https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-831-An-Unusual-Mode-of-Transportation/12539543/
Chapter 830: Unreliable Nico
Chapter 830: Unreliable Nico
Vinda Rozier didn't even glance at Kyle as she chose to dispel the Fiendfyre, intending to save Grindelwald. Without hesitation, Kyle mounted his broom and flew off without a backward glance as she departed.
He had considered striking her with a curse while she was occupied with dispelling the Fiendfyre, but upon further thought, he decided against it. He couldn't guarantee that he could kill Rozier, not even with the assistance of the serpentine beast.
If she survived, she would likely prioritize dealing with him first, which would bring them back to square one, minimizing the impact of his actions at Nurmengard.
Additionally, if the Fiendfyre had actually killed Grindelwald, he would be facing endless pursuit from these individuals, who were far more formidable than Death Eaters. This was a losing proposition no matter how he looked at it.
Thus, it was better to end this game now and consider it a small victory.
As for what to do next... As long as he could bring Dumbledore back, all these messes could be dumped back on him... After all, Kyle had gotten entangled with Rozier and the others while trying to rescue him, and it was originally his responsibility anyway.
"Stop!" Thinos had intended to stop Kyle, but a streak of Fiendfyre suddenly changed direction and slowly floated towards the people still lying on the ground. Helpless, he could only abandon the pursuit of Kyle and turn back to save his companions.
With no one chasing him anymore, Kyle flew to a high altitude and urged his Firebolt to its maximum speed.
About ten minutes later, the light of spells appeared behind him again... It seemed that those who had been tricked earlier had returned, but at the same time, Kyle also felt the disappearance of a certain restraining force that had been present all along.
A second before the spell hit him, Kyle smiled faintly and vanished into thin air.
Apparition.
When he reappeared, the surrounding scenery had transformed from a forest to towering peaks, seemingly a mountain range.
As he was unfamiliar with Austria and didn't want to return to the forest entrance, Kyle opted for random displacement, which would also prevent Rozier and her group from locating him.
Fortunately, this destination turned out to be a good choice, likely far from the forest and without any Muggles around.
Kyle jumped off his broomstick and sat down on a rock.
He felt a sense of relief that his mind had been clear and sharp throughout the day, without the drowsiness and haziness he had experienced before.
After all, he had faced a dozen battle-hardened witches and wizards, and any misstep or wrong decision could have led to his capture.
Kyle sat for a while, intending to drink something to relax his nerves, which had been taut with tension.
Coincidentally, it was also about time for bed, and he remembered the 'raspberry juice' that Nico had given him.
Although it was a potion, it tasted delightful, far better than pumpkin juice.
However, when Kyle took out the bottle, he found it empty; it hadn't refilled itself as it had the previous time after he had drunk it in the morning.
"It's all finished?"
Kyle shook the bottle, confirming that no more 'raspberry juice' would be forthcoming, before putting it away and taking out another bottle of light blue potion, which he gulped down.
The refreshing potion soothed Kyle's frayed nerves, and he stopped thinking about Vinda Rozier, instead turning his thoughts to how he would return.
He took out the 'ticket' that Nico had given him—the two-way mirror.
"Nico, Nico... Are you there?"
Kyle called out tentatively, expecting no response as before, but to his surprise, the mirror lit up a few seconds later, and Nico's face appeared.
"Oh... Have you resolved the matter already?" Nico asked, "It took a bit longer than I expected."
"If you hadn't placed the door key in such a troublesome spot, it would've been much faster." Kyle replied irritably, still holding a grudge from being chased for nearly an entire night.
If Nico hadn't set the location of the door key right in the midst of Rozier and her group's base, none of this would have happened.
"What happened?" Nico asked in surprise.
"Don't you know?"
"Should I?" Nico blinked, "In fact, I haven't been to that place in sixty years. The location of the door key is where I emerged after the modifications to Nurmengard were complete. Has that place stopped being a forest?"
"Yes, but with a few additional occupants." Kyle recounted the previous events.
"Twelve of them, chasing me for an entire night. If I hadn't been careful, forget about rescuing Dumbledore, I might have perished there."
"Vinda Rozier?" Nico realized.
"With so many Aurors unable to find her, who would've thought she was hiding near Nurmengard? But thinking about it carefully, it does seem like the safest place. After all, any wizard who went through that period wouldn't dare approach Grindelwald, even though he's imprisoned."
