Chapter 870: Don't Explain, I Understand
Chapter 870: Don't Explain, I Understand
France.
The Pyrenees Mountains were shrouded in thick clouds at dusk, and due to the mist magic personally set up by Nicoleme, not many people were watching.
However, today, Beauxbatons welcomed a guest from afar.
Kyle cautiously made his way through the mist and appeared near the Magic Fountain.
He looked up at the hilltop manor houses that blended into one, carefully identifying them.
"They all look the same. Which one is Professor Viktor's office again?"
Beauxbatons was different from Hogwarts; there were more rooms, and due to the prevalence of alchemy, the classroom structures had undergone varying degrees of changes.
For example, the underground classroom at Hogwarts had real darkness outside the windows, relying solely on artificial lighting. But Beauxbatons was different; the windows of the underground classrooms might have an additional opening on the second floor, allowing for easy switching between dim and bright lighting.
Moreover, these were not the kind of magical windows found in the Ministry of Magic. They were actual windows opened on the second floor, and the process was simple. All it took was some alchemical modifications to the walls and the creation of a magical passage between the two windows to transport sunlight.
Of course, it only appeared simple; Kyle couldn't do it... But for Nicoleme or Viktor, it shouldn't be difficult.
So, what he was seeing now might not be the actual location of the classroom.
"I should've taken note of the location during my last visit." Kyle searched for a while, shook his head, and said, "Forget it, I won't look anymore. Thankfully, I prepared a backup plan."
Kyle waited a bit longer. An owl flew in from outside, flapping its wings. The mist magic seemed to have no effect on it.
The owl landed on the nearby Magic Fountain, its big eyes looking over curiously.
This was an owl that Kyle had encountered on his way, hired with two bags of owl nuts.
Although it wasn't the standard procedure, Kyle had offered too much—two large bags of imported nuts that could last a month. The only task was to deliver two letters, and no owl could refuse such an offer.
Hmm... The nuts were imported from the United Kingdom, so they should be considered imported goods for French owls.
"This is the second letter." Kyle took the empty envelope with 'Beauxbatons, Magic Fountain' written on it from the owl's claws and took out another plump one tied to its leg. "Deliver this to Professor Viktor, the alchemist."
He used two letters because Kyle was concerned about potential mishaps... Although the likelihood was small, it was better to be cautious.
After all, it was just an extra bag of nuts, nothing too troublesome.
But now, there was no need for that. The owl wouldn't lose the letters at Beauxbatons, would it?
Kyle took out a cloth bag and placed it next to the fountain.
The owl immediately flew towards a window not too far away... That should be where Professor Viktor was.
Indeed, delivering letters was best left to professionals.
Kyle nodded in satisfaction and put the third bag of nuts into the cloth bag as the final payment.
Just then, he witnessed a jaw-dropping scene.
Phoenix Fox, at some point, had also flown out and was following the owl. When the owl reached Professor Viktor's window, Phoenix Fox, like a bully, snatched the envelope from its claws without a word and flapped its wings, sending the owl flying onto a nearby tree.
Could an owl defeat a phoenix? Of course not.
But it didn't dare retrieve the letter, and it could only return to Kyle's side, its eyes filled with a mixture of confusion, shock, and anger.
Don't think it didn't know that the red-feathered bird and the wizard were accomplices; it had seen them together.
... Were wizards playing so rough these days, tricking and deliberately cheating a weak and pitiful owl? If they didn't want to give it the nuts, they could've just said so; it wasn't insisting on having those two bags.
Kyle awkwardly laughed twice.
To be honest, he hadn't expected Fox to pull such a stunt... Could it be because of what was said in the Headmaster's Office?
In this situation, it could be considered that Fox had delivered the letter... right?
But a phoenix... Why argue with an owl? Was it necessary? It was a professional messenger.
Kyle watched the returning red figure and silently took out the third bag of nuts, putting them into the cloth bag.
With things having come this far, what else could he do? He had to compensate, couldn't let the owl be flapped away for nothing.
The owl stopped staring at Kyle and picked up the bag, struggling with the weight of the nuts. But it didn't hesitate and flew away, as if avoiding something terrifying.
Kyle watched the returning phoenix and could only sigh, giving it a thumbs up.
Well done.
Fox was calm and collected, holding its head high as if nothing had happened.
Fine, let it be.
Kyle sighed. The items had been delivered, and the process wasn't that important, at least for now. All three parties seemed satisfied.
"Who's there!" A stern voice shouted from a distance, and several wizards in the same robes ran towards them. They had probably heard the commotion and were coming to investigate.
They were all young and robust, and they drew their wands from a distance.
Beauxbatons had excellent security, unlike Hogwarts, where the incompetent Filch handled the entire school's security duties.
