Chapter 799: The Fishing Plan
Chapter 799: The Fishing Plan
"Just say it, what do you mean?"
Fred and George eyed Kyle warily, their bodies instinctively retreating to lean against the doorframe.
They knew Kyle too well... Whenever he wore that expression, it was never a good sign.
Feeling the doorknob behind them, the two brothers finally relaxed a little. This spot was perfect; right by the door, they could make a quick escape if things went south.
"It's like this," Kyle began, carefully choosing his words. "The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has been facing some trouble recently. When I saw Cedric today, he looked like he had lost a lot of weight. He was so weak he could barely walk straight, let alone look presentable."
"He truly needs help, and as friends, you won't just stand by, will you?"
"Then what about you?" Fred immediately sensed something amiss. "You and Cedric are friends too. Why aren't you helping him?"
"To be honest, I really want to help," Kyle sighed, spreading his hands. "If the Dark Lord wasn't causing me trouble, I would have stayed at the Ministry of Magic today."
"That sounds a bit fake."
"It doesn't seem real."
Fred and George spoke simultaneously.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Mr. Weasley. Ask him if I spent the day at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."
Kyle pointed outside the door, "If I'm lying, you can come find me again. I'll accept any punishment, even if it means working in your shop."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course," Kyle asserted confidently. "Rest assured, I truly want to help Cedric. He's incredibly busy, and as friends, it's only right that we support him, isn't it?"
"Everything else is fine, but going back to the Ministry of Magic... let's forget it." Fred said.
"Exactly," George nodded. "No matter what you say, we won't return to the Ministry."
"Especially not at this time."
"Just look at Hermione; we don't want to come back late every night."
"Don't reject it so quickly."
Kyle brought out a golden cup filled with honey mead and placed it on the table, "Hermione is busy because the place she's at is understaffed. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is the second-largest department in the Ministry of Magic. Even if it's a little busy normally, it won't be too exaggerated. This time, it's just an unexpected situation."
Fred and George had initially planned to leave without listening to Kyle, but the rich aroma of honey mead filling the room made them pause.
Although they weren't big drinkers, the scent of the honey mead Kyle offered was irresistible, leaving a lasting impression after just one taste.
The brothers were no exception.
They exchanged a glance, seemingly communicating silently, before cautiously approaching and speaking first.
"No matter what you say, we won't go to the Ministry of Magic."
"Even the most compelling reasons won't change our minds."
"Ah, it's fine," Kyle smiled. "I'm just casually mentioning it. If you don't want to go, then don't."
"By the way, what are your thoughts on communication items?"
True to his word, Kyle changed the topic, "I must remind you that efficiency is secondary. What Bones values most is preventing leaks."
As he spoke, Kyle brought over two ordinary cups and poured the honey mead from the golden cup into them. "For items that enemies could potentially use, she won't foot the bill."
Seeing that Kyle wasn't bringing up the Ministry of Magic anymore, the two brothers finally relaxed a little.
"It's simple; just set a password," Fred took a small sip of the honey mead. "Like the Marauder's Map, it can only be used by speaking the correct password."
"Or set a numerical code," George suggested. "Like Muggle telephones, I remember you need to input a series of numbers before making a call."
"How do you know that?" Kyle asked curiously. If he remembered correctly, they shouldn't have had any exposure to Muggles.
"Didn't Dad just mention it? He brought home a telephone."
"And we've used it before. Ron called Harry with it."
"But it wasn't Harry who answered the call. After just a few words, the line went silent."
"It must have been his aunt and uncle. That family is truly impolite," George put down his cup, slightly annoyed.
Every time they tried to contact Harry, those two people would interfere, and naturally, they didn't feel happy about it now.
"Passwords and codes..." Kyle thought for a moment, "Is that all?"
"It can be more complex," Fred said. "For example, set a charm that only specific people can use.
"But that would significantly increase the cost," George pointed out. "After all, not a single restriction charm is simple. It's even more challenging to apply them to magical items. Even if we start researching now, it would take at least half a year."
"And that's just one item." Fred added.
"That won't do; it's too time-consuming."
