Chapter 794: Plans and Protection
Chapter 794: Plans and Protection
Fred and George found it hilarious and simply couldn't believe that Kyle had killed seventy Death Eaters.
Technically, Kyle hadn't done that either. He estimated that the Basilisk had the highest kill count. Including the initial ambush and subsequent indiscriminate attacks, it had taken out around thirty Death Eaters.
The Basilisk's ability to petrify with its gaze was incredibly potent, and in a smaller group, being seen almost certainly meant death. It had caught the Death Eaters completely off-guard.
Norbert had joined later, and while his fiery breath was devastating, he was less efficient than the Basilisk. All told, he might have accounted for a tenth of the total.
Together, they barely made up half the number.
That was why Kyle could so calmly say that he hadn't killed all the Death Eaters when Kingsley mentioned it earlier.
Because he had only taken care of half of them; as for what happened to the rest, Kyle had no idea.
Perhaps it was Voldemort trying to cover his tracks. After all, when Kyle had spoken the surname "Riddle," his voice hadn't been particularly soft.
And that Muggle father had always been Voldemort's taboo—if he wanted to maintain his identity as a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, he certainly wouldn't let the Death Eaters, who might have overheard this secret, live.
Given Voldemort's character, he probably wouldn't waste time screening each one and would instead opt for the simplest solution: killing them all. That way, he could be certain that no mistakes would be made.
Of course, these were just Kyle's speculations based on Voldemort's character. Only Voldemort himself knew what had happened after Kyle fled.
Meanwhile, at the dining table...
"Molly, Sirius, you've really got the wrong idea," Kingsley sighed. He seemed like he wanted to explain something, but after thinking about it, he remained silent.
The reason he had asked that question in the first place was out of habit as an Auror, and Moody felt the same.
Or, to be more precise, if anyone else had been in his place today, even Dumbledore, they would have wanted to clarify the situation.
But now, there was no need because they also didn't believe that Kyle could kill that many Death Eaters in fifteen minutes.
Seventy in fifteen minutes... That averaged to nearly five per minute. Even if they were facing seventy Boggarts, it probably wouldn't be that fast.
And even if you took a step back and assumed they were seventy Boggarts, once they realized the danger, they would run. Not to mention that these were seventy wizards.
In a place like the Valley of Godric, if they wanted to flee, it wouldn't be that easy to chase them down.
So there must be something they didn't know about, something unrelated to Kyle.
"Sorry," Kingsley said, looking at Kyle. "It's my duty. I hope you understand."
"Of course," Kyle said. "And I don't mind."
The two smiled at each other, and then neither spoke again, and the matter seemed to be dropped.
As the atmosphere became a little stiff, Mr. Weasley took the initiative to change the subject. "By the way, has anyone seen Dumbledore? His phoenix is here, but he's nowhere to be seen."
As he spoke, he unconsciously glanced at Fawkes, who was perched on Kyle's shoulder... Whether it was because Fawkes had been used for Disapparition too many times or because he was simply tired, he was sleeping soundly. Not even the sound of everyone talking could wake him up.
However, in response to Mr. Weasley's question, everyone else shook their heads, indicating that they didn't know what was going on either. It seemed that no one had seen him since noon.
Thus, all eyes once again fell on Kyle.
There was no helping it. Sirius had just said that Kyle could command the phoenix, and Fawkes, sleeping on his shoulder, also proved that this statement was true.
If anyone present knew Dumbledore's whereabouts, they would think of Kyle first.
"Don't look at me, I don't know either," Kyle shrugged. "Dumbledore just said he had something important to do and asked me to take care of Fawkes."
His excuse was the same as the one he had used at the Hog's Head. In fact, they had discussed this beforehand while they were still at the Bagman's house.
Dumbledore didn't want too many people to know that he had used a Time-Turner, so he came up with this vague reason—that he had some important matters to attend to.
After all, he was often running around doing various things, so most of the time, it wouldn't raise any suspicions. But if he was gone for too long, it would become an issue.
So, for now, Kyle could only muddle through one day at a time, hoping that Dumbledore would return soon and not drag this out for years.
It had to be admitted that at this moment, the name "Dumbledore" had, in a sense, become a symbol. As long as he was around, he gave people a sense of invincibility.
This confidence was crucial when facing the Death Eaters.
At this time, Mrs. Weasley happened to bring in some supper.
