Chapter 844: Persuading Ariana
Chapter 844: Persuading Ariana
"Bang!"
Kyle stood outside, witnessing the door of Potter Apothecary being shut mercilessly.
But soon, the door reopened, and Cody tossed out a large package before forcefully closing the door again.
Dumbledore stood outside, observing this peculiar scene with confusion.
"It's nothing, I just bought some things," Kyle explained.
He picked up the package, which contained around a dozen different potions. Some had been shattered by Cody's rough handling, but most remained intact.
Kyle sorted through them, placing the unbroken ones into his own box... Even though they were common varieties, they were still worth keeping since he had spent his own money on them.
"You rushed over here just to buy potions?" Dumbledore grew even more perplexed.
In his impression, Cody wasn't a renowned Potions master. These potions could be found in any apothecary, and even a fifth-year student with decent Potions grades could brew them.
Why would Kyle go out of his way for this?
"Buying potions wasn't the main purpose, I came for this." Kyle took out the box and showed it to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore, who had been wondering why Kyle came here, suddenly realized something upon seeing the worn-out box.
"The Invisibility Cloak?"
"To be precise, it's the Invisibility Cloak, one of the Three Hallows," Kyle said, "Perhaps only this can give Ariana a glimmer of hope in this timeline."
Dumbledore's body trembled.
Yes, how could he have forgotten about this? He had known all along that the Invisibility Cloak had been passed down in the Potter family for generations, yet he hadn't considered it before.
"Did he lend it to you so easily?" Dumbledore suddenly realized something, "I suppose no one understands the value of this better than Cody."
"It wasn't easy indeed, so I used a special method..." Kyle briefly recounted what had happened in the shop earlier.
"Twenty Galleons... and three bottles of wine?" Dumbledore exclaimed, "I didn't think it would be this simple."
"It's not that simple," Kyle turned back, "His wife is also here."
"Even if I offered him a hundred bottles of wine, he wouldn't have given up the Invisibility Cloak if he hadn't realized the disparity in strength."
"Wait." Dumbledore looked at Kyle nervously, "Did you..."
"Don't get the wrong idea, I didn't do anything. I just demonstrated some magic." Kyle shook his head, "My intention was to make him believe that I wasn't after the Invisibility Cloak, but Cody didn't dare take the risk. He made the best choice he could at the time."
"As for the rest, it was about getting some benefits for himself as much as possible, but he genuinely likes that wine... After all, it was left by Hufflepuff, something not easily obtainable."
"Hufflepuff?" Dumbledore was confused, as he had no memory of the Golden Cup due to his memory loss.
"It's not important." Kyle said.
After obtaining what they wanted, the two of them headed towards Dumbledore's residence.
Along the way, Dumbledore couldn't help but glance at the box in Kyle's hands and asked, "Do you plan to hide Ariana with it?"
"That's the idea." Kyle said as he opened the box and took out the Invisibility Cloak, which seemed to be woven from water.
The Hallows, also known as the Deathly Hallows, were items mentioned in the well-known wizarding fairy tale, 'Tales of Beedle the Bard'. It was akin to the 'Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales' in the Muggle world.
The tale was quite lengthy. Legend had it that three brothers encountered the mythical Death and passed his tests, leading Death to grant each of them a wish.
However, Kyle believed that Death was simply playing a little game with them.
The eldest brother, being the most belligerent, wished for the most powerful wand, and with it, he won every battle and defeated all his enemies. But in the end, he was killed in his sleep by an assassin.
His soul was then taken by Death, marking his failure.
Next was the arrogant second brother, Cadmus, who wanted to outwit Death. He wished for the power to bring the dead back to life, and Death granted his wish, giving him a stone. By turning it thrice in his hand, he could revive the dead person in his thoughts.
Upon returning home, Cadmus used the stone to resurrect a girl he once loved.
But Death didn't tell him that the Resurrection Stone could only summon souls, and those summoned would not truly belong to the living world. Here, they would constantly endure pain.
Cadmus suffered even more, and to truly integrate into the girl's world, he chose to end his own life, conceding defeat to Death.
Lastly, the wisest and only brother who didn't trust Death, Ignatus, wished to go to a place beyond Death's reach. Thus, he obtained the Invisibility Cloak.
According to the legend, this Invisibility Cloak was Death's own cloak.
He succeeded, and despite Death's many years of searching, he couldn't find Ignatus. It was only when Ignatus grew old that he took off the Invisibility Cloak, passed it to his son, and greeted Death like an old friend, happily following Death.
This was the story of the three brothers, known to almost every child born into a wizarding family. Most wizards believed that the tale was a reminder to always stay vigilant.
