Chapter 828: The Battle in the Forest
Chapter 828: The Battle in the Forest
From the outside, Nurmengard appeared grand, resembling the vampire castles perched atop cliffs in Muggle fairy tales. However, upon entering, one would discover that it was surprisingly cramped.
Even the lowest entrance was barely the size of a standard classroom, with a staircase taking up a third of the space. As one ascended, the area became even smaller, and the only companion Grindelwald had was a thin, threadbare blanket.
It was evident that there had once been a sheet, but it, too, had been torn to shreds.
Kyle hesitated for a long time. Perhaps it was Grindelwald's pitiful state that prompted him to take out several pieces of parchment and place them on the ground. After some thought, he also retrieved a bottle of ink.
"You'll probably need this as well."
In a place where even parchment had to be substituted with a sheet, there was certainly no ink. Grindelwald's intention to write a letter most likely involved smearing his blood on the sheet.
As for how he would send the letter, Kyle didn't know, nor did he want to know.
"Ah, thanks," Grindelwald chuckled.
"You're welcome," Kyle replied, pausing briefly before continuing, "If you do anything unnecessary..."
"You'll kill me?" Grindelwald seemed to find this amusing, letting out a series of chuckles, "I've heard that many times before... Different people, at different times, have all said the same thing to me.
"But you're the bravest one. Those before you didn't even dare to stay an extra minute in my presence, even without my wand."
"No, you misunderstand. I won't try to kill you," Kyle shook his head.
Seemingly caught off guard by Kyle's response, Grindelwald shifted his body, "So, you're going to let me go?"
"Something like that," Kyle said, "You're a nuisance I'd rather not deal with for now. But if you escape using what I've given you, I can't just ignore it and pretend nothing happened."
"So, what do you plan to do?" Grindelwald asked with interest, as if anticipating a fascinating response from Kyle.
"I'll deal with Professor Dumbledore," Kyle said calmly, "Once you leave here, I'll send him to another 'Nurmengard,' ensuring you two will never meet again, not even through letters."
"Ha, ha..." Grindelwald burst into laughter, eventually collapsing back onto the blanket, "Your idea... is far more challenging than killing me."
"No, it's not. It might be difficult for others, but not for me," Kyle said, extending his hand and using his magic to reveal a golden thread.
"Oh, contract magic?" Grindelwald raised an eyebrow, "What are you trying to convey?"
"The other end of the contract is Professor Dumbledore."
For some reason, the man before him seemed slightly agitated, tightly clutching the blanket.
However, Kyle remained unfazed and continued calmly, "Moreover, this contract once saved his life. If I have the audacity to ask for that life back, what do you think Professor Dumbledore, who values his life, will do?"
"You'll kill me?"
Kyle felt the surrounding air turn frigid, as if countless tiny knives were pointed at him.
This wasn't an illusion... Even though the man before him was reduced to a mere skeleton, even without his wand.
The saber-toothed tiger and the poisonous panther, who had been following behind, simultaneously let out shrill cries and crashed through the door.
"Oh, the poisonous panther, a truly dangerous creature," Grindelwald said nonchalantly, "You remind me of someone I know. Like you, he always had various magical creatures by his side.
"But do you think they can protect you?"
"I believe so," Kyle maintained his composure, stroking the necks of the saber-toothed tiger and the poisonous panther to calm them down.
"Of course, I won't kill Professor Dumbledore either. After all, he's my headmaster and has taught me much. I can't bring myself to harm him."
"I'll take him to a place much larger than this, with sunlight, forests, vast spaces, and all sorts of creatures," Kyle continued, "But it's a place cut off from the outside world, and I assure you, even if someone were to turn the entire magical world upside down, they wouldn't be able to find him."
"Then no one can stop me," Grindelwald said, his tone carrying a sense of finality, "Except for Albus, no one can stop me."
"As long as it makes you suffer, I don't mind," Kyle shrugged, "At worst, we'll both hide there, letting you and Voldemort fight among yourselves."
"Dog-eat-dog... That's a bit harsh," Grindelwald seemed to lose interest, lying back down on the blanket, "Alright, you win. That's a terrifying threat, but I truly just wanted to write a letter, nothing more."
"I hope so," Kyle said, preparing to leave.
"Wait," Grindelwald called out, stopping him once more, "On your way here, you must have seen Vanda Rozier and Amara, right?"
