Chapter 782: The Loophole in Name Magic
Chapter 782: The Loophole in Name Magic
Dumbledore's voice remained calm, sounding as if he had merely lost a Knut while shopping, but this news stirred up a storm within Kyle's heart.
"The wand that was taken...could it be the Elder Wand?"
"Oh, I didn't expect you to recognize it as the Elder Wand." Dumbledore looked at Kyle in surprise, "That's truly remarkable. I always thought no one knew about it."
"Is it that difficult? Any wizard who has read the Tales of Beedle the Bard should be able to recognize it, after all, it's clearly depicted in the book."
"But Elder Wands all look the same; that's the natural characteristic of the wood itself." Dumbledore explained, seemingly unbothered by the fact that his wand was taken, and instead, he engaged Kyle in an interesting discussion about wand designs.
"That's true," Kyle casually replied, "But I've never seen anyone else use an Elder Wand, not even at Ollivander's shop. I even doubt if he uses this type of wood at all."
"And most importantly, that wand was held by the greatest white wizard of our time."
"That's indeed a remarkable assessment." Dumbledore chuckled, appearing slightly embarrassed.
"Yes, I've always used the Elder Wand." Dumbledore nodded, "But now it's been taken by Tom. Someone told him that the Elder Wand would make him even more powerful, so he set up this trap."
"And then he took the Elder Wand?" Kyle still found it hard to believe.
Well, it was too easy.
It was now confirmed that Bellatrix, Bartemius Crouch Jr., and other Death Eaters were here, not accompanying Voldemort.
In a one-on-one situation, even with traps set up, could Voldemort have defeated Dumbledore and taken his wand? Kyle was a bit skeptical.
"You underestimate him too much."
Seemingly understanding Kyle's thoughts, Dumbledore softly explained, "Back in Hogwarts, he was an exceptional student, completing all courses by the fifth year. After graduation, he traveled the world, creating many unique Dark Arts and conducting numerous dangerous magical experiments."
"These experiences made his appearance increasingly frightening, but correspondingly, his strength grew exponentially. I found it hard to guarantee my victory against him long ago."
Kyle shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.
He had never underestimated Voldemort. When he learned that Voldemort had obtained the Elder Wand, he even considered contacting Nymphadora Tonks to move some items to his old house in Paris and pay a few years' rent in advance.
This way, when the time came to flee, he wouldn't be too anxious.
However, he had never underestimated Dumbledore either. Rita Skeeter had once called him the White Warlock in her report, and this wasn't a nickname bought with money. Even though the colors were different, it still carried the weight of the word 'Warlock'.
"So, what exactly happened that day?" Kyle asked again.
Apart from changing the subject, this question was also something Kyle was eager to know.
"The process isn't important." Dumbledore glanced at Kyle, "But I saved a person with a wand, and in my opinion, it was a worthwhile trade."
"You saved someone?"
"Ollivander." Dumbledore said, "Do you remember? The Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley once, and one of their tasks was to capture this wandmaker. Fortunately, he was out searching for materials, so he escaped that time."
"But I thought he had returned?" Kyle said, "And I don't recall any of last year's new students not being able to buy a wand."
"So, he was captured recently." Dumbledore's tone carried a hint of helplessness, "Despite our numerous reminders, he was still discovered by Death Eaters while searching for wand materials and fell into Tom's hands."
"So, the Dark Lord used him to threaten you?" Kyle asked.
"It's quite in line with Tom's character, isn't it?"
"No wonder he didn't bring other Death Eaters." Kyle realized, "The all-powerful Dark Lord relying on a hostage to threaten Dumbledore; this is definitely not something he'd want his followers to witness."
"The method may not be ideal, but it's effective." Dumbledore smiled.
"Additionally, you can call him by his name here; the Fidelius Charm also works against Name Magic."
"I just want to cultivate a habit." Kyle shook his head, "To avoid accidentally mentioning it elsewhere, affecting others."
Kyle vaguely remembered that Conna's father was killed because he mentioned Voldemort's name, and the other people in the pub at the time were all killed by the Death Eaters who rushed over.
It was those who reacted quickly and escaped from the pub who informed them of this news.
By now, it's hard to tell if it was Conna's father who mentioned Voldemort's name or someone else, but that no longer matters.
