Chapter 866: Surprise, Surprise
Chapter 866: Surprise, Surprise
Kyle lingered outside the door, listening, and soon pieced together the reason for Narcissa and Snape's presence here.
Narcissa wanted Draco Malfoy to return to Hogwarts or, more precisely, to be under Dumbledore's protection again.
It was common knowledge among witches and wizards that the headmaster was unusually lenient towards his students, always offering a chance for redemption as long as they hadn't crossed a certain line.
Take Draco Malfoy, for instance. If it had been any other headmaster, he would have been killed ten times over just for letting Death Eaters into Hogwarts.
Yet, Dumbledore had not only spared Draco but also saved his life when he was engulfed by the fierce inferno on the tower's roof. Afterward, the punishment meted out had been a mere dismissal, which held no real weight.
Because of this, both Narcissa and Lucius had once breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that their adversary was so benevolent.
However, the situation seemed to have changed. Their enemy now included a ruthless individual who had slain seventy Death Eaters in under an hour—a feat so terrifying that even the most vicious Death Eater couldn't boast of such a body count.
And so, they panicked.
If Draco encountered Kyle, he would most likely suffer the same fate as Bellatrix, for being a part of the Death Eaters meant that Voldemort decided his fate, not them.
Given Voldemort's nature, it was only a matter of time before Draco faced off against Kyle.
The only way they could think of to keep Draco alive was to send him back to school, back under Dumbledore's protection.
Thus, Narcissa had sought out Snape, the current headmaster of Hogwarts, hoping to pull some strings.
Tsk.
Having figured out their scheme, Kyle narrowed his eyes.
They were portraying him as some kind of all-powerful, evil villain, when in truth, there was not a single drop of blood on his magical record. His magic was as clean as a blank sheet of paper.
And here was Narcissa Malfoy, slandering him so maliciously.
This displeased Kyle, and he stroked the lock on the box, contemplating whether to let the venomous leopard out for a moment to liven things up for the people in the room.
"Perhaps you should be thanking Kyle..."
At that moment, Snape said something through his Extendable Ears that made Kyle discard a certain thought.
"The Dark Lord has long been displeased with Lucius for his repeated blunders. If it weren't for Bellatrix taking matters into her own hands this time, you might have been discarded already."
Being discarded by the Dark Lord meant losing one's value. Typically, such a Death Eater would meet one of two ends: a Killing Curse or an impossible task.
For instance, the previous order to have Draco Malfoy assassinate Dumbledore.
Success would be ideal.
But if he failed, it would be a convenient way to have Dumbledore kill Draco Malfoy, disciplining Lucius in the process while also vexing Dumbledore—a desirable outcome as well.
However, he hadn't anticipated Dumbledore's magnanimity in sparing the very person responsible for the attack on the school.
Nonetheless, Voldemort didn't seem to mind. He didn't deign to spare a glance for the life or death of such insignificant beings. His only thought was to have Draco make multiple assassination attempts.
Dumbledore's soft-heartedness actually played into his hands.
It was only after the incident in the Valley of Gordric that Voldemort temporarily abandoned the idea of using Draco as a disposable tool. Bellatrix was dead, and the Death Eaters had suffered heavy losses, so he needed his remaining followers to carry out his plans.
"This may sound a bit harsh, but your sister saved your lives... at the cost of her own," Snape said slowly.
Narcissa's sobs grew louder.
"I... I know... But I... I really have no other choice."
"Severus... Draco is your godson... Please... save him..."
Narcissa's voice was broken, as if she might pass out at any moment, and even Kyle, standing outside the door, felt a twinge of sympathy.
He hesitated, considering whether to open the door and tell her that he didn't actually want to kill Draco Malfoy. But given Narcissa's current state, Kyle felt that she might not want to see his face right now.
"There might be a way, but it certainly isn't to have Draco return to Hogwarts," Snape said, sounding irritated. "His identity as a Death Eater is practically public knowledge now. Even if Dumbledore agrees, do you think the other parents would allow a Death Eater to remain at the school?"
"Then why did you ask me to come here!"
Unlike the tearful Narcissa, the hot-blooded young Draco showed little respect to Snape. "You brought me here just to tell me, to my face, that I'm as good as dead?
"Ha! My dear headmaster, how kind of you."
"Don't be like that... Draco... Don't..." Narcissa tried to soothe the enraged Draco, to no avail.
"Mother, can't you see? He's just enjoying our misery!
