Chapter 827: Writing Paper
Chapter 827: Writing Paper
Austria, a place that holds some fame within the magical world.
Of course, this fame has nothing to do with Nurmengard. While Grindelwald was certainly infamous, that was over sixty years ago, and in the decades since, his notoriety has slowly faded away.
Especially among the younger generation of witches and wizards, hardly anyone knows who Grindelwald even is.
The reason this place has gained some recognition is due to the numerous conferences of the International Confederation of Wizards that have been held here.
As for why this location was chosen, no one really knows.
As noon approached, in an unknown village in Austria, a place secluded and bordering a forest where wild beasts often roam, very few people choose to live here, amounting to no more than a dozen or so.
Unnoticed by the villagers, as they hurried home for their lunch break after finishing their morning chores, a person suddenly appeared at the entrance of the village, as if he had dropped from the sky.
Kyle stumbled, almost losing his balance.
He never expected that Nico would turn the two-way mirror into a Portkey, and even set it to activate at a specific time.
Just as he was putting away the photo, before Kyle could react, the Portkey suddenly activated, transporting him directly from his home to this...
Kyle looked around... It was desolate and barren, with nothing but endless primeval forests and those peaks that loomed in the air as if they had been abruptly sheared off.
It was hard to imagine that anyone would choose to live in such a place that was so out of sync with city life. Perhaps it was for easier access to the forest for hunting.
Kyle glanced ahead, and at that moment, smoke was rising from several of the houses built from wood and stone, and various smoked meats were hanging in front of the houses.
Without further ado, he glanced once more at the two-way mirror in his hand.
"Nico, Nico... Which way should I go from here?"
He called out twice, but there was no response from the mirror, indicating that Nico had already moved on to other matters.
"Why couldn't you have just said a little more?"
Kyle rubbed his forehead. As expected, he had forgotten the address he had seen earlier, and now had no recollection of it at all.
The only thing he knew now was what Nico had hastily told him right after the Portkey activated.
"As long as you keep going forward, you will eventually reach your destination."
Going forward, did that mean entering the forest?
Kyle wasn't sure if his assumption was correct, but he could only try for now.
With that in mind, Kyle took a big step forward into the village... No, it couldn't really be called a village, it was more like a gathering place.
Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen a stranger in a long time, but the moment Kyle appeared, he instantly drew the attention of everyone present. They stood at their windows or stepped out of their houses, but wherever they were, they all unabashedly stared at Kyle.
Kyle initially guessed that the people living here did so because it was convenient for hunting in the forest, but he soon realized he was wrong.
Although the environment, with its wooden houses and smoked meats, resembled a hunters' gathering place, he didn't see any hunting tools, not even a knife or a pointed stick.
And the people didn't fit the profile either.
They were all elderly, the youngest-looking among them appearing to be in their eighties. Muggles of this age would certainly not venture into the forest to hunt with their bare hands.
"Something's not right here," Kyle frowned, his hand on his wand, but he continued walking forward nonchalantly.
However, before he could even take a few steps, Kyle was surprised to find himself surrounded.
The group had acted swiftly and discreetly. Even though Kyle had been vigilant about his surroundings, he hadn't noticed when they had quietly encircled him.
"Are you all wizards?"
Kyle drew his wand and pointed it at the person closest to him, and at the same time, a translucent silver-white shield appeared around him.
Living in such a remote place and without any hunting tools, these people could only be wizards.
But what Kyle couldn't understand was that he hadn't detected any magical reaction from them, which was why he had initially assumed they were hunters.
Just as he thought, the person in front of him also drew their wand.
The one who seemed to be their leader, the one whom Kyle was pointing his wand at, asked something in a stern tone.
Kyle blinked.
He realized an awkward fact – the person was not speaking English or French... He couldn't understand what was being said.
"Sorry, what did you say?" Kyle asked politely.
"He's asking who you are and what you're doing here," an elderly witch, who was rather well-dressed and elegant, unlike the others, clarified as she walked over. The others made way for her.
This time, Kyle could understand what was being said.
"Ah, I am..."
Kyle hesitated for a moment, as if he had just thought of something, and quickly changed what he was about to say, "I'm a recent graduate of Beauxbatons, and I'm also a herb enthusiast. I'm here to observe some rare plants."