Interestingly, the three Hallows in the legend—the Invisibility Cloak, the Elder Wand, and the Resurrection Stone—were all real, and Kyle had seen them all.
The Invisibility Cloak he held in his hands was one of them.
The reason Kyle wanted to use this to save Ariana was not only because of its legend but also because the Invisibility Cloak was a crucial element in this incident.
The young Grindelwald and Dumbledore had set out to find the Invisibility Cloak in the southern highlands, which led to their abrupt departure and, consequently, Aberforth's fury.
Grindelwald, frustrated by his unsuccessful search, lost his usual composure and got into a physical altercation with Aberforth.
Ariana was accidentally killed while trying to stop them.
In a sense, the Invisibility Cloak, if not the primary cause, was the catalyst for these events.
Kyle had a premonition that the accident began with the Invisibility Cloak and perhaps could also end with it.
Kyle couldn't help but quicken his pace as he thought this.
Soon, the elegant house came into view.
As they approached, Dumbledore suddenly hesitated, unconsciously slowing down.
"We can't see Ariana... we can't..." he muttered to himself.
But Kyle didn't stop; he drew his wand, and a nearby sapling began to grow rapidly. Kyle stepped onto an extending branch, which carried him to the attic window.
"Silencing Charm!" Kyle waved his wand again and pushed open the attic window.
Ariana was sitting on a small bed inside. Hearing the commotion, she instinctively turned her head, first looking at Kyle who had just jumped in and then at the bright sun outside.
"You... why are you here at this time?" Ariana was startled, "No, if Brother Aberforth sees you, he'll be angry. Run!"
As she spoke, she stood up and anxiously pressed her ear against the door, seemingly checking for any signs of movement outside.
"It's okay, he can't hear us talking," Kyle shook his head with a smile, "I came to ask for your help with something very important."
"Important... thing?" Ariana blinked, unable to hide her delight, "Can Ariana help?"
"Of course, only you can do this," Kyle said, "Do you want to save your brother?"
Ariana immediately tensed up, "What's wrong with Brother Aberforth?"
As she spoke, she hurriedly grabbed the doorknob, wanting to go out and see.
"Not Brother Aberforth..." Kyle quickly said, "It's the other one."
He led the now-calm Ariana to the window.
When Kyle had burst in earlier, Dumbledore had intended to hide, but for some reason, his feet seemed welded to the ground, unable to move. So when Kyle brought Ariana to the window, she immediately spotted Dumbledore outside.
"Brother Albus...?" Ariana said softly.
Whether it was due to familial affection or the Silentan's powerful perception, despite Dumbledore's white hair, she recognized him at a glance.
In contrast, Dumbledore had already been crying uncontrollably, his face drenched in tears.
"Are you going to keep hiding, Professor?" Kyle asked.
This time, Dumbledore chose not to evade; he floated into the air and flew into the attic.
Ariana's eyes widened, and then she burst into tears.
To be honest, even Kyle was startled by this reaction. He could understand Dumbledore crying, but why was Ariana crying too...
He tried to ask why,
"Brother Albus... he's dead... he's become a flying ghost..." Ariana choked out, then continued to sob loudly.
In her understanding, ghosts were white, and Brother Albus had also turned white... Ghosts could fly, and Brother Albus could fly... so Brother Albus was a ghost.
Flawless logic.
Kyle twitched the corner of his mouth, unsure what to say for a moment.
However, Dumbledore panicked. Seeing Ariana crying and gasping for breath, enveloped in a black mist, he hurried into the attic, pushing past Kyle, and said softly:
"I'm fine, Ariana..."
"Feel, I'm still warm," he held Ariana's hand, trying to comfort her.
But perhaps due to a lack of experience in this area, he awkwardly repeated the same two sentences, as if he were a Neville Longbottom struggling in Potions class.
Fortunately, after feeling the warmth in his palm, Ariana gradually calmed down.
"Brother Albus... isn't really a ghost?"
"Of course not," Dumbledore shook his head, his tear-filled eyes staring blankly at the girl from years ago.
"I'm sorry... Ariana... I'm sorry."
The girl extended her small hand, trying to wipe the tears from his face.
The original text can be found in Chapter 6 of the book!
"You should use something else, like a handkerchief," Kyle muttered beside him, "There might be snot on his face."
The girl's hand froze, and a hint of fear flashed in her eyes.
Dumbledore glared at Kyle.
"Don't look at me like that, Professor," Kyle shrugged, "You were both so engrossed just now; this isn't the time for a reunion."
Kyle walked over, unfolded the Invisibility Cloak in his hand, and without saying a word, draped it over Ariana.
"Wow, it's the magical Invisibility Cloak!" The girl immediately forgot about the previous incident and excitedly examined her disappearing body.
