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Chapter 895: A Weighty Trust
Chapter 895: A Weighty Trust
In the dead of night, a faint sound emanated from the Shabby Cottage in Stocaphall Village, or so it seemed. But upon closer inspection, the sound vanished into the quiet.
Kyle assumed it was the resident poltergeist in the attic, nothing to be concerned about.
The attic of the cottage was home to an ancient poltergeist, a creature of XX classification, the same level as a Bowtruckle. It fed on moths and butterflies, and its name was far more intimidating than its actual threat.
Even Bowtruckles had sharp fingers, but the poltergeist's most lethal weapon was probably its name.
Perhaps it could scare unsuspecting young wizards.
If one could overlook its eerie appearance, having it as a pet in the attic or barn wouldn't be a bad idea.
The Weasley family, for instance, got along well with their resident poltergeist.
Ignoring the sounds from outside, Kyle closed the window and went to sleep.
At midnight, the rain began to fall.
All the lights in the village went out, and the moon hid behind the clouds, revealing only fleeting glimpses of its light, which were quickly obscured by the falling rain.
Behind Kyle's house was a small hill, and beyond it, a short distance away, stood the Lovegood family's windmill house.
This area of Stocaphall Village was relatively secluded, so it was rare to see many visitors.
At that moment, a dark figure dashed across the hilltop, heading towards the cottage, but the next second, it abruptly stopped.
Two bright purple lights suddenly appeared before it, like two precious amethysts shimmering in the dim moonlight, or lighthouses in the darkness beckoning one closer.
The figure was drawn to the lights, unconsciously taking steps towards them, even as it reached the edge of the hilltop, with no intention of stopping.
A moment later, the hilltop returned to its quiet state, and the purple lights disappeared without a trace, as if nothing had happened, washed clean by the steady drizzle.
...
The next morning, Kyle yawned as he came downstairs.
Panther lay on the living room couch, leisurely licking his fur and exchanging stares with the family's lynx.
This was Tom's first encounter with Panther, and he struggled to comprehend how a cat could grow so large and have six legs.
Panther, too, was perplexed by the spherical creature before him, wondering why its head resembled his own so closely.
The sound of footsteps from the stairs interrupted their staring contest, and Panther instinctively turned to glance at Kyle.
In that instant, Kyle felt even more tired, his eyelids feeling like they were weighed down by lead balls.
"Hey, no hypnosis here," Kyle said with a yawn.
Panther's eyelids flickered, and his purple irises instantly turned orange.
"Meow!"
Tom let out a terrified shriek, his tail standing on end. He rushed to the door, bumping it open, and dashed into the kitchen.
Kyle clicked his tongue, wondering why the lynx was unaffected by hypnosis but reacted so strongly to mind-reading. Was this creature hiding something?
Panther lazily meowed and followed Tom into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, accompanied by Tom's heart-wrenching screams, Panther strolled out, a faint aroma of Morta Rat Meat Jerky still lingering around him.
Tom's stash had been thoroughly cleaned out, 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 hand, and two slices of bread flew out from the kitchen. Egg yolk broke, mixing with bacon and seasoning, all sandwiched between the bread, which then gently floated towards the table, turning from white to a beautiful golden brown, emitting a mouth-watering aroma as it landed on the plate.
Kyle took a bite... a typical sandwich, nothing special, but 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 make his shop official as soon as he could.
However, just as he was about to leave, Panther suddenly blocked his path, lazily meowing twice.
"Someone came by yesterday?" Kyle furrowed his brows, immediately abandoning his plan to go to the Ministry, and headed towards the small hill to the north. At the foot of the hill, among the leaves and branches, he spotted a familiar black hood.
...
Due to some minor delays, by the time Kyle arrived at the Ministry, it was almost noon.
Chris was in his office, seemingly prepared, and upon seeing Kyle, he immediately produced a piece of parchment signed by Amelia Bones.
The content was straightforward: seven vaguely defined items could be legally sold, but Mobula Squid Ink was not included.
"The quill is understandable," Chris explained, "Phoenixes are strictly prohibited from trade in America, but Europe is less strict. But the ink..."
Chris paused before continuing, "Bones wants to acquire this batch of ink on behalf of the Ministry."
"What?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"Due to the unique properties of Mobula Squid 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 Snake Vine Ink... While these may be considered trivial, they are important in their own way."
"What have we been using then?" Kyle asked curiously.
"Mr. Scamander's supply, which is also Dragon Blood Ink."
"Chris spoke up, "But in terms of quality, it's definitely not as good as Mobick Squid Ink."
"What about the price? Will Minister Bones intentionally lower it?"