Not only that, Filch also had to take on cleaning and checking for prohibited items, holding multiple positions but receiving only one salary... Thinking about it, the Headmasters of Hogwarts were truly shameless.
"It's getting late, we should head back," Kyle said, glancing at the darkening sky and addressing Fawkes.
A flash of flame, and in an instant, the man and the phoenix disappeared from sight.
Having a phoenix certainly had its advantages; it only took a few seconds to travel between countries, and there was no risk of being traced by the Ministry of Magic. However, the process was not exactly comfortable.
"It's okay, Fawkes, you can go back," Kyle said, rubbing his forehead and taking a moment to recover.
Fawkes tilted his head, examining Kyle, and let out a crisp call.
"Oh, don't worry about me, I..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Kyle frowned and took out a special galleon from his pocket. The coin now had an additional, noticeable scratch on its surface.
The messenger galleon, with the other one in Dobby's possession, had changed, indicating that Dobby was searching for him.
Without hesitation, Kyle apparated to the Cauldron Pub and quickly made his way to his shop.
"I didn't expect there to be a shop like this here. It's finally added some class to Diagon Alley."
Before even stepping inside, Kyle heard a familiar voice—that obnoxious tone could only belong to Malfoy.
No wonder Dobby had notified him; he had arrived so soon? Kyle paused at the entrance, waved his wand, and then entered.
Indeed, Malfoy was inside, accompanied by Narcissa.
Dobby stood awkwardly to the side, his body seemingly frozen in place. Despite Kyle's prior instructions, upon seeing his former master, Dobby instinctively felt afraid.
Technically, he had betrayed the Malfoy family, and in the mindset of house-elves, betrayal was a grave sin.
If it weren't for Dobby's insistence, Kyle would have replaced him with Klick already. It seemed that Dobby had overestimated his own instincts.
Comically, at such close proximity, neither Malfoy nor Narcissa seemed to recognize the house-elf acting as a shop assistant as their former servant, Dobby.
However, it made sense; the Dobby they knew was filthy, wearing a tea towel dirtier than the rags at the Hog's Head. In contrast, the current Dobby had a clean and healthy complexion and was dressed appropriately, making it understandable that they didn't recognize him.
As Kyle entered, he intentionally exposed his wand, which caught Dobby's attention. Dobby exclaimed with delight, "Sir, you're back!"
"Yes," Kyle nodded, "I'll attend to these esteemed guests. You can go outside for now."
Dobby scurried out like he had just been pardoned.
"Such a rule-breaker," Narcissa frowned slightly, "If he were our house-elf, I'd throw a piece of clothing at him."
Although Kyle had witnessed her crying, a snotty and tearful mess, Narcissa maintained the Malfoy family's customary arrogance and habit of looking down her nose at others in public.
"So, you're the shop owner here." She scrutinized Kyle up and down, frowning, "You don't look British.
"I graduated from Beauxbatons," Kyle replied with a smile.
He now resembled one of the guards at Beauxbatons, having just seen one and made a lasting impression.
And Malfoy wouldn't have gone to Beauxbatons, so there was no risk of being recognized.
"Beauxbatons..." Narcissa asked again, seemingly unconvinced, "Are you really the shop owner?"
"Of course," Kyle affirmed.
"Impossible," Narcissa stared at him, "If you're not British, how could you own property in Diagon Alley?"
"Madam..." Kyle smiled, "Although I'm not British, galleons are universal."
"Hmph, so you bought it?" Narcissa scoffed, "Who sold it to you!"
"That's a trade secret, madam," Kyle smiled.
Narcissa was about to say something more, but Malfoy interrupted her.
"Enough, Mother. What does it matter to us if the Blacks are selling their properties?" He turned to Kyle and asked, "Are all these items genuine?"
"Of course," Kyle patted his chest, "I'm running a shop in Diagon Alley; do you think I'd sell fakes? I can assure you, on Madame Maxime's name, that everything is authentic."
"In that case, I'll take this," he pointed at a sparkling pearl.
"You have good taste..." Kyle's smile widened, "Rock pearls, valuable alchemical materials, and a preferred decorative item symbolizing wealth. Just eighty galleons each."
The pearl was the size of a coin, and one would be worth a month's salary for Mr. Weasley.
"One? Not a whole plate?" Malfoy frowned and put the pearl back.
He put it down...
Kyle was taken aback. Could it be that Malfoy found it too expensive? Moreover, the price he quoted was the standard market rate, with no markup.
Was this the same Draco Malfoy who used to be a spendthrift?
"Since you like it, we'll take it," Narcissa quickly grabbed the pearl and handed it to Malfoy, "You have good taste. This item is indeed rare, and the price is reasonable."
"But Mother, we..."
"It's fine, we can afford this much," Narcissa interrupted, turning to examine the other shelves, "Perhaps we can pick a gift for your godfather..."
