https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-825-An-Acquaintance-Percy-s-Return/13013229/
Chapter 826: A New Target, Grindelwald
Chapter 826: A New Target, Grindelwald
Percy's return brought new life to the Weasley household, and Mrs. Weasley seemed to have shed a burden, appearing completely different from her previous state.
That evening, she prepared a sumptuous dinner and warmly invited Kyle to their home.
Chris was still away in the Hebrides Islands, which was not unusual. Any matter involving dragons was no small issue, and with Newt also gone, it was evident that it wouldn't be resolved in just a day or two.
Unless something unexpected happened, Chris would likely remain in the Hebrides Islands for some time. Kyle wanted to help, but without an invitation, he would likely be considered an illegal intruder.
After all, places where dragons were kept usually prohibited strangers from entering to protect the dragon eggs and young dragons from being taken away.
The Romanian Fire Dragon Reserve operated under similar principles.
Especially now, with the Black Dragon acting strangely, everyone in the Hebrides Islands was on edge. If someone were to go there without warning, it might lead to unnecessary trouble, and any injury caused would be undesirable.
After some hesitation, Kyle decided to abandon the idea.
Chris had a point; with both him and Newt there, Kyle probably couldn't be of much help. It would be better to stay home and rest, preparing for the tasks ahead.
...
At 7 p.m., Kyle arrived at the Weasley residence on time. Mr. Weasley was also there, having managed to leave work at a reasonable hour for once.
Fred and George were also present, despite their protests in the afternoon about not wanting to participate in any celebrations for Percy's return.
Both were wearing their dragon-hide jackets from the shop's opening, seemingly having made an effort to dress up. George's hair was slicked back, looking like it had been licked by a three-headed dog.
Fred had a distinct scent on him, likely from using Mrs. Paniya's Moisturizer, a product usually favored by female witches like Conna, Autumn, and Ginny.
Kyle gave them a teasing glance without saying a word.
"Don't get the wrong idea; we couldn't find any clothes more outdated than these jackets," Fred explained, noticing Kyle's look.
"No need to explain, I understand," Kyle said, patting Fred's shoulder. "Don't be embarrassed; Percy is your brother, and it's only natural for you to feel this way."
With that, Kyle turned and walked into the Weasley residence.
"What does he understand?" Fred raised an eyebrow.
"I think he misunderstood," George said. "If we had known earlier, we wouldn't have been testing the Exploding Cream and could have changed our clothes before rushing over here."
"Yeah..." Fred tugged at his clothes and whispered, "Do you think he'd believe us if we explained that we wore these dragon-hide jackets to protect ourselves from the Bouncing Fruits?"
"Most likely not," George sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Oh, these sticky substances are so annoying; they haven't been washed off yet..."
"Let's wash them later; we should go in now," Fred said. "If we're late, Mom will nag us for a long time."
"That's the only option," George agreed.
The two quickly entered the Weasley residence.
Although Ron and Ginny were not there, Bill and Charlie had returned, making the place feel crowded but not uncomfortably so.
Kyle sat next to Charlie, watching as Mrs. Weasley happily served stew to everyone and Fred and George teased Percy.
At 8 p.m., Kyle left the Weasley residence and returned home.
Chris didn't return for several days.
The Daily Prophet also noticed the changes in the Hebrides Islands, reporting that Muggles had spotted dragons nearby, and not just one, but thankfully, members of the Incident Reversal Unit had arrived in time to modify their memories. Otherwise, this incident would have spread throughout the Muggle world.
Or, to be precise, it had already spread but wasn't widely believed, and with the witnesses forgetting the incident, people soon dismissed it as a publicity stunt, losing interest.
Members of the Incident Reversal Unit now permanently stationed nearby were ready to handle any emergencies.
Fortunately, the dragons seemed to have calmed down and stopped escaping.
Chris's stay in the Hebrides Islands lasted longer than expected, and when he returned after about half a month, he looked exhausted and listless.
He told Kyle that the Black Dragon's riot was caused by an unknown wizard, most likely Voldemort and his Death Eaters, who had blown up the highest cliff on the south side of the Hebrides Islands.
"It's just a destroyed cliff; it's not a big deal," Kyle said, not understanding the severity.
In Kyle's memory, the black dragons in the Hebrides Islands hadn't left in two years, and any previous conflicts were resolved within the islands. Now, they wanted to seek out the culprit outside...
