https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-896-The-School-Governor-Professor/12938076/
Chapter 895: A Weighty Trust
Chapter 895: A Weighty Trust
In the dead of night, a faint sound echoed through Saint Kachibor Village, seemingly coming from the Dilapidated Cottage, but upon closer attention, it seemed to fade away.
It's probably the ghoul in the attic, Kyle thought, not giving it much thought.
An ancient ghoul lived in the attic of the Dilapidated Cottage, a creature with a rather intimidating name, but in reality, it was just an XX-level Magical Creature, on par with the Hugreebo in terms of classification. It fed on fox sirens and moths.
Even the Hugreebo had sharp fingers, but the ghoul's most lethal weapon was probably just its name.
Perhaps it could scare some unsuspecting young wizards.
If one could overlook its frightening appearance, keeping it as a pet in the attic or barn wouldn't be a bad idea.
The Weasley family got along well with their ghoul.
Ignoring the sounds from outside, Kyle closed the window and went to sleep.
At midnight, the rain started to fall.
All the lights in the village went out, and the moon hid behind the clouds, with only occasional glimpses of its light being obscured by the falling raindrops.
Behind Kyle's house, there was a small hill, and if one climbed over it and walked a short distance, they would reach the Lovegood family's windmill house.
This area was considered one of the more remote parts of Saint Kachibor Village, and usually, not many people ventured there.
At that moment, a black shadow darted across the hilltop, heading towards the Dilapidated Cottage, but in the next second, it suddenly stopped.
Two bright purple lights appeared before it, like two precious amethysts glittering in the hazy moonlight, or lighthouses in the darkness, subconsciously drawing one closer.
The black shadow was attracted, unconsciously taking steps towards the lights, even as it reached the edge of the hilltop, with no intention of stopping.
A moment later, the hilltop returned to silence, and the purple lights disappeared, leaving no trace behind, as if nothing had happened, washed away by the steady drizzle.
...
The next morning, Kyle yawned as he came downstairs.
The cat leopard was lounging on the living room sofa, leisurely licking its fur while staring down the house's cat.
This was Tom's first time seeing the cat leopard, and he struggled to understand how a cat could be so large and have six legs.
The cat leopard, too, was perplexed by the spherical creature before it, wondering why its head looked so similar to its own.
Footsteps from upstairs interrupted their staring contest, and the cat leopard instinctively glanced at Kyle.
Suddenly, Kyle felt even more tired, as if his eyelids were weighed down by lead balls.
"Hey, no hypnosis here," he said.
The cat leopard's eyelids flickered, and its purple irises instantly turned orange.
"Meow!"
Tom let out a terrified shriek, his tail standing on end, as he frantically opened the door and rushed into the kitchen.
Kyle clicked his tongue, finding it odd that the cat was unaffected by hypnosis but reacted so strongly to the mind-reading ability. Could this creature have some secret?
The cat leopard lazily meowed and followed Tom into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, accompanied by Tom's heart-wrenching screams, the cat leopard emerged with its mouth puffed up, and a faint scent of Motura rat jerky could be detected.
It had emptied Tom's little stash, no wonder he was screaming so pitifully.
However, Kyle didn't mind; with Tom's physique, missing a few meals wouldn't be a big deal.
Kyle waved his wand and sat down at the dining table, rubbing his face.
Two slices of bread flew out from the kitchen, and an egg cracked, its contents mixing with bacon and seasoning, all sandwiched between the bread, which slowly flew towards the table. By the time it landed on the plate, the bread had turned from white to a beautiful golden brown, emitting a mouth-watering aroma.
Kyle took a bite... it tasted like a standard sandwich, nothing special, but it was convenient.
Chris had already left for the Ministry of Magic.
After a quick breakfast, Kyle also prepared to head there.
If possible, he wanted to get his shop officially recognized as soon as possible.
However, just before leaving, the cat leopard suddenly blocked his path, lazily whining.
"Someone came by yesterday?" Kyle frowned, immediately abandoning his plan to go to the Ministry and instead headed towards the small hill to the north. At the foot of the hill, among the leaves and twigs, he spotted a familiar black hood.
...
Due to some minor errands, it was almost noon by the time Kyle arrived at the Ministry.
Chris was in his office, seemingly prepared, and upon seeing Kyle, he immediately produced a piece of parchment with Amelia Bones' signature.
The content was straightforward; seven vaguely defined items could be legally sold, but Manticore Ink was not among them.
"The quill is fine," Chris explained. "Thunderbirds are strictly prohibited from trade in America, but Europe isn't as strict. But the ink..."
Chris paused before continuing, "Bones wants to acquire this batch of ink on behalf of the Ministry."
"Huh?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"Because of the unique properties of Manticore Ink," Chris said. "Ink made from it can maintain its color for a thousand years, making it ideal for writing important bills and signing documents."
"I get it, it's for show," Kyle nodded.
