Chapter 735: A Capable Assistant, Fox
Chapter 735: A Capable Assistant, Fox
The news that Kyle brought to Dumbledore was indeed a pleasant surprise.
While the Death Eaters hiding in the shadows were a formidable threat, they were a different matter when brought into the light.
The Vanishing Cabinet was a means for them to bypass the castle's magical defenses, and it could have given them a significant advantage if its existence was unknown. But now that they were aware of it, the stationary cabinet became the Death Eaters' biggest weakness.
Dumbledore was confident that he could use this knowledge to capture any Death Eater who attempted to infiltrate Hogwarts using this method.
However, his current concern was how to extricate Draco Malfoy from this situation and prevent Voldemort's wrath from falling upon his family.
After all, if the Death Eaters were to launch an attack on Hogwarts, they would likely send a substantial number of their members. Should they all be captured, Voldemort would undoubtedly be furious, and the Malfoy family, who had proposed this plan, would bear the brunt of his anger.
Dumbledore wanted to spare them that fate.
While he may not particularly care for Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, he couldn't ignore Draco, who was, after all, a student at Hogwarts.
As the school's headmaster, it was his responsibility to protect every student, even one who harbored malicious intentions towards him.
However, Dumbledore did not share these thoughts with Kyle, not because he didn't trust him, but because he was certain that if he asked, Kyle would most likely agree without hesitation.
But protecting the students was the headmaster's responsibility, not Kyle's… and there was still no guarantee that their plan would succeed.
Dumbledore shook his head, deciding not to dwell on these thoughts any longer.
"Kyle, the most crucial question now is… do you know where he will hide the Vanishing Cabinet?" he asked.
To use the Vanishing Cabinet to ambush the Death Eaters, they needed to know its location.
Hogwarts was an extensive castle, with secret chambers and places like the Room of Requirement that only a few people knew about. Even as the headmaster, Dumbledore couldn't guarantee that he was aware of all the castle's secrets.
If Malfoy had found a similar hidden room, they might not be able to locate the cabinet immediately, rendering their plan useless.
"Of course," Kyle replied. "I've already prepared for this."
He certainly wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
"When I returned the Vanishing Cabinet, I made a slight modification and added a special enchantment to it."
As he spoke, Kyle took out a map of Hogwarts and spread it on the table.
He glanced at it and pointed to the location of the Slytherin Common Room.
"There it is," he said, indicating a footprint formed from ink and the words "Vanishing Cabinet" on the map.
If Fred and George had been there, they would have instantly recognized that the footprint and the name were unique markers on the Marauder's Map.
Indeed, Kyle had created this effect based on the Marauder's Map… The only difference was that this map was not as densely populated with names, and there was only that single name on it, making its movement immediately apparent.
"Oh?" Dumbledore took the map and examined it briefly before understanding what Kyle had done. "A Name-Tracking Charm?"
"Yes," Kyle nodded. "It's a simple trick, just a matter of altering the enchantment to target an object instead of a person, but it's very useful."
As they spoke, Kyle glanced at the map again.
The Vanishing Cabinet was still in the Slytherin Common Room, perhaps because Malfoy hadn't finished his preparations or the other cabinet hadn't been repaired yet. Regardless, it seemed that Malfoy wasn't planning to act immediately.
After all, the Common Room was a busy place with many people coming and going. Additionally, due to the events of the previous years, several portraits had been added to the entrances of each house's Common Room to keep watch.
Malfoy wouldn't choose such a public place as his entry point; he would undoubtedly select a more secluded location.
But that was fine, as it gave them more time to prepare as well.
Dumbledore waved his wand, and the map instantly duplicated itself. With Dumbledore's powerful magic, both the map and the enchantment upon it were perfectly replicated.
He returned the original map to Kyle and kept the copy for himself.
"Professor, do you want to add a reminder charm as well?" Kyle suggested, "So that we'll be alerted if the location of the Vanishing Cabinet changes. That way, we won't have to keep an eye on it constantly."
"No need for that," Dumbledore said, and with a wave of his hand, the map on the table floated over to a shelf behind him.
That particular spot was visible to the portraits on the wall.
"They will keep watch for me," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I have many things to do lately, and I can't guarantee that I'll always have the map with me. Moreover, in certain situations, having it suddenly make a noise to alert us could be troublesome."
