Chapter 788: An Impulsive Decision
Chapter 788: An Impulsive Decision
In a dilapidated cottage in Godric's Valley, Bathilda Bagshot continued her search for her manuscripts upstairs.
Downstairs, Kyle and Dumbledore sat facing each other, but their expressions seemed reversed.
Kyle remained calm and composed.
Dumbledore, on the other hand, looked anxious... He struggled to describe his current emotions.
Nika had fixed the Time Turner long ago, and although he had eagerly anticipated this outcome, Dumbledore hesitated when the day finally arrived.
For reasons unknown, perhaps due to his guilt towards Aliona or other factors, he started to consciously avoid the issue and subconsciously ignored the Time Turner by keeping himself busy.
However, when he finally made up his mind and went to Devonshire to find Nika, he was informed that the Time Turner had already been given away, and to Kyle, of all people.
Reluctantly, he had no choice but to make another trip.
"So, did Bathilda mistake me for her nephew from the very beginning as part of your plan?" Kyle asked.
"No, of course not," Dumbledore shook his head. "As I mentioned earlier, I've always been incredibly lucky.
"In fact, I arrived much earlier but couldn't think of a convincing reason to borrow the Time Turner from you, so I didn't reveal myself. But at that moment, I noticed Bathilda's confusion.
"I suspect the Transformation Spell you cast earlier caused her to mistake me for someone else, and it gave me the idea to use Bathilda to tell you about Aliona."
"The Transformation Spell?" Kyle pondered. "Was it the one at the wedding?"
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "Her nephew was skilled in Transformation Spells, especially animal transformations, and the increasingly confused Bathilda must have recognized a familiar trace from your spell."
Kyle smirked, feeling speechless. He never imagined that a spur-of-the-moment Transformation Spell he cast would be connected to the one who studied at Nurmengard Tower.
After all, he was a good person and had nothing to do with the blood-stained Grindelwald.
Kyle slightly tilted his head as sunlight filtered through the mottled curtains, one beam landing on Dumbledore's profile.
"You must have known long ago that I needed this Time Turner."
"Yes," Kyle affirmed with a nod.
The first time he saw Dumbledore lose his composure was in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts, when he held the broken Time Turner, looking extremely nervous.
For a long time after that, Dumbledore had been tirelessly searching for renowned alchemists to fix the device.
"You now know the reason—it's because of Aliona," Dumbledore said softly. "What happened that time is my greatest regret. Can you understand that for all these years, I haven't been able to sleep peacefully while looking at her photos?"
Kyle wanted to ask why Dumbledore didn't just take Aliona's photos away if they caused him such distress, but he held back, knowing it would be rude and not wanting to cause trouble.
"I'm hoping you can help me," Dumbledore said.
Kyle took a deep breath and averted his gaze from Dumbledore's current state.
"Professor, have you made up your mind?"
Under normal circumstances, even if the time was turned back by two weeks, Kyle wouldn't need to know any of this. If Dumbledore asked, he wouldn't hesitate.
For instance, at school, he had wanted to bring up the Time Turner several times but forgot due to various reasons.
After all, Kyle was well aware of Dumbledore's efforts regarding the Time Turner, and its repair was almost entirely due to him and Nika. Regardless of the perspective, he had no reason to refuse.
Except now...
Time was the most elusive element, as the box Nika gave him clearly stated that the further one traveled back in time, the greater the risk.
Traveling back a century was vastly different from a week, and the longer the duration, the harder it would be for Dumbledore to pinpoint the exact day he wanted to revisit.
The margin of error could be a week, a month, or even a year.
Most importantly, this alteration couldn't connect to the present, meaning Dumbledore couldn't return to the same place a second later, as students did when using the Time Turner.
No one knew how long this time would be, as no one had ever used it. Even the Four Founders several years ago only arranged the Chamber and spoke with Kyle; they didn't physically travel to this time in Hogwarts.
