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Chapter 851: Enthusiastic Friends
Chapter 851: Enthusiastic Friends
"If you think it's too little, you can go ahead and report me..."
Looking at Kyle's smile, Willy Tom's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
Even though it was the warm month of August, and they were inside a room, he felt a chill to his bones.
His intuition was warning him.
Some wizards had peculiar talents, like the ability to change their appearance at will or communicate with magical creatures. Willy Tom possessed a heightened sense of danger, far more acute than the average wizard.
This ability had saved his life on numerous occasions.
Willy Tom had indeed considered informing the Aurors about Kyle's presence. That way, he could clear his own name and claim a substantial reward—a win-win situation.
In fact, that was precisely what he had planned to do.
Willy Tom's strategy was to haggle over the price, buying time until he felt the moment was right to make the trade. Even if he took a small loss, it wouldn't matter as long as the person before him was arrested after leaving his shop.
By then, he would already have the money from selling the dragon egg. Even if he were implicated, he could deny it all and claim credit for informing the Aurors. They would surely take his side.
Moreover, if this person were captured, he would receive a hefty reward of one hundred Galleons. Even if they managed to escape, he would still get thirty Galleons for providing a lead. It was a guaranteed profit, a double win... no, a double win for him.
As for integrity... what use was that to a customer who was unlikely to return to Diagon Alley? Maximizing profit was a far more attractive option.
However, looking at Kyle's smile and feeling the chill on his back, Willy Tom's brain, clouded by Galleons, finally stirred.
He finally remembered that the person before him was no harmless lamb. This was someone who had killed five wizards and managed to escape unscathed.
Willy Tom considered himself unafraid of Holken, but their skills were evenly matched. If this person could kill Holken and his companions in a five-on-one situation, they could just as easily take his life.
Willy Tom's heart began to pound furiously, especially as Kyle toyed with his wand. He was so nervous that his legs felt weak.
His intuition told him that the Aurors might arrive and capture this person, but he would undoubtedly be killed in the process.
What should he do?
Willy Tom was filled with regret. It was all Kyle's fault with his gentle, harmless demeanor and free-spending ways that had subconsciously made him overlook the potential danger.
Fortunately, Kyle didn't seem to have realized his true intentions, thinking he was merely haggling over the price. There was still a chance to turn things around.
Willy Tom took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"Why would I think it's too little? We had an agreement, didn't we?" He promptly placed the dragon egg on the table. "Now it's yours."
"Oh?"
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "You don't think the Aurors will arrive that quickly, do you? Aren't you going to stall for a bit longer?"
"Wh, what are you talking about? I don't understand," Willy Tom's heart raced. "What Aurors? Why would they come to Diagon Alley... But you should be careful. It seems the bigwigs behind Holken don't intend to let you go."
"Is that so?" Kyle took two steps forward, approaching the painting that served as a safe. He reached out and touched the frame. "Then can you tell me where the person in this painting has gone?"
"He might... um, he might have gone into another frame." Perhaps because Kyle had his back to him, Willy Tom saw an opportunity. He carefully slipped his hand into his pocket.
"He left to visit others while keeping all these valuables here?" Kyle asked, sounding amused.
He leaned forward to peek behind the painting. In the compartment, there was also a golden crown and a gem as large as an egg—all extremely valuable items.
With a stranger in the room, the painting that served as a lock had apparently gone to visit other paintings?
Even Neville would find such a lame excuse hard to believe.
Putting together the previous conversation, Kyle was now certain that the painting had gone to inform someone, and he estimated that the Aurors would soon surround the place.
It made sense. With five wizards dead, the turmoil wouldn't subside quickly.
He wondered how much bounty the Ministry of Magic had offered to make this shop owner risk so much to report him.
"Stupefy!"
A loud shout came from behind.
Kyle didn't seem to react, not even turning his head.
"Success!" Willy Tom's heart rejoiced.
He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. At this distance, there was no way the person could react in time to counter with their wand.
Perhaps he had overthought it. How could someone with such slow reactions kill Holken and his companions? It must have been another wizard who did it and framed this wealthy wizard.
But so what? The Ministry of Magic had already decided he was the culprit.
