Chapter 905: Potions and Logistics
Chapter 905: Potions and Logistics
In France, on the Magical Shop Street.
Christmas had just passed, but the holiday spirit lingered as Beauxbatons students wandered the streets, contemplating how to stretch their limited pocket money for maximum enjoyment.
As they hurried past an unassuming street corner, they occasionally mentioned in their chatter the seemingly perpetually closed shop.
It had been a few months since the signboard was hung, just before the start of the school year, but the shop had never opened its doors.
Not once.
Meanwhile, in the basement of the shop unseen by the students, the once-prominent figure of Beauxbatons, Bathsheba Dracula, was inventorying potions on the shelves, saying, "Bill has taken all the potions back to Britain."
"That's good," Conna replied, looking up from the cauldron.
"He asked me to convey his gratitude; those potions were very useful," said Bathsheba. "Bill told me that the Aurors in Britain are finding it difficult to purchase high-quality healing potions and antidotes even with Galleons."
"So, my decision was right," Conna smiled.
Although Kyle and Snape didn't want her to stay in dangerous Britain, it didn't mean she couldn't do anything.
Logistics were also a crucial part of war... For wizards, potions were logistics.
Conveniently, she had some talent in potions.
"You're right," Bathsheba said, placing the inventoried potions into a box.
"But there's something I must tell you. France is also affected. Since last week, the prices of key materials have been rising steadily, especially Dragon Dung, which has doubled in price.
"With the same amount of Galleons, we can buy fewer and fewer materials."
As she spoke, Bathsheba impatiently closed the box, "I went to see my father, but he refused to fund us."
"That's normal," Conna wasn't surprised. "The Dracula family is a French wizarding family and, in a sense, represents France. It's natural that they can't interfere too much.
"In fact, it's surprising that he allows you to continue helping me and tolerates your relationship with Bill."
Bathsheba raised an eyebrow, "The Draculas are always tolerant in the face of love."
"What about Kyle?" She teased, a hint of mockery in her voice, "I thought he would stay here last night."
"Professor Dumbledore seemed to have something to discuss with him," Conna said, "The Phoenix took him away last night."
"The Phoenix..." Bathsheba thought of the most beautiful bird she had ever seen.
"Conna, you said that with my help in Britain, if the Phoenix lays an egg, will Mr. Dumbledore agree to sell me one?"
"Huh?" Conna blinked, a little surprised by Bathsheba's train of thought.
"Should... I guess so," she said uncertainly.
Mainly because she had never heard that Phoenixes laid eggs; they seemed to have always existed, and their numbers never changed.
But Bathsheba was quite pleased.
She used her wand to push the box into the adjacent storage room.
"I have one more question. Why didn't you tell Kyle, and why didn't you let me tell Bill... This is like a stage play plot from the last century."
"I didn't hide anything," Conna shrugged, "You and Bill both know, and he should have told Professor Dumbledore, too. Only Kyle and Uncle Severus don't know.
"It seems they both kept their promise and didn't spread the word."
"I've been wondering," Bathsheba asked, puzzled, "Why did you do this? He would find out eventually, right?"
"At first, I just wanted to keep myself busy and give Kyle a surprise, but when he came to France and didn't find anything odd about the closed shop, I realized this was an interesting matter..."
"Interesting?"
Conna thought for a moment and asked, "Let's put it this way, what was Bill's expression when you first gave him those potions?"
"Surprised, excited, and incredulous..." Bathsheba blurted out, "He wasn't even this excited when we had our first kiss."
"What if that expression appeared on Kyle's face?" Conna continued.
Bathsheba thought for a moment, and a smile slowly crept onto her face.
Kyle had always given her the impression of being extraordinary—powerful strength and meticulous mind, easily winning the Triwizard Tournament.
In comparison, she and Viktor Krum were like supporting characters, background extras playing trees and scarecrows in a play.
Bathsheba found it hard to believe that he was actually two years younger than her.
It would be quite interesting to see such a person express shock and disbelief... especially since Kyle had come twice and hadn't noticed anything amiss.
"I'm starting to look forward to it," Bathsheba said.
"Me too," Conna said, narrowing her eyes.
Bathsheba shivered involuntarily, perhaps it was just her imagination, but she thought she saw a glimpse of Kyle in Conna's eyes.
She must be seeing things.
She sat down next to Conna.
"But I felt like Kyle wanted you to go back to Britain yesterday. If you hadn't interrupted him, he might have said it.
"If that's the case, would you agree to go back to Britain and live with him?"
"Uncle Severus would kill him," Conna said, "It would be the same if he had stayed at the Potions shop last night and Uncle Severus found out."
"It's not that bad," Bathsheba struggled to understand, "Are British wizards that conservative?"
"It's different," Conna shook her head, "Or rather, Uncle Severus is different."
"He's so good to you."
"Yes," Conna said.
There was no doubt that Snape cared about her, and this care often weighed heavily on Conna.
Especially before coming to France, that conversation they had in the castle.
