Chapter 856: Long Time No See
Chapter 856: Long Time No See
Grimmauld Place Number 12.
With everyone attending Lupin's wedding, the place was currently empty, but Kyle knew that Mrs. Weasley and Sirius would return soon. Instead of entering, he supported Dumbledore and led him to a nearby alley.
Dumbledore was in a terrible state, lacking any strength to stand on his own, but his expression remained calm, as if he didn't care.
"How are you doing, Professor?" Kyle asked, offering a bottle of Vitality Elixir. Dumbledore managed to regain some strength after drinking it.
"I wanted to try to kill Tom directly, but I overestimated myself."
Dumbledore stood unsteadily, "The potion you gave me, Nicholas, only temporarily suppressed the time rejection's effects. In my current state, it's difficult to release magic powerful enough to kill Tom."
"It's fine; this is already great." Kyle said, "And you couldn't have killed the Dark Lord anyway. I've met him before."
"That's why I feel regretful." Dumbledore said, glancing at their surroundings.
"Grimmauld Place, why did you bring me here? It's best if you don't appear before them. It's better to go somewhere else."
"I suggest going to Nicolas' estate or even The Pig's Head Pub."
"Fawkes agrees with you." Kyle smiled, "After saving people, it dropped them off at The Pig's Head Pub. At the time, Aberforth thought you were dead."
"He must have been delighted." Dumbledore's eyes dimmed.
"No, quite the opposite. He was concerned about you. Not only did he provide a safe place for everyone, but he also personally sent someone to find out about you."
"Oh, look, he's here."
Following Kyle's finger, Dumbledore indeed saw Aberforth apparating in with Mrs. Weasley and Sirius in his hands.
However, their condition was not good; they immediately knelt on the ground after landing, looking like they were about to throw up.
"What's wrong with them?" Dumbledore wondered.
"Professor, don't you remember what I just said?" Kyle whispered, "They were saved by Fawkes."
"Oh!"
Dumbledore instantly realized what had happened. Being transported by a phoenix was no easy feat.
Recalling his first attempt at this mode of travel, he hadn't eaten anything for an entire day.
It was a terrible memory.
But when it happened to others, it felt different... Perhaps it was also related to knowing that they were all safe.
Kyle took out his camera and clicked the shutter, capturing the scene as Dumbledore looked on in disbelief.
"Just documenting this moment. It's not something you see every day, right?" Kyle smiled.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, his gaze instinctively falling on the camera.
His intuition told him that there was something extraordinary inside, and it would be best to destroy it and blast all the film into smithereens with magic.
The urge was strong.
Dumbledore wasn't sure why, but since it was Kyle's possession, and he had saved him and Ariana, it would be too much to destroy it without any explanation.
Dumbledore could only suppress the urge and looked away.
"Quickly hide it and stop staring." He reminded.
At that moment, the other Kyle arrived, and the three of them entered Grimmauld Place Number 12.
"We should leave here soon." Dumbledore said, "In case Alastor shows up, his magical eye might discover us."
"Don't worry, he has other matters to attend to. He won't come." Kyle said, as he didn't recall Alastor Moody appearing in his memories.
"And I have another reason for coming here."
"What reason?"
"I'll tell you later." Kyle shook his head, "Be patient, Professor, you'll know soon enough."
Dumbledore was curious, but since Kyle said so, he didn't ask further and waited patiently.
Soon, someone came out of the house.
"I'm going to pick up the others now; they're all at The Pig's Head Pub." Kyle explained.
"That's indeed a safe place." Dumbledore nodded.
Although Aberforth hadn't given Dumbledore a good impression over the years, he considered him the most trustworthy person in his heart, just like Fawkes instinctively sent people there.
They continued to wait.
"Oh, right." Kyle suddenly remembered something and said, "Professor, when I was saving people, I also bought some drinks and spirits to help them adapt to Fawkes' discomfort faster.
(End of Chapter 856)
"You did the right thing," Dumbledore said, "the liquor is indeed a good choice."
However, Kyle continued, "Ab Aberforth didn't sell to me. I had to use your name to get some."
