https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-726-The-Opal-Necklace-Kyle-s-Decision/13012942/
Chapter 725: Gifts and the Killing Curse
Chapter 725: Gifts and the Killing Curse
After breakfast, everyone gathered in the entrance hall.
Due to the tense atmosphere during this time, it seemed like everyone had been cooped up in the castle, and there were more students than usual heading to Hogsmeade.
A long line formed in the entrance hall, and Filch stood at the oak doorway as usual, checking off the names of students allowed to go to Hogsmeade while repeatedly scanning each person with his Dark Detector.
"What a waste of time," Mikael grumbled. "Even if we bring Dark objects out of school, what's it to you? You should be checking what we're bringing in."
"I don't need you telling me how to do my job," Filch replied irritably, poking Mikael with the detector.
Despite his words, he quickened his inspection, and soon it was Kyle's turn.
Outside, the wind howled, and to be honest, walking to Hogsmeade in this weather was uncomfortable. Many students started shivering as soon as they left the castle, their ears and cheeks turning red from the cold.
But no one wanted to stay in the castle, so they quickened their pace, eager to reach Hogsmeade and warm up with a cup of hot Butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks.
Of course, there were also students who weren't in a hurry, like Kyle and Cona. They wore waterproof and moisture-proof badges on their chests, unaffected by the harsh weather.
Chatting leisurely, they strolled through the grounds and followed the path to Hogsmeade Village.
Apparently, the word had gotten out, and for safety reasons, all the visiting wizards from other places were gone. As far as the eye could see, only Hogwarts students filled the streets and shops.
"Oh, Kyle, look over there," Ryan suddenly pointed towards a shop in the distance. "Zoko's is closed."
Kyle turned to look.
Indeed, the nearest Zoko's Joke Shop to the village entrance was closed, with several students peering through the cracks in the door.
"It's really closed, and there's no one inside..."
"What a bummer, I wanted to buy some Exploding Bees."
"Don't even think about it. Even if you buy them, you can't bring them back. Remember, Filch is still checking at the gate."
"Maybe I can find a place to hide them first..."
After lingering at the entrance for a while, everyone left. Now that we know Zoko's is closed, there's no point in staying here. Let's make use of this time and explore other places."
...
Fortunately, the popular Honeydukes was still open.
The small shop was packed with students waving Galleons, sweeping through the shelves like locusts. In just a few minutes, half of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans bucket at the entrance was gone.
"Hey, leave some for me!" Mikael couldn't hold back any longer and dashed into the shop.
"Kyle, do you need us to get something for you?" Ryan asked after running a few steps and turning back. "How about some Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs? These are the most popular items."
"No, thanks," Kyle shook his head.
"Are you sure?" Ryan looked at Kyle. "I guess we won't have many chances to come to Hogsmeade again. It's best to stock up while we can..."
"You're right, but I really don't need any," Kyle said. "I still have plenty of candy, you know that. No need to buy more."
For several years now, Kyle hadn't visited Honeydukes.
Mainly because every Christmas and birthday, he received a lot of candy and chocolate. Even after using some for gift exchanges, he still couldn't finish the rest, so there was no need to spend more money on them.
"We should change up the flavors, and we feel bad always eating your candy," Ryan said, then followed Mikael into Honeydukes.
Kyle and Cona didn't linger either. Taking advantage of most students being at Honeydukes, they decided to head to The Three Broomsticks to secure a good spot.
Having a cup of hot Butterbeer in this weather was an irresistible temptation.
As the two made their way to The Three Broomsticks through the howling wind, they suddenly spotted some familiar figures.
Those distinctive red heads were hard to miss.
"Fred, George?" Kyle asked tentatively.
Hearing their names, the twins turned around.
"Haha, we were just discussing if you'd come or not."
"We didn't expect you to show up right after we mentioned it..." George laughed and waved. "Hey, Cona, how's seventh year treating you?"
"It's going well," Cona replied. "What are you guys doing here? Having a drink?"
"To be honest, we don't have time for leisure right now," Fred sighed. "There's a ton of work at the Ministry. We've tried to resign several times but haven't found the chance."
"Resigning is an option, but all the work will end up on Dad's plate," George said. "He's already busy enough, coming home late every night."
"So, you're here to..."