"The cliff itself may not be important, but it could be the place where they choose their leader."
Chris sighed, "All the leaders of the black dragons in the Hebrides Islands have died and been reborn at that cliff. It's their most important place, a holy ground of sorts, and now it's been blown up."
Now Kyle understood why the dragons were so agitated.
"Have you found out who did it?" he asked.
"If only we could," Chris shook his head. "But there aren't many wizards capable of casting a spell that can blow up a cliff. We suspect it was The Dark Lord, or perhaps a group of Death Eaters working together, to cause such massive destruction."
"The Dark Lord?" Kyle was even more perplexed. "Hasn't he been quiet all this time? Why would he suddenly go to the Hebrides Islands to cause trouble and anger the dragons? What's in it for him?"
"That's what we'd like to know too," Chris said as he poured himself a glass of whiskey. "Maybe he wanted to create chaos for us. If Newt hadn't calmed the strongest black dragon with the Hungarian Horntail, the nearby towns would've been in chaos by now."
"Even if the Ministry of Magic sent everyone, they couldn't modify all the Muggles' memories in a short time."
Hungarian Horntail...
Calm them down?
Kyle couldn't fathom how these two things could be connected. As the most irritable breed of dragons, the Hungarian Horntails were never known for their calm, especially towards other dragons. A simple tail swipe was considered a gentle gesture for them.
If Kyle's guess was correct, it must have been a physical calming method. By subduing the strongest black dragon, the others naturally became docile.
"He sure knows how to cause trouble," Kyle couldn't help but say. "Are you sure it was the Death Eaters?"
"It's just a guess," Chris said. "But we found a lot of dark magic and traces of Fiendfyre near the site. It's likely the work of Death Eaters."
Kyle muttered under his breath. If Voldemort's scheme had succeeded, it would've been a real headache for the Ministry of Magic.
No wonder they've been so quiet lately. I never expected them to be waiting here... But to be fair, if it weren't for this incident, I wouldn't have guessed Voldemort's true intention.
Getting dragons to riot, what a lousy idea.
After finishing his whiskey, Chris devoured an entire plate of sandwiches and two grilled sausages before dragging his weary body back to his room.
Time passed, and as October arrived, the weather gradually turned colder. Kyle finally received an owl from Nicolas.
To his disappointment, the owl didn't bring the repaired Time Turner; instead, it carried a mirror.
A Two-Faced Mirror.
As soon as Kyle picked it up, Nicolas' face appeared in the mirror.
"How have you been lately?" he asked with a smile.
"I'm doing okay, just a bit anxious waiting," Kyle placed the mirror on the table. "When I first saw the owl, I thought the Time Turner was already fixed."
"Be patient," Nicolas said. "It's not easy to repair this thing. By the way, I have something for you. Have you been drinking it?"
"Of course, I haven't forgotten," Kyle took the bottle labeled 'Raspberry Juice'. "I've always wondered what this is for."
"It's to protect you from temporal interference," Nicolas explained. "Albus told me that when you used the Time Turner, your mind experienced some instability. Isn't that right?"
"That's correct," Kyle nodded.
It must have been in his third year, when the Slytherin Dungeon was opened. Unbeknownst to him, he had traveled back in time by a few months.
Ever since then, he had done many inexplicable things without realizing it.
For instance, he had insisted on keeping the Basilisk a secret. Under normal circumstances, he would have told Dumbledore about it, but at the time, he just didn't want to.
Later, Rowena Ravenclaw explained that she had cast a spell that affected Kyle, who was experiencing temporal interference.
This was a bit complicated to explain. In short, Ravenclaw had cast an unknown spell at Hogwarts, but this spell only affected those who had experienced temporal interference.
To experience interference, one needed to travel back at least two months. The regular Time Turner, which could only go back a day or two, didn't need to worry about this issue.
In other words, this was a spell specifically targeting Kyle.
"But that was many years ago. What does it have to do with the present?" Kyle asked.
"When there are two versions of yourself in the same timeline, your mind becomes very unstable. That's why many wizards resist using the Time Turner," Nicolas explained. "This potion is the solution. If you drink it for a month, you'll no longer be affected by temporal interference.
"If you want to rescue Albus, you must ensure you're clear-headed. Even if I fix the Time Turner, I can't give it to you until a month has passed."
