Chapter 841: Farewell, Dumbledore
Chapter 841: Farewell, Dumbledore
The Godric's Hollow is a small place, and news travels fast within its confines.
Not long ago, Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald's sudden departure became common knowledge within a few days.
This time, it was even quicker. Aberforth had barely emerged from the woods in the evening when, within an hour, word of him being beaten by Kneazles spread throughout the valley, becoming a hot topic of conversation in the local pub.
Many people found the situation hilarious, laughing so hard they had to take an extra drink. Cody was among them.
"Hahaha... That kid's got guts, even we wouldn't dare mess with those Kneazles, and he went in there alone!"
"How so? Are the Kneazles here particularly fierce?" Kyle asked curiously.
He had ventured into those woods before and didn't sense anything unusual.
"It's not so much fierce as it is intelligent," Cody explained. "The Kneazles in Godric's Hollow are the smartest magical creatures I've ever seen. They even set up traps to prank the wizards who enter the woods."
"Traps?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.
He believed that the Kneazles were intelligent, but setting up traps seemed a bit far-fetched.
"Don't be skeptical," Cody said earnestly. "I don't know how they learned it, maybe by observing similar actions from wizards, but I'm not exaggerating. When we first moved here, I wanted to pick some wildflowers from the woods to decorate our garden. I hadn't walked far when I fell into a pit. As for what happened next, I'd rather not talk about it, but I can assure you that the pit was definitely dug by the Kneazles. They even covered it with dry leaves as camouflage."
Kyle raised his eyebrows, considering the information.
Kneazles... traps...
Seeing Cody's grim expression, Kyle guessed that the experience had left a deep impression on him.
Kyle tactfully changed the subject, "When you said you just moved here... didn't you live here before?"
"Of course not," Cody shook his head. "We used to live in Godric's High Ground, just south of the valley. It's not too far away."
"Then why did you move here?"
"Because that place was too close to Muggles," Cody sighed. "I almost got caught by the neighbors several times when I was using magic. Our family is in the potion business, and many potions emit unique odors during preparation. Moving to Godric's Hollow is more convenient."
Kyle stroked his chin thoughtfully.
High Ground... and it's in the south of Godric's Hollow, the place where Grindelwald and Dumbledore went... could that be the same place?
Kyle recalled that Grindelwald had mentioned getting information from Bathilda, saying that one of the Hallows might be in the High Ground south of Godric's Hollow.
Cody's surname was Potter, and in the story of the three brothers, the youngest brother, Ignotus, was the one who obtained the Invisibility Cloak.
In other words, Grindelwald was searching for one of the Hallows, the Invisibility Cloak, but the Potter family had moved from the High Ground to the valley. This time, Grindelwald's quest was destined to be in vain.
Kyle found this amusing and shook his head. He doubted Grindelwald ever imagined that what he sought was so close to him.
"Thankfully, we moved here," Cody raised his glass, downing the brandy inside. "It's more comfortable living with wizards. We can gather and have a drink together. Both Patina and I enjoy this kind of life."
"Yes," Kyle nodded, finishing his drink as well.
...
Time flew, and soon it was the early hours of the morning.
Although Aberforth had returned empty-handed from his encounter with the Kneazles, he managed to have a rare good night's sleep that evening, undisturbed by any noises.
The reason for this was that Kyle had other matters to attend to and didn't go looking for Ariana as they had planned.
...Dumbledore arrived, but it wasn't the young Dumbledore; it was the headmaster of Hogwarts, a century older.
That night, after Kyle and Cody parted ways at the pub, Kyle was supposed to look for Ariana, but halfway there, he suddenly heard a dull thumping sound from the Extendable Ear.
He had hidden half of the Extendable Ear in the corner of the granary to observe the situation inside.
At that time, only the young Dumbledore and Grindelwald occasionally visited the granary, using it as a secret hideout to discuss life and their aspirations.
But now, they had gone elsewhere, and Kyle had also left the Godric's Hollow... what could that thumping sound be? Kyle's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately ran towards the granary.
Upon entering, he saw Dumbledore sitting weakly on the ground.
His face was pale, devoid of any blood, and he wore a tattered robe. His usually well-groomed beard was now disheveled.
Kyle had never seen Dumbledore looking so disheveled.
"Professor..." Kyle hurried over and helped Dumbledore to his feet.
"How are you?"
"Thank you," Dumbledore said weakly, looking at Kyle with a puzzled expression. "But I'm sorry, young man, you just called me 'Professor.' I don't think I've ever taught you."
Kyle was taken aback. "You don't remember me?"
He soon realized that Dumbledore's gaze was indeed unfamiliar, as if he were looking at a stranger.
Dumbledore's eyes flickered, "Or perhaps I'm mistaken."
"So, do you remember who you are?" Kyle asked.
"Of course, young man. I'm Albus Dumbledore, the Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts." He sized Kyle up and down with a smile, "Though it may sound boastful, if you're a Hogwarts student, you must have heard of me."
"Yes, I have," Kyle said, "but our Transfiguration Professor is Minerva McGonagall."
"Minerva... the first-year Gryffindor?" Dumbledore sat on the chair that Kyle had transfigured and chuckled, "You're quite the joker, but she does have a talent for Transfiguration. She might very well become a renowned Transfiguration master in the future."
"Then why are you here?" Kyle continued.
"I came here by accident," Dumbledore said calmly.
"No," Kyle shook his head firmly, "You used the Time Turner to come back and save your sister."
In an instant, the atmosphere in the granary became tense.
Kyle could clearly see that Dumbledore had already gripped his wand, his gaze fixed on Kyle.
"This strong smell of alcohol... Young man, you might have had a bit too much to drink tonight. It's best to rest; how could anyone possibly travel back in time?"