"Why? Can he escape from Nurmengard?"
"Oh, you probably don't know." Nico explained, "Among those who follow Grindelwald, many are former Aurors who were once tasked with capturing him, including a few instances where he was caught but escaped with the help of the guards.
"The International Confederation of Wizards investigated those individuals and found that they all began following Grindelwald during the period of his capture.
"Not at all," Nico replied. "That's merely propaganda spread by the International Confederation of Wizards. The real reason they fear Nurmengard is probably something else, but only Grindelwald and his guards know for sure."
"Alright," Kyle sighed. "Let's not dwell on that. How do I get back now?"
"Ah... about that," Nico hesitated.
"What is it?"
"Well..." Nico lowered his voice, "I set a return time for the two-way mirror I gave you."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Kyle gripped the mirror tightly.
"What time is it?"
"Twelve o'clock."
"Noon?" Kyle frowned. "Do I really have to wait that long? Why couldn't it be set earlier?"
"No, not noon," Nico shook his head. "It's at night, or rather, in the early hours of the morning."
Kyle's heart sank, but he tried to sound casual as he said, "Okay, even though it's later, it's only a day away. I suppose waiting isn't too bad..."
"No, it's not tomorrow morning," Nico continued. "In other words, you've already missed the return time. It was set for the early hours of yesterday morning."
"I should've been more thoughtful. I didn't anticipate you running into Vinda Rozier, which caused some delay."
So that was it...
Kyle sighed. "What should I do now?"
"Well... you'll have to figure something out on your own," Nico said awkwardly, letting out a strained laugh. "Or you could explore Austria. It's quite a fascinating place, especially the music, which is enchanting."
"And wait for Rozier to track me down?"
"Rest assured, they won't leave that forest easily," Nico assured him. He glanced to his left and added, "Oh, the crucial moment for the Time-Turner's repair is here, so I must attend to it. Good luck..."
The mirror went dark as Nico ended the call.
"Hey, Nico, don't go! It's over a thousand miles back from here!"
Kyle called out twice, but the mirror remained unresponsive, indicating that Nico had already put down his mirror.
This... over a thousand miles, and he had to figure it out himself? Kyle was so angry that he almost threw the mirror into the lake across from him.
If he were in Britain, he could simply use Apparition or create a Portkey.
But here in Austria, if he attempted to Apparate or use a Portkey, he might be caught by the Aurors of the countries along the way, and they could charge him with illegal entry.
Unless he used an illegal Portkey, like the two-way mirror he had used to get here, but he didn't know how to make one, and he had no connections in this unfamiliar place to acquire one.
The only option left seemed to be flying back on his broom.
Over a thousand miles... even with the Firebolt, it would probably take ten hours.
Technically, it wasn't that far. For professional Quidditch players, a ten-hour flight was nothing, considering that some matches could last several days.
But Kyle wasn't a professional player, and the thought of flying for so long made his legs feel sore already.
Maybe he could stay here and explore, waiting for Nico to finish repairing the Time-Turner and send it to him...
No!
He immediately rejected that idea.
Even though Nico had said that Rozier wouldn't easily leave that forest, he didn't want to take the chance. It would be better to get away from here as soon as possible.
Nico's arrangements were really sloppy.
"I need to think of another way," Kyle muttered to himself as he paced back and forth. Suddenly, he noticed a flock of birds taking flight from the mountain peak across from him.
The birds themselves weren't unusual, but they sparked an idea in Kyle's mind.
He quickly took out another two-way mirror and tapped it with his wand.
"Conna, are you there?" Kyle asked softly.
This time, the mirror responded quickly, and Conna appeared, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Kyle? What's wrong?" she asked, still half-asleep.
"Sorry," Kyle said. "I'm in Austria right now. Do you know this place?"
"Huh?" Conna was now fully awake. "What are you doing there? Vacation again?"
"No, it's important this time," Kyle said. "Do you know this place?"
"No," Conna shook her head. "I've never been there."
"What about Fleur? She should know, right? I remember during the Triwizard Tournament, she mentioned the music here and recommended we visit sometime."
"Did she?" Conna thought for a moment. "Wait, let me ask her. She's in the next room."
Conna quickly got up... and the mirror showed her hurrying out of the room, her footsteps echoing in the background.