"True," Kyle nodded. "Well, at least a certain headmaster won't be twiddling his thumbs all day. It's good to give him something to do and save him from getting beaten up every day…"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Are you really that clueless, or are you just pretending?" Dippet, who was standing beside them, narrowed his eyes at Phineas. "Don't tell me you don't know who he's talking about."
"Who else could it be but you?" Phineas retorted. "It can't be Sprout, although she does have quite some free time on her hands these days..."
"What did you say?"
Before Phineas could react, two witches, one middle-aged and the other much younger, burst into the frame of his portrait, raining punches and kicks on him without a word.
Although they looked similar, Kyle had never seen the younger one before.
Before Kyle could ponder further, the sound of painful cries filled the Headmaster's office.
Dumbledore seemed accustomed to this scene, casually waving his wand to silence the ruckus.
The beating continued in the portrait, but at least the cries had stopped.
"Those two are both Filius Flitwick," Dumbledore explained, "depicted in portraits from different periods of his life."
"Can one person really have two portraits in the Headmaster's office?" Kyle asked, puzzled.
"Theoretically, yes," Dumbledore replied.
"Now, let's get back to the topic at hand," Dumbledore said. "I may need to leave Hogwarts for a while, and I'd like to ask you to keep a closer eye on Draco Malfoy during my absence."
"I'm afraid I'm quite busy, Professor," Kyle said. "I'm in my seventh year now, and the N.E.W.T. exams are just around the corner. If I want to secure a decent job after graduation, I'll need to earn enough certificates. Perhaps you should ask someone else about this matter."
"I think Professor Snape would be a good choice," Kyle suggested. "As the Head of Slytherin House, he has plenty of time to observe Malfoy. Or even Harry, for that matter."
"Harry?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "If I recall correctly, their relationship isn't exactly amicable."
"That's precisely why it's a good idea," Kyle explained. "As rivals for six years, no one knows each other better than they do. If there's anything amiss with Draco Malfoy, Harry is sure to be the first to notice."
"But he's not the most suitable candidate," Dumbledore shook his head. "Harry's temperament is a bit impulsive, and he tends to be negligent when it comes to certain special situations."
"Additionally, Kyle, I think you've misunderstood me," Dumbledore continued. "I'm not asking you to watch Malfoy constantly. I just want you to be more vigilant and prevent any more Dark artifacts from entering Hogwarts.
"As you know, Katie Bell is still at St. Mungo's, and we can't afford to have another student end up there."
"Alright, I'll do my best," Kyle agreed.
This didn't seem like it would be too troublesome.
Unlike Hogsmeade, it wasn't easy to bring Dark artifacts into the school, and even if Dumbledore left, there were still experienced professors like Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. Malfoy wouldn't be foolish enough to try anything under their watchful eyes.
Kyle would only need to play a supporting role.
Seeing Kyle's agreement, Dumbledore nodded.
"Oh, look at the time," he said, glancing at the darkening sky outside the window. "You must be hungry. I heard they're serving fried pork chops in the Great Hall tonight, or if you'd like, you could join me at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. I'm sure Molly would be delighted to have you."
"Never mind, I'll just head to the Great Hall," Kyle said as he stood up.
"I thought so..." Dumbledore gave him a teasing look, his face full of mischief. "Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place is currently occupied by a bunch of boring adults. I'm sure you'd much rather stay at school, right?"
Kyle didn't answer, but as he stood up, he glanced intentionally or unintentionally at the silver teapot on the table.
Dumbledore, sharp as ever, noticed the subtle change in Kyle's gaze and immediately became tense, reaching out to retrieve the teapot.
Just then, Kyle exclaimed in surprise, "Professor McGonagall? What are you doing on your broomstick outside the window? Oh, be careful!"
Dumbledore turned instinctively to look...
And he felt a gust of wind brush past his cheeks, ruffling his beard.
How strange, he thought. The window is closed. Why is there a draft?
Before he could think any further, Dumbledore's heart sank as he realized what was happening. With great effort, he controlled his impulse and turned back.
The silver teapot that had been on the table was now in Kyle's hand.
He should have known. How could McGonagall be flying on her broomstick outside the Headmaster's office window in the middle of the night? It was clearly a ploy by Kyle to divert his attention.
Dumbledore's thoughts raced, but Kyle didn't give him the chance.
As if he had practiced countless times, the moment Kyle got his hands on the teapot, he turned and sprinted towards the door in one fluid motion.