"Beauxbatons," the elderly witch pondered for a moment, "So you're French?"
"No need, this is fine." The witch eyed him up and down. "You mentioned you're here for herbs?"
"Yes." Kyle nodded. "I've read about Dewdrops and Ironthorn Vines, and they're both native to Austria, so I thought I'd try my luck."
"You're in the wrong place, then." The witch was blunt. "Those plants are found in the southern forests. Nothing of interest here."
"Is that so?" Kyle was about to make up an excuse when the witch suddenly said, "But we do have a wider variety of herbs here, and we've even spotted the rare Cedar Ambrosia flower before. Would you be interested in that?"
"Of course!" Kyle smiled. "I'm a herbology student at heart, and I'm intrigued by all kinds of plants."
"In that case, we won't hold you up any longer." The witch smiled back. "Or perhaps you'd like to join us for lunch first? It's dangerous to go into the forest on an empty stomach."
"That would be wonderful."
The witch was taken aback by Kyle's immediate agreement, but he readily followed her into one of the smoke-filled houses.
"This looks perfect—smoked meat stew with mushrooms, my favorite."
The inhabitant of the house glanced at Kyle and then quickly moved to the witch's side, whispering in German, "Wenda, is he..."
"Then let's make sure our guest feels welcome." The witch looked at the man. "I'd appreciate it if you'd call me by another name from now on."
"Of course, Miss Amara." The man hurriedly agreed.
"I hope you'll remember that." The witch said before stepping into the room as well, seemingly intending to join Kyle for lunch.
She glanced at the wooden bowl on the table but chose not to use it, instead conjuring two exquisite plates and cutlery and serving Kyle a hearty portion of the stew.
"Thank you." Kyle accepted the plate. "May I ask one more question? What brings you all here...?"
"We study magical creatures." The witch replied. "We're scholars in that field, and this is one of the few magical creature sanctuaries in Austria, which makes it easier to observe and protect them."
"That's amazing." Kyle was impressed. "Do you know Mr. Newt Scamander? I've heard he's the best expert on magical creatures."
At the mention of Newt's name, the witch paused, her right hand tightening around her cutlery. After a moment, she continued, "Of course, I could never forget that name. He's like a Devil's Snare, rooted in my heart."
"Rooted in your heart?" Kyle took a sip of the stew. "But I heard he's married now. What a pity."
The witch turned to look at Kyle, her expression odd, but she didn't explain herself.
The two ate their lunch together in a peaceful atmosphere... at least on the surface.
Afterward, Kyle ventured into the forest under the watchful eyes of the villagers.
"Thank you for your hospitality. Next time we meet, I'll bring you gifts."
Only when Kyle's figure had completely disappeared did the group quickly gather around the witch.
"Wenda, Amara, you just let him leave like that?"
"He's lying."
"What?"
"That boy isn't a student of Beauxbatons." The witch smiled coldly, wiping her hands with a cloth. "If I'm not mistaken, he's from Hogwarts."
"A student of Dumbledore's..." The old man's face twisted with anger. "And you let him enter the forest? He could be here to deal with us!"
"Why not?" The witch smiled. "For certain reasons, we can't enter that tower, so we're left waiting endlessly in places like this. We've waited far too long already."
She turned to look in the direction where Kyle had disappeared. "Perhaps this is an opportunity. Let's follow him..."
Meanwhile, Kyle, unaware of the developments behind him, was navigating his way through the forest, moving between the gaps in the trees.
Unlike the Forbidden Forest, this forest had no paths, so Kyle relied on his instincts and the Point Me spell to move forward as best he could.
Time passed, and Kyle couldn't say how long he had been walking—from noon to evening and then deep into the night.
When the moon finally rose, Kyle caught sight of his destination—a round tower built atop a steep cliff.
It was as if the tower had suddenly appeared there. Kyle was certain that nothing had been there a second ago, but when he turned his head, there it stood.
Was it related to his line of sight somehow? Or was there a specific time it manifested?
Kyle couldn't be sure, so he kept his eyes fixed on the tower and, relying on his memory, reached into his lizard skin pouch and pulled out his trunk.
"Norbert, let's go up."
A massive fire-breathing dragon appeared in the forest, spreading its wings and carrying Kyle straight toward the tower.