"If you're referring to those who followed you sixty years ago, yes, I did see them," Kyle replied.
"Kyle spoke, 'There are twelve of them, all ancient, positioned right at the forest entrance.'"
"It's not about following, but cooperation... Never mind, you probably don't want to hear this," Grindelwald said, "Considering you've sent me a letter, I'll give you a piece of advice. When you leave, they will capture you and force you to reveal the method to enter this place."
"I know," Kyle nodded, "They've been following me since I arrived."
"You can sense them?" Grindelwald was slightly surprised. "It's not that I underestimate you, but Vanda was already a top-notch wizard sixty years ago, and she's experienced countless battles. I don't think she would expose herself in front of you."
"But this forest isn't just about us," Kyle replied, somewhat vaguely answering Grindelwald's question.
"Fine, it doesn't matter," Grindelwald grinned, revealing his dirty teeth. "Whether you discover it or not, consider this your first test. If you want to save Albus, you must demonstrate your abilities..."
"Oh, and because of Nicolas and Albus' masterpiece, within a twenty-mile radius of this place, apparition is forbidden. Don't even think about escaping on your dragon; they will kill it."
"However, you don't need to worry. As long as you bring her here later, I'll naturally ensure your safety. Consider it a reward for the ink."
"Can't I just kill them?" Kyle raised an eyebrow. "It might sound a bit boastful, but I'm quite capable. I've even won the Triwizard Tournament."
"Killing Vanda? That's a good idea," Grindelwald chuckled. "A wizard's wand doesn't rust or dull with time; it only becomes sharper. If you can do it, give it a try."
After that, Grindelwald stopped talking. He carefully dipped his fingers into the ink, staring at the parchment in a daze, as if considering what to write.
Kyle also left the room, following the stairs back to the entrance. He pushed the door and walked out.
Upon reaching the outside, he paused slightly. A Billywig flew over, landing on Kyle's shoulder and emitting a faint buzzing sound.
"I can only see nine people?" Kyle frowned. "Never mind, it's fine."
He couldn't understand why Nicolas couldn't just give him a key to a door near Nurmengard, which would have spared him the trouble ahead.
"Damn it."
Kyle sighed helplessly, turned back, and glanced at the tower behind him once more. He took out the Firebolt Arrow and leaped off the cliff.
If the dragon couldn't make it, surely the broom would work, he thought to himself.
As he was thinking, a dazzling green light suddenly shot up from below, piercing the sky. The dazzling curse seemed like a meteor, illuminating half of the forest.
Kyle had only seen this level of Killing Curse on Voldemort.
He cursed inwardly but had no choice but to stop the broom.
The direction of the curse was not far ahead of him, and this was a warning. If he didn't stop, the next Killing Curse might land somewhere unpredictable.
Kyle had no choice but to change direction and land back on the ground.
He jumped off the broom, and before he could steady himself, a group of people surrounded him. They were the same people he had seen at the forest entrance, not one missing.
"We meet again, Mr... Busbaron graduate," the witch said.
She had changed into a blue robe that was out of fashion by many years, and her hair was tied into a round bun.
"Oh no, I should call you a Hogwarts graduate instead. Busbaron couldn't have produced a student like you."
"How do you know?" Kyle asked.
"Because I'm a Busbaron graduate myself," the witch adjusted her collar. "But I don't sense anything familiar about you."
"Fine, I should have said Durmstrang," Kyle shook his head in annoyance.
"Actually, we have Durmstrang graduates here too," said another very old wizard. "You dare to deceive us, kid."
His entire body was hunched over, and he seemed unsteady on his feet, but his hand held his wand firmly.
"You're the ones who deceived me, aren't you?" Kyle smiled. "And you call yourselves Magical Creature experts? Do you know how many legs a Saber-Toothed Panther has?"
"Of course, it has four legs," the person blurted out.
"You idiot, it has six."
This work is organized and uploaded by Liuxiaoshuba.
"Who are you trying to fool? Spiders have six legs."
"Spiders have eight."
Watching the arguing group, Kyle's mouth twitched involuntarily. He hadn't expected these people to be so amusing.
"Shut up," the witch scolded, ending the farce. "Fine, we're even now. Can you please tell us how to enter that tower? As a reward, we'll give you a huge amount of gold."
"What tower... I don't understand what you're saying?" Kyle blinked.
"I don't want to waste time," the witch raised her hand. "Perhaps the Cruciatus Curse will make you smarter."