Once he was knocked out by the Stunning Spell, Willy Tom could take all the money and purchased goods from him, then hand him over to the arriving Aurors and claim a generous reward. Nothing would be wasted.
However, the next second, that greed turned into sheer terror.
His Stunning Spell, which had been about to hit Kyle, was blocked by a small, silver shield that suddenly appeared less than an inch away from its target.
The shield was tiny, no larger than a palm, but it was enough to deflect Willy Tom's surefire strike, and he didn't even see when the other party had cast their spell.
But there was no time to ponder this now, as the Stunning Spell bounced back and hit him right between the eyes, and Willy Tom, trying to dodge, found his wand arm being pulled by something, rendering him unable to move.
It was a slender vine with a few round, orange fruits hanging from it.
Exploding Acid Pods.
A name flashed through his mind, and then everything went dark.
The Stunning Spell hit Willy Tom square in the forehead, and he collapsed to the floor without a sound.
That was it? It was over?
Kyle froze, seemingly surprised that it had been that easy. He had expected the wizard who could afford a dragon egg to be more competent, but his plan had been foiled before it even truly began?
A House Elf appeared from nowhere and stood beside Kyle, looking just as bewildered as it gazed at the unconscious Willy Tom and then back at Kyle, seemingly asking what to do next.
"Never mind, call Scentscy and help me move these things," Kyle said after a moment's thought. "Make sure to search thoroughly."
The House Elf nodded and jumped onto Willy Tom, skillfully removing the rings from his fingers.
Three minutes later.
A group of wizards in black robes were striding down Diagon Alley.
"Aurors, you're finally here," Tom the shop owner said, sounding like he had just seen his saviors.
Yes, it was Tom the owner... but if one looked closely, there was a hint of mischief in his eyes, the kind often seen in tricksters, not greedy shopkeepers.
Unfortunately, the arriving Aurors didn't notice this.
"Cut the chatter, where is he?" the leading Auror asked coldly.
"He's inside," Tom replied, opening the door to reveal a person lying on the floor, whose appearance and attire matched the information they had.
Indeed, this was the wizard who had caused a stir in Diagon Alley a month ago, killing Holken and his companions while spending money like it was nothing.
But how had such a dangerous individual ended up on the floor? Shouldn't it be the shop owner lying there instead?
The leading Auror turned instinctively.
"It's like this," Tom explained, his voice still shaken. "He tried to ambush me, but I sensed it."
"You had that capability?" The Auror raised an eyebrow, his tone filled with skepticism and disdain.
If such a dangerous Dark Wizard could be taken down so easily by a mere shop owner, their efforts over the past few days would have been pointless.
"Of course not," Tom flattered. "But I got lucky. After the incident with Holken, I felt uneasy, so I spent a lot of money on a magical ring... this one here."
He held up his hand, displaying a sapphire ring.
"It can automatically trigger an Ironskin Charm once. The opponent thought their spell would hit me, so they didn't defend against the Stunning Spell, and it bounced back and knocked them out... Honestly, I was terrified just now.
"It's a shame about my magic ring, though. I spent a fortune on it, and now it's useless."
As he spoke, Tom even sighed dramatically.
"You should consider yourself lucky," the Auror said, glancing at him. "If you were the one lying there, you might not be alive right now."
Having noticed that this was a magic items shop, he didn't question Tom's story further.
Owners of such shops often had something up their sleeves for self-defense or business, and while an Ironskin Charm ring was unusual, it could be acquired with enough money.
Moreover, its greatest advantage was its inconspicuousness and ability to cast magic without a wand or spell, and even an experienced Auror like himself could fall victim to it if caught off guard.
"Yes, you're absolutely right," Tom agreed, nodding vigorously.
As they spoke, the other Aurors brought out the unconscious person, and after confirming that their target was still alive, they prepared to leave.
"Wait, just a moment..." Tom called out, stopping them.
"What now?"
"Well, about the reward..." Tom hesitated. "You know, I had to use a precious magic ring to capture this person, so I was hoping to get the reward now to cover my losses."
"We only handle the capture. You'll have to go to the Ministry of Magic for the reward," the Auror replied, about to walk away, but the pesky shop owner blocked his path again.
"Wait."
