Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 761: The Illuminated Tower - Novel Cool

Chapter 761: The Illuminated Tower

Chapter 761: The Illuminated Tower

Kyle's appearance changed the dynamics within the tower.

An interesting scene unfolded as the trembling Malfoy and the seemingly frail Dumbledore were on one side of the tower.

On the other side, two Death Eaters argued heatedly over the right to claim Kyle, nearly coming to blows.

However, Kyle paid them no mind and instead looked towards a familiar figure in the crowd.

"Long time no see, Professor Oren," Kyle greeted with a wave, as if greeting an old friend he hadn't seen in a while.

"Yes, it has been a while. I'm surprised you remember me," Oren replied calmly.

"So, aren't you going to try and claim me?" Kyle asked with a smile.

"What?" Oren was taken aback for a moment but quickly understood what he meant and glanced at the bickering Alecto and Antonin.

"No, I'm new here and don't have much say. I'll leave it to them. After all, the Dark Lord only ordered Draco to kill Dumbledore. As for you, he didn't give any specific orders. Whoever takes you down will do as long as the job gets done," Oren shrugged.

"Is that so?"

"Of course, I have no reason to lie to you, do I?" As he spoke, Oren walked over to the window sill and sat down, assuming a relaxed pose as if he were about to enjoy a show.

...

Kyle clicked his tongue, feeling a bit disappointed by Oren's nonchalant attitude.

His casual demeanor also irritated the surrounding Death Eaters.

Alecto and Antonin quickly came to an agreement... They decided to attack together, and whoever managed to kill Kyle would be the victor.

Just as they raised their wands, the door behind Kyle suddenly exploded.

An arm made of flames smashed through the oak door and revealed itself to everyone present.

Then came the head and the body... Within seconds, a giant made of flames stood behind Kyle.

Due to the limited space in the tower, the giant had only one head and two arms, and below its neck was a surging wave of fierce fire.

The temperature in the tower began to soar, and the sound of crackling flames filled the air.

"Kyle, you..."

Dumbledore was stunned. The tower's limited space meant that the widespread fierce fire was essentially an indiscriminate attack.

Without hesitation, he moved with unimaginable speed to a corner of the room, reaching out and pulling Harry out from under his Invisibility Cloak.

At the same time, he caught the flying wand and pointed it at Malfoy.

An invisible force pulled Malfoy towards Dumbledore, and the surging fire in front of them was held at bay, just inches away from the trio.

Malfoy, who had just escaped certain doom, looked at the raging flames and finally lost his composure. Tears and mucus covered his face, and he fainted.

However, the others were not as fortunate to be under Dumbledore's protection.

The Death Eater closest to the door was punched by the fiery giant, and just as he was about to turn to ash, a black shadow flashed and slit his throat.

The surrounding flames seemed to have a mind of their own as they avoided the pouch poison panther who had delivered the final blow.

"Gibbon, damn it!"

"Protect yourselves!"

"Armor spell!"

The tower echoed with the terrified screams of the Death Eaters.

The tower's windows shattered, and the flames rushed out, illuminating the night sky above Hogwarts as if a giant torch had been lit at the highest point of the castle.

After what seemed like seconds, or perhaps minutes, the flames died down.

Due to the inherent magic within Hogwarts Castle, the tower itself did not sustain significant damage, though it was now charred and blackened.

Inside the tower, Harry and Malfoy, protected by Dumbledore, remained unharmed.

As for the Death Eaters...

Snape and Oren were the quickest to react. As soon as the fierce fire rushed in, they smashed through the windows and fled.

It was unclear if Oren had intentionally chosen that window-side spot, but he was the fastest to escape, even faster than Kyle could react. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Antonin, who had vowed to kill Kyle, also ran. In the nick of time, he aimed his wand at Alecto beside him, using her as a shield against the initial wave of fire. Then, with no hesitation, he severed his right leg, which was engulfed in flames, and forced himself out the window.

Alecto, betrayed by her teammate, lay motionless on the ground, barely clinging to life.

But she was luckier than the Death Eater named Gibbon, as the Ironskin Curse she had cast earlier saved her life.

The pouch poison panther approached, ready to deliver the final blow, as instructed by Kyle. To avoid blood debt, the last strike was to be made by a magical creature... This was why the panther had dared to kill Gibbon amidst the raging fire.

However, before it could take a step, Alecto vanished.

This pause caused the panther to hesitate, and it sniffed the air, its gaze falling on Dumbledore.