"Let's go. Even if I get killed the moment I step out of this door, I don't need his help."
A series of footsteps followed.
"Stop!" Snape commanded coldly.
But Draco, in the throes of anger, paid him no heed. Kyle saw the door open slightly, and he quickly hid to the side.
(End of Chapter)
"I said, there is a way, but whether or not to do it is up to you to decide."
"We're willing!" Narcissa interrupted Draco before he could speak, "We'll do whatever it takes, as long as it keeps Draco alive."
"Then give it a try. Go find Dumbledore without being discovered by the Dark Lord... Wait, Draco, what's that in your pocket!"
Pocket?
Kyle's heart skipped a beat.
Could the Extendable Ears he had tossed into Draco's pocket during their scuffle have been discovered?
Before he could react, the wall next to him was sliced open by an invisible, sharp blade. Something grazed his hair, flying past and neatly cutting a wooden bucket in half.
"Sectumsempra... Is that you, Snape?!"
Kyle muttered to himself, but his feet didn't stop; he quickly ran away.
At the same time, the door was flung open, and a grim-faced Snape rushed out, his expression as cold as ice as he surveyed the empty street.
"Damn it," he turned abruptly to Draco Malfoy, "You idiot! How could you not realize you were being tailed?"
"Impossible... That's impossible..." Draco panicked, "I was careful on my way here, there was no one following me!"
"If no one was following you, then what's this?" Snape angrily crushed the 'ears' in his hand and threw them at Draco.
"Eavesdropping device. If I'm not mistaken, our entire conversation has been leaked." Snape clenched his teeth, his voice colder than ice, "You'd better pray that the one tailing you isn't a Death Eater, or we're all dead."
The last time Snape was this angry was when he saw Connor kiss Kyle.
But this time was different. Before, he was merely angry and wanted to give Kyle a haircut with Sectumsempra, but now, he also felt an uncontrollable fear.
If their conversation, especially the last part, had been overheard by Voldemort, then none of them would survive.
No matter how much he needed people, Voldemort would never tolerate anyone with divided loyalties by his side.
With this thought, Snape abruptly waved his wand, sending a shallow ripple that rapidly spread in all directions.
However, as the ripple passed a corner, it seemed to hesitate for a moment.
"There!"
A flash of red light shot out but missed its target.
"Invisibility Cloak... It must be Potter, it has to be!" Draco exclaimed excitedly, "That damn scarhead..."
But before he could finish, he met Snape's emotionless gaze.
"Potter only has one Invisibility Cloak, and I've seen it." Draco's voice immediately lowered, "It must have been him following me."
"Did you swap brains with a troll?" Snape said coldly, "Potter is still at Hogwarts, taking Transfiguration class at this very moment. What makes you think he'd be here in Knockturn Alley, tailing you?"
Draco froze.
That was right. He had been expelled, but Harry Potter hadn't. At this time, Potter should still be in school, attending classes.
"I'll hold them off here. Go now, as fast as you can, and contact Lucius!" Snape took a deep breath, "Tell him that if he finds someone who is eager to meet the Dark Lord, even if he will be punished afterward, he must kill that person at all costs... Perhaps that's the only way for us to survive."
"What are you waiting for? Go now!"
Snape's furious shout finally snapped Narcissa out of her daze. She grabbed Draco and ran into a nearby alley.
Due to the unexpected turn of events, Narcissa was already in a panic. In this state, she couldn't possibly Apparate, so in order to contact Lucius, they had to leave this place and use the Floo Network at the nearest apothecary, Borgin and Burkes.
Watching their retreat, Snape cursed inwardly, feeling even more agitated.
With such incompetent teammates, it was only a matter of time before he was dragged down with them.
However...
Snape glanced at the broken eavesdropping device on the ground.
Draco's words had also reminded him of something.
Potter... No, it was the other two.
Fred and George... This kind of magical device was very much in the style of the Weasley twins.
Moreover, Snape recalled that they had opened a joke shop in Diagon Alley, selling various items that violated school rules.
Snape frowned.
Given the Weasley family's penchant for meddling, if they saw the expelled Death Eater, Draco Malfoy, wandering around Diagon Alley alone, they would surely do something.
More importantly, Death Eaters would never patronize the Weasley family's shop, especially with the offensive advertisements mocking Voldemort displayed in their window.
So, were Fred and George the ones who had been tailing Draco? It was highly probable.