It wasn't very luxurious—just ordinary sandwiches, corned beef, and fried ham—but it went well with whiskey.
Of course, only those who had been rescued by Fawkes were drinking, while the others who had rushed over from the Ministry of Magic remained sober.
When everyone was more or less sober, the topic at the table once again turned to the Death Eaters.
The number of Death Eaters they had encountered previously was never this high; it was usually only a handful of them. But now, the situation was different.
Mustering seventy Death Eaters for a single operation... This number was almost comparable to the peak of Voldemort's power over a decade ago.
Although most of these were likely cannon fodder, with varying levels of skill, it was still a troublesome matter for the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry of Magic.
The fact that Voldemort hadn't even shown himself, and yet Bellatrix alone could rally seventy followers, also indirectly indicated that their total numbers were far greater than seventy.
If Bellatrix could bring this many, then what about Antonin Dolohov, Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch Jr., Dolohov, Yaxley... They were all Death Eaters whom Voldemort trusted deeply.
Going by this calculation, the number of Death Eaters should be at least five times greater, around three hundred and fifty.
In comparison, their own side seemed rather meager.
The Order of the Phoenix, including old and new members, barely totaled thirty people. The Aurors numbered about the same, with the Hit Wizards being slightly more, but still not exceeding a hundred.
Even if they added the guards and other combat personnel, their numbers would only just reach two hundred.
A maximum of two hundred on their side versus at least three hundred and fifty on the enemy's—the disparity was clear.
For a moment, everyone wore a helpless expression.
"Come now, everyone, don't be so pessimistic," Lupin consoled the group. "We've faced more uneven odds in the past, haven't we? During the last war, the Death Eaters outnumbered us thirty to one, yet they still lost."
But his words didn't seem to have the intended effect.
Everyone present clearly understood why the Death Eaters had lost the last war... It had little to do with the Ministry or the Order of the Phoenix. The most crucial reason was that Voldemort had died.
Or, to be more precise, others believed he had died.
The prophecy's chosen one had defeated the seemingly invincible Dark Lord, leaving the Death Eaters leaderless. Then, the greatest wizard of their age, Dumbledore, seized the opportunity to lead the Ministry and the Order to victory.
While this sounded inspiring, it was largely due to luck. If Voldemort hadn't died, no one could guarantee what the outcome would have been.
Even if they could have won, it would likely have been a pyrrhic victory.
With these thoughts in mind, some people couldn't help but glance at Harry...
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
"Nothing," Kingsley said. "I just wanted to remind you that after losing seventy Death Eaters, the Dark Lord won't let this go. He will definitely seek revenge.
"So, if you don't have anything particularly important to do, it's best not to leave this place for the time being."
"But I can't hide here forever," Harry frowned. "School is about to start soon, and I have to go to King's Cross Station."
"In that case..." Kingsley hesitated. "I think it's best if you don't go to King's Cross Station."
"Then how are we supposed to get to school?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"There are other ways to get to Hogwarts besides the train, dear," Mrs. Weasley said as she placed a basket of fried potatoes on the table. "We'll find a way to get you to Hogwarts safely. The Floo Network or a Portkey would be good options."
"I'd prefer to use Disapparition," Sirius said. "Using Disapparition to get them to Hogsmeade would be the safest way. To be honest, I don't really trust the Floo Network, which is regulated by the Ministry."
"I feel the same," Lupin said, glancing at Kingsley. "Of course, this isn't directed at you, Kingsley. I'm just suspicious that the Death Eaters may have turned some of the employees in the Floo Network. There are quite a few wizards among them who are proficient with the Imperius Curse."
"I understand, Remus," Kingsley nodded. "Regardless of the method, the ultimate goal is to get Harry Potter safely to Hogwarts.
"Once he's there, under Dumbledore's protection, he'll be safe."
As they spoke, Kyle remained silent.
This year, Hogwarts probably wouldn't be safe either.
The only good news was that, aside from him, no one else knew of Dumbledore's whereabouts, and without concrete information, Voldemort wouldn't dare to act rashly.
"By the way, we also need to arrange for some people to go to Hogsmeade," Moody said. "Last year, someone tried to use a cursed Dark artifact to harm Kyle."
"It was Malfoy," Harry suddenly spoke up. "He admitted it when we were in the tower. He also confessed to using the Imperius Curse on Madam Rosmerta and controlling her to give Slughorn the love potion."
