https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-848-The-Newly-Established-Fire-Dragon-Sanctuary/12540217/
Chapter 847: Rumors Abound, and a Chasm Between Brothers
Chapter 847: Rumors Abound, and a Chasm Between Brothers
As Kyle exited the Ministry of Magic, he looked up at the bright, almost blinding sunlight. He wondered if Ariana could see this sight from within the Department of Mysteries, as this was something she had always yearned for.
Perhaps she could.
Even though the Department of Mysteries was located in the basement levels of the Ministry, it wouldn't be difficult for a talented wizard like Grim to create a window connected to the outside world using magic.
And this was probably the best arrangement.
It was unrealistic for him to consider bringing someone from the past into the future, including himself, as evidenced by his month-long consumption of Nic's 'Raspberry Drink' before using the Time-Turner.
Moreover, there was one crucial factor... Kyle extended his hand and stared at his wand, feeling a subtle sense of rejection that had been nagging at him since last night. The most obvious sign was that he wasn't as smooth as before when casting spells.
It was subtle but undeniably present.
The reason was simple: he didn't belong here. Despite using the Time-Turner to return, he was out of sync with everything around him.
Nic's 'Raspberry Drink' could temporarily alleviate this problem, but its effectiveness was waning over time.
If this was true for him, then it would likely be the same for Ariana, who had been brought a hundred years into the future.
So, taking her to the Department of Mysteries was the best option.
At least there, Ariana wouldn't feel bored anymore. Grim's work kept him very busy, as evidenced by the fact that his mother rarely came home.
When people were busy, they had little time to indulge in sadness, and perhaps this job would help Ariana adjust to life without her brother sooner.
Additionally, the pay for a job at the Department of Mysteries was quite good, even higher than that of Hogwarts professors, second only to the Headmaster. It was undoubtedly a high-paying and secure position.
Sometimes, even Kyle was tempted, but unfortunately, their recruitment was based solely on prophecies and had nothing to do with grades.
Kyle shook his head, deciding not to dwell on these thoughts anymore.
After leaving the Ministry, he apparated to a secluded spot and then used the Disillusionment Charm to return to Godric's Hollow.
The top priority now was to check on Dumbledore's situation.
Kyle retraced his steps to the road where he had left with Ariana and re-entered the quiet valley.
Even though it was almost noon, the atmosphere in the valley was unusually subdued. Nearly everyone was gathered near a church in the south, where a funeral was taking place... Ariana's funeral.
Kyle stood silently at the outskirts of the crowd and could clearly see Aberforth sobbing uncontrollably, his body slumped over the newly engraved tombstone.
The young Dumbledore was also in tears, his eyes reflecting endless remorse.
"How dare you cry!" Aberforth suddenly erupted, turning and throwing a punch at Dumbledore's face.
Blood flowed from his nose and mouth as Dumbledore's nasal bone broke instantly, but he made no move to wipe it away. He just stared blankly at the tombstone, letting the blood run down his face.
"You hypocrite!" Aberforth tried to hit him again, but those who had snapped out of their grief held him back.
"That's enough, Aberforth. It's enough," a middle-aged wizard said, hugging him tightly. "Albus is hurting just as much as you are. He's suffering too."
"Let me go! You don't understand anything!" Aberforth struggled fiercely. "That cold-blooded bastard is only relieved to be rid of a burden, secretly rejoicing. How could he possibly be sad... Let me go, I want to kill him!"
But no one believed his words, attributing his outburst to grief and the need to find someone to blame.
So they held Aberforth tightly, preventing him from attacking Dumbledore again, and the scene became chaotic for a moment.
However, Kyle noticed that only a small portion of the crowd tried to intervene, while most people chose to stand silently in place.
It wasn't that they were indifferent or lacked a relationship with the Dumbledores; after all, Godric's Hollow was a small place, and everyone was practically a neighbor, so their relationships were naturally not too distant. It was just that most people didn't yet understand the situation.
Or rather, before today, they had no idea that there was a girl in the Dumbledore family who had never been seen in public, a girl in her teens.
"When did you get here?" someone suddenly asked, appearing beside Kyle.
"Oh, Crote. What's happening here?" Kyle greeted him and asked.
"It's about Albus' family..." Crote paused for a moment, then continued, "To be honest, I still find it a bit unbelievable that they had a daughter.
"And it's not just me; look over there, Bashida seems to be in the dark about this as well. I always thought their two families were close, especially since Kandela and Bashida used to have tea together often when Kandela was still alive."
