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Chapter 852: Returning
Chapter 852: Returning
Despite having experienced it once, Kyle still felt uncomfortable as the Time Turner began to operate.
As if all sounds disappeared, leaving only a buzzing sound in his ears, and everything before him transformed into a blurry image composed of various colors. He could barely make out Dumbledore beside him and the Time Turner tightly grasped in his hand.
As the needle turned, the red light attached to it gradually faded, indicating that the Philosopher's Stone's magic was being rapidly depleted.
Moreover, due to the additional person, the rate of depletion seemed much faster than when Kyle had been here previously.
Kyle was unsure if the Philosopher's Stone would be completely exhausted before they returned to the correct time, and he didn't know what would happen if that were to occur.
Perhaps they would randomly arrive in a particular year, or they might return to a century ago, but neither outcome was what Kyle wanted to see.
After an unknown period, the surroundings gradually became clearer.
Kyle could clearly see buildings rapidly rising from the ground, and in the blink of an eye, they were completed. He could also see small trees growing at an incredible speed, transforming into towering trees.
Everything around them seemed to be ten times faster than normal.
Kyle understood that this was the process of transcending time.
Finally, the Philosopher's Stone within the Time Turner completely dimmed, the red light disappeared, and the surroundings returned to their normal speed.
The buzzing sound in his ears was replaced by a noisy song, indiscernible in its melody, relying solely on the highs and lows of the voices, devoid of any discernible tune, driven purely by emotion.
"Is this... a bar?" Kyle asked, looking around.
On the shabby bar counter sat a tall, dark-skinned man, one of whom was holding a large cup, and the air was filled with a strong scent of liquor.
Kyle felt like he had been here before.
Oh, right, the Oak Barrel Pub, he remembered the fire dragon emblem above the bar... the one in the gathering place near the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, the one he had visited last time with Weasley.
Just as he had previously appeared in the Hogwarts Headmaster's office, the Time Turner only altered time, not location.
Since they were returning from Romania, they would naturally appear in Romania.
However, Kyle hadn't expected that right beside the iconic Oak Tree, they would coincidentally be at the Oak Barrel Pub.
But strangely, it seemed like no one around them had noticed their presence until Dumbledore, due to his weakness, accidentally knocked over a bottle of wine on the adjacent table.
"Hey, what are you two doing here?"
The people at the table seemed to have just noticed the two extra people beside them and angrily stood up, rolling up their sleeves, ready to teach these careless fellows a lesson.
However, when he saw who had knocked over the bottle, he lowered his arms even faster.
"Oh, Mr. Dumbledore, I can't believe I'm seeing you here," he said.
Kyle's expression relaxed slightly.
Knowing Dumbledore and seeing him in such a state, Kyle realized that the situation he had been concerned about hadn't occurred, and they had returned to the correct time.
But now wasn't the time to relax, as Dumbledore's current state wasn't good. His body was wobbling, and he looked like he might faint at any moment.
And as the man shouted, more and more people began to notice them.
The Oak Barrel Pub, being the closest to the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, attracted a diverse crowd, including tourists, dragon keepers, and those with ulterior motives.
If these people realized how weak Dumbledore was at this moment, no one could guarantee that they wouldn't have some bad ideas.
Although the likelihood was small due to Dumbledore's previous reputation, it wasn't entirely impossible. Some people who studied Dark Magic might suddenly have some strange ideas, so it was better to be cautious.
Just as Kyle was pondering what excuse to use to fool these people, a bright flash of light suddenly appeared in the pub.
A Phoenix swooped down from the sky, grabbing Dumbledore's shoulder, and then disappeared in another flash of light.
Not only the people around, but even Kyle was left dumbfounded.
What... was this situation?
The Phoenix from earlier... was Fawkes?
Normally, it should indeed be Fawkes, as he was the only known Phoenix in the wizarding world.
But wasn't Fawkes supposed to be in his rebirth to provide magic for the Philosopher's Stone? How could he have grown so big in such a short time?
And most importantly... even if Fawkes came to fetch someone, he should have taken both of them, what did it mean to only take one person?
Kyle was a bit speechless.
He was a bit concerned about Fawkes' preferential treatment, but only a little.
Given Dumbledore's current state, it was indeed inappropriate for him to be out in public. But Kyle was unaffected, and it was more convenient for him to handle some matters on his own.