"My name?" Dumbledore looked at Kyle in puzzlement.
Logically, if Kyle had used his name, Aberforth would have been even less likely to sell. Had his brother already forgiven him?
"Uh...it's like this..." Kyle stuttered, "To be precise, I put the liquor on your tab, and, well, it's a bit more expensive than the market price."
Dumbledore seemed to understand but didn't mind.
A few bottles of liquor were nothing to him, and this incident was partly due to his own stubbornness. It was only fair that he should pay for it.
"I'll settle the bill later, don't worry," Dumbledore said calmly.
"That's good," Kyle replied, but he was already thinking about finding a place to hide for a while.
He had increased the price of the liquor several times, and who knew how much Aberforth had inflated the price? One thing was certain: Dumbledore was going to be ripped off this time.
Of course, that was a problem for later.
After a while, the others still hadn't returned, but Kingsley had arrived, likely having rushed over from the Ministry of Magic as soon as he received the news.
Then, his father Chris arrived, along with a figure shrouded in a black hood, a Silent One. Kyle remembered that Chris had said the Silent One was sent by Diana to check on him.
When Dumbledore saw the Silent One, his body stiffened, and his eyes fixed on the figure, forgetting about everyone else.
Kyle was convinced of his earlier speculation.
It was indeed Ariana, and the person he had met at the Department of Mystical Creatures was also her.
No wonder he had felt like she recognized him; Kyle had thought it was because of Diana, but it turned out they had actually met before.
However, at that time, he didn't know her.
"Professor, please don't be impulsive," Kyle patted Dumbledore's shoulder. "There are many people here; let's wait patiently."
"Don't worry," Dumbledore replied, coming back to his senses. "I've waited for a hundred years; I can wait a little longer."
Although he said this, Kyle could sense the longing and anxiety in his trembling voice.
Yes, although it hadn't been long since they last met, when Dumbledore's memories returned, his longing and regret for his sister also came back. The emotional void of nearly a hundred years couldn't be filled by a brief reunion.
Dumbledore must have wanted to see Ariana, to talk to her, and to apologize...
"Wait a bit longer, Professor..." Kyle said again.
The others finally arrived, and a large group of people appeared beside Grimmauld Place Number 12, all holding a Portkey.
Kyle saw Chris walking over to talk to him, while Dumbledore became increasingly anxious. Kyle could even feel the arm he was holding start to struggle, with growing strength.
At this moment, the hooded Silent One seemed to sense something and abruptly turned their head towards them.
Almost instinctively, Dumbledore hid behind a wall.
"You're doing what, Professor?" Kyle asked, somewhat speechless. "You were so eager earlier, but now you're backing down at the critical moment."
"I...I don't know," Dumbledore stuttered, his lips pursed in anxiety. "I...I'm just afraid..."
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that it will be like when I looked into the Mirror of Erised...she's right in front of me, but will disappear in an instant."
"I see. I thought you didn't want to see me," a voice with a hint of amusement came from the side.
Dumbledore realized that the speaker wasn't Kyle and opened his eyes to see a face that was both familiar and strange.
"Long time no see, Brother Albus."
Tears streaming down his face, Dumbledore laughed and cried, looking like a madman.
"And you too," Ariana turned to the other side, "..."
"Shut up, don't say anything," Kyle interrupted hastily, his body tensing up.
"You can call me Kyle, just don't add any suffixes."
Although he didn't know what magic the Department of Mystical Creatures had used, Ariana looked much younger than Dumbledore and Aberforth.
According to her age, she should be over a hundred years old. If she called him "brother" like before, Kyle would feel awkward.
"Suffix...ha, you wish," Ariana chuckled. "You've been deceiving me for so long. Do you know how surprised I was when I first saw you?"
I only learned your name two years ago."
"Hmm, didn't the people at the Department of Mystical Creatures tell you the truth?" Kyle asked, puzzled.
As for the name, he had deliberately concealed it after returning to the past, fearing it might affect the future.
It could be said that even Cody, who often drank with him, didn't know Kyle's name. He had asked, not just once, but Kyle would always divert the topic or come up with a more general term like friend or scholar.