"Indeed," Chris agreed. "Romania has dragon blood ink, and Ilvermorny provides their Ministry with high-quality serpentvine ink... While these things are just embellishments, they are important in a certain sense."
"What have we been using before?" Kyle asked curiously.
"Mr. Scamander's supply, a type of dragon blood ink."
"Chris, in terms of quality, it's definitely not as good as Manticore Ink," Kyle said.
"What about the price? I doubt Minister Bones would deliberately lowball it."
Chris paused, then said, "It's probably not going to be the original price, but it won't be too low either. After all, you've just done the Ministry of Magic a huge favor."
"Alright, I'll go see Minister Bones about it," Kyle agreed after a brief moment of thought.
Given the price of that item, it would be difficult to sell even if he kept it in the store. Collaborating with the Ministry was a good choice.
Unlike Fudge, Minister Bones wasn't the type to have a thick skin. Her favors were quite valuable.
Kyle took the parchment, casually folded it, and put it in his pocket.
"You're really going back to 1899?" Chris asked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah," Kyle replied. "Where do you think all those things came from? I've even invested in the Dragon Reserve. The six Galleons you saw earlier were the dividends from this century."
Chris pursed his lips. Although he had heard the whole story from Dumbledore, he still found it somewhat unbelievable.
To pay the price of a Philosopher's Stone to go back a hundred years was indeed a bit over the top; he didn't dare to imagine it.
"What did you experience during that time?" Chris asked curiously. "Did you meet anyone special?"
"Does Grindelwald count?" Kyle asked. There was no wizard more extraordinary than him.
Chris shuddered. "Does he count? Anyone else?"
Obviously, he wasn't interested in Grindelwald.
"Well... I guess it was Harry Potter's great-great-grandfather," Kyle said. "We got along quite well, and he even wanted me to be the godfather of his child. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time."
Chris shuddered again, mentally sorting out the relationships.
"Do you mean you almost became the godfather of James Potter's grandfather?"
He wasn't familiar with Harry, but he was classmates with James Potter.
The Marauders, a group of four well-known students, were known to almost everyone during their school days.
Diana was even friends with Lily Evans, and through her, Chris had a passing acquaintance with James, but not a close one.
As a typical Hufflepuff, he didn't particularly approve of some of the Marauders' actions... except for Lily Evans, of course.
"James Potter's grandfather... I guess you could say that," Kyle nodded.
"It's a good thing you didn't succeed," Chris said with lingering fear.
"What do you mean?"
"Your mother was friends with James' wife, and I was classmates with him," Chris explained. "If you had really become the godfather of James' grandfather, what would that make us?"
"Hey, to each their own," Kyle waved his hand dismissively.
Should I call you 'Dad' and you call me 'Great-Grandfather Godfather'? Kyle wasn't sure if the title was correct, but it was roughly that meaning.
"Heh," Chris gave a dry laugh. "Would you dare to go with me to the Department of Mysteries right now and repeat what you just said?"
"No way," Kyle blurted out.
Kyle's straightforward response left Chris unsure of how to continue the conversation. After much deliberation, he decided to change the subject.
Continuing the topic might lead to a reversal of fortune.
To be honest, he didn't dare to take Kyle to the Department of Mysteries at this moment. Diana would definitely oppose Kyle's use of the Time-Turner, especially with a span of a hundred years.
If she found out, he would be in trouble too... at least, he couldn't let her find out from him.
"Would you like to become a professor at Hogwarts?" Chris abruptly changed the subject.
"A professor at Hogwarts?"
"Deputy Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to convey this to you," Chris said, looking at Kyle. "He mentioned that Hogwarts is currently short-staffed, and you would be a suitable candidate."
"No way, not going, impossible!" Kyle immediately rejected the idea three times.
"Why not?" Chris was puzzled. "I think being a professor at Hogwarts is quite good, and you'd be the youngest professor. You could assign them any homework you like."
Kyle still shook his head.
The professors at Hogwarts were mostly fixed, except for one position that was frequently vacant.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
This position, which had been vacant for decades, was indeed mysterious. In all that time, only Snape had broken the cycle of annual turnover, successfully teaching for more than a year.
But he had also paid a price.
During their last meeting, Kyle noticed that Snape's right leg seemed weak, and he walked with a limp.
Why go to Diagon Alley to open a shop if it's uncomfortable? Why provoke curses... Kyle didn't want to compete with Snape for the position.
However, he soon became aware of another situation. Hogwarts had been fine before, but why was it suddenly short-staffed, and what about Snape? Could something have happened?
"It shouldn't have!" Kyle shook his head, muttering to himself.
If something had happened at Hogwarts, Chris would not be as calm as he was now, given Snape's presence there.
Forget it, for Connor's sake, I'll go and see.
Kyle thought as he prepared to change and leave.
"Molly invited us to dinner at the Dilapidated Cottage tonight," Chris said. "Don't forget."
"I won't be going," Kyle said, stopping in his tracks.
"You're not going back tonight?"