It lowered its body, and the poison sac on its neck swelled again.

Fortunately, Kyle was quick to react, and he swiftly grabbed the panther and stuffed it back into its box.

"I never knew you'd bring such a dangerous creature with you." Dumbledore turned to Kyle, "A pouch poison panther... in a sense, it's even more dangerous than ten Death Eaters combined."

"I know, but these are special circumstances." Kyle said, a little sheepishly.

He was about to graduate and didn't want any last-minute hiccups, especially something that could get him expelled like Newt.

It wouldn't reflect well on him at all, and he'd be embarrassed by it.

Dumbledore remained silent, his gaze fixed on Kyle.

However, this situation didn't last long.

"Professor, was it you who locked the door to the Room of Requirement?" Kyle asked, his tone implying that he already knew the answer.

The situation had taken another turn, and now it was Dumbledore's turn to feel a bit guilty.

"How did you know?"

"I guessed." Kyle said, "After all, Rowena Ravenclaw wouldn't have bothered with such an unnecessary action."

Dumbledore fell silent once more.

"Professor, she seems to be barely breathing." Harry suddenly spoke up, his concern evident, "Are you sure she's going to be alright?"

"I'll explain later." Dumbledore said, finally looking at Kyle, "But for now, let's finish dealing with the situation at hand."

Kyle nodded in agreement, his eyes drifting to Alector who was lying on the ground not far from Dumbledore.

There should have been five elite Death Eaters, two of whom had escaped, leaving the remaining three within Hogwarts.

Kyle was a little dissatisfied with this outcome, but only slightly so, as he hadn't expected to take them all down with one Fiendfyre Curse.

After all, they were elite Death Eaters, and it would be too much of a stretch to assume that Voldemort's standards were so low.

Aside from them, the other Death Eaters within the castle were merely cannon fodder, brought along to make up the numbers and distract the professors.

At that moment, Snape returned. He entered the tower through the empty window, his eyes taking in the blackened walls and finally resting on Kyle. His expression became complex.

"Did you have to use the Fiendfyre Curse?" he asked in a low voice, "That's dark magic."

"But it was the most suitable option." Kyle shrugged, "I was up against four enemies... or maybe six?"

Kyle spoke softly, glancing at Snape and then at Malfoy, who was unconscious not far away.

Snape's expression darkened as he was about to say something, but Kyle continued, "In any case, I couldn't just duel them head-on. I only had one chance, and I had to take advantage of their complacency to turn the situation around.

"In such a narrow space, I couldn't use Apparition, so what would have been a better choice than the Fiendfyre Curse?"

"What if the Fiendfyre had gone out of control!" Snape said, his face grim.

He himself had almost been caught in it, and if Dumbledore hadn't reacted in time, Harry and Malfoy would have surely perished. They wouldn't have stood a chance.

"I trust Professor Dumbledore." Kyle said calmly, "Even though he looked weak and helpless just now, and his wand was taken away, I knew he wouldn't stand idly by when his students were in danger."

Dumbledore's face betrayed a hint of embarrassment, but he couldn't refute Kyle's words.

He had his own plans, but he never expected Kyle to emerge from the Room of Requirement at that moment, changing the dynamics entirely and rendering his plans moot.

As the two spoke, they heard footsteps approaching.

Mr. Weasley hurried over, his eyes widening at the sight of the charred tower.

"This is outrageous! These Death Eaters, how dare they use the Fiendfyre Curse within the school!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

However, Bill, who was beside him, didn't share the same sentiment. He glanced at Kyle, who was unscathed, and then at Alector, who lay motionless on the ground. He coughed lightly and nudged Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley's eyes widened as he recalled how Kyle had used the Fiendfyre Curse to burn through the wall that blocked their path earlier.

Could it be...?

"Ahem..." Mr. Weasley closed his mouth, deciding to drop the subject.

"Are you alright, Professor Dumbledore?" He asked, changing the topic, "What happened here?"

"We're fine." Dumbledore said softly. "Severus, would you please take Alector and Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing?

"Make sure to keep an eye on them and don't let the Death Eaters take them away. We have a lot of questions for them."

"I understand." Snape said. He grabbed Malfoy and Alector from the floor and strode toward the stairs, not pausing as he passed by Kyle.

Kyle made no move to stop him, letting them disappear down the spiral staircase.

"Let's head back as well." Dumbledore said, "Arthur, would you please go and receive the people from the Ministry of Magic? I believe they'll be here soon."

