Chapter 884: Dumbledore's Hefty Bill
Chapter 884: Dumbledore's Hefty Bill
"Hmm, this is good, this one too..."
Now that Kyle was back at Hogwarts, he couldn't very well show up empty-handed. Even if he just came for a free lunch.
As he entered the Great Hall, Kyle nonchalantly took a seat between Harry and Hermione and began eating the delicious food before him, oblivious to those around him.
As he ate, he turned to those beside him.
"Why aren't you eating? Aren't you hungry?" Kyle speared the last piece of honey-fried pork chop with his fork.
"If you're not going to eat it, I won't be polite about it."
With that, he took a big bite.
Ron's heart skipped a beat.
He had been eyeing that pork chop for quite some time, and in a moment's distraction, it had landed on Kyle's plate.
That move was too fast.
Also, what are you doing here as a graduate? Are you just here to steal our lunch?
"What brings you here, anyway...?" Hermione asked, voicing his unspoken question.
"Have the Death Eaters done something again?"
"When have the Death Eaters ever behaved?" Kyle swallowed the steak in his mouth and washed it down with a gulp of pumpkin juice.
"As for why I'm here... Didn't I say it already? I'm just here to watch the show."
"Watch the show?" Hermione was even more puzzled. "But the Minister has already left."
Amelia Bones had emerged from the Headmaster's office twenty minutes earlier and hurried out of Hogwarts with Scrimgeour.
No one knew what they had discussed with the Headmaster, but from Bones' calm expression, the three of them seemed to have had a pleasant chat and may have even reached some sort of agreement.
"Yeah, the Minister's gone. What's left to watch?" Ron muttered under his breath.
He was still sore about the honey-fried pork chop.
"Of course, there is." Kyle glanced up at the staff table.
Dumbledore wasn't there, nor was Professor McGonagall.
In fact, after Bones and Scrimgeour had left, Professor McGonagall had promptly gone to the Headmaster's office.
Even Dumbledore, who had wanted to see them out, had been forcibly pulled in.
Kyle stayed behind to see if he would need to send Dumbledore to the hospital wing later.
After all, he was somewhat involved in this matter.
Previously, when he had impersonated Dumbledore, he had promised Professor McGonagall that he wouldn't touch the Time-Turner and that he would leave the dangerous work to the professor.
But he had gone back on his word.
Although there were extenuating circumstances, Professor McGonagall was clearly not pleased.
The Transfiguration professor was quite elderly herself, and constantly bottling up her anger wasn't good for her health.
So, in order to have some peace and quiet and to give Professor McGonagall a suitable outlet for her anger, Kyle decided to throw Dumbledore under the bus.
It wasn't difficult; he just needed to divert the topic and shift the blame.
Professor McGonagall had worked at Hogwarts for several decades, and what she despised the most was irresponsible professors sending students on dangerous adventures. In her opinion, if something was risky, the professors should be at the forefront.
Even though Kyle had graduated, it had only been a few months ago, and in Professor McGonagall's eyes, he was still a student.
Compared to the unknown risks associated with the Time-Turner, the Dark Lord Voldemort was a known and obvious danger.
When Kyle mentioned that he had encountered Voldemort on the Isle of Herpo the Foul, his reckless use of the Time-Turner didn't seem so important anymore.
Adding to that, Dumbledore's sudden disappearance made it easy to shift the blame, even easier than he had imagined.
As for what would happen to Dumbledore... It didn't matter; he wouldn't die, and Professor McGonagall wouldn't actually kill him, would she?
Being over a hundred years old was the right age to take the blame, and this wasn't even the first time. Taking the fall a few more times would be good for his health.
This was a win-win-win situation; everyone was happy.
...
Kyle took another bite of the fried pork chop and, at the same time, took out a box and casually handed it to Harry.
"For me?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Yeah, a gift." Kyle replied.
Huh?
Harry instinctively took the box, not knowing what to make of it.
Inside was a box full of candies he had never seen before, each one bearing the mark of Honeydukes, yet unfamiliar to him.
"Th-thank you," Harry stuttered, "but why? Why are you suddenly giving me a gift?"