Severus Snape had shared many details with her, and his attitude was firm, even going as far as to hand over the vault key. He hinted at the possibility of transferring the vault to France or somewhere further away from Britain, as if he was entrusting her with something...
Conna's hand trembled, and the wand she was using to stir the cauldron traced an arc, causing the originally light blue potion to quickly turn purple.
"
Conna quickly reduced the flame and changed the stirring direction from clockwise to counterclockwise, continuing to stir.
Soon, the potion returned to its original light blue color.
"
"Nothing much, I'm just a little tired," Conna replied.
No, that couldn't be right. She must have read too much into it.
Snape was a professor at Hogwarts, and with Professor Dumbledore around, he was safe.
Conna tried to convince herself.
But she also knew that Snape was involved in something significant, though she didn't know what it was. Still, she was certain it was dangerous.
One of the reasons she stayed in France was to avoid distracting Snape.
After all, brewing potions could be done anywhere; there wasn't much difference between Britain and France.
As Conna used her wand to transfer the brewed potion into a bottle, Kyle, far away in Britain, poured himself a cup of Butterbeer.
The century-old Butterbeer had a mediocre taste, but the beer and butter flavors were more pronounced, giving it a unique flavor.
At that moment, Kyle was sitting in a cottage with Professor Dumbledore, discussing the matter of Draco Malfoy.
The previous day, they had received a letter from the Ministry of Magic, requesting Professor McGonagall to allow Draco to return to school.
As mentioned before, they wanted more Death Eaters to see that turning away from the dark side was a wise choice.
"I suspect the Death Eaters had a hand in this as well," Kyle said, taking a sip of Butterbeer. "Either they volunteered or used the Imperius Curse; there must be some of them within the Ministry."
"Indeed," Professor Dumbledore agreed. "A month ago, there were traces of Death Eaters near Disaster Management Director Baddock's residence, but they seemed to have just passed by without doing anything and left."
"Oh?" Kyle glanced at Professor Dumbledore.
"That's the advantage of being an old wizard; you have many friends," Professor Dumbledore smiled. "I happen to have an old friend who lives near Baddock, and we've been corresponding by letter.
"During one of our casual chats, he mentioned that Baddock hadn't visited the corner sweet shop for a week. Before that, the Director of Disaster Management would have a hot cocoa every day before work."
"The Imperius Curse?" Kyle asked.
"Most likely," Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Baddock was once under Bartemius Crouch's command and was one of the most anti-Dark Arts people.
"But this time, he's acting out of character and wants to help Draco."
"You're something else, Professor Dumbledore," Kyle laughed.
"It's just a coincidence," Professor Dumbledore also smiled. "Sometimes, having more friends does have its benefits."
"So, what's your take on this?" he asked. "I recall you mentioned wanting Mr. Malfoy to return to school as well."
"That's right," Kyle nodded. "We had a deal, and this is one of the terms."
"Oh, a deal?" Professor Dumbledore was curious.
Kyle then recounted the incident in Knockturn Alley.
"I erased his memory but left a suggestion for him to visit my shop. That way, I can use Legilimency to gather information about the Death Eaters."
"It seems you've learned something from Lockhart after all," Professor Dumbledore said, but his expression turned serious.
"Kyle, I don't want you to use Legilimency on others frequently. When you recklessly pry into the secrets of others, it's easy to amplify certain desires within yourself, and that's not a good thing."
"I know, which is why it's a deal," Kyle said. "I have Draco Malfoy's consent to use this method to convey information.
"Besides, it's the safest way for him as well."
Hearing that Draco himself had agreed, Professor Dumbledore didn't say anything further.
"So, what information have you gathered?"
"The wandering wizard in Cornwall, as Malfoy told me," Kyle said. "And the Hebrides Islands are also related to him in some way."
"It seems Mr. Malfoy has been a great help to us," Professor Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "Then, as a reward, you should fulfill your promise to him."
"Aren't you worried that he might have ulterior motives?" Kyle asked.
"I'm not worried," Professor Dumbledore said in a calm tone, as if discussing what to have for lunch.
"Then I have no objections. Let him return to Hogwarts," Kyle said. "But I always feel like this isn't a plan the Dark Lord would come up with; someone else must be advising him."
"Why do you say that?"
"Self-directed plays and self-inflicted pain are a bit too complicated for the Dark Lord. He's more suited to using the Killing Curse to solve all his problems."
"This is the first time I've heard someone describe Tom this way," Professor Dumbledore couldn't help but laugh. "Everyone who knew Tom said he was a boy with a deep mind and a talent for calculation."
"He hadn't made any Horcruxes back then."
"Even if he had made fewer Horcruxes, I would still take back my words without hesitation. Of course, if I met him, I'd still run."
Voldemort may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's undeniably powerful, pushing the limits of Dark Magic with every move.
Dumbledore pulled out a parchment, presumably to pen a response to the Ministry of Magic.
"So, who do you think is behind Tom's idea?"
