked up a letter from the table to read.
He, of course, understood Kyle's intention. If the Basilisk were truly that unstable and 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.
Of course, helping Harry was secondary; the more important reason was something else...
It was to find something for Kyle to do during this vacation, to keep him busy, so busy that he wouldn't have time to think about other things.
He had a premonition... Well, it was a kind of intuition that old wizards had. If he didn't keep an eye on Kyle, he was sure that during these two weeks, Kyle would definitely do something unexpected, and it was highly likely to be related to him.
Moreover, the closer it got to the end of the break, the stronger this feeling became.
Dumbledore chose to trust his intuition.
(End of Chapter)
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