Chapter 831: An Unusual Mode of Travel
Chapter 831: An Unusual Mode of Travel
In the evening, at the Ministry of Magic in the United Kingdom.
Fred and George had just finished a long day's work, dragging their exhausted bodies and muttering curses under their breath at Kyle as they rode the elevator to the lobby, preparing to return to Ottery St. Catchpole.
"Mr. Weasley..." A slow voice drifted over, causing the two to turn around instinctively.
"Bob, what's the matter?" Fred asked, "Do you have something interesting to share with us again?"
"We're all ears," George added.
This person was the receptionist in the Ministry of Magic's lobby, responsible for guiding first-time visitors to their desired locations. Due to his job, he often had access to the latest news, so Fred and George maintained a friendly relationship with him.
"What interesting things have been happening lately? I'm so bored I'm considering changing jobs," Bob sighed.
"Why don't you come work at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?" Fred's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "We have connections; we can guarantee a smooth transfer for you."
"That's right," George added, "The salary there is much higher than that of a receptionist."
"The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?" Bob seemed to think of something and shivered, "Never mind, I suddenly feel that being bored isn't so bad after all. At least I have time to do things I enjoy, unlike you two, who are busy every day... Well, never mind, let's not talk about these unhappy things."
Bob's tone changed, "This is a letter for you."
He took out a plump envelope and placed it on the table.
"It was delivered by a foreign owl. You weren't here, so I helped to receive the letter."
"Our letter..."
"From a foreign owl?"
Fred was taken aback, "Where...who sent it?"
"Austria," Bob replied, "The sender is Kyle. To be honest, I'd love to visit Austria too. I've heard that Diagon Alley there is filled with various kinds of music."
Bob spoke cheerfully, but Fred and George were baffled.
A letter from Kyle in Austria?
How could that be possible?
He was clearly at home yesterday, so how could he suddenly disappear without a word and send them a letter from Austria?
Although they were skeptical, at Bob's urging, Fred and George walked over and took the letter in hand. They initially thought it was a prank, perhaps meant to trick them into opening the envelope, containing a surprise box or something else.
Until they saw the signature on the letter.
It was indeed Kyle's name, written in his own handwriting.
The two became even more confused.
"Kyle...did he really go to Austria?" Fred asked.
"Let's go back and see," George suggested, "Let's visit Kyle's house. If he's there, it means there's something fishy about this letter."
"You're right."
The two immediately bid Bob farewell and hurried back to Ottery St. Catchpole.
They first arrived at Kyle's doorstep and knocked vigorously for a while, but there was no response from inside, only the impatient meows of a cat, as if telling them to be quiet.
"Did he really go to Austria?"
"It's possible. Now that I think about it, there's a small mark on the envelope that only we would know. It's probably not a fake."
"Let's go back and see."
After saying this, the two returned to their modest home.
"You're back just in time for dinner," Mrs. Weasley said, carrying a stew pot from the kitchen.
"Wait a moment, Mom."
Fred placed the envelope on the table.
"What's this?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"I don't know," George said, "It's from Kyle in Austria."
"Kyle..." Mrs. Weasley was also taken aback, "Isn't he at home?"
"We just went to check, but he wasn't there," George said as he picked up the envelope.
The letter was sealed with magic and required a password to open, but this was no challenge for him.
"Speaking of passwords..." George smiled slightly, "Fred, what did you think of first?"
"Do I even need to say it?" Fred smiled as well, "Of course, it's the one we're most familiar with."
"Yeah, I miss it," George sighed, "It feels like it's been ages since we last used it."
"We don't even need it..."
"What are you two talking about?" Charlie looked confused and urged them, "Since you know the password, hurry up and open the letter."
The twins ignored him and just stared at each other.
"Together."
They both drew their wands and held them against the envelope.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The seal glowed for a moment and opened automatically.
Everyone curiously leaned in, wanting to see what was inside.
There was no sheep, only a box that had been shrunk several times...
Or perhaps the envelope had been enchanted with a Disillusionment Charm, making it appear smaller. When the box was taken out, it immediately returned to its original size.
"This is Kyle's box," Fred blurted out, "How did it end up here..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the box's latch popped open on its own.
Then, amidst everyone's bewildered expressions, Kyle pushed open the box and jumped out.
"Finally arrived, it took quite a while," he stretched his body and then looked around, "Oh, Mrs. Weasley, Charlie, Bill... Why do you all have such expressions?"
"Why don't you tell us why you're here first," Fred looked at Kyle and the envelope, "What's going on here?"
"As you can see, I found myself a ride," Kyle spread his hands and said, "It's a bit complicated to explain. In short, someone sent me to Austria but didn't arrange for my return, so I had to figure it out myself."
"And this is your solution?" George raised an eyebrow.
"It's convenient, isn't it?" Kyle chuckled. "Owls may not be the fastest, but they won't be tracked by the Ministry of Magic. It's a smooth journey, and without an illegal key, there's no better option."