"Of course, Professor Dumbledore." Mr. Weasley said.

Soon after, the group left the tower.

He felt a bit dazed, and he couldn't help but wonder, "How did he defeat an opponent that even Dumbledore struggled against?"

As if reading his thoughts, Dumbledore whispered, "This is a misguided demonstration, Harry. Rarely would anyone choose to use Fiendfyre in such a confined space, and the Death Eaters probably didn't expect it either."

"I know," replied Harry.

Not only did he know, but he had also witnessed the consequences of such an action.

Back in his first year, Quirinus Quirrell had ultimately resorted to using Fiendfyre in an attempt to take everyone down with him, but he was the first to perish in the uncontrollable flames.

Thankfully, Kyle had been there too.

However, unlike that incident, the Fiendfyre that Kyle unleashed this time seemed to have a mind of its own. Harry noticed that the flames couldn't come within a foot of Kyle, and the area around him remained untouched by the fire.

Overhearing Dumbledore and Harry's conversation, Bill, who was walking ahead, twitched his lips.

So, as he had suspected, Kyle was responsible for all that had transpired.

The group left the tower and made their way through the dimly lit and dusty corridors, where a crowd had gathered.

Professor McGonagall, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin...

Several Death Eaters were tied up securely and left in an empty classroom nearby, with its door blown off its hinges. Charlie Weasley stood guard over them.

"Albus..."

"What is it, Dumbledore..."

As they saw Dumbledore emerge from the tower, the group quickly surrounded him.

"It's fine, everything has been taken care of," Dumbledore said in a hoarse voice, his eyes flickering towards Kyle before settling on Professor McGonagall.

"How is the situation at the school?"

"It's under control," Professor McGonagall replied.

"There were six Death Eaters in total, and they are all here now."

"Additionally, we found the Vanishing Cabinet hidden in the storage room. Pomona has wrapped it with Devil's Snare, so it can't be opened from the inside."

"That's good," said Dumbledore. "What about the students?"

"They're all fine," Professor McGonagall assured him. "Most of them are in the common rooms, under the watchful eyes of the professors. They're safe, except for..."

Professor McGonagall glanced at Kyle and Harry, her meaning clear.

"Don't worry," Dumbledore said. "Please gather the students in the Great Hall now. I have an announcement to make."

"Of course," Professor McGonagall said and hurried off.

Dumbledore led the rest of the group to the entrance hall.

As they descended the stairs, a large figure rushed towards them.

"Thank Merlin, Headmaster Dumbledore, you're here!"

"Hagrid, what is it?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's that traitor, Oren!" Hagrid roared. "I saw him in the school grounds. I tried to capture him, but that sly dog slipped away, and he took someone with him..."

"Not took, Hagrid, rescued," Dumbledore said wearily. "It was Antonin Dolohov, a Death Eater."

"What? A Death Eater?" Hagrid exclaimed, realization dawning on him.

No wonder that man had cast a curse at him when he tried to chase after Oren.

"Did you catch him?" Kyle asked.

"No," Hagrid shook his head. "He was too fast for me."

"Yes, he's quite adept at fleeing," Kyle sighed.

Years ago, Oren had managed to escape from a group of Hit Wizards, and he hadn't been captured since.

A few minutes later, students began to arrive.

At the same time, representatives from the Ministry of Magic arrived, led by Mr. Weasley. Fudge and Scrimgeour hurried into the castle, and upon seeing Dumbledore, they immediately approached him.

"Hagrid," Harry whispered as he sidled up to the half-giant. "Who is this Oren you were talking about?"

"A despicable traitor and a Dark Wizard," Hagrid growled, his teeth clenched. "He used to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher here, the year before you came to Hogwarts."

"What?" Harry's eyes widened in surprise. He had no idea that this unassuming Death Eater had been a teacher at his school.

The year before he arrived was when Kyle was in his first year. No wonder Kyle recognized him.

"What did he do?" Harry asked curiously.

Hagrid's anger intensified as he spoke about Oren.

"He tried to steal a baby unicorn from the Forbidden Forest, and he wanted to kill Kyle!"

When it came to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers over the years, Hagrid despised Oren the most, even more than Umbridge.

After all, as terrible as Umbridge was, she never tried to kill a student.

Harry listened quietly, occasionally glancing back at Kyle. He had no idea that so much had happened at Hogwarts before he arrived.

This Oren fellow was like another Quirrell.

Dumbledore's choices for Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers really left a lot to be desired.

...

(End of Chapter)

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