Kyle followed his gaze and indeed saw a bewildered-looking Bashida Bashart.
"You didn't know about a girl in the Dumbledore family either?" Kyle asked.
"No," Crote shook his head firmly. "And many others didn't know either. Kandela never mentioned her."
At this point, Crote lowered his voice.
"It's fine. The ceremony is over."
Kyle nodded and followed Crote away from the church, arriving at a valley tavern, as he didn't want to linger there any longer.
He took the initiative and ordered two glasses of the finest brandy, while also taking out a common parchment bag and handing it to Crote.
"What's this?"
"Something I borrowed from you," Kyle said. "I said I'd return it, and now I am. What's yours is yours."
When he encountered the Silent Man, Kyle had pulled back the Invisibility Cloak from Ariana, and the witch hadn't mentioned it again before she left, so he assumed the Department of Mysteries had its ways to deal with Mutes, and he didn't need to worry about it anymore.
"You're really giving it back to me?" Crote still found it hard to believe.
"What? You don't want it?" Kyle raised an eyebrow. "In that case, I'll reluctantly accept it..."
"Who said I don't want it?" Crote snatched the parchment bag and hugged it to his chest. He lowered his voice and said, "I just never expected you to actually give it back. To be honest, when I handed over the Invisibility Cloak to you that day, I never thought I'd see it again.
"And at that time, I secretly felt relieved."
"Why's that?"
"Because it's a huge hassle," Crote took a sip of brandy. "Countless witches and wizards have been seeking the Hallows for centuries. It's quite ironic, but last night was the most soundly I've slept in a long while."
"Why not sleep a few more nights of sound sleep, then?" Kyle laughed. "I certainly don't mind."
Crote didn't respond, only hugging the parchment bag tighter to emphasize his stance.
"As I said, even if you give this back to me, you're not getting back what you left with me... I drank it all."
"I don't want it back," Kyle said. "As we agreed, it was payment."
"But speaking of which," Crote glanced at Kyle hesitantly, but eventually asked, "This is one of the legendary Hallows. Are you really willing to give it back to me?"
"It's just a magical artifact," Kyle waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, I've seen the Diadem of Ravenclaw. I'm not that bothered about this."
"Ha, looks like someone's drunk before even taking a sip." Crote chuckled. "If you've seen the Diadem of Ravenclaw, then I will..."
He looked left and right, "I'll strip naked and run around Godric's Hollow."
"Remember to give me a heads-up when you do," Kyle smiled. "I'll prepare some eye-cleansing potions in advance and make a fortune."
"Then you must have seen it too." Crote snorted. "The Diadem of Ravenclaw is far more mysterious than the Hallows, and there are barely any legends about it. I guess Rowena Ravenclaw must have taken it to a place no one can find. Don't boast."
"Let's leave it at that, then." Kyle shrugged, not offering any further explanation. "Now, what did you want to talk about when you brought me here?"
"Just some rumors. It's not convenient to speak about them over there." Crote took another sip of brandy. "Some people believe that the Dumbledore girl was a Squib, which is why Kendra kept her locked up at home. Such a pitiful child."
"Why would they say that?" Kyle asked with interest.
"Of course, it's because of Kendra's personality." Crote said, "You don't know, but she was a fearsome woman... Oh, perhaps 'fearsome' isn't quite right, but there's some truth to it. She was proud and overbearing.
Of course, Kendra had her good side, too. Anything she set her mind to would be handled perfectly, and usually, she was willing to help anyone in need, unless..."
"Unless what?"
"It's about her identity." Crote hesitated. "I shouldn't be telling you this... but you're not an outsider.
"Apparently, Kendra was Muggle-born, but she insisted on lying about it. Anyone who mentioned this would incur her wrath.
"If someone like that gave birth to a Squib child, of course, she wouldn't let her appear in public, especially after Albus displayed extraordinary magical talent."
"Muggle-born?" Kyle asked in confusion. "Who said so?"
"It seems to be a Hogwarts student from her year."
"Just one person?" Kyle tapped his fingers on the table. "Do you believe it?"
"To be honest, I don't," Crote shook his head without hesitation. "And it doesn't matter. Almost every family around here has a few Muggle-born witches and wizards.
"It's just that this suddenly appearing girl has brought this old matter to light again. I still can't understand why Kendra would imprison her own daughter in the house."
The more Crote spoke, the clearer the image Kyle formed.
