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Chapter 775: An Unusual Turn of Events
Chapter 775: An Unusual Turn of Events
"You mean the mysterious figure went to Austria?"
The next day at noon, Kyle arched an eyebrow, slightly perplexed as he listened to Professor McGonagall, who had arrived to deliver a message.
Today was the day they were supposed to move Harry, and Voldemort had left the country at such a critical moment?
"Someone spotted the mysterious figure near the border between Switzerland and Austria," Professor McGonagall explained. "This information came from Madam Maxime, so it should be reliable."
"What did Professor Dumbledore say?" Hermione, who had just arrived, asked anxiously.
"Dumbledore has already left," Professor McGonagall replied. "However, he mentioned that he might not be able to participate in tonight's operation and instructed us to proceed with the backup plan we previously discussed."
The room fell silent.
To be honest, while everyone considered tonight's operation important, they didn't feel overly nervous about it... because Dumbledore was there.
With Dumbledore's presence, they firmly believed that the operation would undoubtedly succeed.
Even in Moody and Kingsley's plan, there was an alternative idea to use Harry as bait to lure out the Death Eaters and the mysterious figure, engaging them in a direct confrontation.
However, they knew that neither Sirius nor the Weasley family would agree to such a plan, which was why they hadn't voiced it.
But that was indeed their line of thinking.
They envisioned Dumbledore dealing with the mysterious figure while they took on the Death Eaters, resulting in a direct battle or perhaps a decisive showdown.
For this reason, they had made many preparations behind others' backs and formulated a series of detailed plans.
Nevertheless, the premise of all this was that Dumbledore would also be taking part in the operation; otherwise, their clash with the Death Eaters would amount to little more than a minor skirmish.
"Dumbledore has left?" Moody asked again.
"Yes," Professor McGonagall confirmed. "Half an hour ago, Madam Maxime sent a letter. After reading it, he promptly departed and asked me to inform you."
Once again, silence descended upon the room.
Everyone understood what Professor McGonagall meant, and Moody had long ago considered the possibility that Dumbledore might be drawn elsewhere, so they had taken that into account when formulating their plans.
However, they all knew that regardless of what happened at this juncture, it was Voldemort's scheme, and they believed that Dumbledore wouldn't fall for it.
Much to their surprise, he had fallen for it so readily, even leaving Britain without discussing it with them.
Nevertheless, this also proved that there must be something even more important than transferring Harry, or else Dumbledore wouldn't have been so decisive.
But what could it be?
They racked their brains but couldn't come up with any plausible explanations.
Only Kyle narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
When it came to Austria, there was one place that couldn't be overlooked... not the so-called International Wizarding Conference Hall, which was just a grandiose name for a slightly larger room.
The truly renowned location was a prison, Nurmengard Tower.
Unlike Azkaban, Nurmengard housed only one prisoner—Gellert Grindelwald, a legendary wizard who had been active sixty years ago and nearly conquered all of Europe's wizarding world. He was also Dumbledore's close friend.
In the end, the two parted ways due to a reason, and their differing ideologies turned them into bitter rivals.
If there was one person who could influence Dumbledore's decisions at such a critical moment, it had to be Grindelwald.
"Could Voldemort's target be Nurmengard?" Kyle wondered.
Perhaps, he thought. Or maybe Voldemort simply wanted to lure Dumbledore to a more distant location and happened to choose that place.
Regardless, Voldemort had succeeded.
It was almost time for the agreed-upon operation, but Dumbledore had left Britain. If Voldemort turned back in time, they would be in real trouble.
Kyle took a deep breath and rubbed his temples.
Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, who had brought the message, soon departed as she had other matters to attend to and couldn't participate in this operation.
Those who remained at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, exchanged glances and hastily discussed countermeasures.
Fortunately, they had anticipated such a scenario, so they didn't panic.
At six o'clock, Tonks and Dedalo left together with another witch whom Kyle hadn't met before.
At the same time, Hagrid arrived. He appeared in Grimmauld Place on his flying, black-sided lightweight motorcycle, its engine roaring.
"Oh, Hagrid," Moody frowned. "Didn't I tell you not to ride something that draws so much attention?"