For some reason, Snape felt relieved.
At least it wasn't a Death Eater; the situation was still manageable.
With this realization, Snape glanced at the corner that had been hit by his curse, but unfortunately... The moment they realized they had been discovered, they fled, and his curse was a step too late.
(End of Chapter)
"Damn it!"
Snape cursed and sprinted towards Diagon Alley.
Regardless, he needed to head to Weasley's joke shop to confirm something. If the person tailing Draco was Fred and George, then it was manageable. But if it wasn't...
Snape narrowed his eyes and quickened his pace.
At the same time, in another alley, Narcissa was dragging Draco as they fled in a panic. However, the next second, a person appeared out of thin air in front of them.
The person seemed to be out for a stroll, with a gentle smile on their face. But upon seeing him, Draco's eyes widened in fear, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Ky... Kyle..."
"Surprise, surprise," Kyle said with a smile. "What a coincidence, are you here to play in Knockturn Alley too?"
Upon seeing his face, Draco involuntarily recalled the gruesome scene in the Valley of Gordric, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
At this moment, Draco really wanted to slap himself hard. He had only been speaking in anger, not actually expecting to run into Kyle outside.
"You want to..."
Before Narcissa, whose mind was in a mess, could say anything, she was hit by a Stunning Spell and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Stunned," Kyle said casually.
"Mother!"
Draco's eyes turned red. At this moment, anger replaced his fear, and he pointed his wand at Kyle.
"I'm the one who wants to kill you... My mother has nothing to do with this, let her go..."
"Do you think I'm a fool?"
Kyle shrugged, "As incompetent as Filch is, he wouldn't be stupid enough to let you bring that opal necklace into the school. Who do you think sent it in?"
"I... I have my ways." Draco stiffened his neck and said, "Anyway, I did that all by myself, my mother knows nothing about it, so if you want to do something, do it to me."
"Okay, at least you have some backbone." Kyle smiled and casually waved his left hand, "But it's better that she doesn't know about what's going to happen next... for her own safety."
The vines on the left wall suddenly started to grow wildly, and in the blink of an eye, they became as thick as wrists and twisted like snakes, wrapping around the still-dazed Draco.
Then, the vines contracted, binding Draco tightly to the wall.
"Kyle, what are you doing? You..."
"Shh, be quiet." Kyle pointed his wand at Draco's forehead and calmly said, "Legilimens!"
Draco's eyes became unfocused, and memories flashed through his mind like a movie, which Kyle could also see.
"Is the Dark Lord really that furious?"
"Tsk, after all, he was a loyal follower. To show such cruelty towards Bellatrix and discard her like that, what are you following him for?"
"Oh... I didn't expect you to have suffered the Cruciatus Curse as well, and you managed to pull through. Good for you."
As Kyle flipped through Draco's memories, he tried to find out Voldemort's next plan.
But perhaps due to Draco's low status, he couldn't find what he was looking for. After being arbitrarily punished by Voldemort for some made-up reason, he hadn't seen the Dark Lord again.
Kyle lowered his wand.
At this moment, Draco looked like he had just been pulled out of water, drenched in cold sweat.
"What... what do you want...?"
"It's not what I want, it's what you want." Kyle looked at him, "Do you want to live?"
"You should just kill me." Draco lifted his head, his eyes filled with bone-deep hatred, "Otherwise, I swear I will kill you, I swear it!"
"I think it's in your best interest to control your emotions in this situation. Such provocation could get you killed." Kyle slightly adjusted the direction of his wand, pointing it at the unconscious Narcissa.
"Wait... Kyle, I was wrong, I shouldn't have threatened you, I..."
"Obliviate!"
A flash of white light passed, and Narcissa seemed to stir slightly.
"If the Dark Lord finds out you've seen me, it won't bode well for you. It's safer if you forget everything that happened here." Kyle put away his wand, "By the way, what were you saying?"
"I..." Draco was thoroughly confused.
He initially thought Kyle was there to kill them, but now it seemed otherwise.
After all, if that was his intention, there was no need for all these extra steps.
"What are you trying to do?"
"Have you calmed down now?" Kyle nodded, "It's simple. The Dark Lord has been too quiet lately, and I want to know what he's plotting. So, I need a Death Eater to help me deliver a message."
"As a reward." Kyle thought for a moment, "After it's done, how about I let you return to Hogwarts? Your mother must want you to go back."
...
(End of Chapter)
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