After learning this, Kyle became more mindful of this, gradually getting used to calling him "Dark Lord" instead of "Voldemort."
He wasn't afraid himself, but proving courage wasn't limited to directly calling Voldemort's name. He didn't want to inadvertently implicate others due to a momentary slip of the tongue.
After hearing Kyle's explanation, Dumbledore's expression turned serious, nodding solemnly.
"You've thought it through. I was negligent."
"It's not entirely my fault," Kyle stroked his chin. "If I could beat him, I'd even pay someone to find a spacious place to curse him for a whole day, and the word 'Voldemort' must appear at least three times in every sentence."
Dumbledore's serious expression lasted only a few seconds before it crumbled.
"What do you mean?"
"Information overload," Kyle said. "Since he likes hearing his name, let's repeat it more often, in waves, 24/7. And add some profanities, the dirtier the better, preferably something about his lineage. I recall Riddle being a Muggle surname, so calling him a half-blood would be fitting."
"With the effect of the Name-Calling Charm, he'll hear it clearly. If he can't take it and comes to me, I'll finish him off. If he doesn't come, he'll just have to endure it. It's quite satisfying to think about."
"Unless he's willing to lift the charm, but even then, it's still a good thing for us. Aside from losing some Galleons, it's not a loss."
"Of course, these are just ideas. I can't beat him yet."
For a moment, Dumbledore's gaze changed, and when he looked at Kyle, it was as if he was looking at a dragon knitting woolen socks—absurd.
Using the loophole of the Name-Calling Charm to curse Voldemort non-stop... Who in their right mind would come up with such an idea? But to be fair, Dumbledore carefully considered it and found it quite satisfying.
Why not... give it a try? He hesitated, after all, he had plenty of Galleons, and hiring a few hundred people was feasible. As long as it made Voldemort lift the charm, it would be a success.
However, upon seeing his lifeless arm, Dumbledore abandoned the idea.
Never mind, it's not the right time.
Dumbledore sighed. Whenever he chatted with Kyle, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was truly getting old.
Kyle's ideas always clashed with his, and it was effective, but he could never think like that. It was a mental constraint, unrelated to wisdom.
It was like the Hogwarts Express, abandoned by time, yet still running due to various reasons.
For this reason, Dumbledore always sought out Harry after talking with Kyle. Harry would remind him that it wasn't him who was out of touch, but Kyle, that unique 'few.'
At that moment, the voices outside suddenly grew louder.
"Oh, I suppose it's dinnertime," Dumbledore stood up, bringing the conversation to a natural close.
"Is it this late already? I'm actually quite hungry. I hope there's egg and milk pie for dinner; I really love that."
In fact, Kyle had many more questions, like why Voldemort chose a place like Austria, what exactly he did there, and the battle details.
But Dumbledore seemed unwilling to elaborate. Whenever this topic came up, he became vague, as if deliberately avoiding something.
The problem was that Dumbledore didn't want to talk, and Kyle had no choice. He couldn't use Veritaserum on him... Hmm?
Kyle's eyebrows raised. He seemed to have some Veritaserum, and it was from Snape.
He couldn't recall where he put it, as it was from Snape, and he wouldn't use it regardless. Usually, he'd just toss it aside without organizing it properly.
But it should be in the box. When he had time, he could search for it carefully.
With these thoughts, Kyle followed Dumbledore out of the room.
Outside, Mrs. Weasley had indeed prepared dinner, and to Kyle's surprise, Lupin had returned from St. Mungo's.
The bandages that previously covered his body were now reduced to a few on his wrists, and his complexion had improved significantly. He could move freely without assistance.
Kyle was delighted but not entirely surprised.
St. Mungo's didn't consider any injury a problem, especially for Lupin, a werewolf with faster recovery abilities than regular wizards.
Tonks, however, still looked concerned, staying by his side.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Kyle greeted him.
"Thanks to Dumbledore, he brought Phoenix Tears," Lupin smiled. "And I owe you thanks, Kyle."
"For what?"
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"I heard about what you did with Mr. Scamander.
"When we were at St. Mungo's, Tonks mentioned this to me, and some of her friends from the werewolf tribe also sent letters, saying that the werewolves in the Black Forest have been quiet for a long time."
