Chapter 907: Professor Kyle's Plan
Chapter 907: Professor Kyle's Plan
Regarding the restoration of Draco Malfoy's memory, Professor Kyle immediately wrote a letter to Headmistress Saxia that very day.
The reply arrived swiftly, and Headmistress Saxia's intention was clear: as long as they didn't use the Obliviate Charm as violently as Mrs. Longbottom had, St. Mungo's Hospital could restore the person's memory, but it would take time.
"Mrs. Longbottom?" Kyle asked, glancing at Dumbledore beside him.
"That was over a decade ago," Dumbledore explained. "When Alice and Frank were being tortured with the Cruciatus Curse by Death Eaters, Neville was also present. To make him forget what happened, Mrs. Longbottom used the Obliviate Charm on him."
"Due to her lack of skill... I mean, Mrs. Longbottom didn't succeed in making Neville forget everything that happened the first time, so she used it three times in a row."
Kyle's eyes twitched slightly.
He wondered if Mrs. Longbottom was brave or reckless, as he wouldn't dare to use the Obliviate Charm three times consecutively on anyone nowadays.
"No one can say her decision was wrong," Dumbledore continued. "But some believe that certain matters should be left to more specialized individuals, especially when it comes to high-level spells like the Obliviate Charm."
"Before that, Mrs. Longbottom's spellcasting grades didn't even meet the passing standard... Of course, she still had her strengths, but she wasn't as skilled in certain spells."
Dumbledore added this to clarify.
"Is Headmistress Saxia one of those people?" Kyle asked.
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "Her clumsy use of the Obliviate Charm seems to have damaged Neville's memory, causing him to struggle with remembering things throughout his life."
It was clear that Headmistress Saxia still held a grudge against Mrs. Longbottom, even after more than a decade, as she was brought up as a negative example.
"So, what do you plan to do?" Dumbledore asked.
"I'll send him to St. Mungo's Hospital at night and bring him back during the day," Kyle said. "After all, he's living alone now, and no one will know even if he's not at school."
"That won't work now," Dumbledore said. "Just yesterday, he returned to his previous dormitory with Crabbe and Goyle."
"What?" Kyle asked in confusion. "Isn't Professor Snape worried about him getting hit with the Stunning Spell at night?"
"That's Severus' decision," Dumbledore explained. "Or rather... it's what Tom requested."
"To keep an eye on Draco?"
"Most likely... That's why I said it would be difficult to send Mr. Malfoy to St. Mungo's without alerting anyone."
"That's easy," Kyle replied after less than a second of thought. "Use the Confundus Charm on Crabbe and Goyle, and we can easily deceive them."
Dumbledore's eyes flashed behind his glasses.
For a moment, Kyle had almost suggested using the Imperius Curse...
He felt that Kyle was increasingly showing his potential as a Dark Wizard. As the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts, he felt obligated to extinguish this budding tendency.
"I must remind you, Kyle," Dumbledore said sternly. "Hogwarts' rules apply not only to students but also to professors."
Kyle tried to explain the difference between the Confundus Charm and the Imperius Curse, but seeing Dumbledore's increasingly serious expression, he gave up.
"Alright."
"Then let's have Binns use the Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Draco. That should be fine, as long as Professor Snape doesn't say anything, those two idiots won't be able to figure out."
Dumbledore's expression finally relaxed.
"So, do you have a suitable candidate?"
"Harry," Kyle suggested. "He knows Draco well and is the most suitable choice."
Dumbledore paused for a moment before shaking his head. "He's not suitable. Harry still has his own responsibilities at school. Choose someone else."
"Then Cedric," Kyle recommended another person.
This time, Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully.
Cedric was indeed a good choice—intelligent and meticulous in his thinking. Even if Crabbe and Goyle occasionally caught on, he could find reasons to deflect their suspicions.
"Alright, you write to Mr. Diggory."
"No problem, but..." Kyle reached out, "This is extra work, so I should get overtime pay."
"Cedric is also a member of the Phoenix Society."
"The Phoenix Society should get overtime pay too," Kyle glanced at him. "Besides, didn't you disband the Phoenix Society?"
Dumbledore was speechless.
...
Kyle acted swiftly and wrote a letter on the spot.
His request for overtime pay for Cedric wasn't unreasonable. This matter required confidentiality, and they couldn't openly ask the Ministry of Magic for personnel.
Cedric wanted to help and take leave, and they should compensate for his loss, even if he himself didn't mind.