"Don't worry," Hagrid said, patting the motorcycle's sidecar. "I haven't let it fly since arriving in London. Besides, I rode this bike to pick Harry up when he was little, so I thought it would be fitting to use it to take him away from Privet Drive."
Hagrid's face froze, and he looked at Moody with a lost expression.
"Yes. That's what I figured," Moody continued as if he hadn't noticed Hagrid's expression. "So, I'm afraid you and your bike will have to stay here."
"What?" Hagrid, taller than two Moodys, sounded a little aggrieved. "You can't do that... Harry's waiting for me."
"It's the safest way, Hagrid," Moody said, turning to check the time.
"We should get going. Don't forget to conceal yourselves."
He waved his wand, and with a twist in the surrounding air, everyone disappeared.
As Hagrid looked on with a dejected expression, the door opened by itself and then slammed shut with a bang.
"Cheer up, Hagrid, and you too, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said as she emerged from a room with Ron in tow.
Ron looked just as glum as Hagrid, having sulked in his room and refused to join the others when they left.
But no matter what, he couldn't be a part of the operation.
"The backup plan is just as important, and someone has to do it," Mrs. Weasley said again. "Come on, Ron, you go check around Grimmauld Place, especially the stretch to the abandoned garage. Make sure there are no suspicious individuals lurking about."
"Okay, Mum, I'm on it," Ron said, perking up as he opened the door and left.
Mrs. Weasley then turned to Hagrid, looking a little hesitant.
His size was just too conspicuous, drawing attention wherever he went, which could be more of a hindrance than a help.
"Hagrid, you... be ready to back us up at any time. If Death Eaters are chasing Harry later, go and lend a hand."
"No problem," Hagrid said, nodding, though he looked a little disappointed.
He couldn't help but berate himself.
If he had known they would be using Disillusionment Charms, he should have listened to Madame Maxime and properly learned that spell.
Meanwhile, in Little Whinging...
A boy appeared furtively on the street, wearing a hat and keeping his head down. But whenever he glanced around, one could catch a glimpse of his face—it was Harry Potter.
He seemed to be dodging someone as he hurried away from Privet Drive toward Magnolia Crescent nearby.
A man dressed like a typical office worker hurried after him, and a shabbily dressed man who had been holding a newspaper also threw it away and followed closely behind.
After they left, a plain gray car drove out from another direction and blended in with the other vehicles before disappearing from view.
At the same time, in the garden of the house from which the car had emerged, the air seemed to ripple, and figures began to appear.
"Let's hurry," Mr. Weasley said. "While Tonks is busy with the Death Eaters, we need to get Harry out of here quickly."
Then came Kyle, followed by Hermione...
As if sensing the commotion, the back door of the house opened, and Harry, who had just left, ran out and darted into their midst.
Hermione stepped forward and gave him a big hug.
"It's been a long time, Harry."
"It's been a long time, Hermione," Harry said happily.
"So, Harry, are you ready?" Sirius asked.
"I've been ready for six years," Harry said with a smile, glancing at his luggage and the cage containing his owl. "I didn't expect so many of you to come."
"We want to make sure nothing goes wrong," Moody said gruffly.
"Okay, we're pressed for time, so let's get started." Moody stepped into the room, and the others followed.
"I'll be brief. We're going to use Disillusionment Charms to get you out of here."
"Disillusionment Charms?" Harry frowned. "But I haven't learned that spell yet."
"It doesn't matter. You don't need to know it, nor do you need to use a Disguise Spell," Mr. Weasley said, glancing at Kyle.
"I understand."
Kyle stepped forward, opened the box he was carrying, and placed it on the ground. "Okay, get in."
"This is..." Harry looked at Kyle in confusion. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something.
That's right, Kyle's box was huge, big enough to fit a dragon. The last time they had used it was during the Quidditch World Cup when they had hidden from Death Eaters. Ron had even fainted from the shock of seeing the dragon inside.
This time should be similar.
As Harry thought about this, Mr. Weasley explained, "We were originally planning to have you use a Disguise Spell, but since Kyle just returned after taking care of some matters, his magical box is more convenient and, more importantly, won't expose your presence.
"Afterward, he'll take you back to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place."
"Okay," Harry nodded instinctively. But soon, he thought of something else. There was also a dragon in the box.