"I see." Kyle nodded, "Thank you."
"Don't thank me, it's just necessary preparation." Nicolas said.
"So this is why you asked me here, to specifically tell me this?"
"Didn't you ask me?"
"Oh? Sorry, I forgot."
"It's fine, I understand." Nicolas smiled, "I called you here because I forgot to tell you something before."
"What is it?"
"You need to go to a place." Nicolas said, "When you return to the past, you'll definitely have to find Albus first, right?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"Do you know where he is?" Nicolas asked.
Kyle's expression faltered.
To be honest, he really didn't know.
The only thing he knew was that the Dumbledore family had lived in Godric's Hollow, and Bathilda Bagshot was their neighbor.
But that was where the younger Dumbledore would appear, and he needed to find the Dumbledore from the past.
"It seems you've realized this too." Nicolas trembled as he brought over a thick book, "So before that, you need to find someone who can tell you where Albus might be hiding."
"Who should I go to... Professor McGonagall should know, right?"
"She doesn't know, or rather, aside from one person, no one else knows."
"Who is that person?"
"Gellert Grindelwald, you might have heard of this name."
Kyle fell silent for a moment, "I've heard of him, sixty years ago, he was Professor Dumbledore's greatest rival."
"And also his best friend." Nicolas said softly, "Although I really don't want to admit it, but when they were young, they indeed had a deep friendship, and they understood each other's hearts. Even now, this friendship hasn't faded, it's just been hidden away, concealed in the deepest parts of their hearts."
"If there's anyone who could guess where Albus might appear in the past, it's only Gellert Grindelwald."
"Do I have to go find him?" Kyle couldn't help but raise his voice.
He didn't want to meet Grindelwald, the dark wizard who had almost turned over all of Europe. That person was too formidable, Kyle had even heard that during his imprisonment, there wasn't a single person around.
Because the guards were afraid of being bewitched and directly defecting, some aspects of his abilities were even more terrifying than his magic.
If given a choice, Kyle would rather face Voldemort, of course, the one after using Horcruxes.
When he was still Tom Riddle, he wasn't much different from Grindelwald, both could make people willingly follow and offer their loyalty.
It's just that the two of them chose different paths later on, Tom chose power and immortality, willingly giving up some other things.
"Do I have to go?" Kyle was somewhat resistant.
"It's not necessary." Nicolas said, "If you're willing to search slowly, you can choose not to go, but as for how long it will take, I can't guarantee that."
"Then I'll create some noise and let Professor Dumbledore see me." Kyle asked, "He should recognize me, right?"
"That's also a way." Nicolas nodded, "But can you guarantee that Dumbledore, after seeing Ariana, will still have the mood to pay attention to other things?"
Kyle fell silent.
To be honest, he really couldn't guarantee that.
Dumbledore had been blaming himself for a century, for what happened to Ariana. After seeing her again, there might not be room in his eyes for anything else.
"Alright, I'll go." Kyle sighed.
"Don't worry so much." Nicolas laughed, "You're going to save Dumbledore, he won't do anything to you, and he'll even help you with all his might, I promise."
"I hope so." Kyle shook his head and stood up, "Then I'll go now."
"Where are you going?"
"Of course, Nurmengard, isn't that where Grindelwald is imprisoned?"
"Then do you know where Nurmengard is?"
"It should be in Austria, I remember seeing it in a book."
"But that book certainly doesn't have the specific location, or are you saying that Nurmengard is just a random tower built by the roadside, where anyone can go and take a look?"
Kyle's footsteps paused, and he sat back down, "Nicolas, since you say this, you must know where it is, right?"
"Coincidentally, I just happened to be involved in the construction of Nurmengard." Nicolas winked and flipped through the thick book on the table, "Let me find it... Ah, here it is."
He propped the book up, aligning it with the mirror.
Kyle immediately leaned over.
He saw an old, faded photo, depicting a round tower made of stones, resembling a thick chimney.
There was also a line of text below the photo, and Kyle stared at it for a while, but found that he couldn't remember the content no matter what.
A few seconds later, Nicolas closed the book in his hand.
"Wait, I haven't memorized it yet."
"This is enough." Nicolas said, "Go quickly, and by the time you return, the Time-Turner should be fixed as well."
(End of Chapter)
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