https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-858-Finding-a-Dining-Hall-for-the-Fire-Dragons/12540227/
Chapter 859: Returning to the Fire Dragon Reserve
Chapter 859: Returning to the Fire Dragon Reserve
After a long wait, the magical contract finally met the conditions for activation, emitting a dazzling silvery-white light, and the originally blurred pattern became much clearer.
Newt looked at the parchment with mixed feelings.
"From now on, even if someone sees Norbert, it won't cause you any trouble."
To be honest, he was a little envious.
Although everyone knows that Newt Scamander is the top magical creature expert in the wizarding world, he has never actually obtained a legal dragon-keeping certificate.
Perhaps his reputation from his younger days was too resounding, causing the people at the Dragon Sanctuary to dare not grant him such a thing.
As for the Hungarian Tree Bee in his case, it was merely tacitly approved by the Dragon Sanctuary... I disagree, but I won't investigate. You can keep it if you want, and we'll all pretend not to know about it.
This way, even if the Hungarian Tree Bee were to escape one day and frolic in the skies over London, they could find an excuse to cover it up.
After all, it's Newt; such worries are quite necessary.
So, strictly speaking, Newt was illegally keeping a dragon, and could only let it stay in its case.
Unlike Kyle.
It could be said that from now on, even if Kyle surrounds his home with a fence, he can directly release the fire dragon.
Even if it is seen by Muggles, it would fall under the jurisdiction of the Obliviators, and he cannot be punished for the crime of illegal dragon-keeping.
Of course, it's fine to just keep it, but if you let the dragon hurt people, that's another matter.
"Are we going to Romania now?" Kyle couldn't help but ask. In addition to the dragon eggs, he also had a large sum of Galleons waiting to be retrieved.
"There's no rush, we're still waiting for someone," Newt said.
"Waiting for someone? Who?"
"Of course, it's... Oh, he's already here." Newt said, looking out the window.
Kyle turned his head instinctively.
"Professor Dumbledore?"
He never expected that Dumbledore, who had seemed to have vanished into thin air these past few days, would actually appear here.
Dumbledore pushed open the door and walked in.
Kyle looked at him and felt that something was a little different, as if he had become a different person.
The previous Dumbledore always had a calm and composed demeanor... One could tell at a glance that he was a standard powerful old wizard and a reliable headmaster of Hogwarts.
But now, he looked much more relaxed, and even his robe had been changed to a more comfortable and casual style. If he had a teacup in his hand, he would be the spitting image of a retired old man.
If someone who didn't know him saw him, they probably wouldn't associate him with the famous headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Newt, Kyle, long time no see." He smiled and greeted them, then sat down on his own and took a lemon biscuit from the plate and popped it into his mouth.
This relaxed demeanor completely overturned Kyle's impression of Dumbledore.
So this is what Dumbledore is like when he's unburdened?
"It tastes pretty good." Dumbledore looked around, "Where's Tina?"
"She went to Diagon Alley." Newt said, "Are...are you really okay?"
He also felt that something was off about Dumbledore in front of him... Not exactly off, but different from the image in his mind.
"Of course I'm fine." Dumbledore smiled, "It's just that Ariana said I've been too uptight and should relax a little."
"I think she's right." Dumbledore took another biscuit, "I'm over a hundred years old, it's time I enjoyed my retirement."
Ariana, huh... That explains it.
Kyle mumbled to himself.
He felt that even if Ariana said that Hogwarts would look better in pink, Dumbledore would happily run off with a paintbrush in hand the next day...
Or maybe he wouldn't even wait until the next day.
"So the person we're waiting for is Professor Dumbledore?" Kyle turned to Newt and asked.
"If we're talking about going to Romania together, then yes." Newt hadn't finished speaking when Dumbledore nodded, "You mentioned before that you would look for Newt, right? Judging by the time, your contract should be taking effect soon as well, so I wrote him a letter in advance, asking him to notify me before he goes to Romania."
"You're coming with us too? Is that really necessary?" Kyle looked at the two people sitting next to him, a little puzzled.
He's just going to get two dragon eggs, is there a need for such a big fuss? The last time Dumbledore and Newt Scamander joined forces was to deal with Grindelwald.
"Ariana thought I should get out and about and fulfill my plan to travel the world after graduation." Dumbledore said.
"Although the timing is a bit inappropriate now, I think it's fine to make Romania the first stop."
Alright, Ariana again.