"I know, outside..." Harry glanced at Moody and Kingsley and abruptly closed his mouth.
He had almost forgotten that fire-breathing dragons were prohibited from being kept as pets, and Kingsley just happened to be an Auror.
"Not just that." Kyle shook his head. "There are also a few faster little guys inside, and they have a strong sense of territoriality and aren't very familiar with you. If I'm not with you, they might very well treat you as an enemy."
Hearing Kyle's words, as if out of some instinct, Harry suddenly felt reluctant to get into this box.
Actually, it would be fine to have his companion appear as well. Otherwise, he could just wear the Invisibility Cloak to achieve the same purpose of not exposing himself.
But before Harry could say anything, someone pushed him from behind.
"Hurry up, Harry. If you have any questions, we'll explain them to you later when it's safe." Hermione said.
She knew Harry too well and naturally understood what he was thinking. To save time, she walked up to him and gave him a push.
Harry stumbled, and one of his feet landed on the box, after which his entire body rolled uncontrollably into it.
"Thud!"
A dull collision and the sound of something being knocked over came from inside the box.
"Remember, it's safe inside the room. Also, no matter what you hear, don't open the door."
Kyle reminded him once again and then stuffed the luggage and owl into the box before closing it.
From outside came the sound of messy footsteps. It was the office worker and the shabbily dressed man who had been holding a newspaper. They were now running towards them.
"Let's go, quickly!" Moody said. Hermione was the first to close her eyes and disappear with a clap.
Then it was Bill, Fred, and George, who also disappeared from the room at the same time using Disapparating.
Kyle, who was in the middle of the sequence, picked up the box from the ground, glanced at the others, and said, "See you at Grimmauld Place."
Then he vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, the once tidy room had turned into a dusty and spider-webbed garage.
"You're finally here. Didn't encounter any trouble, I hope."
Charlie ran over and handed a broomstick to Kyle. "This is your Firebolt. Hurry up, I'll cover you from behind."
"Okay." Kyle didn't waste time talking and, after casting Disillusionment on himself, rode the broomstick out of the abandoned garage.
The Firebolt was fast, and in less than a minute, he had reached the familiar Grimmauld Place.
The door to Number Twelve had already been opened, and Kyle didn't slow down as he flew straight inside.
When she saw Kyle, Mrs. Weasley, who had been tense, suddenly became excited.
As one of the planners of the operation, she knew that Kyle was in charge of bringing Harry back, and now that Kyle had arrived, it meant Harry was safe as well.
"Where's Harry?" Hagrid asked anxiously.
"He's here." Kyle took out the box and opened it.
Harry immediately poked his head out and instinctively looked around.
"Mrs. Weasley?"
"Oh, thank goodness!" Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry, so relieved that she was on the verge of tears. "I'm so glad you're safe."
A minute later, Charlie returned as well, looking completely unharmed, his clothes not even dirty.
"How was it?"
"Very safe, not a single Death Eater in sight." Charlie smiled. "This plan was a huge success."
"Yes, the plan was a success." Kyle smiled as well.
Five minutes later, Sirius also returned using the door key.
While this method was time-bound and less convenient in emergencies than Disapparating, it was safer and harder to track unless reported to the Ministry of Magic.
Sirius swished down and landed on the ground, looking around anxiously until he spotted Harry chatting with Hagrid, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"How was it on your end?" Kyle asked.
"It was fine." Sirius said, casually tossing an empty can to the side. "The Death Eaters probably thought Harry wouldn't go to Diagon Alley, so they didn't follow."
"Is that so?" Kyle smiled awkwardly and didn't pursue the topic further.
After that, the others returned one after another.
Strangely, everyone seemed to have encountered no enemies and returned unscathed.
Fred and George joyfully celebrated the success of the plan, and Harry was also happy, greeting everyone cheerfully.
But Kyle frowned.
He had felt that something was amiss earlier... the plan had gone too smoothly, as if all their preparations had been a joke.
No matter what, the Death Eaters should have made some sort of move, and yet there was not a peep from them. It was all too strange.
Kyle even had the illusion that they could have brought Harry over openly without any issues.
However, at this moment, the others were happily celebrating Harry's safe arrival, and Kyle thought about it and decided not to voice his concerns.
...
(End of Chapter)
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