"We're tracking down a guy who's selling fake protective amulets," Fred explained. "You know him too, Mundungus."
"The one from the Phoenix Society?"
"Who else could it be..." George said through gritted teeth. "Now I understand why Mom doesn't welcome him. Although he always gets us what we need, he also brings us a lot of trouble."
"Have you found him?" Kyle asked. "Do you need help?"
"No need. I guess he got wind of it and ran off," Fred pushed open the door of The Three Broomsticks. "Since we've met, how about a drink? It's on us."
"I'll have the most expensive one," Kyle said.
"Not a chance," George replied, glancing at Cona. "But you can order whatever you like, of course."
He raised an eyebrow at Kyle, a hint of challenge in his expression.
Kyle wasn't going to let him have the upper hand. As soon as they entered the bar, he ordered the most expensive Ogden's Firewhisky for Cona.
The price of ten Galleons per glass made the twins wince.
"You're not having second thoughts, are you...?" Kyle said with a smirk. "But it's fine, I can pay."
"Hah, no way!" George stiffened his neck and pulled out ten gold coins, placing them neatly on the bar counter. "We'll have these, and it's on me."
"Then I'll thank you on Cona's behalf." Kyle grinned and handed the golden honey-colored whisky to Cona.
"Lucky me, I didn't expect anyone to buy me a drink."
Seeing Kyle's smug expression and the exaggerated reactions of the Weasley brothers, Cona couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't pretend," Kyle said as they all sat down. "You're earning two salaries, and you can't afford ten Galleons?" He brought over three glasses of Butterbeer. "What's the situation outside now?"
Fred sighed. "It's not good. We see the Dark Mark almost every day, and it's making people nervous."
"What about the Aurors?"
"They've caught a few Death Eaters, but they're all small fry, not much use." George added, "By the way, do you know Stan Sampark?"
"The Knight Bus conductor?" Kyle asked.
"That's him," Fred confirmed. "He was also captured this morning for Death Eater activities."
"Wait, there must be some mistake..." Cona lifted her head. "He's just a conductor, how could he be a Death Eater?"
"We thought so too," George said. "But Stan Sampark admitted it himself."
"And he did it in a bar, in front of at least a dozen wizards... The Aurors received several reports."
"And Gula, a goblin, was also found to have frequent contact with Death Eaters, but Gringotts insists it's just a normal transaction process."
"I don't think so," Kyle said. "If it were a transaction, why not do it inside Gringotts instead of outside? I suspect they're worried about goblins colluding with Death Eaters, which would damage Gringotts' reputation."
As they chatted and sipped their Butterbeer, Kyle noticed that they kept glancing out the window, as if searching for someone.
The wizard with brown hair sitting by the door was doing the same.
They only stopped looking around when Harry, Hermione, and Ron entered The Three Broomsticks.
"By the way, are you still responsible for protecting Harry?" Kyle asked quietly.
Fred was taken aback. "How did you know?"
"Just a guess," Kyle shrugged.
"Well, the Ministry is short-staffed..." George explained. "And we happened to be coming to Hogsmeade, so we're helping out."
"You still dared to drink."
"It's fine, there are Aurors around. We're just helping."
"The wizard at the door?"
"How do you know?" Fred was even more surprised, wondering if Kyle had been at the Ministry of Magic instead of Hogwarts these past days.
"Is it that hard to guess?" Kyle said calmly. "I've never seen a wizard with a big beard order just a glass of fruit soda."
"Well, it's Tonks," Fred said. "No wonder Dad insisted we come and help."
"Fred, George!"
Ron, who had just entered, spotted the twins.
"What are you doing here?"
"We're here to tell you that Hogwarts is closing tomorrow," Fred said. "Mom sent us to bring you home."
"What? Hogwarts is closing?" Ron was stunned. "But Professor McGonagall never mentioned it!"
"Seriously," George patted Ron's shoulder. "Sometimes we wonder if you're really our brother. You're a blot on our family's intelligence."
Ron immediately understood that Fred and George were just teasing him about Hogwarts closing.
"He sat down directly at the empty seat next to Harry's table."
"How about tomorrow night? Surely you won't have any plans."
"I... I..." Harry stammered, his mind racing for an excuse to decline the invitation.
Ever since the last time when he was surrounded by seven or eight people while doing homework, Harry had been avoiding Slughorn. He would rather deal with a bucket of Flobberworms than attend those dinner parties.
