https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-796-Heading-to-the-Ministry-of-Magic/13013170/
Chapter 795: Fox's Perch
Chapter 795: Fox's Perch
The discussion lasted until late into the night.
The ideal candidate to go to Hogsmeade was Nymphadora Tonks, a Metamorphmagus who could easily deceive everyone and perfectly conceal herself.
Mundungus was also a good choice, as he was skilled in various disguises from his frequent involvement in shady dealings.
However, Sirius insisted, and in the end, the group agreed to let him take on the task of protecting Harry.
The only requirement was that he must constantly drink Polyjuice Potion to maintain a different appearance in front of outsiders.
Sirius agreed.
This wasn't difficult. There was a Muggle village ten miles outside of Hogsmeade, and he could wait until nightfall to find a Muggle with thick hair.
Harry was also happy about this arrangement.
Compared to the other two, he still preferred to be with his godfather, even though they had to pretend not to know each other in public. Being close by was still better.
After that, those who had returned from the Ministry of Magic began to prepare to leave.
Kingsley, in particular, had received a message from Scrimgrub through the Aurors' special means, stating that there was a shortage of personnel in Godric's Valley, and they needed to rush over immediately.
Others were also needed to help.
Kyle had wanted to take this opportunity to return to Stagwood Village, but it seemed like he hadn't been back there for a long time. As he passed by his home, he couldn't help but miss the old cat-like creature.
Just as Kyle was about to leave with Chris, he was pushed back inside before he didn't have time to go out.
"You'll be staying here too," Chris said, turning his head.
"Why?" Kyle asked, not understanding. "I still need to go to the Ministry of Magic tomorrow, and staying at home would be more convenient."
"This place is safer than Stagwood Village," Chris said, glancing at Kyle.
Others might not understand, but Chris was well aware of the contents of Kyle's trunk.
The dragon, Venomous Manticore, Caracal, Serpent, Three-Headed Dog... Chris couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding whenever he thought about Kyle carrying that dangerous trunk around.
Even in terms of quality and danger, both were equally deadly.
Chris was well aware that with proper utilization, these magical creatures could help him deal with numerous Death Eaters.
Just the Serpent alone was enough.
Serpents were artificially created species, not strictly magical creatures, but rather, they were products of ancient dark magic creation. Their original purpose was to kill.
The Serpent's eyes were two materialized Killing Curses, requiring no incantation or wand movement, just a gaze was enough, simple and brutal.
Combined with their dragon-like skin, Serpents could ignore most magical attacks, making them formidable on the battlefield.
In the face of such creatures, unless one possessed the power of Dumbledore or Voldemort, no amount of numbers could make a difference.
However, Chris chose to keep these thoughts to himself, even though he trusted Kyle.
"Have you released it before?" Chris asked in a low voice, taking advantage of the moment when Kingsley and Moody were busy.
"Yes," Kyle acknowledged, understanding Chris's question and not hiding the truth.
"That's the reason," Chris shook his head, "I don't know what you've done, but one thing is certain, your actions have angered the Mysterious Man. In this situation, Stagwood Village is no longer safe.
"It's safer for you to stay here to prevent his retaliation."
"Yes, stay here," Mrs. Weasley also said, walking over.
She didn't quite understand Chris's meaning, but she caught the part about safety. Indeed, nowhere was safer than here.
As the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore had cast numerous protective spells on Grimmauld Place No. 12, including the Fidelius Charm, Anti-Tracking Charm, Impervious Charm, Fixed Portkey, and more. Mrs. Weasley knew of at least seven such spells.
One could say that even Voldemort himself, upon learning the location of Grimmauld Place No. 12, would face a challenging task in breaking through its defenses.
In a sense, the safety here surpassed even Hogwarts without Dumbledore.
Mrs. Weasley hoped Kyle would stay.
"Then... okay," Kyle glanced at Chris's expression, "I'll stay here."
"Mhm," Chris nodded.
It seemed Chris had been thinking about this since earlier.
Although Kyle didn't prefer staying indoors, he had killed dozens of Death Eaters with the Serpent, a casualty count rarely seen even in times of war.
Kingsley and his team had to work overtime late into the night, and Kyle was no exception.
