Chapter 838: Super Acceleration
Chapter 838: Super Acceleration
To avoid arousing suspicion and out of curiosity, Kyle continued his exploration elsewhere. When he returned to Valley Bar in the evening, the place was packed, even livelier than at noon.
Among the patrons, Kyle spotted, or rather, heard a familiar voice.
"Give it up, Albus. I won't sell you any alcohol, you fourth-year brat." The bar owner stood behind the counter, teasing the young boy in front of him.
The boy, with a furious expression, retorted, "I'm in my fifth year now!"
Laughter erupted from the surrounding customers as everyone turned to watch the entertaining exchange.
"Fifth year doesn't cut it either," the owner said, raising an eyebrow. "Anyone under seventeen is still a kid and not allowed to drink."
"Here, have this instead." He pushed a cup towards the boy. "Milk pumpkin juice. That's what you should be drinking."
More laughter filled the bar, and a wizard with a bushy beard slammed a Sickle on the table, calling out, "Will, don't scam the kid's allowance. I'll pay for his milk."
"You... I want to drink whiskey!" Albus turned red with anger and grabbed a handful of Sickles. "I can pay double the price."
"Not even if you pay ten times the price," the owner shook his head again. "You're not old enough to drink. Milk pumpkin juice is all I can serve you."
"Do you even care about that?" Albus straightened his neck and glared around. "Don't think I'm unaware that half of your alcohol here is smuggled illegally from Romania."
Far from being annoyed, the owner laughed heartily and said, "To be precise, it's not half but two-thirds. Also, only items on the prohibited trade list are considered smuggled, and alcohol isn't on that list."
The customers drinking in the bar joined in the laughter, not finding anything amiss. Apparently, they were all aware of this fact.
Hearing the laughter, Albus grew even angrier and shouted, "I'll open my own bar one day, and then I'll drink as much as I want!"
"Can we drink for free then?" someone asked, although his tone suggested he was mostly teasing, finding the idea of Albus owning a bar quite amusing.
"You'll have to pay double!" Albus said angrily.
"I'll definitely give it a try."
"Count me in. I love drinking double-priced drinks."
As the crowd egged him on, Albus stormed out of the bar, brushing past Kyle.
The moment Albus left, as if on cue, the atmosphere in the bar suddenly turned cold and somber, which puzzled Kyle. He approached a patron drinking at the bar and inquired about the sudden change.
However, his question was met with an impatient rebuke.
"Mind your own business, outsider," the patron, Cod, glanced at Kyle sideways and warned, "Keep your curiosity in check if you want to leave Godric's Valley with your dignity intact."
"Don't be like that, Cord," the bar owner walked over and said, "He's Basida's friend, so he's not really an outsider."
"Basida's friend?"
"Yeah, I've confirmed it. He's a Hogwarts student who loves magical history."
Cod grumbled something, finished his drink in one gulp, and moved to another table.
"Don't mind him," the owner said to Kyle, "Port, the one who just left, is a friend of Kendra's. He's a bit grumpy at times, but he's a good man."
"Kendra?" Kyle repeated the name softly.
"Just someone who lives in Godric's Valley with no connection to history at all. You won't be interested in her," the owner said, "How about a glass of brandy on the house?"
"Oh, sure," Kyle replied.
He could tell that the owner didn't want to discuss Kendra further, so he didn't press the issue.
Kyle understood that he had only recently arrived and that it would take more than Basida's help to fully integrate into this community.
Slow and steady.
...
In the following days, Kyle didn't go anywhere else. During the day, he would either stay in his room or wander around the vicinity, and then he would return to the bar in the evening to drink and chat with the locals. Occasionally, when he was in a good mood, he would treat everyone to a round of drinks.
It didn't cost much, as the number of patrons in such local bars was usually fixed. Two Galleons was more than enough.
And he didn't even have to pay for it... Holken sponsored it.
After treating everyone to drinks a few times, his popularity in the bar soared, and he could strike up a conversation with almost anyone.
During this time, Albus returned several times, attempting to buy alcohol, only to be turned away by the owner each time.