"It seems they've moved. The Death Eaters went to look for them but found nothing."
"Even the werewolves in Knockturn Alley haven't been seen for a long time."
At this, Lupin couldn't help but exclaim, "I can't believe it. I couldn't solve this in over half a year, but you guys managed to do it in just a few days."
"It's not a big deal," Kyle waved his hand, "it's mainly because you're too soft-hearted. Just kill a few of the most troublesome ones, and the rest will naturally behave."
Lupin was speechless and shook his head without saying a word.
If werewolves were really this easy to deal with, why would Dumbledore have asked him to win them over? Ultimately, it's a matter of ability.
Lupin was well aware of this, but as long as the result was good, he didn't mind these details.
"Alright, let's eat first," Mrs. Weasley said as she walked over.
She looked completely different from yesterday, appearing to be in a great mood.
"Percy's awake," Charlie said quietly beside him. "He said a few words, and Mom is overjoyed."
"What did he say?"
"I don't know. The healer only allowed one person to visit, so we're all waiting outside."
The group entered the dining room, and the table was filled with various delicious dishes.
"A feast," Mrs. Weasley smiled, "Today, it's rare for the two of you to celebrate your birthdays together, so we should celebrate properly."
"There's one more thing worth celebrating," Tonks suddenly said at this moment.
She held Lupin's arm, "We've decided to get married."
After a brief silence, a more enthusiastic discussion began.
"Oh, have you decided already?"
"When?"
"This is great!"
...
"Congratulations, Moony," Sirius was undoubtedly the happiest. Lupin was his best friend, and Tonks... from the perspective of pure-blood family relations, she was probably his cousin-in-law?
That should be it, the relationships in pure-blood families are too complicated, and he can't be bothered to sort it out. Anyway, that's the gist of it.
His best friend is going to marry his cousin-in-law... wait a minute.
Sirius suddenly felt something was off. When he looked at Lupin again, there was a slight change in his eyes.
He walked over and punched Lupin's shoulder, "When did you decide this, and why didn't you ever tell me?"
He didn't know if it was intentional or if he was too excited, but this punch was not light. Lupin sucked in a breath from the pain.
"What are you doing? Be gentle, Remus just recovered." Tonks glared at Sirius without holding back.
"Go away, I don't know what you're talking about," Sirius said, then hugged Lupin's neck.
"Tell me why you kept this from me."
"I didn't keep it from you. We just decided recently." Lupin said awkwardly, "I was hesitating before, you know. I'm a werewolf, and if I'm with Tonks..."
"Forget it, I don't want to hear it." Suddenly, Sirius pushed Lupin away.
"I don't care what you were thinking before, but now that you've made this decision, you can't back out, understand?"
"Or else, I won't let you off, even if you're my best friend."
As he spoke, Sirius punched Lupin again, but this time it was much lighter.
"I'm truly happy for you."
"Thank you," Lupin said.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the room reached its peak, and everyone was cheering.
Fred and George somehow got their hands on some colorful streamers and confetti, filling the room with sparkling snowflakes and dancing fairies.
"Leftover Christmas stuff," Fred handed one to Kyle, "Anyway, it's not an official wedding, so it's all the same."
"I'm not surprised by this," Kyle said, "What surprises me is that you guys still had leftovers from Christmas?"
"What do you mean by that?" George said irritably, "Forget it, I'm happy today, so I won't argue with you."
After saying this, he pulled another streamer, and this time it was a mini dragon and a golden Christmas tree.
"You two, don't go overboard," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile, clearly not taking it too seriously. She turned to Dumbledore, "Albus... why don't you stay for dinner? I remember there's a good vintage bottle of Firewhisky in the basement, Sirius..."
"I'll go get it," Sirius said, rushing downstairs.
"It's an invitation hard to refuse," Dumbledore smiled, "It would be even better if there were some Cauldron Cakes."
"Sorry, I didn't prepare any," Mrs. Weasley said, "But how about some marmalade sauce?"
Marmalade sauce?
Just hearing this combination made Kyle's teeth hurt, but Dumbledore showed a very pleased expression.
"Ah, I like this too."
(End of Chapter)
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