Kyle decided to follow Chris's instructions to avoid triggering his nerves.
Seeing Kyle's agreement, Chris finally let out a long sigh of relief, shooting Kyle a glare.
In truth, Chris didn't want Kyle to develop a bloodthirsty habit. Thinking back, every Death Eater Kyle encountered over the years had barely escaped with their lives.
It started with the Triwizard Tournament when Kyle first used the Fiery Flame Curse to kill a Death Eater. Later, while clearing Dementors with Cedric, he killed two more.
Recently, there were the Death Eaters in the Hogwarts Tower, werewolves in the Dark Forest, and even in Godric's Valley... It could be said that Death Eaters had a higher survival rate when encountering Dumbledore than when facing Kyle.
Chris was worried that if this continued, Kyle would be corrupted by the negative emotions of killing, eventually becoming like Voldemort.
But he couldn't say anything about it.
Even after killing so many Death Eaters, Kyle's magic remained pristine, making Chris's earlier thoughts invalid.
Chris felt a bit embarrassed. He looked at Kyle, shook his head helplessly, and then followed Kingsley and the others out of the square.
Inside the house, Ron was having a small celebration with the Weasley brothers in the dining room, setting off the remaining streamers and confetti cannons from the wedding.
They didn't need to think too much; their thoughts were simple. As long as the Death Eaters suffered losses, they were happy, and the greater the casualties, the more they had to celebrate.
Although they didn't know what happened in Godric's Valley, it wasn't important. What mattered was that the Death Eaters suffered heavy losses, which was a significant victory for the Order of the Phoenix.
If not for the circumstances, they would have even considered holding a grand celebration party.
"Fred, George!" Mrs. Weasley looked at the streamers all over the house, her temples throbbing with anger.
"Can you two be a bit quieter?" she shouted. "I was only gone for a while, and the entire dining room is almost turned into a landfill!"
"It's just a few streamers, not as exaggerated as you make it sound." Fred waved his wand, and the streamers around them were instantly swept away by a gust of wind.
"See, it's clean now, right?"
"What I mean is, you two need to be more mature. Even if you can't set a good example for your younger siblings, at least don't influence them negatively."
"Us? Influence Ron?" Fred pointed at himself and George, then turned to look at Ron. "I think he's more excited than us."
"Yeah." George nodded. "He set off more confetti cannons than both of us combined."
"I remember he set off five."
"We each did two."
"Ginny is..."
"So, half of the streamers in this room were set off by him."
Fred and George spoke in unison, leaving Ron speechless with a flushed face.
"The streamers I set off, weren't they all given to me by you two?"
"We just asked you to hold them, when did we ever tell you to set them off!" George defended himself.
Ron was completely dumbfounded, stammering without a word. He turned to Hermione for help, but since she had initially disagreed with the celebration, she naturally wouldn't speak up for him now.
"Enough." Fortunately, Mrs. Weasley interrupted the chattering Fred and George. "Now, go to your rooms and sleep immediately."
Ron immediately ran out.
The Weasley brothers reluctantly closed their mouths and headed back to their rooms, grumbling under their breath as they walked... probably complaining about Mrs. Weasley's unfairness, blaming them alone.
Mrs. Weasley ignored these complaints. Although she didn't know the truth, she understood Fred and George, and a scolding was definitely in order.
"As for you two, it's time for bed as well." She turned to the others. "Kyle, does Fawkes need an extra Perch? But the conditions here are limited, and we only have firewood."
"No, it's fine." Kyle shook his head.
Just as people are accustomed to sleeping in beds, Fawkes preferred perching on branches, and the more precious the wood, the more comfortable it was for him, like the one in the Hogwarts headmaster's office.
Kyle remembered that perch was golden, not a later addition, but inherently so. In the sunlight, it shone like solidified Felix Felicis.
Although Kyle didn't have such a luxurious item, he had an entire forest in his trunk, and Fawkes would certainly be more comfortable living there than standing on a single branch...
However, Mrs. Weasley's words also reminded Kyle that if he found suitable wood, he could try to make a perch for Fawkes.
Kyle pondered as he walked out of the kitchen.
"Kyle."
At the staircase, Kyle suddenly heard someone calling his name. Turning around, he saw it was Hermione, who seemed to have been waiting for him there all along.