Now that they were directly facing Voldemort and the Death Eaters, tensions were rising. If Dumbledore, their pillar of support, suddenly disappeared, it would be a disaster.
Kyle rubbed his forehead, inwardly blaming Nika for giving him such a troublesome item.
If he hadn't known about the Time Turner, Dumbledore's departure wouldn't have been an issue, and he wouldn't have to worry.
"My initial intention wasn't to use it right away," Kyle seemed to have guessed Dumbledore's thoughts as he glanced at his own limp arm and said, "But Tom helped me make this decision."
"A stolen wand and an injured arm seem to render an old wizard useless," Dumbledore observed, looking at his own arm.
Instinctively, Kyle also looked at Dumbledore's arm, "But isn't Headmaster Saxia from St. Mungo's helping you brew the antidote?"
"That potion is complicated and will take at least a few months," Dumbledore calmly explained, "During which time, the effects of this dark magic will continue to drain my magic, rendering me incapable of doing much."
Hearing Dumbledore's words, Kyle felt even more troubled.
He had initially thought that Dumbledore had only lost an arm, which might weaken a regular wizard's combat abilities. But for a wizard like Dumbledore, this level of impairment was insignificant.
He could still cast spells with one arm, albeit with reduced support. This could be compensated through other means.
As for the wand, it was even simpler. Ollivander had been rescued, and he could get a new wand at any time, even if it wasn't as comfortable as the Elder Wand. But it would still be usable.
He hadn't expected this turn of events.
This was the first time Kyle had heard of dark magic that could drain one's own magic.
One could only say that Voldemort's talents in dark magic were indeed astonishing, and the title of 'Dark Lord' was well-deserved.
Furthermore, if Dumbledore's words were true, his decision made sense.
At least during the time Saxia was brewing the antidote, Dumbledore was no longer suitable to face Voldemort directly.
Using too much magic might lead to mistakes under the influence of dark magic, and facing a powerful wizard like Voldemort, even the slightest mistake could mean death.
At that point, Dumbledore's obsession might truly turn into regret.
After all, Voldemort wouldn't treat Dumbledore like he did Harry, with playful cat-and-mouse games. Once he got the chance, he would strike to kill.
Kyle sighed softly, feeling the decision was already clear.
"I have one more question," he said, "Professor, we use the Time-Turner to change the past, and I believe you understand this better than anyone."
Dumbledore remained silent, not speaking or arguing, just sitting there, lost in thought.
"I must remind you, even if you go back, don't try to change anything," Kyle continued, "Or you might... kill Aliona yourself."
His tone was heavy as he spoke the last sentence.
He didn't know exactly what happened that day, only that a spell had accidentally hit Aliona during a chaotic argument.
Who had cast that spell, no one knew, and if they went back to the past, the incident might happen again. Mistakes were possible.
Killing his own sister, even Dumbledore might not be able to bear it.
As Kyle spoke, Dumbledore's body visibly trembled.
"Wait, you don't want to change it?" Kyle asked, raising his voice.
"Of course not," Dumbledore quickly replied, "I know what to say, I just want to... see her... just one more time."
His voice held a pleading tone, "I want to apologize to her, as her brother, I haven't been doing enough."
"Even though it's selfish, I want her forgiveness."
A tear rolled down Dumbledore's cheek and fell to the ground, disappearing into the thick dust.
This further unsettled Kyle's already wavering heart.
He had thought a lot.
He had considered if Dumbledore had planned for his wand to be stolen and his arm to be hit by dark magic from the start.
This was consistent with Dumbledore's character. He was always like this, wanting to plan everything, and if needed, he wouldn't hesitate to use his life to pave a new path.
But thinking carefully, it was also a kind of helplessness. He had done everything he could, and more.
As Dumbledore shed a tear, these chaotic thoughts seemed to disappear from Kyle's mind.
Kyle couldn't describe the feeling, but he felt that letting Dumbledore see his sister one more time didn't seem like a big deal.