"Wait, I'm telling you." Kyle quickly raised his hand, "But before that, can you tell me your name? You know I'm a student of Hogwarts, and I should know who you are too."
"Amara," the witch said.
"I want your real name."
The witch fell silent for a moment, "Vandarozier."
It was indeed her, the famous French Black Rose, one of Grindelwald's most loyal followers, and also one of the few notable figures from Busbaron.
"Can you tell me the answer now? I want the answer."
"Of course, after all, we agreed on it." Kyle nodded, "First, you need to find a photo, the Newmontgard photo, with the address of this place on it. Just take a glance, and you can push open that door."
"Where's the photo? Give it to me."
"I don't have it." Kyle spread his hands, "Such an important thing, how could it be given to me? It's in Nicolas' hands. You can go and ask him for it."
The surroundings fell quiet for a moment, and then...
"Cruciatus Curse!"
Without any hesitation, Vandarozier raised her hand and cast a Cruciatus Curse directly at Kyle's position.
Fortunately, he was prepared and managed to dodge behind a sturdy tree.
"Or you can crawl through the gap at the top of the tower," Kyle said, shrinking himself as much as possible behind the tree, "Although the space is small, but if you can turn yourself into a flea or a wisp of smoke, you might still be able to squeeze in."
In response to Kyle, more curses were cast.
This time, it wasn't just Vandarozier, but all the others had lost their patience as well.
The tree Kyle was hiding behind was bombarded with curses from all directions, and the branches began to break. Left with no choice, Kyle had to continue searching for another hiding spot.
"There's no need for such trouble." Vandarozier's voice came from behind, "There's a simpler way, just take us there and we can..." She paused, "Grab him!"
The encirclement began to tighten, but in the moment she spoke, Kyle also found an opportunity.
In the current situation, he needed to find a way to break through. He chose a limping wizard as his target, though it wasn't the most ethical choice, but at this point, he couldn't afford to be picky.
Kyle raised his wand, and the surrounding trees began to grow rapidly. Saplings sprouted and within a blink, they transformed into thick tree trunks, while the mature trees became like giant grinders, instantly blocking everyone's line of sight.
As Kyle's primary target, the limping wizard was immediately entangled by the twisting branches, his movements restricted.
These wizards, followers of Grindelwald from sixty years ago, were not inexperienced opponents like werewolves. After the initial shock, they quickly devised a response.
A cluster of flames erupted from the tip of a wand...
"Be careful," Kyle reminded, "Using Fiendfyre here might affect the Newmontgard inside..."
Almost instinctively, the wizard interrupted his own spell.
Seizing the opportunity, Kyle dashed past the wizard, unceremoniously snatching his wand. With a wave of his own wand, a thick branch transformed into a large mouth filled with fangs, biting down on the wizard's leg.
"Crack..."
"Ah!" A piercing scream echoed through the forest.
"Tran... damn it!"
The ground beneath the witch's feet rose, transforming into a giant stone rope, binding all the writhing trees and immobilizing them in place.
With her help, the others quickly freed themselves and surrounded Kyle.
"Tran!"
One of them rushed to the side of the wizard whose wand had been taken by Kyle, checking on his injury.
"His leg is broken, bitten off by that mouth." The man's eyes were red with anger, "This is brutal. Is he really a student taught by Dumbledore?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Another wizard said, "We're not doing too bad ourselves. This injury, though it looks scary, can be healed with Skele-Gro and other potions. In that situation, he could have easily killed Tran."
"He did it on purpose." Vandarozier approached.
"Don't forget, this place often has Dementors and Chimaeras roaming around. Tran's wand has been taken, and his leg is broken. If no one looks after him, he might be devoured by those beasts."
"But this way, we'll have two less people to chase after him."
"He's a smart kid... But, we only have this one chance to save him." Vandarozier suddenly laughed, her fingers twirled lightly as she pointed her wand at Tran on the ground.
"No, Amara, Vandarozier..." Two of them blurted out, "Please, of all the people who survived back then, only we are left. Sixty years, can't we just pretend he's already dead and let it go?"
"That's not possible..." Vandarozier closed her eyes, speaking with deep emotion, her wand twirling in her fingers.
"You stay here and take care of Tran." She opened her eyes again, looking at the wizard who had just spoken, "The rest of you, come with me to bring our friend back. We can't let him wander alone in this dangerous forest."
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
