Chapter 863: Let's Have a Drink
Chapter 863: Let's Have a Drink
"You want to find the Basilisk? Of course, no problem. Just do a roll for me first..."
"Bang!"
In a cloud of dust, Kyle struggled to free himself from a tangle of vines, sitting on the ground and grimacing as he rubbed his shoulder.
Not far away, Newt, who was weighing the Lion Dragon, glanced over and, with a sigh of exasperation, rubbed his forehead. He then drew his wand.
"Rapid Restriction!"
Over a dozen vines as thick as bowls flew in from all directions, tightly wrapping around the Hungarian Horntail's limbs and tail, forcing it to stay in place. They also didn't forget to bind its mouth to prevent it from spewing dragon flame.
"Thanks," Kyle said, limping over.
Honestly, getting swiped by a dragon's tail really hurt. Even with prior preparation and a spell to block the two-foot-long spikes on its tail, Kyle felt like his body had fallen apart.
"I can still help you for now, but I think it's best if you don't provoke it again," Newt said without turning around.
"I know, I just wanted to test its tolerance," Kyle shrugged.
The Horntail had been bitten by the Basilisk some time ago. Although it didn't die from the poison, it had been unconscious for several days, and even after waking up, it still seemed unsteady.
However, the Horntail didn't seem to care about its condition. As soon as it could fly, it started searching for the Basilisk all over the world, seeking revenge.
Then Kyle appeared at the right moment, releasing the Basilisk and forcing it back to its cave for a nap when they were in the heat of battle.
This process... to be honest, was a bit dangerous, mainly because the Horntail shifted its target to Kyle after the Basilisk's retreat.
Fortunately, Newt was there to save Kyle from the dragon's mouth at the critical moment.
After that, Kyle became a well-intentioned parent who kept them apart, preventing them from meeting.
However, neither side seemed to appreciate his efforts.
"Listen," Kyle said, pointing at the Horntail's chin with annoyance, "if you hit me with your tail again, I swear I'll make the Basilisk hide in the cave for two hundred years, and you'll never see it again."
The Horntail's eyes instantly turned into a vertical line, and its body started struggling fiercely.
Whether it was intentional or due to the Horntail's immense strength, the vines binding it were quickly torn apart.
The Horntail ripped off the restraints on its mouth and charged towards Kyle.
Kyle remained calm, "Come on, kill me. You'll never find the Basilisk to take revenge."
The Horntail paused, then lifted its body and flew past Kyle.
"Pfft, you want to fight me?" Kyle extended his left hand and flipped the middle finger at the Horntail.
This action infuriated the Horntail, and it started spewing dragon flame everywhere, causing another chaotic scene.
Interestingly, none of the flames were directed at Kyle.
"Oh well," Newt sighed again.
This was probably his umpteenth sigh. He had originally wanted Kyle to use the Basilisk to restrain the Horntail and gradually build a bond while it was injured and vulnerable.
Kyle's ability to communicate with magical creatures was his greatest advantage. Even if the Horntail's personality made it unlikely to become as friendly as Norbert, normal interactions should have been possible.
But Newt never expected Kyle to choose a more aggressive approach. He was certain that if the Horntail defeated the Basilisk one day, it would probably give Kyle a fiery bath with its dragon flame.
Kyle had spoken too quickly, and by the time Newt realized something was amiss, it was too late to stop him.
Oh well, let it be.
Newt combed through the Lion Dragon's mane, where the spikes were gradually hardening, ignoring the Horntail's tantrum in the distance as if he hadn't seen anything.
Even if that day came, Kyle's current strength was sufficient to handle the Horntail. There was no need for Newt to worry.
Newt fidgeted with the Lion Dragon's spikes again, seemingly a bit impatient. The little dragon sneezed out two fireballs from its nostrils, almost setting Newt's beard on fire.
Kyle raised an eyebrow. No wonder it was called the Fireball Dragon; the fireballs it sneezed out were perfectly round.
He sat down, and the Ukrainian Ironbelly and Romanian Longhorn Dragons immediately ran over from a distance, their massive heads nudging forward.
Kyle's mood improved, and he took out a large pile of snacks to feed them.
Speaking of which, raising dragons required starting with dragon eggs; the experience was much better than dealing with a stubborn species.
If only the Fire Dragon Sanctuary allowed returns... Kyle glanced at the still-agitated Hungarian Horntail and felt a wave of dislike.