Chris pondered for a moment before replying, "It's unlikely they'll sell it at the original price, but it won't be too low either, considering you just did the Ministry a huge favor."
Kyle paused for a moment, then agreed, "Alright, I'll go talk to Minister Bones about it later."
After all, with that item's price, it would be challenging to sell it even if it was displayed in the store. Collaborating with the Ministry was a good choice.
Moreover, Minister Bones was different from Fudge; she wasn't the type to have a thick skin. Her favors were quite valuable.
Kyle took the parchment and casually folded it, putting it in his pocket.
"You, are you really going back to 1899?" Chris suddenly lowered his voice and asked.
"Yeah," Kyle replied, "Otherwise, where would those things come from? And I've invested in the Dragon Reserve, remember? The six thousand Galleons you saw earlier are the dividends for this century."
Chris pursed his lips, feeling a bit incredulous despite having heard the whole story from Dumbledore.
To go back a hundred years with a Philosopher's Stone as the price was indeed a bit over-the-top; he couldn't even dare to imagine it.
"What did you experience during that time?" he asked curiously, "Did you meet anyone special?"
"Does Grindelwald count?" Kyle said, "There's no wizard more special than him."
Chris shivered, "Does he? Anyone else?"
Apparently, he wasn't interested in Grindelwald.
"There's... probably Harry Potter's great-great-grandfather," Kyle said, "We got along quite well. He even wanted me to be the godfather of his child, but we didn't have enough time."
Chris shuddered again, mentally sorting out the relationship.
"You mean, you almost became the godfather of James' grandfather?"
He wasn't close to Harry, but he was classmates with that James Potter.
The famous Marauders, few didn't know of them when they were in school.
Diana was even friends with Lily Evans, and through her, Kyle had some acquaintance with James, though not much.
As a typical Hufflepuff, he didn't quite approve of some of the Marauders' actions... of course, except for Lily Evans.
"James Potter's grandfather... I guess so," Kyle nodded.
"Good thing you didn't succeed," Chris said with lingering fear.
"What do you mean?"
"Because your mother and James' wife are friends, and I was classmates with him," Chris explained, "If you had become James' grandfather's godfather, what would that make us?"
"Hey, to each their own," Kyle waved his hand dismissively.
I call you dad, and you call me great-grandfather godfather? Kyle wasn't sure if that was the right term, but it was something along those lines.
"Hehe," Chris gave a dry laugh, "Dare you go to the Department of Mysteries with me right now and repeat what you just said?"
"I dare not," Kyle blurted out.
Kyle's quick agreement left Chris a bit unsure how to respond. After some thought, he decided to move on from the topic.
Continuing would be like reversing the heavenly array.
Honestly, he didn't dare to take Kyle to the Department of Mysteries right now. Diana would definitely oppose Kyle's use of the Time-Turner, let alone a span of a hundred years. If she found out, he would be in trouble too... at least, she shouldn't find out from him.
"Do you want to become a professor at Hogwarts?" Chris awkwardly changed the subject.
"Become a professor at Hogwarts?"
"Dumbledore, the Deputy Headmaster, asked me to pass on a message to you," Chris looked at Kyle, "He said Hogwarts is short-staffed, and you'd be a suitable fit."
"No, I won't go, it's impossible!" Kyle immediately rejected the idea three times.
"Why?" Chris was puzzled, "I think it would be great to be a professor at Hogwarts, and you'd be the youngest professor. You could assign them any homework you like."
Kyle continued to shake his head.
The professors at Hogwarts were mostly fixed, with only one position frequently vacant.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
This position, vacant for decades, was indeed eerie. In all this time, only Snape had broken the cycle, successfully teaching for over a year.
The original text is in Book 6, Chapter 9!
But he had paid a price.
The last time they met, Kyle had noticed Snape's right leg seemed weak, causing him to limp as he walked.
Is it uncomfortable to have a shop in Diagon Alley? Why go there to challenge the curse... Kyle didn't want to compete with Snape for the job just yet.
But soon, he realized another situation. Why would Hogwarts suddenly be short-staffed? What happened to Snape? Could it be...
"It shouldn't be!" Kyle shook his head, muttering to himself.
Snape was at Hogwarts, and if something happened there, Chris wouldn't be as calm as he was now.
Forget it, for the sake of Conna, I'll go check it out.
Kyle thought to himself as he prepared to change and head out.
"Molly invited us to dinner at the Shabby Cottage," Chris said, "Don't forget."
"I won't go," Kyle stopped and said.
"You're not going back in the evening?"