She was a witch with a strong, straightforward personality but highly capable.
As for Dumbledore's father... no one had ever seen him. When the Dumbledore family moved in, there were only three people... Kendra, Albus, and Aberforth.
Everyone was brimming with curiosity about how someone could have been imprisoned by their own mother for so long, right under their noses.
Anger, suspicion, and accusations... Everyone had their own opinions, but most voices blamed Kendra for being an unfit mother, although a small minority felt that there must be some misunderstanding, their voices too soft to be heard over the din.
Kyle, for his part, found the whole situation a bit amusing.
Perhaps the truth was as they said; after all, Kendra was dead, and no one could know her true thoughts.
But in a sense, Kendra had also saved their lives.
If not for her insistence on keeping Ariana at home, when Merope went berserk, everyone in Godric's Hollow, to the last person, would likely have perished.
Kyle suddenly felt a bit dispirited, the drink in his cup now tasteless, and he stood up and left the noisy pub.
He first went to a hillside near the church, from which he could see the direction of the cemetery.
Most people had left, and only a handful remained, apparently those with some connection to the Dumbledores.
Aberforth and young Albus were still there, but there seemed to be an unbridgeable gulf between them.
Kyle wanted to go and check on the situation, but his identity would only get in the way.
"Let's wait a bit longer," Kyle turned and left the hillside, returning to Godric's Hollow and beginning to wander aimlessly through the streets.
Unconsciously, he once again found himself near the home of Bashida Bashart.
It is worth mentioning that along the way, he did not see Grindelwald, nor was the latter at the church earlier; it seemed that the young wizard had already left Godric's Hollow yesterday.
Bashida sat in her garden, staring blankly at the Dumbledore residence in the distance, so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Kyle's presence.
Seeing this, Kyle did not disturb her and instead went straight to the barn.
If Dumbledore had escaped, he would most likely come here.
Unfortunately, when Kyle pushed open the door, he did not find the wizard.
...
Late into the night, the lights shining through the windows gradually went out, and Godric's Hollow fell into a tranquil silence.
In the moonlight, a figure quickly made his way through the paths toward the church.
This figure was, of course, Kyle, who had waited all afternoon without seeing Dumbledore and could only go and find him himself.
But what he didn't expect was that there would still be someone at the cemetery.
It was young Albus, still standing in the same spot as before, as if he hadn't moved at all.
Kyle looked at him, then at the tombstone, and then raised his wand.
What he was about to do would likely not be approved of by the young wizard, so it was better to take care of this problem first.
In his current state, Kyle was confident that he could take him down in an instant.
"Stupefy!"
A beam of red light flew through the air.
Just as Kyle had thought, the unsuspecting Albus was directly hit, his legs buckled, and he fell heavily to the ground.
Kyle walked over.
"Oh, I should have come sooner."
At that moment, a voice came from behind him.
Kyle turned his head and exclaimed in surprise, "Professor, you're still alive!"
"Well, it seems so for now," Dumbledore walked over. "It wasn't easy to deceive them. The Polyjuice Potion wore off at a crucial moment, and I almost blew my cover. Fortunately, the scene was chaotic, and I was able to use a Disillusionment Charm to escape their notice."
"You fooled them all with just a Disillusionment Charm?" Kyle asked in amazement.
"I also used a special type of magic to make myself appear truly dead.
"Then, when I woke up, I simply used the spare key I had prepared beforehand to get out," Dumbledore explained.
He glanced at his younger self lying on the ground and subconsciously touched his own head, muttering, "No wonder I found myself sleeping by the tombstone the other day, and my head hurt terribly when I woke up. I didn't realize it was your doing.
"I should have set the time for the key a bit earlier; that hit really hurt."
Kyle forced a laugh and inconspicuously kicked away a brick that was near the young Dumbledore's head.
"It's fine," Dumbledore said. "At least the pain helped me clear my head." He then asked the question that was weighing on his mind.
"How's Ariana? Is she alright?"
"She's fine," Kyle assured him. "I sent her to a safe place, and she'll be well taken care of."
"Where is she?" Dumbledore asked urgently.
"The Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries," Kyle replied, giving him a meaningful look. "Don't even think about going to find her, at least not now. Otherwise, all our efforts will have been for naught."
"I know, I won't," Dumbledore said.
Kyle didn't worry about this point, as he trusted that Dumbledore wouldn't act rashly in this matter.
(End of Chapter)
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