"I'm not sure, it could be anyone," Kyle mused for a moment. "But whoever it is, they've done us a favor. We now know the Dark Lord's plans, and all we need to do is keep an eye on Malfoy."
...
The Ministry of Magic didn't waste any time.
Soon after Dumbledore sent his letter, Draco Malfoy appeared at the school gates, escorted by none other than Scrimgeour himself.
The Head of the Auror Office acting as a bodyguard... Lucius never received such treatment, not even when he was showering the Ministry with Galleons.
Upon their arrival at Hogwarts, Scrimgeour was promptly led to the Headmaster's office by Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore.
The task of receiving Malfoy naturally fell to Kyle, the person most familiar with him.
Although Malfoy's memories of Knockturn Alley were gone, he still remembered what happened in Godric's Hollow. Upon seeing Kyle, he instinctively took a step back.
"Don't worry, we're almost at the school!" Kyle exclaimed enthusiastically, pulling Malfoy towards his cottage.
"I have some good news for you. After the holidays, I'll be a professor at Hogwarts, so we can see each other often. Isn't that great?"
Malfoy's face paled. He never imagined he'd not only encounter Kyle at school but also have to deal with him continuously.
Suddenly, he wasn't so keen on continuing his studies.
However, Kyle didn't give him a choice and dragged him towards the cottage.
As they reached the door, Kyle accidentally applied a bit too much force.
Malfoy stumbled, knocking over a nearby barrel. Its contents splashed onto him, emitting an indescribable odor that almost made him vomit.
"Oh dear, you're so clumsy!" Kyle exclaimed. "This is the fertilizer I prepared for Professor Sprout. What a waste!"
Professor Sprout... fertilizer? Malfoy, having taken Herbology classes, instantly recognized the barrel's contents and let out a loud retch, rushing to the side to vomit... feeling the urge to empty his stomach of breakfast.
"It's okay, I'll clean it up," Kyle said, not waiting for Malfoy's refusal before raising his wand.
"Aqua Eructo!"
A waterfall-like stream of clear water poured down from above, drenching Malfoy.
The waterfall lasted for nearly a minute before it finally stopped, just as Draco was about to lose his composure.
By then, he was completely soaked.
It was right after Christmas, the coldest time of the year. As the wind blew, Malfoy felt like his body was being scraped by tiny knives, and he couldn't stop shivering.
"Don't just stand there, come inside and warm up," Kyle urged, trying to pull Malfoy into the cottage.
But this time, Malfoy had learned his lesson. He stood frozen, resisting Kyle with all his might.
"Draco!"
Fortunately, at that moment, Professor Snape arrived, likely concerned about Malfoy being in Kyle's care. He was quickly approaching from the direction of the castle.
Seeing his savior, Draco became even less cooperative.
"What a killjoy," Kyle muttered, sidestepping and pointing his wand at Malfoy when he wasn't looking.
"Legilimens!"
Although he didn't know Voldemort's plot, he could find out.
Dumbledore might have his reservations, but Kyle didn't. Getting consent from the person himself was his style.
Kyle stared into Malfoy's eyes, as if flipping through a book. However, the content made him frown.
There was a lot to see. Kyle witnessed Malfoy's fierce battle with Death Eaters on the Hogwarts Express, spells flying everywhere.
He also saw how, despite his hesitation, Malfoy had sent the tip-off owl to the Ministry of Magic.
But further back, it was just mundane daily life.
He couldn't find what he was looking for because it simply wasn't there. Malfoy's most recent encounter with Voldemort was through the Ministry of Magic's windows.
Some of the images seemed obscured, like when Slughorn had modified his memories, leaving Kyle with only a misty, blank page.
"Draco, are you alright!"
Snape's hand reached out, pulling Malfoy away and breaking the Legilimency connection.
Malfoy's gaze remained unfocused.
"Professor Snape!" Kyle exclaimed, drawing his attention.
"Professor Dumbledore has tasked me with looking after Mr. Malfoy, and I'm fulfilling my duty."
"You call this... looking after him?" Snape's tone, as he looked at Kyle and then at Malfoy, drenched and shivering uncontrollably, was colder than the wind blowing through the Forbidden Forest.
"It's just a minor mishap," Kyle said. "Mr. Malfoy was a bit too careless, and I was about to take him to the cottage to warm up."
"That won't be necessary." Snape pulled Malfoy to his side. "I'll take him from here. You're no longer needed."
Kyle stared at Snape.
... He's so concerned about Malfoy; he might know something.
It's highly likely.
But Snape is a master of Occlumency, and even if Kyle wanted to do something, he couldn't get answers from him.
There's no need for that, though.
Thinking of Snape's identity, Kyle took a step back.
"Since Professor Snape has spoken, I'll leave Mr. Malfoy in your care.
"But you'd better take him back to the castle quickly, or he might need to take a leave of absence on his first day back at school."
"I don't need your reminder!"
Snape glared at Kyle and turned away with Malfoy, heading back to the castle.
...
(End of Chapter)
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