Kyle laughed heartily.
With just a box and an envelope with a Disillusionment Charm, one could travel safely, quickly, and conveniently. If Newt had thought of this, perhaps he wouldn't have needed to buy illegal keys everywhere.
"How did you manage to fit yourself into an envelope?" Percy asked curiously.
"It's simple. Just ask the owls for a little push, they're smart enough to handle it."
Kyle gently pushed a plate on the table, which was much larger than the envelope. But with the Disillusionment Charm, it easily slid into the envelope when it touched it.
"What about sealing the envelope?"
"You can do that from the inside."
Percy clicked his tongue, muttering, "I never thought the Disillusionment Charm could be used like this. It's a loophole that could be exploited by those with ill intentions."
"Of course, I wasn't talking about you." He seemed to have thought of something and quickly explained to Kyle.
"It's fine." Kyle waved his hand, unconcerned.
"In fact, it's not that easy to pull off this trick," Bill pondered aloud. "Using the Disillusionment Charm on a fragile envelope is probably beyond most wizards... Plus, you'd need a large enough box to support them inside the envelope for an extended period."
"Let's not get into that now," George said, fixing his gaze on Kyle. "Why did you suddenly go to Austria?"
Ah...
With his reminder, the others also realized and turned to look at Kyle.
"This question... I might need a few days to explain it to you," Kyle said.
"Can't you tell us now?" Fred persisted, "I'm really curious. If I don't know, I might not be able to sleep tonight..."
"Fred, if you're feeling too idle, go help your dad with his work!" Mrs. Weasley's voice came from behind as she served Kyle a large bowl of stew and smiled, "Would you like some toasted bread?"
"Thank you..." Kyle said, "Oh, I almost forgot. I brought gifts for you all."
He took out a pile of things from the box... a patchwork-patterned robe, a Muggle accordion, a screaming horn, Erumpent horn glasses, local wine... The table was filled with various items that Kyle had casually bought while looking for the Owl Post Office, all unique to Austria.
"This is too valuable," Mrs. Weasley said, but she immediately set her eyes on the uniquely styled robe, and even Charlie was salivating at the sight of the wine.
"No, these things are quite cheap locally," Kyle said, taking a big bite of the stew and laughing. "It's just that sending them here is expensive. These days, people don't want to send things to Britain..."
"It can't be helped," Charlie said. "It's all because of the Death Eaters..."
The lively atmosphere suddenly turned cold.
"Hmm... What's their latest move?" Kyle asked.
"Nothing," Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "That's what worries us the most. According to Arthur, there's evidence that they've been trying to recruit more Death Eaters, but they haven't done anything openly. Even if there are occasional conflicts, they're small-scale. I'm concerned they might be plotting something bigger.
This work is organized and uploaded by Liu Liu Book Bar~~
"With so many Death Eaters, how can we handle them if they launch an attack together..."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley. Perhaps we're just overthinking it," Kyle reassured her. "We're evenly matched now, and not everyone will join the Dark Lord. Isn't the Ministry of Magic also increasing the number of Aurors and Strike Wizards? If it comes down to numbers, we won't necessarily lose to the Death Eaters."
"That's right, Mom. Don't worry."
"We still have the advantage."
Bill and Charlie also tried to reassure her.
Mrs. Weasley managed a weak smile and added two more sausages to everyone's plates.
Especially Kyle, who hadn't eaten properly all day, had significantly more food in front of him, even the dinner meant for Mr. Weasley ended up on his plate.
After dinner, Kyle leaned against the wall and left the shabby residence, returning to his own home.
Although he had slept for a while in the box, he couldn't fully relax in that situation and could only consider it as a quick rest with his eyes closed.
Finally back home, the fatigue from being chased by Vandarozier and others all night suddenly hit him. He didn't even bother to change his clothes and just collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep.
Kyle slept until noon, only to be woken up by a peck.
He waved his hand irritably, shooing away the owl by his pillow.
"Stop it, Ratton... The food is in the cabinet, you know where it is."
But the owl, Ratton, persisted, pecking at his wrist and extending its claw to slap an envelope onto Kyle's face.
Kyle woke up, rubbed his eyes, and casually opened the envelope, taking out the parchment inside...
Then, Kyle jumped out of bed.
"Come to Hogwarts immediately. The Dark Lord has appeared and attacked Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Minister for Magic Amelia Bones insists on meeting Dumbledore.
...Professor McGonagall."
"Why now?" Kyle frowned and instinctively reached for the Polyjuice Potion he had prepared earlier.
But as he reached out, his hand grasped at empty air. Kyle searched around three times before realizing that the Polyjuice Potion and Dumbledore's hair, which had been stored in the Transfigured Lizard Hide Bag, were gone.
"Could it have fallen out when we were in the forest earlier?" Kyle furrowed his brows.