They were both fire dragons, but why was there such a huge gap between them?
"How's it going? Any progress?" Kyle asked, turning to Newt.
"I've solved quite a few mysteries. The next edition of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' can expand on the content about Lion Dragons," Newt replied.
"When?"
"It might take a while. Lockner's new paper is about to be published, and the new magical creatures will be the main content of the new edition," Newt said.
"I see," Kyle nodded, unable to resist reaching out to pet the Lion Dragon.
Two more fireballs were sneezed out, but this time, Newt wasn't so lucky. His hair and beard started smoking, accompanied by a burnt smell.
(End of Chapter 63)
"If you're really that bored, go and take care of Dobby's Dementor. He's too scared to even go near it," Newt said exasperatedly. "I have no idea where you got that thing, and what do you even feed it?"
"Nothing," Kyle replied casually. "That thing doesn't seem to die anyway."
To be honest, if it weren't for the box renovation, he would have almost forgotten about the Dementor.
The Dementor's habitat was in a secluded cold area, and with only one of them, Kyle might not have remembered it at all. After helping Newt pat out the flames on his head, Kyle flipped over and sat on the nearby Ukrainian Ironbelly's back, patting its side.
The little creature immediately stood up, spread its wings, and carried Kyle forward. Although it wasn't as fast as a fully grown dragon, it still felt pretty good.
Dobby was in a dark cave not far away, holding a wooden bucket and shivering as Kyle approached.
"Sir..."
When Kyle arrived, Dobby's two tennis ball-sized eyes looked at him pitifully.
"I understand. Leave it to me."
Jumping off the dragon's back, Kyle took the bucket, opened the lid, and threw it out.
A glowing sphere emerged from the bucket, resembling a firefly. Simultaneously, frost formed on the inner walls of the cave, and a Dementor wearing a black hood floated out at an incomprehensible speed. It crawled next to the bucket and devoured the glowing spheres into its mouth.
Dobby became even more terrified, unconsciously leaning against a nearby rock.
"What is this?" Kyle asked curiously.
"It's... Lantern Grass... Iris..." Dobby's voice trembled, feeling his tongue was about to knot.
Kyle glanced at him and then led him out of the cave.
Once outside, Dobby finally regained his composure, breathing heavily as if he had just survived a disaster.
"You mentioned Lantern Grass and Iris, and what else?"
"Put them inside a glowing hound's body for an hour, then take them out and roast them. Mix the smoke with a Winged Horse's saliva," Dobby explained. "Mr. Newt instructed me to do this."
A glowing hound... a Patronus? Kyle stroked his chin, recalling that Newt's Patronus was a Basset Hound with adorable short legs.
Since a Patronus represented happiness, the herbs that came into contact with it would undergo some changes. But could 'happiness' really be extended to herbs?
Kyle wasn't sure... but the Dementor seemed to enjoy its meal, not only devouring all the glowing spheres but even starting to rub its face against the bucket, looking like it hadn't eaten in days.
Kyle clicked his tongue.
You're a Dementor, the terrifying guard of Azkaban, the embodiment of darkness and evil, and here you are licking the plate? Wouldn't you be ashamed if people knew?
Fortunately, a Ukrainian Ironbelly flew over from a distance, bringing news from Newt.
Dumbledore had arrived.
Kyle immediately stopped worrying about the Dementor and started returning with Dobby. The poor house-elf nearly fainted when he sat on the dragon's back.
From a distance, Kyle spotted Dumbledore.
"Professor, is it done?" he asked eagerly.
"Of course," Dumbledore smiled and held out a box, opening it. "Do you want to take a look? I assure you it will meet your expectations.
Kyle jumped right in.
The box had transformed significantly; half of the forest had disappeared, replaced by towering cliffs and crags. Thankfully, there were no blue castles or pink trees, and everything seemed normal except for the oddly shaped cliffs.
The original lake had expanded several times over, stretching as far as the eye could see. A large island had also emerged in the center, which seemed familiar to Kyle.
"This is modeled after Newt's box," Dumbledore approached from behind. "I guess the Hungarian Horntail will love this environment, and you have the same type of dragon."
If you were to ask a United Kingdom wizard what their most prized possession was, hair would undoubtedly rank in the top three. It was rare for someone of Dumbledore's age to not wear a wig.
He'd rather have Fawkes peck at his beard than let anyone near his hair.