"Is that so?" Kyle slightly moved his right hand, certain that Dumbledore truly didn't recognize him.
Based on their conversation, it seemed like Dumbledore's memory was stuck at the time when Professor McGonagall first enrolled, and he couldn't remember anything after that.
Was this the effect of being rejected by time? Kyle felt a bit agitated. Although he had anticipated that things wouldn't go smoothly, he hadn't expected it to be this complicated, and Dumbledore was also highly suspicious of him.
An explanation would most likely be useless; he wouldn't believe it.
"Then I'll be on my way."
With that, Kyle turned and walked towards the door.
One step, two steps, three steps...
He placed his hand on the door and gently pushed.
...
The next moment, Kyle spun around.
"Armor Protection!"
A silver shield appeared out of thin air, deflecting a spell that came from behind.
"A sneak attack... Professor, that's not your style."
"I can only apologize, young man," Dumbledore also stood up, his body still weak but his eyes firm.
"I don't know how you know me, but what you know might affect my plans. I must make you forget it."
"But rest assured, I won't harm you."
"Professor, we can talk about this," Kyle said, "I truly mean no harm..."
Before Kyle could finish, another spell flew towards him.
Clearly, Dumbledore didn't want to hear his explanation.
Helpless, Kyle could only raise his arm.
The Forgetful Charm was once again blocked by the silver shield, and as Kyle waved his wand, an orange spell shot towards Dumbledore.
"Body Bind!"
The spell automatically transformed into three thick ropes in mid-air, flying towards Dumbledore's neck, chest, and legs.
But Dumbledore merely waved his hand, and Kyle's spell disappeared.
Then, Dumbledore vanished and reappeared behind Kyle, pointing his wand at his head.
Soon, wooden arms swarmed and piled up, enclosing Kyle tightly along with the stone wall.
Dumbledore panted and stumbled forward a few steps, now needing to cast an additional anti-Apparition Charm to prevent Kyle from escaping.
Otherwise, it would be nearly impossible to contain a wizard capable of using Apparition in combat.
But just as he raised his wand, a scorching red flame burned through the wood surrounding Kyle, bursting out.
Then a second, a third... In just an instant, the cage he had prepared turned to ashes, and Kyle emerged unharmed, surrounded by a bright silver-white shield.
The flame did not dissipate but instead condensed into a massive Three-Headed Runi Snake in mid-air, roaring towards Dumbledore.
A torrent of fire spewed from the snake's mouth, instantly igniting the wooden granary.
"Fiery Flame!"
"You are indeed a Dark Wizard!"
Dumbledore's expression turned grim, but his first reaction was not to protect himself or confront Kyle. Instead, he quickly extinguished the flames engulfing the granary and used magic to protect it. Only after ensuring its safety did he turn his wand towards the flames.
However, Dumbledore did not notice that Kyle had already Apparated behind him.
Dumbledore's attention was focused on the Fiery Flame before him, and by the time he realized what was happening, his wand flew out of his hand and landed in Kyle's grasp.
"Expelliarmus." Kyle said from behind Dumbledore, smiling, "Professor, I think we should have a proper chat."
Despite losing his wand, Dumbledore remained calm and raised his hand high, binding the Fiery Flame in place. He then turned to face Kyle.
"If you had used the Killing Curse on me just now, you might have killed me."
"Unlikely." Kyle shook his head, "You wanted to protect this granary, so you didn't use your full power. But if I had used the Killing Curse, you might not have held back so much."
Dumbledore remained silent, tacitly agreeing.
"If I'm not mistaken, you don't want anyone to notice the commotion here, or rather, you don't want Ariana to hear the noise."
Kyle extended his hand and returned Dumbledore's wand.
Dumbledore was surprised by Kyle's action and hesitantly took back his wand.
"What do you mean by this?"
"I've said it before, I have no ill intentions." Kyle waved his hand, and the Fiery Flame vanished, and the circular wood on the roof reassembled itself.
Kyle calmly repaired the damaged parts of the granary, saying, "I know your intentions because, like you, I also came back using a Time Turner. In fact, the Time Turner you're using was given to you by me."
"Impossible."
"Nothing is impossible." Kyle paused his actions and said, "Or perhaps, Professor, you can carefully consider where your Time Turner came from."
"Do you remember? I guess not."
Dumbledore fell silent.
Kyle was right. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find any memories related to the Time Turner.
Dumbledore realized something was amiss...
Yes, how did he obtain the Time Turner? It couldn't have appeared out of thin air, and even if it did, he should have memories of it.
Moreover, why hadn't he realized this before?
Upon further reflection, many things didn't make sense. For instance, his initial attitude towards Kyle during their first meeting.
When he first met this person, he instinctively trusted him. When Kyle came to support him, he had no defenses, naturally accepting his help and revealing his most vulnerable side.
This unconditional trust was as if they had known each other for many years.
It was only when Kyle exposed his biggest secret that this sense of trust disappeared.
"Are you telling the truth?" Dumbledore asked gravely, "I need evidence, proof that you know me."
"It's simple."
Kyle took out his wand and tapped his arm.
As he did so, a thin golden line appeared on his wrist, and an identical line appeared on Dumbledore's wrist. The two lines connected perfectly in mid-air.
"Binding Contract Magic?!" Dumbledore exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, we once used Binding Contract Magic," Kyle explained, "The reasons are irrelevant and not closely related to the current situation. But now, you should believe me. We once shared a magical bond."
Dumbledore lowered his wand.
He could feel that the Binding Contract Magic on his wrist was something he had initiated, and when the golden lines appeared, his mind flashed with many scenes that didn't exist.
"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said, "But I truly don't remember you."
(End of Chapter)
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