By afternoon, Cedric had arrived at Hogwarts.
The Ministry of Magic was busy lately, especially with long leaves being hard to obtain. But Kyle had connections in the Ministry, and Cedric's direct superior was one of them.
So everything went smoothly, and his leave request was approved almost instantly.
That evening, Draco, along with Crabbe and Goyle, left the common room to head to the Great Hall for dinner.
The setup was the same as before, but their moods were entirely different.
Draco's face was expressionless, while his former lackeys now resembled prison guards, following him closely.
Especially Crabbe, his fists clenched tightly, seemed ready to strike Draco at any moment.
But just as they reached the top of the stairs, a group of Hufflepuffs also approached from the other side, meeting at the staircase's end.
"Hey, isn't that the little Death Eater and his two giant buddies?" someone taunted, intentionally bumping Crabbe with their shoulder.
"Damn it, who are you calling a buddy!" Crabbe immediately got angry and grabbed the other person's collar.
"What, you want to fight?" Justin didn't show any fear and quickly drew his wand, provoking, "Come on, who's afraid of who!"
The surrounding Hufflepuffs also joined in, surrounding Crabbe and Goyle.
But coincidentally, Malfoy was unintentionally pushed outside the crowd.
The moving figures blocked Crabbe's sight, and he panicked a little.
It wasn't that he was afraid of fighting, even though there were many people, but Crabbe and Goyle looked down on the Hufflepuffs. What they feared was losing to Malfoy.
This was Voldemort's first task for them, and if they messed up, they would be finished.
The two locked eyes and started pushing their way out.
But that group of Hufflepuffs seemed to be determined, not giving way.
Coincidentally, a group of Gryffindors arrived and, seeing the trouble with Slytherins, they joined in without a word, surrounding Crabbe and Goyle.
At this moment, Malfoy snorted and turned to leave.
He didn't plan to help.
However, at this moment...
"Stun!"
Malfoy didn't even see who it was and fainted.
He vaguely felt someone pulling his collar, putting him somewhere, and then he knew nothing.
At the same time, another Malfoy quickly took his place.
"Kyle, is what you're doing really okay?" Cedric, who had drunk Polyjuice Potion, asked with some concern, "I don't understand Malfoy at all."
"Don't worry, you don't need to understand."
Kyle patted his shoulder and quickly said, "Just keep a straight face and don't say anything. If those two little giants want to fight you, punch them. With the current Malfoy, nothing he does would be surprising."
"..." Cedric wanted to say something.
But at this moment, Snape suddenly appeared and dispersed the crowd surrounding Crabbe and Goyle without a word.
The two ran out in disarray and immediately looked for Malfoy. Only after seeing "him" still standing there did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Consider yourself lucky." Crabbe walked over, grinding his teeth, "You damn traitor, I'll let you taste the power of my fists."
"I... didn't." Goyle lowered his head and didn't make a sound.
Crabbe had changed a lot recently, and he was a little afraid. Naturally, he didn't dare to fight him, and what he said was true.
They needed to watch Malfoy for Voldemort; this was their task.
"You better not play any tricks, or else... I'll let you taste the power of my fists." Crabbe glared at Malfoy and spoke harshly.
Cedric remembered what Kyle had said earlier and didn't say anything, just keeping a straight face and snorting.
He was still a little nervous, but fortunately, Crabbe and Goyle didn't suspect anything.
After that, the three of them had just walked into the Great Hall when a little girl approached.
"Draco, you're here."
Cedric panicked; he didn't know the girl and had no impression of her.
There was no way; he could only straighten his face and snort again.
"Get lost!"
The little girl actually left.
From the staff table, Kyle watched this scene and almost laughed out loud.
Whether to speak or not, Cedric's acting was quite convincing.
After confirming there were no issues, Kyle quickly ate a few bites of dinner and then left Hogwarts, taking Malfoy to St. Mungo's.
When he returned, he also brought a few bottles of Elixir of Life for Cedric.
After all, the real test for him was at night. If Crabbe and Goyle woke up and found that Malfoy was lying in bed with someone else, it would be quite a scene.
Although the possibility of them waking up early was low, it wasn't impossible.
To be cautious, it was better to be careful.
As for how to make them drink this sleeping potion, that was Cedric's own business, and Kyle believed he could handle it.
...
In the following days, Cedric's performance improved, and even though he occasionally showed some flaws due to special circumstances, Kyle, who had been paying attention, helped cover them up.