Even in his current state, it's unlikely that Dumbledore's presence would make much difference.
If Voldemort regains his strength before Saxia finishes brewing the antidote, and with the Elder Wand's power, Dumbledore can only use his life to buy more time for everyone. The situation might only worsen after that.
If Dumbledore leaves, there's a chance for a comeback.
If Saxia fails to brew the antidote, Voldemort's cautious nature won't prompt him to rush out. In this case, Dumbledore's presence here won't make much difference.
The antidote-brewing process is not a short one, and if Dumbledore returns before it's done, nothing will change; it will remain as it is now.
Kyle looked up at Dumbledore again.
A hundred-year-old man, the most powerful wizard in the magical world, now looked like a lost soul. Kyle couldn't help but feel moved.
After some hesitation, Kyle opened the box, took out the time turner, and placed it on the table.
...
After an unknown amount of time, Bathilda descended from the upstairs, holding several moldy parchments. But the room was empty, and sunlight filtered through the curtains, shining on the vacant sofa.
Bathilda stood there for a while, until she heard faint laughter from outside.
She turned to look at the blank parchments in her hand. After some thought, she casually placed them aside, donned her worm-eaten headscarf, and slowly walked out the door.
...
In Godric's Valley, the wedding celebrations for Lupin and Tonks continued.
Although some guests had to leave early due to various commitments, it didn't dampen the mood of the others.
Everyone treated this wedding as a rare opportunity to relax, a moment to unwind their tense nerves.
Fred and George were in the middle of the dance floor, tapping to the upbeat music, showcasing their signature tap dance, and earning a round of applause.
Cedric looked at Kyle, who stood silently beside him.
"What's wrong? You look so worried."
"Nothing much. I just took a walk around." Kyle sighed.
"A walk around here?" Cedric surveyed the surroundings. "Is there anything to see here?"
"Of course," Kyle whispered. "After all, this is where Godric Gryffindor once lived. It's natural to be curious."
"Oh, I see." Cedric nodded, not giving it much thought.
To prevent further conversation, Kyle casually made his way to the back of the house, the area with the fewest people.
There, Sirius was alone, staring at a rock, deep in thought. However, his alertness remained high.
Upon hearing Kyle's footsteps, he quickly hid the rock behind him.
Kyle noticed there were words written on it... "Good luck, Harry, wherever you are..."
There was more text, but Sirius hid it too quickly for Kyle to read.
"Oh, it's you, Kyle. What brings you here?" Sirius asked nonchalantly.
"Nothing much. Just taking a stroll." Kyle didn't inquire about the rock but casually said, "What about you? Why aren't you dancing with them?"
"I already did." Sirius said, "I think Lupin and Tonks deserve more of our time."
"That's good." Kyle nodded.
Both men, with their own thoughts, silently understood each other, and the atmosphere became a bit heavy.
"So, how's your discussion with Harry going? About the ownership of this place." Kyle changed the subject.
"It's settled." Sirius smiled, "This place will still be mine, but he will occasionally come back. I agreed to it."
"I've always been curious." Kyle asked, "How did you get the magical contract? Shouldn't this place belong to Harry, given the pure-blood status?"
"The magical contract was always in my possession." Sirius explained, "When James and Lily initially decided to settle here, Death Eaters were frantically hunting them. For safety, my uncle, a pure-blood wizard from the Black family, helped acquire this place, and he gave me the contract."
"So, you've had it all along?"
"Not exactly." Sirius shook his head, "I immediately gave the contract to James, but he insisted on paying me, which I refused. So, we were at a standstill until..."
Sirius paused, then continued, "After I was declared innocent, I found the contract in the vault. Since my uncle's name was on it, it wasn't hard to retrieve. But by then, the house was severely damaged. The condition you saw it in was the result of my repairs, based on old photographs."
"No wonder." Kyle nodded.
After a brief conversation, Kyle was pulled away by Fred and George to the dance floor.
...
(End of Chapter)
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