Kyle closed his mouth, understanding now.
"Are we leaving now?" Kyle glanced out the window.
It wasn't even noon yet, and if all went well, they should be able to make it back before evening.
"If you're ready, then let's go." Dumbledore said.
The group stood up and walked to the door.
"I'll leave the house to you, Dobby."
"To be precise, it was fifty-seven years ago," Dumbledore smiled. "Those two Mist Moths that escaped from your case sure caused a lot of trouble for Colombia."
Mist Moths, as their name suggests, are insects that resemble blue butterflies the size of a fist. However, these creatures emit a mist-like aura when they fly, and their colors shift to match their surroundings. They are typically found in primeval forests.
But when they appear in cities, it's a different story.
Just imagine, Muggles walking down the street and encountering a floating, colorful mist that is clearly visible. Their expressions would be priceless, especially back in those days over fifty years ago.
At that time, the Colombian Ministry of Magic had to work day and night for a whole week to modify the memories of those Muggles, and they were more annoyed than ever.
"Yes, it was just one," Newt stuttered, correcting himself. "And it only escaped because it sensed the presence of a female Mist Moth nearby."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
This was the fascinating thing about Newt; his magical creatures never seemed to stay securely in his case, always finding a reason to escape.
No wonder he wasn't very well-liked.
When Newt decided to retire, it took a lot of effort from Dumbledore to convince the Minister of Magic at the time to allow him to settle in Dorset.
"Well then, let's be off," Dumbledore said, casually picking up a twig and transfiguring it into a door key.
Kyle and Newt walked over and grasped the twig.
"Get ready, we're about to depart..."
As Dumbledore finished speaking, the trio felt a sudden pulling force and disappeared without a trace.
After a dizzying moment of spinning, Kyle found himself back on solid ground.
"Who goes there?"
A stern voice rang out, and several burly dragon keepers, wands at the ready, surrounded them.
But the next second...
"Mr. Scamander!"
"Professor Dumbledore!"
The lead dragon keeper quickly lowered his wand. "Apologies, I didn't recognize you at first."
"It's quite alright, I should have informed you of our arrival," Newt nodded, then asked, "Is Drols here? I need to speak with him about something."
"Yes, he's in the hatchery, observing a batch of dragon eggs that are about to hatch," the dragon keeper said. "Please follow me, he'll be delighted to see you."
The keeper subconsciously ignored Kyle, which was understandable.
While Kyle had visited once before, it had been a long time ago, and Charlie had been the one to receive him.
Now that Charlie had resigned and returned to Britain, these people naturally wouldn't recognize Kyle as Newt's former assistant.
However, Kyle didn't mind. What caught his attention was the keeper's mention of the hatchery and the soon-to-hatch dragon eggs. It seemed that he had arrived just in time.
The dragon keeper led them through the reserve, twisting and turning at least three times, and they finally stopped in front of a massive cave.
Even from a distance, Kyle could feel the heat emanating from the cave, as if he were standing at the mouth of an active volcano.
"This is the hatchery," Newt explained. "All fire dragon eggs that are about to hatch are transferred here to avoid attracting unwanted attention."
"Indeed," the dragon keeper added, now noticing Kyle's presence. "Moving the eggs here also prevents them from being accidentally crushed by the larger dragons. Those beasts have a nasty temper and fight almost daily."
"Are there many dragon eggs here?" Kyle asked curiously.
The dragon keeper hesitated, seemingly reluctant to share this information with Kyle. But after glancing at Dumbledore and Newt, he relented and said, "Currently, we only have two batches of dragon eggs here. There was a third batch, but the remaining Hungarian Tree Bee is too aggressive, and we don't know how to move it safely."
"There's no need to move it," Newt smiled. "I doubt any dragon would want to invite the wrath of the Hungarian Tree Bee."
"That's what the captain said as well."
As they spoke, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from within the cave, and soon a man emerged.
"Captain!"
"Yes, good work. You may take a break now, I'll take it from here," Drols said.
He appeared thinner and less robust than Kyle had imagined, perhaps even less so than Charlie. But his body was marked with just as many scars, especially a long one that ran down the left side of his face, giving him a fearsome appearance.
"It's wonderful to see you all," Drols said. "Mr. Scamander, Professor Dumbledore, and you must be Kyle. You've grown quite a bit since I last saw you a few years ago."
"You remember me?" Kyle asked.
