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Chapter 709: The Iron Armor Curse and the Missing Sirius
Chapter 709: The Iron Armor Curse and the Missing Sirius
The letter was not particularly long. Aside from the greetings, the portion about the curse took up less than two sheets of parchment. However, the content was abstruse and difficult to comprehend. Even with Dumbledore's translation chart, Kyle had to pore over it repeatedly.
At the same time, he took out his wand and began experimenting with various combinations of arcane runes.
Specks of arcane runes floated out from his wand, converging to form new sigils. Faintly, it seemed as if a transparent web enveloped Kyle, but it soon shattered and vanished.
"No, that's not it..." Kyle frowned, quickly flipping through the translation chart.
So engrossed was he in his task that he didn't even notice the dawn breaking outside.
Unbeknownst to him, he had been sitting at his desk the entire night.
It was only around noon the next day...
Fred, who had just returned from Diagon Alley for lunch, looked at the empty chair in front of him and asked, "By the way, how long has Kyle been holed up in his room?"
"Pretty much a whole day," Harry said. "His room light was on all last night, and he didn't come down for breakfast this morning."
"What's he up to?" George inquired.
"Don't know," Ron replied. "We wanted to call for him this morning, but Mom and Sirius wouldn't let us."
"That was Dumbledore's instruction before he left," Mrs. Weasley said as she placed a plate of toasted bread on the table. "Unless it's important, we shouldn't disturb Kyle."
"I know, and you've said that many times already," Ron muttered under his breath.
"Well, you better remember it," Mrs. Weasley shot Ron a glare and then glanced worriedly towards the staircase.
It was clear that she, too, was concerned about Kyle, who had gone a whole day without eating.
"But it hasn't been a full day yet, so it should be fine," Mrs. Weasley thought to herself. Due to Dumbledore's instructions, she could only wait for Kyle to emerge.
And so, another afternoon passed.
It was only at half-past seven, when everyone was preparing for dinner, that Kyle finally stumbled downstairs.
Diana had mentioned that the content on the parchment would only last a day.
And indeed, it had vanished right on time. Along with it, the knowledge of the ancient Runic language in his head had also faded away.
However, there was some good news.
Although the process had disappeared, the outcome remained.
It felt like taking an exam—he couldn't remember the content of the test paper or what he had written, but the final grade was real... and it was quite impressive.
But as he suddenly relaxed, having gone a day without eating, Kyle felt dizzy and lightheaded. Everything he saw seemed to be swaying.
By the time Kyle made his way downstairs to the dining room, Mrs. Weasley had just placed a plate of freshly baked pies on the table.
Forgetting about manners and the heat, Kyle grabbed a pie and stuffed it into his mouth.
"You're finally out," Mrs. Weasley breathed a sigh of relief and served Kyle a bowl of soup. "Eat slowly, don't rush. I made plenty."
...
Kyle devoured three pies and two bowls of soup before he started feeling a little better, though he was still far from satiated.
Indeed, studying ancient Runic was an extremely exhausting endeavor. He felt as if he hadn't eaten for three days, not just one.
"Kyle, what have you been up to in your room?" Ron couldn't help but ask.
"Researching Merlin's letter," Kyle replied casually.
With the disappearance of the content on the parchment, the strange restrictions he had experienced before were also gone. Now, he could naturally talk about what he had been doing, unlike last night when he felt like the words were stuck in his throat.
"Merlin's letter?" Hermione's voice rose in pitch, "That's from a person who lived fifteen hundred years ago!"
"It's not the original letter," Kyle explained. "It's a magically imprinted copy."
"Could it be the one your mom gave you last night...?" Hermione's eyes widened as she recalled the birthday gift Diana had given Kyle the previous evening.
She had contemplated various possibilities—advanced spells, ancient texts... but she never imagined it would be related to Merlin.
"Can I take a look?" Hermione pleaded, her eyes fixed on Kyle. "Just a glance."
"Sorry, the letter is protected by magic, and it's gone now," Kyle shrugged and picked up another pie. "Anyway, I've forgotten the content, except that it was written in the ancient Runic language before it was simplified."
"Ancient Runic, simplified?" Hermione was perplexed.
She couldn't fathom how such intricate and complex writing, which gave her a headache just by looking at it, could be associated with simplification.
"Like this..." Kyle casually handed the book Dumbledore had given him to Hermione.
From the moment Hermione opened the first page, her eyebrows furrowed.
Harry and Ron also leaned in curiously, but the next second, they both averted their gazes simultaneously.
They didn't recognize a single symbol on that page, and it made their heads hurt just looking at it. They couldn't imagine how Kyle had managed to study it for an entire day.
"Wait a moment..." Fred suddenly recalled something. "You said you forgot the content, doesn't that mean you wasted a whole day for nothing?"
"Of course not," Kyle swallowed the last bite of pie and grabbed a roasted potato. "It was a teaching letter, probably from Merlin to his apprentice. I've learned the magic mentioned in it."
A collective gasp filled the dining room as everyone exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.
Finally, Fred and George broke the silence.