There was no resistance, no obstacles. Kyle easily arrived at the tower's door.
Inscribed next to the door were some striking words.
"For the Greater Good."
The room beyond was pitch-black, as if a beast lurked within the darkness, waiting to pounce.
At this point, due to the limitations of the main door, the fire dragon could not enter. Kyle had no choice but to put it back into his trunk, though for safety's sake, he released the leopard cat and the venomous pouch cat, letting them trail behind him.
Although he didn't know if they could pose a threat to Grindelwald, it was unlikely, but at least they gave him a bit of courage.
Kyle lit his wand and slowly made his way up the stairs.
The staircase was long, winding around a central pillar that extended all the way to the top. As Kyle ascended, an eerie silence enveloped him, and he could only hear his own footsteps and the rapid beating of his heart.
After what felt like an eternity, the light from his wand illuminated a door.
It was an ancient-looking door, left ajar without even a lock, and a faint light could be seen seeping through the crack.
Kyle's tension heightened.
"You've finally come, Albus..."
A hoarse and aged voice emanated from within, sounding as if it hadn't spoken in a long time.
"No, no, you're not Albus! For some reason, there's a hint of curiosity in your voice. Who are you? How did you find this place, and why do you have two adorable creatures with you?"
"Why don't you come in? Are you afraid of an old man who doesn't even have a wand?"
Kyle silently cursed under his breath.
Was he afraid? Perhaps a little, after all, this was the man who had wreaked havoc across Europe sixty years ago.
But more than fear, Kyle felt a sense of annoyance. The person in front of him was a huge nuisance.
But since he had come all this way... it would be foolish to turn back now.
"Dumbledore sure knows how to cause trouble," Kyle muttered as he pushed the door open.
The room was much smaller than he had imagined, barely bigger than a broom closet. A tiny window, or rather a crack, was set into the ceiling, and the moonlight filtering through was the only source of illumination in the room.
In the corner lay a thin blanket, and curled up within it was a skeletal figure... indeed, it looked like nothing but skin and bones.
Upon hearing the noise, the frail body stirred, and a skull-like face turned to look at him, the eyes opening.
"Ha, ha ha..."
Without saying a word, Grindelwald suddenly laughed.
"You've come... I knew we would meet again..."
"Meet again?"
Kyle was taken aback for a moment, all his previous emotions giving way to confusion.
"Have we met before?"
"Not from your perspective." Grindelwald struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall to keep himself from falling.
He glanced at Kyle once more.
"Go to the south of Godric's Hollow, there's an abandoned barn... it's easy to find, right next to a pine tree.
"Through the window of the barn, you'll see the attic of a house, that's Albus' home, and you'll surely find him there."
"You know why I'm here?" Kyle asked, perplexed. He was certain that the man in front of him had not used Legilimency on him since he arrived.
"If I say I know, will you believe me?"
"Why wouldn't I? After all, you are Grindelwald," Kyle said, scanning the room before casually sitting down on the floor.
He dared not take out his wand to conjure a chair, for despite the man before him appearing as nothing but skin and bones, he was still Grindelwald.
"Ha, how interesting. That foolish man, he thinks he can change something?" Grindelwald muttered to himself.
"How did you guess?" Kyle asked again. "...That I would come here, and what I want to ask?"
"If you could give me a piece of writing paper..."
"Never mind, I don't want to ask anymore." Kyle stood up and turned to leave.
He had been foolish to begin with; since he had already obtained the information he wanted, there was no need to prolong this encounter.
No matter how Grindelwald had guessed his purpose for coming here, he was trapped in this place and couldn't affect Kyle in any way.
So even if Kyle didn't know this secret, it seemed like it wouldn't make a difference.
"Wait." Grindelwald squirmed.
Kyle immediately took two steps back.
"Don't be nervous, my friend. What do you think I can do in my current state?" Grindelwald said with self-mockery.
"That's not certain." Kyle replied calmly, "Maybe this is just an act, meant to lower my guard."
"If you had come twenty years earlier, I might have done that." Grindelwald said, "Consider it a reward for saving me some time, give me a piece of writing paper."
He pointed to the thin blanket beneath him and a piece of cloth no bigger than his palm, "I really can't keep writing on bedsheets."
...
(End of Chapter)
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