"Is something wrong?" Kyle asked.
"Yes, you're going to the Ministry of Magic tomorrow, right? I have some important questions to ask," Hermione said. "It's about..."
"Wait a moment," Kyle interrupted her. "There's something you might not know. I probably won't be going to the Ministry tomorrow."
"What? Why not?" Hermione furrowed her brows.
"Because of the Secret Keeper," Kyle explained. "They think the Secret Keeper might be angry with me because of what happened this afternoon, so they've given me a detention order. I might not be able to go anywhere during this time."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione quickly apologized. "I thought... maybe I was distracted and didn't hear it."
"No, it's not your fault," Kyle said. "They told me this outside, and you weren't there at the time."
"Okay." Hermione said. "I'll head back then."
"Wait a moment," Kyle called out. "I think if you really want to make a change, you can try it yourself."
"Try it myself?" Hermione was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"Just learn more about the Ministry of Magic," Kyle said. "To be honest, you don't really understand the current state of the Ministry, and many of your perceptions are actually wrong."
"Where am I wrong?" Hermione asked, looking at Kyle with a serious expression.
"Many," Kyle said. "For example, you always habitually apply the same methods from school to the Ministry."
"But in reality, they are completely different," Kyle continued. "The Ministry of Magic is not just another Hogwarts."
It's not as simple as saying a sentence or making a suggestion to bring about change. Every new bill must be carefully considered before it can be enacted.
"Also, regarding the Muggle Liaison Committee you mentioned earlier, it's difficult to assess whether an employee is doing a good job or not using the intuitive written scores from school."
"But I really don't have that need," Hermione said.
"That's because you don't have any such requirements," Kyle said calmly. "You're a Muggle-born witch, and both you and your parents know how to deal with other Muggles. So after encountering conflicts, you don't need the help of the Ministry of Magic."
Hermione didn't argue this time.
"How about this," Kyle suggested. "If you're free this month, why not volunteer at the Ministry of Magic? It'll be a good opportunity to get familiar with it, and they're short-staffed right now."
Volunteer...
Hermione's eyes lit up. "Can I really do that?"
"You can't do it alone," Kyle said. "But I can help recommend you. I know quite a few people in the Ministry, and it should be fine to find them a helper."
"But there's one thing I must tell you in advance," Kyle continued. "This is purely voluntary work, and there's no salary. If you think it's inappropriate, then forget it..."
"No, I agree," Hermione said immediately. "After I graduate tomorrow, I'll definitely be working at the Ministry of Magic. I'm very willing to get familiar with the work environment there."
"Okay," Kyle nodded. "Then head back, and I'll take you there tomorrow."
"Okay," Hermione started walking upstairs but stopped after only a few steps.
"Wait, Kyle," she said. "Didn't you just say they won't let you leave?"
"That's right," Kyle shrugged. "But as long as I don't go out, it should be fine."
"But how will you get there? You can't Apparate or use Portkeys here, and the fireplace isn't connected to the Floo Network."
"You won't forget how you got here, right?" Kyle smiled.
Hermione understood instantly, and her face paled. "If I have to be carried by the phoenix, I'd rather not go to the Ministry."
"The Secret Keeper is looking for me, not you," Kyle said casually. "You can go there normally, and we can meet near the magical fountain in the lobby."
"Okay."
As Kyle spoke, his gaze unintentionally landed on the painting hanging nearby.
The painting of Phineas Black.
The painting was nothing special; Kyle had seen enough of Phineas' face during his school days. His attention was drawn to the frame.
An ancient pure-blood family, and a former Hogwarts professor, Phineas' frame was definitely not ordinary. The wood on it...
As this thought crossed his mind, Kyle subconsciously reached out and placed his hand on the frame.
The frame was excellent, even after several hundred years, there wasn't a single crack, and it felt incredibly smooth, like touching a piece of polished jade.
What a beauty.
Kyle's eyes lit up. If he could dismantle this and make it into a Perch, Fox would surely love it.
But he shook his head... No, this was Sirius' great-great-grandfather's painting, and this was the Black family's ancestral home. It would be impolite to dismantle their painting without permission.
...
(End of Chapter)
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