"What kind of spell is it?"
"Is it powerful?"
They asked in unison.
"It's a type of Iron Armor curse, I suppose," Kyle said. "It's not very destructive, mainly for self-protection."
Fred and George looked a little disappointed. They had expected Merlin's magic to be grandiose and earth-shattering, something that could directly eliminate Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
"Perhaps Professor Dumbledore has seen it before." Ginny added, "Remember what he said last night? He seemed to know Kyle's situation well and was aware of what he needed. Perhaps he's gone through something similar."
"But how many Dumbledore-level wizards are there in the wizarding world?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Can we see the effect of the spell?" Sirius, who had been quiet until then, suddenly spoke up. "Of course, if it's inconvenient, we can forget about it."
"It's just a spell, no inconvenience." Kyle nonchalantly replied, "But can we do it later? I'm not full yet."
"Of course, take your time." Sirius said.
Now everyone was intrigued, eager to witness a spell from a thousand and five hundred years ago. In their anticipation, they couldn't even focus on their meal, wishing for time to pass faster.
However, the key player, Kyle, was in no rush at all and continued to eat his dinner at a leisurely pace.
When everyone else had put down their utensils, the remaining three pies were devoured by Kyle.
In addition, he also finished off two potatoes, five bowls of soup, and a plate of sausages and bread that Mrs. Weasley had hastily fried up, fearing there wouldn't be enough food.
Ginny's eyes were wide as saucers, and she felt that Kyle's meal could probably feed her for three days.
"Is it really okay for Kyle to eat like this? Won't he have a problem?" she blurted out.
"It's normal." Lupin explained, "Kyle is probably learning Ancient Runic magic, and using this type of magic is both a mental and physical challenge.
"If you've taken the Ancient Runic class, you'll find that your appetite increases significantly after each lesson."
"That's true..." Ginny muttered, "But Kyle is eating way too much."
"It's fine. Young wizards his age tend to have enormous appetites." Charlie reminisced, "I used to be like that too. I could eat five pies in one go, and Mom was always worried that we didn't have enough food at home."
As if to validate his words, or perhaps because he was inspired by Kyle's eating, Charlie reached for the toasted bread in front of him, intending to have another round.
However, his hand was swiftly smacked by Mrs. Weasley.
"Mom, you're being unfair!" Charlie complained.
"Kyle hasn't eaten for a whole day." Mrs. Weasley said without turning her head.
...
Five minutes later, after finishing another bowl of soup, Kyle finally put down his utensils.
The others also looked on with anticipation in their eyes.
"Do you need to rest?" Sirius asked.
"No need." Kyle shook his head, "I'm about seven-eighths full, just right for some activity."
"Clang!" Ginny, who had just stood up, knocked her chair over.
Well, she felt that Kyle's appetite was even more astonishing than ancient magic.
After that, Sirius stood up and walked towards the door.
"Follow me, I'll take you to the basement. There's a room down there for brewing potions, which will come in handy."
"Sure." Kyle had no objections and got up to follow.
However, just as he was about to walk out, a flash of red light suddenly appeared before his eyes.
"Disarm him!"
Sirius, standing at the door, had taken out his wand at some point and was now pointing it directly at Kyle.
This sudden turn of events startled Mrs. Weasley, who cried out. Ron instinctively took a step back and accidentally stepped on Hermione, who was reading a book. Hermione yelped in pain and bumped into Harry.
The entire dining room was thrown into chaos.
However, Kyle, who was at the receiving end of the Disarming Charm, remained completely unaffected and stood there calmly.
Just as Sirius' spell reached less than an inch in front of him, it was blocked by a silver shield.
The spell rebounded even faster and hit Sirius before he could react. His wand flew out of his hand, spinning in the air.
By the time he realized what had happened, his wand was already in Kyle's hand.
"You didn't mention anything about a sneak attack before." Kyle returned Sirius' wand to him.
"Death Eaters won't give you a fair duel." Sirius said.
He looked at the wand that Kyle handed back to him, his eyes still a bit dazed, as if he couldn't accept the fact that he had just been defeated.
For a wizard, losing their wand meant losing their ability to fight back. If Kyle had been an enemy, Sirius would have been doomed.
He used to be a prominent figure at Hogwarts, but now, twenty years later, he had been bested by a seventh-year student.
For some reason, Sirius felt a twinge of disappointment.
As a longtime friend, Lupin was the first to notice his unusual demeanor and offered comfort, "You didn't think you could beat Kyle, did you?
"Maybe five years ago, but now... aren't you overestimating yourself a bit?
"And didn't you lose to Kyle three years ago when you first escaped from Azkaban? It's been a long time, and you still haven't come to terms with this fact?"
Being good friends, Lupin's words hit Sirius right in the heart, and he kept twisting the knife, sprinkling salt on the wound.
"Shut up, Remus." Sirius' face turned red, and he gritted his teeth, "This was just a simple test, it doesn't prove anything."
He had intended to regain some dignity, but instead of stopping Lupin, his actions only made the other man smile even more.