"I remember everyone who has helped the Fire Dragon Reserve, and that includes you," Drols said.
He then turned back to Newt and Dumbledore, his smile fading. "Please forgive my bluntness, but may I ask what brings you both to the Fire Dragon Reserve so suddenly?"
"No, Drols, you've misunderstood," Dumbledore said seriously. "Rest assured, we will resolve these issues ourselves, and it will not involve the Fire Dragon Reserve in any way."
"I'm sorry, Headmaster Dumbledore," Drols said. "I just don't want to see dragons being used as tools of war."
"I share your sentiment; I would not like to see dragons on the battlefield either," Dumbledore agreed.
He was relieved that the dragons were under protection. With several dozen dragons and numerous dragon keepers, even Voldemort wouldn't dare to provoke them easily. If he did, with his penchant for recruiting giants, he would undoubtedly covet the dragons as instruments of war.
"In that case, let's find another place to talk. This is not a suitable place for a chat," Drols said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Although he often worked in such high-temperature environments, it didn't mean he enjoyed conversing in such conditions.
He led the trio to an office not far away... It was more of a stone hut than an office, but at least it kept the wind out.
Drols stepped inside, first gulping down a jug of water, before turning to ask, "What brings you here?"
"It's nothing much," Newt said, turning to nudge Kyle forward. "He has some business regarding the Fire Dragon Reserve."
"Business?" Drols asked, puzzled.
He didn't recall the Fire Dragon Reserve owing anyone money.
If anyone else had said this to him, he would have turned around and left without another word. But the speaker was Newt Scamander, and that changed things...
As one of the most important guests and partners of the Fire Dragon Reserve, Newt had contributed as much as anyone else, and they held him in high regard.
Not to mention that Headmaster Dumbledore had accompanied him as well.
So, even though it seemed unlikely, Drols still looked at Kyle intently and asked, "May I see it?"
"Of course," Kyle nodded and handed over a piece of parchment.
When Drols laid eyes on the parchment, he froze.
This was genuine; the magical contract was all too familiar to him, unique to the Fire Dragon Reserve, and that signature...
Birdman Stryke, the first person in charge of the reserve.
Drols hastily held onto the parchment and examined it carefully, his expression shifting from puzzled to shocked and then to disbelief...
"This is... a donation certificate?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly. "Merlin's beard, are you that mysterious benefactor?"
He shook his head again. "No, that's not right. The ages don't match up. The reserve received this donation about a hundred years ago, but you're not even twenty years old yet. If I'm not mistaken, this should be from your predecessor, right?"
"Is there a problem?" Kyle asked, not denying it. Anyway, even if he explained, Drols probably wouldn't believe him.
"Of course not," Drols shook his head, his face serious. "In fact, we've been looking for this person. Their contribution to the reserve is immeasurable, but I'm curious as to why there's only Mr. Bird's signature on it."
"Maybe it was the custom back then," Kyle said. "After all, you can't fake a magical contract, can you?"
Of course, it wasn't a matter of custom, but Kyle's request. It was 1899, after all, and he couldn't very well sign his own name.
At the time, Bird didn't understand his request either, but since Kyle didn't seem to mind, and he was eager to receive the donation, Bird didn't give it much thought.
"That's true," Drols said, handing the parchment back to Kyle. "If I'm not mistaken, you're here to collect the accrued profits, right?"
"Yes," Kyle nodded. "Is that possible?"
"Of course," Drols said with a sudden smile. "We've been waiting for almost a hundred years. Since no one has come forward to claim it, the money has been deposited in Gringotts' vault."
"How much is there?" Kyle asked curiously.
"Six thousand three hundred and fifty galleons," Drols replied.
Kyle raised an eyebrow. It seemed that as the Fire Dragon Reserve had developed, his profits had increased as well.
Was six thousand galleons a lot?
It certainly was. Even if the Head of the Department of Magic saved up all his salary, it would take him six years to accumulate that amount.
But on the other hand, it wasn't that much, considering purchasing power. Three thousand galleons from a hundred years ago would be worth at least tens of thousands today.
Of course, that kind of calculation didn't apply to Kyle; overall, he had definitely made a profit.
Even Dumbledore was surprised, as he had witnessed the whole process.
Wow, three thousand galleons had doubled in the blink of an eye. This money had come faster than robbing Gringotts; why hadn't he thought of it before?
What, amnesia?
Alright then, no problem.
(End of Chapter)
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