"No particular reason," Kyle said, wiping his mouth after finishing his meal. He looked around and said, "Just consider it... my early congratulations to you for Gryffindor consistently placing last in the House Cup for seven years in a row."
As soon as he finished speaking, the faces of those around him darkened.
That was a terrible thing to say. Why would anyone celebrate coming last for seven years in a row?
But they couldn't refute it.
Due to the collective tardiness incident that morning, Gryffindor had been docked three hundred points, putting them far behind the other houses.
Hermione's expression turned even grimmer.
Over the past few years, she had earned the most points for Gryffindor, but three hundred points... Combined with their previous deficit, she would have to answer a lot of questions to make up for it.
Even if she used the Rigid Spell to fix her arm to the classroom, it probably wouldn't be enough.
For a moment, there was an eerie silence at the Gryffindor table.
"It's all Snape's fault," Ron grumbled. "He took fifty points from each seventh-year student who was late... Fifty points each, otherwise it wouldn't be so much."
"The seventh years..." Kyle looked at Ron thoughtfully, "So you went to watch the show even though you knew you had Snape's class next?"
"Yes..." Harry said, then quickly explained, "But we also forgot the time."
"Then it's only fair that you lost those three hundred points." Kyle said calmly, "Knowing that Snape dislikes Gryffindor, why are you still so curious?"
Harry sighed.
Kyle had one more thing to say. Previously, they had all been ready to return to class, but because they met Kyle, they forgot the time as they chatted.
However, this couldn't be blamed on Kyle; after all, he didn't force them to stay.
After lunch, Harry and the others returned to the common room to prepare for their afternoon classes.
Bored and with nothing to do, Kyle had wanted to follow them, but for some reason—perhaps because he had already graduated—Fat Lady at the entrance refused to let him in.
In fact, with Kyle standing there, even Harry and the others couldn't enter the Gryffindor common room.
"You're so stingy; no wonder your singing is so terrible," Kyle muttered.
"What did you say?!" Fat Lady heard him and furiously pressed her face against the frame, looking as if she wanted to climb out of the portrait.
"Come stand in front of me, you tasteless fellow... Everyone says my singing is heavenly," she said, waving her arms.
"Ha! The voice of the biggest toad under the heavens—heavenly, my foot," Kyle said nonchalantly, his arms folded.
"You, how dare you!"
Fat Lady exploded, flailing her arms as if swimming, doing her utmost to climb out of the portrait, her face contorted with effort.
Her hideous expression scared some of the younger Gryffindors, making them tremble.
"Kyle, we need to get our textbooks," Hermione said, rubbing her forehead. She had never seen Fat Lady so angry before.
Although Kyle was speaking the truth—Fat Lady's singing was indeed a bit torturous—they had no choice but to humor her since she controlled access to the common room.
Just like now, Fat Lady, consumed by her desire to teach Kyle a lesson, had completely forgotten her duties, leaving at least a dozen students stranded in the corridor.
"What are you all doing here!"
Just as everyone was at a loss, Professor McGonagall walked over.
"Professor McGonagall, you're just in time..." Fat Lady took a deep breath, preparing to tattle, "He..."
"She's not letting students into the common room," Kyle spoke up first: "Everyone is waiting to review their homework, but Fat Lady insists on not opening the door and makes everyone listen to her singing."
"That's not..." Fat Lady was stunned, "I..."
"Professor, this kind of trend is intolerable," Kyle quickly added, "Everyone's time is precious, especially for fifth and seventh years. An extra minute or a new spell could make a difference in their end-of-term exams, helping them achieve a high score."
"I..."
"Such precious time shouldn't be wasted on listening to someone sing."
"I didn't... It's..."
"She's hindering the progress of our young witches and wizards!"
"No, that's not it..."
"As a graduate, I strongly condemn this abuse of power."
"Bang!"
It was clear that Fat Lady really wanted to climb out of the portrait, as she charged headfirst.
As expected, she collided with an invisible wall and fainted, her eyes rolling back.
The surrounding area fell eerily silent.
Most of those present knew the truth, but they never imagined that things would turn out this way.