As for where Fawkes would take Dumbledore... it wasn't hard to guess.
There were only a few places where Dumbledore would feel at ease: Hogwarts, the Three Broomsticks, Nicolas Flamel's Manor, and the Leaky Cauldron.
After some time, Fawkes still showed no signs of returning.
Dumbledore's brief appearance at the Oak Barrel Pub caused quite a stir. People speculated about his purpose for being there and his unusual state earlier.
Some noticed that Dumbledore seemed weak and severely injured.
They wondered who could have hurt the greatest white wizard. Was it the legendary Dark Lord?
Due to the distance, the Death Eaters' influence hadn't reached Romania. Most people here had only heard about the notorious Dark Lord wreaking havoc in Britain.
But no one knew what the Dark Lord had done or what he looked like.
As for Kyle, who was nearby... people didn't seem to associate him with Dumbledore and treated him as a random passerby.
Kyle was content with this situation and didn't offer any explanations. He casually sat on an empty stool by the bar and ordered a glass of brandy for one Sickle.
The price was right.
However, when paying, Kyle couldn't help but reminisce about a hundred years ago when one Sickle could buy a drink for everyone in the bar. Now, it could only buy a single glass.
The contrast was hard to accept.
Kyle took a sip of brandy and listened to the conversations around him, gathering useful information and occasionally chiming in.
In a place with many tourists, it was normal for strangers to strike up conversations. Although people might be annoyed by the interruptions, no one found it strange.
Moreover, Kyle was generous, offering a glass of brandy to those he questioned, so everyone was cooperative.
Soon, Kyle obtained the information he wanted.
Now he could be certain that he had truly returned, just a bit earlier than expected.
It was only early August, which explained why Fawkes could take Dumbledore away; he hadn't undergone his rebirth yet.
Additionally, if Kyle remembered correctly, today was also the day Dumbledore used the Time-Turner.
Was it a coincidence?
Kyle didn't think so.
The Philosopher's Stone inside the Time-Turner was repaired by Nicolas Flamel, and Kyle was the one who knew best how much magic it contained. Choosing to return to August might have been to fill the gap during Dumbledore's previous disappearance.
The timing of Fawkes' appearance earlier was also intriguing. Perhaps it could be explained as a connection between Fawkes and Dumbledore, but Kyle still felt that everything was prearranged.
Was it Dumbledore?
It was possible. As Voldemort's arch-nemesis, it didn't align with his character to leave Hogwarts, knowing the Elder Wand had been taken, and risk disappearing by returning to a century ago.
The reason Kyle hadn't doubted before was that Dumbledore claimed Voldemort was severely injured during the Elder Wand's theft and would need to hide and recuperate, leading to a rare peaceful period in the Wizarding World.
Of course, reality aligned with his words.
Since the Godric's Hollow incident, Voldemort and his Death Eaters hadn't caused much trouble. Even when occasionally clashing with the Ministry of Magic, they would hide if possible.
The entire Wizarding World seemed to have returned to the state it was two years ago. Although there were underlying tensions, the surface appeared peaceful.
However, thinking about it now, it was also possible that Dumbledore knew he would return and had arranged everything in advance.
Or perhaps it was Nicolas Flamel. Kyle remembered that his manor had a crystal ball much larger than the standard size.
Perhaps Fawkes had just taken Dumbledore to the manor in Devonshire.
Kyle lightly tapped his fingers on the table.
After a while, he suddenly felt his robe being tugged.
Sniffles climbed up Kyle's robe and called out to him twice.
"I know," Kyle nodded and left the pub.
Outside was the nearest gathering place to the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, as lively as before. In addition to the fixed shops, many people on the roadside held cloth bags, discreetly offering their "good stuff" to passersby.
Read the original at 9@book/bar!
"A whole dragon heart, still warm. Want it?"
"Dragon hide coat, from the Hungarian Horntail..."
"Dragon blood, half price, only one pint left."
Kyle ignored them.
To put it simply, if what they had was genuine, dragon keepers would have sought them out by now. In this place, selling fakes was safer than selling the real thing.
Kyle went to a secluded spot and, after confirming no one was around, took out Sniffles.
"Where's the item?"
Sniffles reached into the pocket on his chest, rummaged around, and took out two pieces of parchment, one large and one small.