"Malfoy?" Ron looked surprised. "What did he say? I don't remember you ever mentioning this to me."
"Didn't I?" Harry asked, confused.
"Of course not, or else I would have remembered," Ron said.
Hermione nodded, "Yes, you never mentioned it."
After all, Harry usually shared everything with them, so this felt like a sudden change of heart.
"I didn't mean to; I truly forgot," Harry quickly explained. "You know, a lot of incredible things happened that day. If Alastor hadn't mentioned it just now, I might not have remembered it either."
Harry was referring to the scene where Kyle rushed into the tower and unleashed a blaze of Fiendfyre, an event so shocking that Harry, shielded by Dumbledore, had witnessed the entire tower engulfed in raging, apocalyptic flames. It was understandable that other matters would slip his mind.
And because of this incident, when Kingsley had mentioned earlier that Kyle had single-handedly dealt with seventy Death Eaters, Harry hadn't doubted it for a second.
Hearing Harry's explanation, Ron nodded, reluctantly accepting it.
"Heh, Malfoy... Just as I suspected," Moody grunted. "But he probably won't be going to Hogwarts this year."
"That's fantastic news," Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought.
A Hogwarts without Malfoy... It felt like a dream come true.
"If you ask me, Dumbledore is just too kind," Hagrid said gruffly. "The Malfoy family is rotten to the core, yet Dumbledore believes they're being misled. Lucius is just as evil at his core, but Dumbledore still thinks he can be saved."
"Now, Hagrid," Mr. Weasley chided, waving his hand. "Dumbledore must have his reasons. We just need to trust him."
Hagrid fell silent, reaching for a bottle of brandy and downing it in one go.
"Anyway..." Moody continued, "Even though last year's culprit is no longer in school, we can't guarantee that there aren't others like him among the students, and whether they'll target Harry this year.
"To be safe, once Hogwarts starts, it's best to have someone stay in Hogsmeade for an extended period.
"This will serve to protect Harry, and also provide quick support in case of any special circumstances."
"No problem, I agree," came the chorus of responses.
Harry felt a bit uncomfortable with everyone making plans for his protection, but he knew his opinion didn't hold much weight, so he sat quietly and listened.
Moody scanned the group. "Mundungus, you go..."
"Alastor," Sirius cut in, interrupting him.
"Let me handle this."
"You?" Moody frowned, looking hesitant.
Of course, he trusted Sirius to get the job done, but the issue here was more about stealth than capability. They needed to remain hidden.
Whether it was for Harry's protection or other reasons, being discovered would greatly reduce their effectiveness... No Death Eater would be foolish enough to target Harry with his protectors in plain sight.
And when it came to stealth, aside from Nymphadora Tonks, Mundungus was the better choice.
"It's better to switch to someone else," Moody said. "Your face is too recognizable. Almost all the Death Eaters know you and that you're Harry's godfather.
"Having Dumbledore and the professors openly protecting him is enough; there's no need to add more people."
"I can take Polyjuice Potion," Sirius said. "And more importantly, I have a business in Hogsmeade, so I have a legitimate reason to be there."
"Business?"
"The Shrieking Shack," Sirius said with a smile. "Lupin and I bought it; it's ours now."
"No, it's yours and Kyle's," Lupin corrected. "I didn't have that kind of money, so I borrowed it from Kyle. I still need to pay him back."
At the mention of this, Sirius's expression soured. He still couldn't understand why Lupin had chosen to borrow money from Kyle, who was still a student at the time, instead of asking him for help. It made no sense, especially since he would have gladly given it to Lupin.
Chris also reacted strongly to this revelation.
He knew Kyle had made some money over the years, but he wasn't sure how much, and he hadn't asked.
How had Kyle already acquired his own business right after graduating? And in Hogsmeade, no less? As far as he knew, property there wasn't cheap.
As the only village in Britain inhabited solely by wizards, Hogsmeade had always been famous, so even a long-abandoned place like the Shrieking Shack would cost no less than three thousand Galleons.
Even after deducting Sirius's half, one thousand five hundred Galleons was still more than half a year's salary for Chris. Could Kyle's school-time ventures have earned him that much?
Oh, right... The Triwizard Tournament.
Chris suddenly recalled that the prize money for winning the tournament was one thousand Galleons. That would make a lot more sense.
...
(End of Chapter)
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