The Sirius he knew was always carefree, to the point of being careless—a typical Gryffindor.
But it was understandable. Although it was just a simple test that didn't prove anything, it was still hard to accept that he had lost his wand so easily to a student who had just turned seventeen.
Anyway, he definitely wouldn't spar with Kyle.
Sirius' face turned even redder, and at this moment, even the others in the room couldn't help but smirk.
To change the subject, Sirius once again turned his attention to Kyle.
It was then that he realized the shield that had blocked his Disarming Charm was still there, instead of disappearing.
Common knowledge dictated that the Iron Armor Curse would vanish after rebounding an opponent's spell, and a second spell would need to be cast to use it again. This was also a characteristic of the curse itself, and even Dumbledore couldn't be exempt from it.
However, the scene before him broke that characteristic.
Staring at the faintly visible silver shield, Sirius felt that it looked vaguely familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
That's right, at the Ministry of Magic! Sirius suddenly recalled that during Voldemort and Dumbledore's battle at the Ministry, the Dark Lord had used a similar shield, and Kyle had wanted to learn it back then.
"You've learned it?" Sirius blurted out. "The Iron Armor Curse used by the mysterious wizard?"
"It's different." Kyle glanced at the shield in front of him and shook his head. "The curse used by the mysterious wizard was an actual shield, but mine is just a visualization of the spell, and the shape isn't fixed."
As he spoke, Kyle waved his wand, and the shield in front of him instantly transformed into a hexagonal magic array, adorned with intricate arcane runes that looked highly advanced.
Then, the array morphed into a honeycomb-like web, taking on the form of Kyle himself, then Sirius, before changing back into a shield.
"This should be an effect of a combination of arcane runes," Kyle continued. "It grants the Iron Armor Curse a more comprehensive protective effect while also allowing the spell to be materialized. However, I've forgotten the specifics."
"What about its effect?" Lupin asked. "Is there any relation between its appearance and defensive ability?"
"Not at all." Kyle replied, "It's like the style of a set of clothes; no matter how much it changes, it has no impact on its ability to keep one warm."
"If you don't believe me, you can try it out." Kyle transformed the shield in front of him into a ring.
Sirius acted as if he hadn't seen it and showed no intention of making a move. Lupin and Mr. Weasley also turned their heads away.
"Alright, I'll give it a go." Charlie said through his laughter as he took out his wand.
"Expelliarmus!"
The red light of the Disarming Charm struck the empty space in the middle of the ring but was still deflected.
However, since Charlie had been prepared, he sidestepped in advance. Looking at the Iron Armor Curse in front of Kyle, it remained intact.
Lupin frowned, deep in thought.
This kind of persistent Iron Armor Curse reminded him of another spell... Protego Totalum.
This wasn't a spell used by a single wizard but an enhanced version of the Iron Armor Curse cast by multiple wizards together, creating a protective net that would persist until the magic dissipated.
Usually, this spell would only be used in times of war.
For example, more than a decade ago, the Aurors had used this large-scale spell several times to repel Death Eaters attempting to attack the Ministry of Magic.
What Kyle was using now seemed like a simplified version of that spell, turning a curse that required multiple casters into one that a single person could use.
It was a pity that he couldn't remember the process... If others could also learn this spell, dealing with Death Eaters would become much easier.
But soon, Lupin shook his head.
This was the most challenging arcane rune magic. Even if there was a process, he estimated that not many people would be able to learn it... And with more people involved, there was also the risk of exposure. If the Death Eaters were to learn it, that would truly be troublesome.
After everyone had witnessed the effect of the spell, Kyle waved his wand, and the shield in front of him disappeared.
"Harry..." Kyle turned and said, "You might have to work hard for the next period of time."
"What?" Harry blinked, not quite understanding what Kyle meant.
"It's like this." Kyle explained, "This is my ace in the hole, meant to give the Death Eaters a nasty surprise.
"Although it may make you feel uncomfortable to hear this, if the mysterious wizard invades your consciousness again, he will likely see what happened today."
Harry's eyes dimmed as he heard this. During this period, he had been trying to forget about this matter, but Kyle had brought it up.
"I... I've been studying the Occlumency technique," Harry said softly.
"I know." Kyle said, "I saw the book about Occlumency in your room last night.
"What I mean is, your progress is too slow. If you don't have anything important to do, how about a special training session?"
Special training?
Harry involuntarily thought back to the unpleasant incident in the Room of Requirement.
"No, that's not necessary." His legs began to go weak, and his body ached faintly. "Sirius can teach me, and so can Professor Lupin, right?"
He looked at the two of them pleadingly.
But Sirius didn't understand what Harry was trying to do and could only say helplessly, "Sorry, Harry. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about Occlumency, so I can't be of much help."
"Me neither." Lupin added.
"In that case, it's settled then." Kyle said, "Sirius, you mentioned that there's a nice room in the basement, right? Let's go tidy it up later, and then Harry can undergo his special training there."
"Sure, no problem." Sirius agreed readily.
...
(End of Chapter)
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