He had been in such a hurry then, and it was possible that he had taken it out without realizing it.
However, it didn't matter. There was a spare set in the Headmaster's Office, and as long as he hurried, he should make it in time. Kyle didn't have the leisure to think it through and directly Apparated to the Three Broomsticks, preparing to use the same trick and transform into an owl to fly back to Hogwarts.
"Wait."
A hand suddenly appeared, stopping Kyle.
"Mr. Aberforth..." Kyle looked at the person who had appeared, "I don't have time to explain. I must get back to Hogwarts immediately."
"I know," Aberforth said calmly, "There are experienced Aurors at Hogwarts now. If you use Transfiguration again, you're likely to be discovered... Go through there."
He pointed to a large painting on the wall.
It was Ariana's painting, but at this moment, the painting had opened like a door, revealing a passage behind it.
"Wait, didn't you say this was a one-way secret passage?"
"Yes," Aberforth said calmly, "But just a minute ago, someone opened it from the inside. Perhaps someone knew you were going back to Hogwarts and opened it from within."
"Alright, stop wasting time. Hurry and go through, or else the passage will close, and you'll have to find your own way."
"Okay." Kyle nodded and jumped in.
The passage was long and spacious. Kyle hurried along, taking nearly ten minutes to reach the exit located in the Room of Requirement.
The Room of Requirement was on the eighth floor, and the Headmaster's Office was also on the eighth floor, not far away. But as soon as Kyle reached the outside, he heard Amelia's cold voice.
"Minerva, where is Dumbledore? I must see him today!"
"I'm sorry, Minister Bones, but the headmaster has more important matters to attend to," Professor McGonagall's voice replied.
"More important matters?" Bones' voice suddenly rose, "What could be more important than the Gringotts attack... When over a hundred Death Eaters, Aurors, and Strike Wizards were desperately protecting the wizards in Gringotts, where was Dumbledore? Do you know how many sacrifices we've made?"
"I must see him today. I need to know his attitude. If Dumbledore is unwilling to cooperate with the Ministry of Magic against the Dark Lord, we should also withdraw all protection and information exchange with Hogwarts at the earliest opportunity."
"You misunderstand, Amelia. Hogwarts will always stand against the Death Eaters." Professor McGonagall said.
"Then let Dumbledore come and see me!"
Kyle took a few steps forward and saw Amelia Bones and Professor McGonagall standing at the corner.
Fortunately, there were only the two of them around, no other Aurors or students.
At this moment, Amelia had lost her patience, "Don't try to deceive me with such a lame excuse. I've inquired, and currently, in the entire wizarding world, no matter which country, there is no news of Dumbledore. Or you can tell me directly, is he still alive?"
"Of course, I assure you of that," Professor McGonagall said solemnly.
Amelia's face relaxed slightly, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, Professor McGonagall also noticed Kyle sneaking around, and she subconsciously shifted her position slightly. Amelia's gaze followed, completely turning away from the corridor.
Kyle took the opportunity to tiptoe past.
As if sensing something, Amelia instinctively turned her head.
"In fact..." Professor McGonagall suddenly raised her voice, regaining Amelia's attention, "I have already informed Headmaster Dumbledore, and he will be back soon."
"Then I'll wait here."
As Kyle listened to their conversation, he suddenly felt his legs go weak.
He vaguely understood what was happening. The Death Eaters had attacked Gringotts, and the Ministry of Magic was desperately resisting. But Dumbledore had never shown up... The Minister had come to demand an explanation.
How was he going to find an excuse?
Kyle's heart was in turmoil. If he didn't handle this well, Hogwarts might break ties with the Ministry of Magic. How did such a huge responsibility end up on his shoulders?
With mixed feelings, Kyle walked through the Talking Fountain and climbed the spiral staircase to the Headmaster's Office.
In any case, Dumbledore would have to make an appearance. As for finding an excuse to get past this... He'd have to improvise, perhaps Professor McGonagall could help him.
Kyle pushed open the oak door at the top of the stairs, intending to retrieve the Polyjuice Potion and hair from the drawer. But to his surprise, someone was already in the office.
Kyle was startled, but when he saw who it was, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Nicolas?"
"Ah, I knew you'd find a way back on your own." Nicolas smiled.
Mentioning this, Kyle couldn't help but twitch his lips.
If he hadn't thought of the owl idea, he might have had to fly for over ten hours. How could he bring it up now?
But now wasn't the time for that. Kyle quickly walked to the desk, opened the drawer, and searched for the Polyjuice Potion, saying, "Nicolas, how did you get here? But I might not have time now. Can we talk about it later?"
"It's fine. I just came to give you something."
Nicolas smiled and reached into his pocket, placing a delicate Golden Pocket Watch on the table, "I said that the Time Turner would be fixed after you returned from Newmontgard. It's just in time now."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