It was too bizarre, and some of the younger witches and wizards even began to doubt their memories, wondering if they had somehow blacked out.
Professor McGonagall's eyes twitched.
In fact, from the second time Kyle spoke before Fat Lady, she had a vague idea of what was going on.
Regardless, it was certainly not as Kyle had described.
However, she couldn't interject, and could only watch helplessly as Fat Lady knocked herself out.
"Hoo!" Professor McGonagall took a moment to calm herself.
"The headmaster is looking for you... If you have nothing else to do, go to his office."
"Oh, okay." Kyle turned to leave.
"Wait." Professor McGonagall stopped him.
"Professor, is there something else?"
"Hogwarts is a school," Professor McGonagall said after some deliberation, "You've already graduated, so if you have no business here, it's best not to come back."
Kyle stared at Professor McGonagall, taken aback.
What did she mean? When they needed him to impersonate Dumbledore, they wanted to keep him tied to the school, but now that the real Dumbledore was back, they were kicking him out? Talk about abandoning him after using him... That was a bit much.
"That's it." Professor McGonagall didn't even glance at Kyle, simply waving her hand.
The portrait automatically opened, revealing the passage behind it.
"Hurry up and get back! What are you all still doing here? The longer you stay, the more your end-of-term exam scores will drop from 'Outstanding' to 'Poor'!" she shouted at the crowd.
Hermione blinked, wanting to say that a single minute wouldn't cause such drastic fluctuations in grades—at most, it would only drop from 'Outstanding' to 'Exceeds Expectations'.
But seeing Professor McGonagall's tightly pressed lips, she abandoned the idea and followed the crowd into the passage.
On the other hand...
Seeing that Professor McGonagall was ignoring him, Kyle could only sigh and turn toward the headmaster's office.
The office was also on the eighth floor, very close to the Gryffindor common room—just around the corner.
The stone gargoyle at the entrance was silent, likely because Professor McGonagall had deliberately left it inactive.
Kyle didn't mind and went straight up the spiral staircase behind it.
The oak door at the top of the stairs was also open.
As soon as Kyle entered, he saw a pair of dispirited blue eyes.
"Professor Dumbledore," Kyle exclaimed, "Just what outrageous demands has Minister Bones made to leave you looking so glum?"
"Amelia," Dumbledore said, fixing his gaze on Kyle, "She believes that members of the Order of the Phoenix should be placed under the authority of the Aurors for unified command."
"That is indeed excessive," Kyle said, turning up his nose. "The Ministry of Magic is riddled with Death Eaters; who knows how many spies are lurking within? Unified command... How is that any different from handing our battle plans to You-Know-Who?"
"I agreed."
"What?" Kyle was taken aback. "You agreed?"
"Let's not talk about that now." Dumbledore waved his hand and looked intently at Kyle. "I just want to know how much you did in my name while I was away."
"That... well, not much..." Kyle's gaze wavered.
To be honest, he had forgotten.
Whenever he encountered a difficult situation, he would invoke Dumbledore's name, and if there was any blame to be assigned, he would shift it to Dumbledore as well. As for the exact number of times he had done this, he truly could not remember.
"Then why did Minerva just fly into a rage, saying that I took you to the Hebrides and that you encountered Tom, only to run off on your own afterward?"
Huh?
Kyle raised his head, and he dared to swear upon his own personality that he had no knowledge of this.
What he had told Professor McGonagall was that he had encountered Voldemort on the Hebrides, and that Dumbledore was absent due to other matters.
This was the complete truth, without a hint of fabrication. How on earth had it been twisted like this?
He had only wanted Dumbledore to help shift the blame elsewhere, not to get him killed.
Seeing Kyle's expression of shock and bewilderment, Dumbledore heaved a soft sigh.
Minerva had just scolded him relentlessly, and it had taken him half an hour to retain his position as headmaster. Who could he turn to for justice?
"It really wasn't you?"
"I swear!" Kyle said solemnly.
"Then what about this?" Dumbledore took out a piece of parchment. "Before coming to school, I stopped by the Hog's Head Inn. Why do I suddenly owe Aberforth five thousand galleons?"