"Don't mention him!" Malfoy exploded, as if his tail had been stepped on.
Action:
"You told me to never come to Diagon Alley..." Kyle began, "I think he did it on purpose, to lure you here and make you buy him expensive gifts."
"They're all the same, after our family's wealth."
"Shut up, Draco!" Narcissa glared at Malfoy, then quickly glanced at Kyle.
Kyle discreetly turned his face away, feigning ignorance.
"I hope you never speak like that again, ever!" Narcissa whispered sternly.
Malfoy looked relieved, also grateful that the shop owner wasn't British and most likely not a Death Eater.
Otherwise, if Voldemort had heard Malfoy's words, he would be in deep trouble.
"Severus isn't like that." Narcissa quickly changed the subject, "And his position doesn't require him to do this."
"Then why did he suddenly say those strange things?" Malfoy pouted, "And what danger could there be in Diagon Alley? I think he's up to no good."
Kyle listened to their conversation, now understanding the situation.
Snape, having not obtained the information he sought, turned to Malfoy, intending to remind him to stay away.
This was understandable; as a godfather, Snape had developed some affection for Malfoy, regardless of the reasons.
However, Snape never expected that Malfoy would have no regard for him due to their previous conflict, especially with his rebellious streak... If you tell me not to come, I'll come anyway.
And then he showed up here with his mother.
It was quite a peculiar situation, and Kyle couldn't help but wonder about Snape's expression when he found out.
Kyle suppressed a laugh and played the role of a competent shop assistant, introducing the products to Malfoy and Narcissa.
However, they didn't indulge in shopping like Kyle expected. Instead, they inquired about prices.
This was so unlike Malfoy.
Normally, they would have waved their hands and pointed at a few items, leaving behind the words, "Don't wrap these, but wrap everything else."
Kyle sighed in disappointment.
Taking advantage of Narcissa examining a coral display and Malfoy moving to the other side of the counter, Kyle discreetly drew his wand and positioned himself between them.
"This item will definitely interest you." Kyle suddenly said.
Malfoy instinctively turned his head, only to see a wand swishing in front of his eyes.
"Legilimency."
Although Malfoy's appearance here was coincidental, now that he was here, it would be a waste not to do something.
Malfoy's pupils immediately dilated, and Kyle quickly stepped forward to steady him, all the while staring into his eyes and flipping through his memories like reading a book.
Of course, he didn't need to read everything; Kyle had no interest in Malfoy's personal affairs and only sought information related to the Death Eaters.
It turned out that Malfoy hadn't lied; his position within the Death Eaters was indeed awkward. He was slightly better than cannon fodder but still excluded from the inner circle, earning him ridicule from everyone.
Kyle also saw Bartemius Crouch Jr., who not only treated Draco Malfoy poorly but also showed disrespect towards Lucius. He arrogantly ordered Lucius to prepare a Galleon for their use in Cornwall.
That attitude was like commanding a house-elf, and it seemed to have upset Malfoy. Then, encountering the lecturing Snape, he must have stormed off to Diagon Alley for some retail therapy.
Hmm? Wait, what did Bartemius Crouch Jr. say just now?
Kyle paused for a moment.
But at that moment, Malfoy's eyelid twitched.
Kyle quickly drew his wand again, pointing it at Malfoy's head.
"Memory Charm."
He took two steps back, positioning himself more reasonably.
"Draco, why aren't you speaking?" Narcissa approached them.
"Huh?" Malfoy was still unaware of what had happened, responding with a dazed "Ah?"
"Move aside." Narcissa rudely pushed Kyle aside and asked, "What are you looking at, and why aren't you speaking?"
"I believe your son would love this." Kyle stepped forward and introduced the item, "Thunderbird Feather Quill, a true symbol of status. At his age, he should still be studying at Hogwarts. If he takes this out in class, he'll surely become the center of attention."
"This item might be investigated by the Ministry, and I don't recommend it for ordinary people... But then again, a lady of your caliber wouldn't mind such a minor inconvenience, right?"
Thunderbird feathers were prohibited for trade, but would Malfoy care? Naturally not.
However, Narcissa seemed to have misunderstood something. She stared at Malfoy, her eyes fixed on the feathers, and her eyes reddened.
"Draco, you must really want to go to school..."
"What?" Malfoy finally snapped out of his daze after Kyle's interruption, and responded to Narcissa's words with disdain, "No, I don't want to go to that horrible place."
"Never mind, I understand. Don't worry, I'll find a way." Narcissa's voice was slightly choked, but upon seeing Kyle, she quickly composed herself and scolded, "What are you looking at? Are all students from Beauxbatons so impolite?"
"My apologies, madam." Kyle smiled and returned to his position behind the counter.
...
(End of Chapter)
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