"The truth? Do you think they would tell me?" Ariana said, "For a Muteness, any stimulation might cause an outbreak of muteness within them."
To put it this way, after I arrived at the Department of Mystical Creatures, they chose to hide my memories from my younger days. I have to admit that this was the best option; otherwise, I would have definitely suffered an outbreak of muteness due to excessive longing."
"But now you know." Kyle looked at her curiously and asked, "Does this mean you've perfectly mastered muteness...
"Can you tell me what it feels like to cast magic with muteness?
"Do you need to chant a spell? Do you use a wand, or do you just throw muteness at your opponent's face?"
The more Ariana listened, the worse her expression became. What did it mean to throw muteness at an opponent's face? For some reason, the gentle figure in the depths of her memory gradually faded.
However, she didn't find it strange, or perhaps she had already had this premonition.
Think about it, a person who broke into someone else's school with her and even washed their face in the Magical Fountain, which the other party valued so much—what kind of person could that be?
But that memory was too beautiful, and she had never wanted to think too much about it. However, now, with the overlap of memory and reality, the filter of her childhood shattered.
But this was the real Kyle.
Just like Diana's evaluation of Kyle... The things those imprisoned in Azkaban had done, Kyle might have done them all, but you would never see him there.
Is this evaluation good? In a sense, it is very good, but it also indicates that he couldn't be the Kyle in Ariana's memory.
"You guess." Ariana said irritably, "Why don't you guess how the Muteness uses magic, or... You can also experience it yourself. I'm willing to satisfy your curiosity."
Kyle shrugged.
He didn't want to guess, and even less did he want to get punched.
Well, now that the child has grown up, not only is it difficult to get information out of them, but they also seem to have developed a bit of a violent tendency... The adorable Ariana from childhood, who would answer any question.
Tsk, something's not right, this sentence also feels strange.
"Hmm..."
"You two..."
"That..."
While Kyle and Ariana were talking, Dumbledore was constantly winking and making unnecessary noises beside them, looking like a peacock trying to attract attention.
Kyle's hand itched, and he quickly took out his camera and snapped a picture of him.
"Okay, you two chat as long as you like, but I suggest you change places. Occasionally, Muggles pass by here."
Kyle calmly put away his camera, "There's nothing else to do. I plan to visit Diagon Alley and will be staying at the Cauldron Pub for a while... I might also go to Newt's place. If there's anything urgent, just have Fawkes find me."
After a century, the siblings met again, and Kyle tactfully didn't disturb them further.
Moreover, he also had a lot to do.
First, he was short on money. He had spent most of his savings, and the rest had been given to the Fire Dragon Sanctuary. Now, he only had a few hundred Galleons left.
He was almost as poor as Ron... Well, okay, he was still a bit richer than Ron, but what could a few hundred Galleons buy? Not even a broomstick.
Kyle was anxious. He had to find a way to refill his wallet... At the very least, he needed to repaint Norbert's nest in gold. This grayish color was just too dull.
Apart from that, the two Dragon Eggs also needed to be dealt with quickly. Due to the Time Turner, perhaps, those two Dragon Eggs suddenly showed signs of life, leaving Norbert, who was in charge of taking care of them, at a loss.
Yes, Norbert was a female Dragon, but according to Dragon age, it was only an underage female Dragon and had no experience in hatching Dragon Eggs.
The reason the Dragon Eggs were given to Norbert was mainly because there was no other choice. They couldn't be given to Rubeus; that guy's brain was barely bigger than a walnut. Don't let him eat the Dragon Eggs as snacks again.
As for the Venomous Fanged Cat, the Peruvian Vipertooth could take care of it, but the problem was that Kyle didn't have this breed. Moreover, the Venomous Fanged Cat and the Cat Panther were viviparous, so they couldn't take care of the eggs either.
So, the only one most suitable was Norbert, a fellow Fire Dragon. Although it was unwilling, under Kyle's persuasion, it reluctantly took on the task and gave the eggs a hot bath with Dragon Flame on time.
(End of Chapter)
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