"Ariana..." Kyle knelt down, looking at the happy little girl in front of him.
"What's wrong?"
"Your Brother Albus is in great danger. He could become a real dead ghost at any moment."
The next moment, Ariana, who had been cheerful a moment ago, began to cry again.
"Don't say it..." Dumbledore's voice trembled as he tried to stop Kyle from continuing, but Kyle ignored him and calmly asked, "Will you help him?"
"I will," Ariana said firmly.
"But what if the price is that you can never return here?" Kyle continued, "You have to leave this place, leave this home, and leave your brother Aberforth."
"I..." Ariana hesitated, "Do you think I can come back later?"
"No," Kyle tightened the Invisibility Cloak around Ariana and continued, "You can't come back. Even if you miss them, you can't, or your brother Albus will truly become a ghost... or perhaps something even worse."
"Don't say it," Dumbledore said painfully again, trying to stop Kyle, but he still received no response.
Although the following words might hurt Ariana, it was necessary to save her life.
"After that, you can only live alone in a strange place."
"So I'll never see my brother Aberforth again?" Ariana held her head in pain, and the black mist representing Silentan began to surge around her.
But miraculously, the Invisibility Cloak on Ariana blocked these mists, trapping them tightly and preventing them from forming.
"It's not that simple," Kyle thought for a moment, "Maybe in a hundred years, you can see him again, but before that, you need to force yourself to forget everything here."
The black mist around Ariana became denser, and some even seeped through the cracks, floating in mid-air and swirling violently.
Kyle frowned; Ariana's reaction was even stronger than he had imagined. If it weren't for the Invisibility Cloak, the words just spoken would have caused Silentan to erupt immediately.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A silver jellyfish emerged from Kyle's wand, its long tentacles wrapping around the black mist, trying to disperse it.
The Patronus was the embodiment of hope and the nemesis of all dark substances, including Silentan.
But Silentan was too powerful; even dispelling the scattered mist put more pressure on Kyle than facing hundreds of Dementors.
He could only do his best to maintain the Patronus while hoping that Ariana would wake up soon.
Just then, a silver Phoenix joined in.
The Phoenix flew above Ariana's head, and a warm force enveloped her, like a bonfire in the midst of winter.
The black mist gradually disappeared, and Ariana opened her eyes again.
"So, Ariana, have you made your decision?" Kyle asked, gritting his teeth.
"I've said enough! Shut up!" Dumbledore roared.
A tremendous force of magic burst out from his body, causing large spiderweb-like cracks to appear on the walls and ceiling.
"Professor, this is not the time to be soft-hearted. Only this can save her life," Kyle insisted, "She must leave here; it's the only way!"
"I know... I know..."
Dumbledore's voice suddenly softened, with a hint of pleading.
"You've done enough. Can I take care of the rest? Please."
"Are you sure?" Kyle reminded him, "This decision will make Ariana give up all her reliance, and she might hate you for life. I don't mind, but you..."
"I'm fine with it," Dumbledore said calmly, "As long as it saves her."
"Since you say so... remember to be careful, and don't go past ten o'clock."
Kyle took a deep breath, stood up, and decided to leave this time for the siblings.
But instead of leaving through the window, he walked out the door.
"What happened... Ariana, how are you?"
Outside, there was a rush of footsteps—it was Aberforth.
When Dumbledore momentarily lost control and almost destroyed the entire house, even the Silencing Charm wouldn't have been enough to block the noise.
Hearing the commotion, Aberforth immediately ran over to check on Ariana's condition, coincidentally bumping into Kyle as he walked out the door.
"Who are you!"
Seeing a stranger in his home, especially one emerging from his sister's attic, Aberforth immediately became tense, followed by anger.
Without a word, he drew his wand.
"What have you done to my sister..."
"Obliviate!"
A beam of white light hit Aberforth's forehead. Although it was the Obliviate Charm, its effect was more like that of a Repelling Charm.
Aberforth didn't even get a chance to speak; he flew backward with a thud and landed on the ground.
"I can't let you interfere with them right now," Kyle sighed, feeling much more relaxed.
He had just experienced Silentan up close, played the bad guy to scare Ariana, and dealt with Dumbledore's emotions, all of which increased his stress. Now, with Aberforth willingly offering himself, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity.
Kyle stretched and walked over to grab Aberforth by the collar, dragging him outside and fixing the damage caused by Dumbledore's magic along the way.
Strictly speaking, Aberforth also had some responsibility for this incident. If his temper wasn't so volatile, he wouldn't have started a fight with Grindelwald.
However, considering the many times Aberforth would help him later, Kyle softened and didn't drag him by the feet.
...
(End of Chapter)
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