"I'm sorry, Professor," Kyle said calmly, his expression unchanged. "I have too many Ministry matters to attend to."
He pointed to Fred and George, "You see, even if I go to Hogsmeade for the weekend, they still manage to find me and ask for work reports."
"Are you employees of the Ministry?" Slughorn asked, turning to the Weasley brothers.
Although Kyle's meaning was unclear, Fred and George immediately understood and nodded in agreement.
Slughorn's attitude changed instantly, and he greeted them warmly, but that was all.
"I'm afraid I can't make it either," Cona said. "Professor Snape has given me a month of detention... I can't go anywhere during this time."
"What?" Slughorn exclaimed, almost jumping up in excitement. "How could Severus do this? Doesn't he know how talented you are in Potions? A month of detention, my goodness, how could he bear it... No, I have to go and talk to him."
Without even finishing his honey mead, Slughorn rushed out of the Three Broomsticks in a hurry.
"What's going on here? Is that the new Potions professor?" Fred asked curiously, having heard about the staff changes at Hogwarts this year.
"Yes, it's Horace Slughorn, a professor who loves hosting dinner parties," Kyle introduced briefly, mentioning his famous Slug Club.
This shocked the two of them, as they never expected the professor to be so... unique.
"Doesn't he know about the relationship between Cona and Snape?"
"Apparently not," Kyle said. "But this way, Cona can avoid those boring dinner parties."
If Cona didn't want to go, she could be in detention for the entire semester. Even if Dumbledore intervened, it wouldn't help, let alone Slughorn.
"Ron..." George turned around and said meaningfully, "I noticed he didn't invite you just now. Was it a coincidence or an oversight?"
Ron's face turned red again.
In fact, Slughorn had never paid attention to him. Whenever they met, he only spoke to Harry as if Ron were an insignificant decoration.
"I'm actually envious of Ron," Harry said, trying to ease the tension. "Those dinner parties of his are pure torture."
"Yes," Hermione agreed, nodding. "It's not a pleasant experience."
Ron's expression finally improved a little. He muttered something under his breath, but no one could make out what he said.
After some more conversation, Kyle and Cona prepared to leave after finishing their butterbeer.
Harry and the others had the same idea.
The weather outside was getting worse, and it was more comfortable to stay in the warm Common Room than to brave the elements.
They stood up and headed towards the door.
At that moment, two Gryffindor girls at a nearby table also stood up.
"Wait, Kyle."
As they exited the bar, they called out from behind.
"What's the matter?" Kyle turned to ask.
He recognized one of the girls as Katie Bell from Gryffindor, also a member of the Quidditch team.
"This is for you." Katie approached and extended her hand, offering a package.
Kyle was a bit puzzled, as he didn't recall any particular connection with her.
But when he looked at the package, he frowned slightly.
Fred and George, standing beside him, did the same.
Having worked in the department that specializes in tracking dark magic items and counterfeits for so long, they immediately noticed the problem with the package.
The dark magic reaction was too obvious, and there was no attempt to conceal it. Without a doubt, something deadly was inside.
Just as Fred and George were about to say something, Kyle stopped them with a slight shake of his head. Then, he turned to Katie.
"Who gave this to you?"
Katie didn't speak, only nodding stiffly, her movements unnatural.
"Avada Kedavra!" Fred's mind instantly filled with a terrifying thought.
Damn it, someone had used the Killing Curse on a Hogwarts student! Meanwhile, after a moment of hesitation, Kyle slowly reached out for the package.
Fred's heart immediately sank, and he wanted to warn Kyle, but he quickly realized it wasn't necessary. He immediately ran towards Tonks, who was following them from a distance.
George stayed put, tensely watching with his hand already in his pocket, ready to draw his wand at any moment.
However, just as Kyle's fingers were about to touch the package, a sinister voice suddenly came from behind them.
"Get out of my way, you filthy Mudblood!"
It was Malfoy, who seemed to have just come from the Three Broomsticks, and unusually, he was without any of his usual cronies.
Then, to everyone's surprise, he rudely shoved Hermione, who was standing in front of him.
Hermione, caught off guard, collided with Katie.
Katie, startled by the push, dropped the package she was holding.
...
(End of Chapter)
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