"Mhm," Kyle replied, "I want to organize the shop properly, so I'll be staying in Diagon Alley for a while."
Speaking of which, Kyle remembered the Death Eater he had found at the foot of the mountain.
He didn't know why the Death Eater was in Stocaphall Village, but it was likely because of him.
He didn't go back, and nothing happened. But after he returned for a day, a Death Eater approached him.
If this was a coincidence, it was too much of one.
"Dad, you should be more careful. Sattishire Village might not be safe." Kyle said seriously.
"What's wrong?" Chris frowned.
"A Death Eater came last night." Kyle said.
Chris stood up abruptly, "What did you say?"
"It's fine now." Kyle quickly explained, "The Panther detected him, and the matter is resolved."
Chris, on the contrary, frowned even deeper.
"Are you running away from me?"
"That's possible." Kyle nodded, "To be honest, I've encountered the Dark Lord a bit too often recently."
Chris didn't know what to say, but he was also curious about what Kyle had done. How could he say that he had encountered the Dark Lord too often?
After all, most of them hadn't even seen the Dark Lord!
"It's okay, we can cast Protego Maxima." Chris rubbed his forehead, "No, you should go to Hogwarts now, it's the safest place."
"No need, I don't want to be a Dark Arts Professor." Kyle shrugged, "If necessary, I can go to Number 12 Grimmauld Place."
"Then build a house next to the Forbidden Forest and be neighbors with Hagrid."
Chris seemed not to have heard the latter half of Kyle's words, and said on his own, "You don't understand the horror of the Dark Lord, unless you're willing to stay in a house protected by Protego Maxima, otherwise, just go to Hogwarts honestly."
"No wonder Dumbledore suddenly told me those things, he probably had the same idea."
"I think I understand." Kyle muttered.
During this time, he had faced Voldemort twice in a row, and apart from Dumbledore, he was the one who had the most contact with Voldemort.
But seeing Chris's serious expression, Kyle also knew he probably wouldn't agree to live in Diagon Alley.
As for staying in the house...
"I'll go to Hogwarts then." Kyle compromised, "I guess Professor McGonagall might not welcome me."
Chris's face twitched, although he didn't know what had happened, he was already used to it.
"Then be neighbors with Hagrid, and you can help him out. Anyway, you don't need money now, just take a break."
Kyle shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
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, and after a simple negotiation, they settled on a 30% discount, plus a personal favor from a Minister.
Both parties were satisfied.
After finishing all the tasks, it was already close to evening.
Chris didn't go anywhere, and while Kyle was in the Minister's office, he waited outside, and later followed him to Hogsmeade using Apparition.
"Dad, is there trust between us?"
On the streets of Hogsmeade, Kyle looked at the ever-present Chris and couldn't help but say, "Can't you run away?"
"Who knows." Chris said, "It's not impossible."
"If I really had such thoughts, I could still get out once I reach Hogwarts." Kyle looked at the distant Boar's Head Gate, "There's no guard there."
"I know." Chris said, "I respect your thoughts, whatever you want to do, there must be corresponding reasons, and they are all well-considered. I won't try to interfere with my own experiences."
Such heavy trust.
Kyle was touched.
But the next second, he heard Chris continue.
"But I still want to see you walk into Hogwarts... Even if you run away later, I can still explain to your mom."
...
"So you're asking me to go to Hogwarts not because you're worried about me, but to give Mom an explanation?" Kyle's heartwarming feelings instantly dissipated.
Indeed, he shouldn't have unrealistic fantasies.
"Otherwise." Chris said, "You can go back a hundred years to save Dumbledore, face the Dark Lord in the Hebrides Islands and make him retreat, and even get a legal dragon ownership certificate, none of which I could do, so I don't need to worry, right...?"
"You know everything?"
"Dumbledore told me." Chris sighed, "I didn't expect that the incident in the Hebrides Islands was done by you, Mr. Scamander and I had quite a few arguments about you back then."
"Hehe." Kyle chuckled, "I didn't intend to hide it, I just didn't know how to explain. If not through Professor Dumbledore, you might find it hard to believe it's true."
"Indeed." Chris said.
To be honest, even when Dumbledore told him about those experiences, his first reaction was disbelief.
Until Dumbledore showed him the memory in the Pensieve...
Truly incredible.
"Oh, and your legal dragon ownership certificate..." Chris seemed to want to say something, but after hesitating for a moment, he shook his head, "Never mind, you figure it out. I just hope you don't destroy the Forbidden Forest, it's a natural barrier for Hogwarts, and it's quite important."
"Rest assured, I understand."
"I hope so."
...
(End of Chapter)
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