After Albus was rejected for the fifth time, Kyle put down his cup and asked, "How many times has he been rejected, and yet he's back again?"
"What else could it be? He must've fought with Aberforth again," replied the wizard sitting next to Kyle, taking a sip of his brandy.
Cord Pot, the one who had initially called Kyle an outsider, gradually lowered his guard after witnessing Kyle's sincerity over the past few days.
"They are. They used to be very close," Cod replied, letting out a drunken belch.
"You mentioned they used to be close. What changed?" Kyle seized the opportunity to inquire further.
"Well... before Albus graduated..." Cod mumbled incoherently, "You're not an outsider anymore, so I might as well tell you... just so you don't accidentally say something wrong..."
He picked up his cup again, only to find it empty.
"Another glass of brandy, please," Kyle signaled to the owner. "The best you have, on me."
"Hey, you're a real pal," Cod said, slinging an arm around Kyle's shoulders. His drunken mind was trying to piece things together.
"You probably don't know... Ever since Kendra Dumbledore passed away... their relationship has been deteriorating..."
"We lived next door, and we could often hear them arguing and things being smashed in the middle of the night."
By now, Kyle was aware that Kendra Dumbledore was Aberforth's mother.
"How did she die?" Kyle asked.
"No one knows..." Cod shook his head. "All we heard was a loud bang coming from the Dumbledore residence..."
"Did the Dumbledore brothers know about this?"
"Not at the time." Cod shook his head again. "Albus was about to take his N.E.W.T.s then, and it was only after the exams that their uncle, Furtling, told them about it.
"The two brothers rushed back for the funeral..."
At this point, Cod's voice became choked with emotion, and he had to take another gulp of alcohol to suppress his feelings.
"I don't know what happened... but after that, the brothers often quarreled... Every time Albus came here, he tried to drown his sorrows in alcohol."
"So, you all refused to sell him alcohol to prevent him from becoming an alcoholic?" Kyle asked.
"Something like that," Cod said. "We didn't want to see him ruin his life at such a young age...
"But listen, if you ever meet the Dumbledore brothers, never mention Kendra, and don't ask about their parents."
"I understand," Kyle nodded, and ordered an entire bottle of brandy for Cod, who seemed to favor that drink over the more popular whiskey.
Having learned these secrets, Kyle did not give in to his curiosity and venture near the Dumbledore residence. Instead, he continued with his previous routine.
During the day, he would find a concealed spot from which he could observe the area around the Dumbledore house from a distance.
He had seen the young Dumbledore, but unlike the confident and lively student at school, the current Dumbledore was listless and dejected, his spirit seemingly crushed.
What was worth mentioning was that it didn't take long for Kyle to witness the moment he had been eagerly awaiting... the young Dumbledore finally met Grindelwald.
It was a typical midday, and Grindelwald was, as usual, inquiring about something. He had been doing this a lot lately, going around the valley asking about other people's families.
Many patrons in the bar commented that Basida's grandnephew must have inherited her passion for magical history, as no ordinary wizard would be so curious about others' family backgrounds.
Out of respect for Basida, most people played along, figuring it was harmless entertainment for a curious child.
Of course, there were exceptions, like Cod, who disliked Grindelwald.
The reason was likely because Grindelwald was a student of Durmstrang, and Cod had no love for that school of Dark Magic. As a result, he also harbored negative feelings towards Grindelwald and rarely interacted with him.
On this particular day, Grindelwald was wandering around the valley as usual, and fate would have it that Dumbledore had also ventured out for a walk. The two of them ended up standing in front of the abandoned barn at the same time.
Kyle, hidden in a nearby grove, watched the scene unfold with excitement.
He felt a thrill, knowing that he had been waiting for this moment. In a sense, he was witnessing a historic event.
As he had expected, Dumbledore and Grindelwald hit it off immediately. In just half a day, their relationship progressed from strangers to close companions.
From then on, the residents of Godric's Hollow often saw the two young men walking side by side, and Dumbledore's face gradually regained its former cheerfulness.