"No," Kyle said. "I want to organize the shop properly, so I'll be staying in Diagon Alley for a while."
At this point, Kyle also remembered the Death Eater he had discovered at the foot of the mountain.
He didn't know why the Death Eater had appeared in Saint Kachibor Village, but it was likely because of him.
If he didn't go back, and the Death Eater incident didn't happen, why did a Death Eater show up the day he returned?
If this was a coincidence, it was an incredibly unlikely one.
"Dad, you should be careful too. Saint Kachibor Village might not be safe," Kyle said earnestly.
"What's wrong?" Chris asked, furrowing his brows.
"A Death Eater was there last night," Kyle replied.
Chris stood up abruptly. "What did you say?"
"It's fine now," Kyle quickly explained. "The Cat Panther discovered him early, and the situation was resolved."
But Chris did not relax; instead, his frown deepened.
"Were they after you?"
"It's possible," Kyle nodded. "To be honest, I've been attracting the Dark Lord's attention a bit too much recently."
Chris was at a loss for words, and he became even more curious about what Kyle had done to make such a statement.
After all, most of them hadn't even seen the Dark Lord!
"It's alright, we can cast the Bold Faith Charm," Chris rubbed his forehead. "No, you should go to Hogwarts right now; that's the safest place."
"No need," Kyle pouted. "If necessary, I can go to Number 12 Grimmauld Place."
"Then build another house next to the Forbidden Forest and be Hagrid's neighbor."
Chris seemed to completely ignore Kyle's latter suggestion and continued, "You don't understand how terrifying the Dark Lord is. Unless you stay inside a house protected by the Bold Faith Charm, you'll go to Hogwarts, and that's final."
"No wonder Dumbledore suddenly said those things to me; he probably had the same idea," Kyle muttered.
"I think I understand," Kyle mumbled under his breath.
Recently, he had faced Voldemort twice, making him the person with the most encounters with Voldemort, aside from Dumbledore.
But seeing Chris's serious expression, Kyle knew he probably wouldn't agree to him staying in Diagon Alley.
As for staying inside the house...
"I'll go to Hogwarts, then," Kyle conceded. "Although Headmistress McGonagall might not be too happy about it."
Chris's face twitched, and although he didn't know what had happened, he was becoming used to these odd occurrences.
"Then be Hagrid's neighbor. You can help him out when needed. You're not short on money anyway, so consider it a vacation."
Kyle shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
After all, he couldn't refuse.
After leaving Chris's office, Kyle went to the Minister's office on the first floor to discuss the ink issue with Amelia Bones.
The process went smoothly.
Bones wanted to buy all the ink at half the market price. After a brief negotiation, they settled on seventy percent of the market price, plus another favor from the Minister.
Both parties were satisfied.
By the time they finished all the tasks, it was already nearing evening.
Chris didn't go anywhere, and while Kyle was in the Minister's office, Chris waited outside, then accompanied him to Hogsmeade Village using the Disapparition technique.
"Dad, what about our trust?" Kyle asked, looking at Chris, who was following him closely on the streets of Hogsmeade.
"I might run away, who knows?" Chris said. "It's not impossible."
"If I had such intentions, I could still leave even after reaching Hogwarts," Kyle said, gazing at the distant Wartcap Tower. "There's no guard there."
"I know," Chris said. "I respect your thoughts, and whatever you want to do, there must be a reason for it. It's all well-thought-out, and I won't try to interfere with my own experiences."
Such heavy trust.
Kyle was touched.
But the next moment, he heard Chris continue.
"But I still want to see you enter Hogwarts with my own eyes... Even if you run away later, I can at least explain to your mother."
...
"So, you're sending me to Hogwarts not because you're worried about me but to give Mom an explanation?" Kyle's momentary touch of emotion instantly vanished.
As expected, he shouldn't have such unrealistic fantasies.
"What else?" Chris said. "You managed to go back a hundred years to save Dumbledore, face the Dark Lord on the Hebrides, and even obtain a Legal Dragon Ownership Certificate. None of these are things I could do, so why should I worry...?"
"You know about all this?"
"Dumbledore told me," Chris sighed. "I never imagined that the incident on the Hebrides was your doing. Mr. Scamander and I scolded you quite a bit at the time."
"Hehe," Kyle chuckled awkwardly. "I didn't mean to hide it, but I didn't know how to bring it up. If it weren't for Professor Dumbledore, you might not have believed it either."
"That's true," Chris agreed.
To be honest, even when Dumbledore shared those experiences with him, his first reaction was disbelief.
Until Dumbledore showed him the memories in the Pensieve...
It was incredible.
"Oh, and about your Legal Dragon Ownership Certificate..." Chris seemed to want to say something more but hesitated and shook his head. "Never mind, you handle it. I just hope you don't destroy the Forbidden Forest. That place is Hogwarts' natural barrier, and it's quite important."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Kyle assured him.
"I hope so," Chris said.
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