It didn't take long for the mirror to display an image again, but this time, it was Furong. She seemed to be in a bad mood, probably because she had been woken up so early, and she didn't hide her displeasure from Kyle.
"Which post office?"
"In Austria."
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm here right now," Kyle said, "and I urgently need to find a post office. Do you know where it is?"
"No, I've only been there for fun, and I've never sent a letter." Furong replied irritably, "But I know there's a famous wizarding village there, you can go and take a look."
Furong gave an address, then abruptly shut off the two-way mirror.
Kyle mounted his Firebolt once more and flew towards the location she had mentioned.
...
It was a bit of a distance, but it was still much closer than a thousand miles.
It only took Kyle half an hour to reach a square south of Vienna.
According to Furong, there was a huge accordion statue here, with a hollow space in the middle that only wizards could see.
Kyle quickly located the gap and stepped inside.
Beyond the entrance was a village reminiscent of Hogsmeade, but far more bustling. The wizards were dressed differently, and many were clearly foreign tourists.
Moreover, as soon as he entered, Kyle was greeted by melodious music.
Near the entrance was a self-playing piano, its keys moving without anyone seated before it.
Further ahead, he spotted a string quartet, and outside a clothing store, the owner enthusiastically played a hand drum while clad in traditional attire.
There was even a small band by the pub entrance, comprising three wizards and two pixie-like creatures with translucent wings, their saw-toothed tails strumming cellos that matched their size... and they sounded wonderful.
Most amazing of all, these diverse melodies coexisted without interfering with each other.
It truly lived up to its reputation as a place with the best musical ambiance. If he had the leisure, Kyle would have loved to explore this place further.
Even though he had been in a hurry before, the enchanting atmosphere caused him to slow his pace as he wandered among the various shops.
The village wasn't large, but it took Kyle over an hour to reluctantly tear himself away and enter the Owl Post Office next to the pub.
"Welcome, customer."
The clerk sized Kyle up and down before speaking in a crisp London accent, "What can I help you with? Sending a letter, postcard, or a package?"
"A package," Kyle said, "but it's quite a long distance."
"Not a problem for the customer at all," the clerk assured him. "If you wish to send it to Britain, our messengers can handle it without any issues."
"You know?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" The clerk smiled, "If I'm not mistaken, you must be a recent graduate from Hogwarts, taking a trip over here."
"However, there's something I must inform the customer about. Due to the current situation in Britain, the fee for hiring a messenger might be slightly higher than usual. I hope the customer can understand..."
"I only ask for speed, cost is not an issue." Kyle placed a bag of clinking Galleons on the counter.
Hearing the jingling of coins, the clerk's smile widened.
"What a generous customer! Allow me to recommend Cabu." The clerk waved, and a robust owl immediately flew over.
It was slightly smaller than a great gray, but among the owls here, it stood out. Clearly, it was the star messenger.
"So, where would you like to send it?"
"The Ministry of Magic, Britain."
"That will be ten Galleons." The clerk smiled.
Kyle's hand paused over the bag.
"That's a bit more than just slightly more expensive. As far as I know, sending a letter over this distance wouldn't even cost one Galleon."
"We can't help it," the clerk explained. "Many messengers are reluctant to go to Britain... those cloaked monsters cause their wings to freeze."
Cloaked monsters... could they be Dementors, Kyle wondered.
But weren't they all dealt with a year ago? This place seemed rather behind on current events.
"Or the customer could choose another messenger. It might take a bit longer, but it will be cheaper, only five Galleons."
"Never mind, I'll take this one."
Kyle didn't elaborate further and placed ten gold coins on the counter.
"But I might also need to buy some other things. Can I take it with me for now? That way, I won't have to make another trip later."
"According to the rules, that's not allowed." The clerk said, "But it's hard to refuse such a generous customer... as long as it's not too long."
"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you." Kyle took a couple of steps, then turned back, "Oh, and I'll need an envelope as well."
"That's complimentary." The clerk placed a standard envelope on the counter.
Kyle didn't say anything and took the envelope before leaving.
He had paid ten Galleons, after all, so it would have been excessive to charge for an envelope.
A few minutes later, the star messenger owl took off from the village, clutching a plump envelope in its talons. Meanwhile, Kyle vanished without a trace.
...
(End of Chapter)
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