The reason Kyle had lingered at the Oak Barrel Pub earlier was not only to gather useful information but also to have Sniffles find this item.
Before Kyle's arrival, he intentionally hid the sponsorship certificate and the legal dragon ownership certificate. He chose to return near the oak tree to locate them quickly. Even the time of ninety-eight years was not arbitrarily set; it had been exactly ninety-eight years since 1899.
Kyle excitedly took the parchment from Sniffles. Despite the protection of the magical contract, almost a century later, the parchments were soaked with the scent of earth, and their colors had changed. Still, the writing remained clear and visible.
Kyle focused on the smaller parchment, specifically a complex pattern near Birdman's signature. That was the magical contract they had established. Once it took effect, the pattern would turn golden, but for now, it remained dark.
However, this was normal. When Kyle had visited the sanctuary, Hogwarts was about to start a new term, and it was only early August, so there was still some time before the ninety-eight years were up.
But Kyle wasn't in a hurry. He carefully placed the parchments in the box.
As for the sponsorship certificate, after ninety-eight years, even with minimal returns, it should have covered the costs. In other words, without spending a single Galleon, he had obtained a legal dragon ownership certificate and might have even made a profit.
After all, the current Fire Dragon Sanctuary had more than ten dragons.
However, Kyle wasn't in a rush to redeem it. He planned to wait until the magical contract took effect before heading there, saving him an extra trip.
For now, he needed to find Dumbledore first, and he also wanted to return to Britain as soon as possible.
Kyle hadn't forgotten that when he was in Godric's Hollow, he had encountered Voldemort, the greatest crisis he had ever faced.
The timing of his return was too coincidental; he had to go back and check.
But how to get back was a dilemma for Kyle.
1899 was a better time; he could freely use Apparition or Portkeys without the strict regulations of the Ministry of Magic. Nowadays, only registered Portkeys were allowed, making travel inconvenient.
Or, should he use an owl to send himself back? Kyle shook his head; no, there wasn't enough time.
If he used an owl, it would take at least a day or two to reach Britain, and by then, everything would be over.
If all else failed, he'd have to use a Portkey.
Kyle gritted his teeth. He had some connections in the Ministry, and at worst, he'd have to pay a fine. He had more than enough Galleons.
As he picked up a twig to create a Portkey, a fiery red figure appeared before him again.
It was Fawkes, who had returned once more, landing on Kyle's shoulder.
"You..."
Before Kyle could say anything, a dizzying sensation enveloped him from all directions.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw Nico's aged face, wrinkled with age.
"Welcome back," Nico said with a smile. "Albus thought you might have some things to retrieve, so he asked Fawkes to come a little later to fetch you."
Dumbledore?
Kyle rubbed his forehead in a daze and looked around.
They were at Nico's estate in Devonshire. Dumbledore was lying on a nearby sofa, looking much better than before.
On the table next to him was an empty bottle, presumably containing a potion prepared by Nico.
To help Dumbledore recover from such extreme weakness in a short time, this potion was not commonly seen. It must have been prepared in advance.
Thinking of this, Kyle's suspicions were confirmed.
"Did you know beforehand that I would go to rescue Professor Dumbledore and return at this time?" Kyle asked immediately.
"I suppose so," Nico replied.
"Because of the prophecy?"
"The prophecy?" Nico was taken aback but shook his head. "Of course not. Most of the time, prophecies are vague and unclear.
"I know this because I've met you before."
"What?" Kyle was puzzled.
"Not now, but in 1899," Nico explained. "At that time, you and a little girl were washing your faces in the magical fountain at Beauxbatons."
"You saw me?" Kyle was shocked.
He and Ariana hadn't seen Nicolas Lame at Beauxbatons, or he would have said something.
"Yes, I saw you," Nico smiled. "But I only remembered this memory today, and then I realized that Dumbledore might have encountered trouble in the past."
"But at that time, Dumbledore had already used the Time-Turner, and even if I wanted to remind him, it was too late. All I could do was prepare the potions he might need."
"And Fawkes..."
"It was me," Dumbledore sat up on the sofa. After returning to the correct time, his lost memories had returned.
"The phoenix will appear whenever a Dumbledore is in need, and at that time, I was the one who needed it the most."
...
(End of Chapter)
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