By the time Dumbledore stood up, Kyle was already at the door, just a step away from opening it.
Dumbledore's last hope rested on Fawkes, hoping that it would stop Kyle.
And Fawkes, noticing the change in Dumbledore's gaze, flew down from its perch and stood before Kyle... only to use its wings to help him open the door.
"Thanks, Fawkes. I'll treat you to some Mandrake later; you can have your pick!"
Kyle's voice echoed in the corridor outside the headmaster's office.
Fawkes chirped happily and, without so much as a glance at Dumbledore, flapped its wings and followed Kyle out.
In what felt like an instant, the headmaster's office was left with only a solitary old man and the sound of something shattering.
...
"Here, try this."
In the Great Hall, Kyle handed a cup of tea, laced with milk and sugar, to Connor.
Connor took a sip and her eyes lit up instantly.
"Well?"
"Delicious!" Connor nodded vigorously and took another big sip.
"Of course, it's good. It's the headmaster's prized possession." Kyle shook the silver teapot in his hand.
This teapot was also a rather remarkable magical item, similar to the box Nicole had given him before. Moreover, the material was equally precious—the same pure silver unique to fairies, just like the Gryffindor sword.
Kyle roughly estimated that a teapot of this size would require about ten thousand Sickles to be repeatedly melted and refined, making it extremely valuable.
"Did the headmaster give this to you?" Connor took another sip and marveled at how Kyle always managed to get his hands on such wonderful things from Dumbledore.
"No, he's too stingy for that." Kyle shook his head and said casually, "I took it from him."
"What? You took it?" Connor was so shocked that she paused with the cup in her hand, staring at Kyle in disbelief.
"Yeah, I took it," Kyle said. "But don't worry, it's fine. I helped him solve a big problem, so he should at least give me something in return.
"Besides, he tacitly agreed to it."
Kyle's words made sense.
The distance from the eighth floor to the Great Hall was no short walk. If Dumbledore wanted to, he could have easily caught up to Kyle.
But he didn't, and he didn't even chase after him outside the headmaster's office. Otherwise, he would have snatched the teapot back by now.
...
With Kyle's assurance, Connor finally felt somewhat relieved, though she still stared at the cup in her hand, finding it hard to believe.
To brazenly take something from Headmaster Dumbledore and then flaunt it so openly, Kyle was probably the first and only student to do so... Connor thought to herself.
...
Before they knew it, December had arrived, and snowflakes began to dance outside the windows.
Just as Kyle had expected, Dumbledore didn't come to reclaim his teapot, nor did Kyle see him anywhere in Hogwarts.
Perhaps, as Dumbledore had said in his office, he had many things to attend to.
Recently, Kyle had been keeping a close eye on Draco Malfoy, but his behavior remained unchanged from usual. Every day, aside from classes, he would find ways to pick on Harry, as if his day wasn't complete without a good quarrel with him.
Aside from Malfoy, Kyle also had to deal with another person—Slughorn.
Somehow, he had gotten wind of the fact that the Ministry of Magic had canceled the Floo Network connections to Hogwarts, rendering Kyle's previous excuse for declining his dinner invitations useless.
As a result, invitations kept arriving at regular intervals.
Although Kyle had tried to come up with various other excuses, he couldn't keep up with Slughorn's frequent dinner parties, held as often as five times a week. Eventually, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and attend a few of them.
These 'dinner parties' mostly consisted of a handful of people sitting around Slughorn, listening to him talk about his past students' achievements and the gifts they had sent him.
Then, as per routine, everyone would exclaim in awe and astonishment. This pattern repeated every time.
Compared to the 'dinner', the actual meal was almost an afterthought. After attending a few of these gatherings, Kyle would head straight to the kitchen afterward.
There was no helping it—the food at those parties was barely edible.
He was still better off than Harry and Hermione, as the Hufflepuff common room was much closer to the kitchen. Whenever he wanted a snack, he could easily pop by.
However, Harry and Hermione didn't have that luxury, especially with Slughorn's dinner parties always ending just in time for curfew. They barely had enough time to take the long route back to their common room, let alone make a detour to the kitchen.
Fortunately, they had Ron to bring them some food from the Great Hall, which they could then warm up in the fireplace, even if the taste suffered a little. It was still better than going hungry.
...
(End of Chapter)
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