Kyle shook his head. "There are so many Aurors in the Ministry of Magic. Even if one is assigned to each person, it will take at least a year."
"Then there's no other way." Fred tilted his head back and finished the mead in his cup. "The Wizarding World doesn't have truly reliable things. Even with the most complex passcodes, a single Legilimency can solve it, and there are corresponding solutions to limiting magic."
"So, I say it's better to work on the communication items themselves."
"What do you mean?" Kyle poured him another cup of mead.
"It's about making the communication items in the most common forms, like buttons, ropes, and the like. Everyone will wear them, so even if the Death Eaters see them, they'll only think they're normal small objects and won't give it a second thought."
"It's like the kind DA used. Who would've thought that a Galleon is our communication tool."
As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the golden cup Kyle was using to pour the drink.
It wasn't because it was made of gold.
Although gold tableware was rare, it wasn't non-existent. For example, in the place they were currently staying, there was a complete set of gold tableware, including cups, candlesticks, plates, bowls, knives, forks, and everything else.
They were left behind by the Black family, but Sirius simply kept them in the storage room and never took them out.
What interested him was the cup itself.
That thing didn't look that big, how could it hold so much mead? They had already gone through two rounds, and the mead in the cup hadn't decreased at all.
He initially thought it was a Refilling Charm, but strangely, Kyle hadn't cast any spells, and he didn't sense any magic on the cup either.
As the owner of a magic trick shop, Fred trusted his instincts. That thing was just an ordinary cup... at least from the outside, it looked that way.
"Your..."
"Then we'll do it your way."
Just as he was about to say something, Kyle interrupted him.
"First, make one with a passcode. When it's done, send it to the Ministry of Magic for Burns to see."
"If she's satisfied, that's great. If she's not... we can modify it later. Anyway, there are hardly any people in Diagon Alley now, and you're free to do it."
"What do you mean by 'you're free to do it'? We're very busy, you know."
"Oh, right, right, I was wrong. You're all busy, aren't you? Earning a thousand Galleons... Go on, if there's nothing else, leave quickly. I still need to sleep."
After saying this, he stood up to see them out.
This was a good thing for Fred and George. As long as they left, they wouldn't have to worry about Kyle digging a hole for them.
But Fred couldn't help but be curious.
"Wait a minute." He leaned over to look at the table, "Your cup..."
"Oh, you mean that one." Kyle said nonchalantly, "It's not special. It's just Hufflepuff's golden cup. Isn't there also a sword in Gryffindor?"
"What did you say?"
"This is Hufflepuff's golden cup?!"
Now, Fred and George were even less willing to leave. Any item left behind by the Four Founders was a treasure that an alchemist couldn't refuse.
Strictly speaking, they weren't alchemists, but they were close enough, as they all dealt with magical items.
...
In fact, the two of them knew that Kyle had this item, and Kyle had never hidden it from them, including the Horcrux.
But knowing was one thing, and they had never seen it with their own eyes.
The two walked around Kyle and headed straight for the table.
"Hufflepuff's golden cup..." Fred's eyes lit up, "Didn't you say it was with Nika?"
"It was before." Kyle said, "But after solving the Horcrux issue, he returned it to me."
"When was that?" George angrily raised his head, "You never told us about this!"
"Last year." Kyle said, "At that time, you weren't at Hogwarts. How could I tell you?"
"That's not a reason. You could've written a letter!" Fred said angrily, "I don't care. As punishment for deceiving your friends, we'll help you take care of this golden cup for a while."
"That's not possible." Kyle shook his finger, and the golden cup that was originally on the table immediately flew into his hand.
"I plan to lend it to Cedric for a while. If you want it, get in line."
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"For how long?"
"Who knows, maybe a month, maybe a year." Kyle thought for a moment, "It depends on when he's free."
"That's too long."
"It's fine if you don't know, but now that we know, how can we possibly wait that long."
"I won't be able to sleep at night..."
"Why lend it to him first..."
"Exactly, we've known each other since we were three, and he's just a newcomer!"
The two spoke indignantly, and their voices even carried a hint of grievance.