"If you don't step aside, I'll arrest you, too," the Auror said impatiently.
"You misunderstand," Tom said with a forced smile. "What I mean is, I have to take care of the shop, so I won't have time to go to the Ministry. How about this—can you give me half the reward now, and consider the rest as me treating you all to a drink at the Leaky Cauldron?"
"Oh?"
The Auror's eyes flickered, and he turned slightly, blocking the view of the other Aurors as he lowered his voice. "Are you sure? That's fifty Galleons."
Although this action was against protocol, no one dared to object when their superior gave the order. They quickly left with the captive in tow.
Soon after, the remaining Auror headed to Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and when he returned, he carried a bag.
He handed the bag to Tom without a word, and a silent agreement passed between them.
Once the Aurors had left, Diagon Alley gradually regained its previous bustle as students continued their back-to-school shopping, paying no mind to the now-closed shop.
As for the shop owner, he seemed to have an urgent matter to attend to, rushing straight to the Leaky Cauldron.
He had to run; after all, the person they had taken away was a fake.
The Aurors might not care about Willy Tom, but when it came to their Galleons, they were more vigilant than anyone.
If he didn't leave now, he might not get another chance.
...
Sure enough, not long after, the Aurors who had left earlier rushed back, their movements even more swift than before. They pushed aside anyone who blocked their path.
Curious onlookers watched this unfold, whispering among themselves about what could have happened.
The leading Auror reached the tightly shut shop and, without hesitation, brandished his wand, blowing the door open with a blast.
The loud bang startled everyone.
But when they saw what was inside, the lead Auror's face turned beet red with anger.
The shop had been emptied; not a single scrap of parchment remained from the once-full shelves.
"You bunch of useless fools!" He seemed to be spewing flames as he roared, "How could none of you realize the prisoner used a Disillusionment Charm? Is this how you perform as Aurors? Useless!"
Though they thought it unfair that he was shifting the blame, none dared to speak up.
"Go and find him!" The lead Auror screamed, "Even if you have to dig up the ground, find that damned con artist and throw him in with the Dementors!"
The Aurors scattered in a frenzy.
However, they were destined to be disappointed.
At that very moment, the 'Tom the shop owner' they sought had used a Portkey to travel a thousand miles away to Romania.
Dumbledore tensed up at the sudden appearance of a stranger.
"Who are you!" he exclaimed, pointing his wand at the visitor.
"Relax, Professor, it's me."
Dumbledore paused, recognizing the voice. Only one person would address him as 'Professor' in such a situation.
"Kyle?"
"Yes, it's me." Kyle replied.
"Hmm... It should be about time."
As the fake 'Tom' finished speaking, his appearance shifted; his potbelly vanished, and his bald head sprouted a head of short black hair.
"Kyle," Dumbledore grew more perplexed, "what have you been up to?"
"Oh, just a minor issue, but it's been taken care of." Kyle smiled, revealing his true form. "I had no choice. Someone was overly enthusiastic and insisted on giving me a large sum of Galleons. I just couldn't refuse."
Insisted on giving Galleons? Dumbledore didn't believe a word of what Kyle was saying.
He had gained some fame over the years and had countless friends, yet no one ever offered him Galleons. He was certain Kyle was hiding something from him.
And that potion he drank earlier... Dumbledore was curious, but Kyle's next words stopped him from pressing the matter further.
"Professor, it's time we headed back. I'm sure you're eager to see Ariana again."
"Yes, let's go." Dumbledore immediately stepped forward.
No matter what Kyle had done, nothing was more important than seeing Ariana again.
Kyle took out the golden pocket watch and pulled out a long golden chain from the top.
The chain was long enough to accommodate both him and Dumbledore.
Kyle then began to adjust the hands of the watch, and the Sorcerer's Stone emitted a red glow that enveloped the hands.
Compared to when they had arrived, the red glow was much dimmer, but it should still be sufficient to send the two of them back.
Well... hopefully.
"Here we are." After adjusting the hands to the correct position, Kyle let go.
The red glow from the Time-Turner began to spread, extending from one end of the chain to the other, enveloping both Kyle and Dumbledore.
Their figures gradually faded until they completely vanished from the spot.
(End of Chapter)
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