The two confident and vibrant young men naturally became the talk of the town.
Many people were genuinely happy about Albus' change in demeanor. They knew that he had been an exceptional talent at Hogwarts, and they didn't want to see him remain despondent forever.
Otherwise, a genius like Albus would eventually fade into mediocrity, which would be a terrible waste.
They had tried to comfort Albus before, but to no avail. He always put on a nonchalant front, but they could tell that he was merely pretending, still carrying a burden in his heart.
It was only with Grindelwald's arrival that things started to change for the better.
In contrast, Grindelwald seemed even more admirable, and even Cod's attitude towards him softened.
"Maybe I misjudged him," Cod said to Kyle during one drinking session. "While Durmstrang is a terrible school, the fact that Gellert was expelled means he himself isn't that bad, right? Otherwise, they wouldn't have kicked him out."
"Or maybe what he did was so terrible that even Durmstrang couldn't tolerate it," Kyle thought to himself, but he didn't voice his opinion. Instead, he looked at Cod with interest and said, "So, are you considering letting him visit your home now?"
"Let's wait a bit longer," Cod said with a smile. "My child will be born in a few months, so I'll decide after that."
"Oh, I didn't know you were going to be a father," Kyle said, surprised.
"Didn't I mention it?" Cod blinked. "Well, now you know. It's not too late."
"In that case, I'll have to prepare a good gift," Kyle thought for a moment. "How about a whole case of aged oak barrel brandy?"
"If it were for me, I'd be so happy I'd jump for joy," Cod smacked his lips. "But usually, we wouldn't give alcohol as a gift to a newborn wizard."
"Haha, just kidding," Kyle laughed. "I'll prepare something thoughtful."
"Then I'll look forward to it," Cod also smiled. "By the way, I have an idea."
"What is it?"
"Would you like to be the godfather of my child?"
Pffft...
Kyle almost spat out his drink.
"Are you serious?" He looked at Cod in disbelief. "We've only known each other for a short time. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"There's nothing inappropriate about it," Cod said seriously. "In fact, I think you're a great person, and I'm sure you'll achieve great things in the future. I would be honored to have you as my child's godfather."
"Really?" Kyle raised an eyebrow. "But just yesterday, you were advising me to change my career path and saying that studying magical history is a dead end."
"That was just drunken rambling, don't take it to heart," Cod waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, you might not always be studying that stuff."
"Hmm..." Kyle looked at him and changed the subject. "By the way, have you chosen a name for the baby? Do you need my help?"
"No need, we already decided on a name," Cod said. "His name will be Henry. What do you think?"
"It's a great name," Kyle said, but he had a strange feeling, as if he had heard the name somewhere before. Then, his gaze fell on Cod's hair, a messy tangle that resembled a bird's nest. He really should use some Sleekeazy's Hair Potion to tame that unruly mop.
"Wait a minute..." Kyle suddenly realized something and asked, "Cod, what's your last name?"
"You don't even know my last name?" Cod was surprised, almost annoyed.
"Sorry, I..."
"Listen carefully," Cod said. "My name is Cod Potter. And now that I think about it, I should seriously consider making you the godfather of my child."
Kyle didn't catch the rest of his words because he was too shocked by the revelation. If Cod's last name was Potter, then his child's name would be...
Henry Potter.
Kyle now remembered where he had heard the name before—at a shop in Diagon Alley.
When he was buying Sleekeazy's Hair Potion in bulk to gift to Snape, he had seen the name on an old poster in the store.
Henry Potter, Fleamont Potter... the inventor of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion.
The point was not just that they were father and son, but that Fleamont, Henry's son, would also have a son named James, who would marry a Muggle-born girl named Lily Evans.
In other words, this unborn child, Henry, would be Harry Potter's great-grandfather.
Hmm...
Kyle smacked his lips,
It was hard to imagine what Harry would call him if he really became Henry's godfather. Oh, and Sirius, as Harry's godfather, wouldn't be able to escape this either.
...
(End of Chapter)
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