"How much?"
"Seven thousand, five hundred and sixty-three galleons." Dumbledore picked up the parchment.
Kyle leaned over to take a look. On it was a detailed list of charges.
Twenty bottles of whiskey, one hundred and fifty galleons each, to be paid for by Albus Dumbledore on behalf of Phoenix Society member, Kyle Jooba.
One hundred and fifty galleons for a bottle of whiskey?
Kyle swallowed, even if the price was marked up fivefold, this number was still outrageous. He wouldn't dare to charge... erm, price it like that.
And this was just a portion of the bill. There were more charges listed.
Assistance with cover-up, relocation... provision of a hidden location... provision of advice for infiltrating Hogwarts... usage fee for secret passage... maintenance fee for secret passage... confidentiality fee...
The list went on, with various charges adding up to exactly seven thousand, five hundred and sixty-three galleons, including both round and exact amounts.
Kyle had thought himself shameless, but it seemed there were even greater experts in this field.
He had only visited the Hog's Head Inn twice, and with the addition of twenty bottles of inferior liquor from who-knows-where, the bill had somehow amounted to over seven thousand galleons.
It had only taken three thousand galleons to establish a dragon sanctuary, but seven thousand...
"Professor, Scrimgeour should still be nearby. Let's bring him back," Kyle said in a low voice. "This is extortion, and he must be handed over to the Dementors for a few days' worth of meals!"
"Aberforth said you agreed to it." Dumbledore narrowed his eyes. "Each figure is verifiable, and he even let me hear the Echoing Charm."
"Echoing Charm?"
"It's a charm that preserves the words spoken by a person," Dumbledore explained indifferently.
Kyle was momentarily lost for words, and he asked uncertainly, "Did I really agree to it?"
Dumbledore remained silent, but this was answer enough.
Ugh...
Kyle felt a twinge of guilt.
This wasn't right, had he really racked up such a bill for Dumbledore? Surely not.
As for the maintenance fee for the secret passage, he had no recollection of it at all... Would he have agreed to something so outrageous?
Yet, Dumbledore didn't seem to be bluffing.
Perhaps he had simply become accustomed to using Dumbledore as a scapegoat, and these words had slipped out unintentionally?
That seemed to be the only explanation at the moment.
"That... those were necessary expenses." Kyle turned his head away. "Professor, if you don't have that much money, I can lend you some first."
"Lend me seven thousand galleons?" Dumbledore blurted out.
"Well... I don't have that much." Kyle thought for a moment. "How about seventy galleons? As you know, I just opened a shop in Diagon Alley, and I really don't have much money on hand."
Dumbledore said nothing, continuing to stare at Kyle.
"Alright then." Kyle grit his teeth. "Seventy-five galleons, on me, and you don't have to pay it back."
"Never mind, you don't need to pay either." Dumbledore rubbed his forehead. "Ariana has already taken care of it."
"Ariana..." Kyle turned his gaze back. "She agreed to meet Aberforth?"
"She's at the Hog's Head right now."
Dumbledore revealed a knowing smile. "After all these years, it was the first time I saw Aberforth cry like that. The patrons in his bar were scared out of their wits, thinking he had been struck by some dark magic."
"Then did you capture that moment on camera?" Kyle asked immediately.
"What?" Dumbledore didn't understand. They were discussing family matters, what did taking a picture have to do with anything?
"I mean, take a photo, snap a picture." Kyle took out a camera and mimed pressing the shutter button.
"No, I didn't." Dumbledore shook his head. "I didn't bring a camera with me, and I rarely use one anyway."
Upon hearing this, Dumbledore himself felt a twinge of regret. This reunion after a century apart was indeed a moment worth preserving.
"What a pity." Kyle slapped his thigh. "If we had taken a picture of Aberforth weeping bitterly, we could have sold it to him afterward."
Dumbledore's eyes twitched. He suddenly felt that Kyle's idea might be a little different from his own.
"What a great opportunity! I believe Aberforth wouldn't mind paying seven thousand five hundred galleons to buy this photo, which carries the weight of family ties."
...
(End of Chapter)
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