So when Kyle opened his mouth to ask for a strand, Dumbledore was taken aback.
"Polyjuice Potion," Kyle explained. "In fact, for a while after the start of term, it was me impersonating the headmaster, not the real you. So as long as we deliver the necessary items to Professor McGonagall before the start of term, it should be fine."
"You, impersonating me?" Dumbledore was stunned.
Before coming here, he had inquired about recent events and knew that 'Dumbledore' had appeared at the school more than once.
But at the time, his mind was solely focused on Ariana, so he didn't give it much thought and assumed it was himself.
He never expected it to be Polyjuice Potion.
But now, he didn't need to worry. Seeing Ariana's previous state, it seemed like she had important matters to attend to.
"So, I didn't actually go back to school?"
"No," Kyle said. "At least, I never saw another Dumbledore while I was at school."
As he spoke, Kyle rummaged through his Transformation Lizard Hide Bag.
"Fortunately, there's one more bottle, which should be enough." He took out a small vial containing a grayish-brown, viscous liquid potion.
The Polyjuice Potion, which Kyle had previously acquired from Slughorn's office, had been used in 1899, leaving only this last bottle.
Kyle then turned to Dumbledore and winked.
"Alright, I understand," Dumbledore sighed. "But I think if it's just Polyjuice Potion, the beard shouldn't be a problem..."
"It's fine," Kyle assured him.
Dumbledore's hair and beard were of similar length and color, so he couldn't be certain which it was.
As long as it worked, that was all that mattered.
Dumbledore turned around, and in a moment, he had a silvery-white beard in his hand. It seemed like only one side had been pulled, resulting in a sparse and dense contrast, making it look odd.
Kyle opened his mouth to speak.
He wanted to say that he hadn't been impersonating the headmaster the entire time and that it wasn't necessary to go to such lengths. But he feared that saying this would further distress Dumbledore, so he held back.
Kyle took out an envelope and placed the Polyjuice Potion and beard inside.
The two stepped outside the box, and Dobby had already prepared dinner—roasted bread with a hint of stew aroma.
"Professor, you also need to write a letter to Professor McGonagall, informing her that I'll be impersonating the headmaster for the time being."
"What's the content?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't know," Kyle shrugged. "I only glanced at the letter before tossing it aside, so I didn't remember the details... Hmm, just write whatever."
"Alright."
Before long, a letter was written.
Kyle took a quick glance, and his memory immediately flashed back to when he was on the Hogwarts Express.
At that time, upon seeing this letter, he couldn't help but curse Dumbledore for being forgetful.
After finishing the letter, Dumbledore and Kyle hastily ate a few bites of roasted bread before parting ways with Newt. They needed to deliver these items to Professor McGonagall before the start of term.
This wasn't difficult. Professor McGonagall usually returned to the castle a week before the start of term, and they could send the letter in through any owl.
Using a Portkey, the two arrived at Hogsmeade. At this time, Professor McGonagall should be preparing the list of new students for tomorrow.
Kyle walked into the nearby Owl Post Office and spent three Sickles to send the letter.
When the owl was informed that the letter was addressed to Hogwarts, the shopkeeper gave Kyle a strange look, as if he were looking at an undernourished giant.
This was the first time he had seen someone travel all the way here using a Portkey just to send a letter to Hogwarts?
Why not just walk to Hogwarts directly? It was only a few minutes away, and it would save some money.
Moreover, a wizard capable of using a Portkey wouldn't likely be unable to afford an owl.
But since they were already here, he didn't say anything. He took the Sickles and casually stuffed the letter into the owl's claws.
Of course, Kyle had his own owl, but there was no way he'd let Rat on deliver this letter. Besides, the Portkey was made by Dumbledore, and he had just followed along.
As Kyle exited the post office, he happened to see Dumbledore staring absentmindedly towards the direction of the Three Broomsticks.
"Haven't you gone to see Aberforth yet?"
"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "I was thinking of sharing this good news with him, but Ariana said the time wasn't right yet and asked me to wait."
"Can you tell him now?"
"Almost," Dumbledore said.
"In that case, why did we come all the way here?"
"Because I suddenly realized I might not have visited the Three Broomsticks as a regular customer. Every time I went, he'd scold me."
Dumbledore rubbed his crooked nose and suddenly smiled mischievously. "Kyle, how about I treat you to a drink?"
(End of Chapter)
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