"Don't speak in that tone, it's creepy." Kyle felt a chill down his back and couldn't help but rub his arms, "Besides, I have my reasons for lending it to him first.
"What's the reason!" Fred blurted out, but his eyes remained fixed on the golden cup in Kyle's hand.
"He's been busy lately, sometimes even forgetting to eat," Kyle said softly. "The cup can store food, allowing him to have a hot meal whenever he wants."
Upon hearing this, Fred and George immediately snapped out of their daze, their gazes shifting from the cup to Kyle.
"So, this is your plan."
"Don't try to trick us into going to the Ministry of Magic."
...
"What do you mean by tricking us?" Kyle raised an eyebrow. "I'm just joking. I've already resigned, and whether or not you go to the Ministry has nothing to do with me."
"What? You resigned?"
"Yes, I did." Kyle replied, "Do you think Burns would let me keep drawing a salary for doing nothing?"
"Of course. Due to various reasons, I didn't actually resign. She kept my position and office, and I can return anytime I want."
"But..." Before the two could speak, Kyle continued, "It's impossible for me to go to work during this time. I need to hide from the Dark Wizard, so I can only stay here."
"Really?" George looked at Kyle with a mix of belief and doubt.
If this was the case, he indeed didn't need to go to such lengths for the Ministry.
"How about you stay and see if I go to work tomorrow?"
The two didn't respond but huddled together, whispering and discussing something.
A few minutes later, Fred spoke up, "If we help Cedric, will you lend us the cup?"
"Don't put it that way, making it seem like we have some ulterior motive." Kyle said, "I just want him to have access to food anytime, so he doesn't starve like Hermione did."
"Of course, if you insist on going, that's fine too. If he has free time, he won't need the cup, and you can borrow it then."
"Okay, we'll go to the Ministry." George stepped forward and said, "Lend us the cup."
"Don't force yourself." Kyle smiled, "School is about to start, and your business will be busy too. I'll think of another way to help Cedric."
As he spoke, he made a gesture to put away the cup.
"No, I'm not forcing myself at all." Fred immediately put on a smile, "We were just joking with you."
"Since Cedric is in trouble, how can we not help as his friends?"
"Even if you didn't say it, we were planning to go to the Ministry tomorrow anyway."
"But don't you dislike the Ministry?" Kyle asked.
"Even if we dislike it, for the sake of our friend, we can overcome it." George forced a smile.
"What about Diagon Alley..."
"You might not know this, but the school will use owl mail to purchase the necessary items for the start of school. The professors will go directly to Gringotts to exchange Galleons for the Muggle-born students."
"I think the professors won't write our shop's name on the admission notices."
"So, we can't participate in the pre-school rush."
"Impossible." Kyle frowned.
"It's true." George explained, "Ron received the notice."
"And this isn't the first time this has happened."
"I heard Bill mention it. The Dark Wizard used to do this at Hogwarts to prevent the Death Eaters from attacking the new students."
"There will also be three or more professors on the train."
"If that's the case..." Kyle handed the cup to them, "Then there's indeed no need for your shop to continue operating."
As the shop with the most appearances on the prohibited list, the professors would naturally not purchase from them.
"You're being too harsh."
"But it's true."
The two wiped their hands and solemnly accepted the cup from Kyle.
But the next second, they revealed a different expression.
"Haha, we finally got it!" Fred and George burst into laughter, "It's too late for you to regret now!"
"What? You're not going back on your word. We promised to help Cedric, and we will." George said, "But if we find out you're tricking us, when we return the cup to you is not certain."
"It's fine. You can borrow it whenever you want." Kyle smiled, seemingly unconcerned.
Fearing that Kyle might change his mind, they quickly left after obtaining the cup.
Once the door closed again, a smile appeared on Kyle's face.
In any case, he had managed to send the two strong men on their way.
As for the cup... it was indeed too simple, not just a piece of cake but a walk in the park.
To put it simply, even if he didn't get the cup back, he could just report to Mrs. Weasley, and they would have to return the items obediently.
But they never realized this themselves.
(End of Chapter)
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