Snape also helped a lot.
The frequency of his visits to the Slytherin common room had obviously increased, especially at night.
Everything was going smoothly.
Of course, this was only Kyle and the others' thoughts. For Cedric, these days were incredibly torturous.
In the beginning, he couldn't even sleep at night, even though he knew Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't wake up midway. Still, he would take a sip of Polyjuice Potion every once in a while.
This also led to Kyle's prepared stock running out, forcing him to take a few strands of Malfoy's hair again.
It continued like this until the end of the holiday, and Kyle finally officially became a professor.
As a reward for taking over Malfoy, after Dumbledore and McGonagall discussed, they also agreed to his previous request and rearranged the class schedule.
All the Ancient Runes classes for each year were scheduled on the same day, and it was the first day after the start of school.
This wasn't a complicated matter; the Ancient Runes class was originally scarce, with only one class per week, and a simple rearrangement of the order would suffice.
Kyle entered the classroom, donning a slightly more formal robe. He was unfamiliar with the students below, except for one person he knew.
Hermione.
But there was only one, and it was the only one all day.
Hermione was also surprised, although she had known about this beforehand, but when she saw Kyle walk into the classroom, she was still amazed.
She admitted that Kyle was very capable, but could he really be a good professor?
This was a different matter from her own studies.
However, Hermione quickly dispelled her concerns.
Kyle's style was completely different from Professor Babbling's, or rather, it was entirely dissimilar. But she could understand it, and even felt that Kyle's teaching was more thorough.
As seventh-years, they no longer needed to study the meanings represented by Runes; instead, they delved into more complex magical applications.
In other words, what Hermione excelled at—language translation—transformed into more intricate practical applications.
During the first semester, she found the lessons somewhat challenging. But this class was exceptionally easy.
"Runes are the embodiment of magic," Kyle said calmly, standing at the podium. "When you use them, imagine yourself casting magic."
"Take the simplest Lighting Charm, for example."
Kyle waved his wand, and a simple rune appeared on the ceiling.
"The rune for 'focus' is a gesture,"
"On this basis, add a spell that represents the essence of magic..." Kyle casually waved his wand, and a new rune appeared.
"Light!"
The two runes combined and immediately emitted a bright light.
"See, this is Rune Magic." Kyle said, "It's different from spells, yet similar. As long as you don't treat it as a new subject, but combine it with spells, you'll find it's not that difficult."
"What if it's a different spell?" Hermione raised her hand, but before she could finish, her voice had already reached the podium.
"I'm talking about more complex spells."
"Then add another rune." Kyle took out his wand again, "How about the Levitation Charm?"
"Does anyone remember the gesture for the Levitation Charm?"
"First, wave, then shake..." Almost everyone spoke at once.
This was first-year content, and they were already in their seventh year, so of course, they knew it.
"That's right, first wave..." A rune appeared on the podium.
"Still 'focus,' this rune is like waving the wand downward, almost every spell requires it, no need to think, just draw it."
"After all, when you cast magic, you always wave your wand."
Laughter filled the room, something that had never happened in previous lessons.
"Then add a little... 'transform,' represents the change in magical power."
"Chant the spell, 'soar.'"
Three runes arranged together, and a book was suspended steadily in mid-air.
Hermione's eyes lit up, and she habitually wanted to jot these down in her notebook. But after writing only two lines, she stopped.
There wasn't much to write about.
By the time the bell rang for the end of class, she had only filled two pages in her notebook, compared to the average five pages per class, it was directly reduced by more than half.
It was as if the meanings represented by the runes had suddenly become simpler.
All the students left the classroom, except for Hermione, who remained at the back.
She watched as Kyle stretched lazily, and she quickly ran over, asking him about some issues she had encountered earlier.
Kyle solved her problems with just a few words.
"I didn't expect your understanding of Runes to be so profound," Hermione exclaimed, "No wonder the Headmaster asked you to replace Professor Babbling."
Kyle smirked, accepting Hermione's praise.
This was all thanks to Mr. Tom Riddle. When he used that notebook, he asked even more questions, and the other party patiently answered them all, even thoughtfully adding his own insights, making it easier for young wizards to understand.
It could be said that to gain Kyle's trust, Tom went all out.
What Kyle needed to do now was to remove the personal opinions from those answers and retell them verbatim, which wasn't difficult.
Including Hermione's question just now, was basically something he had asked before, and solving it was naturally not a problem.
Thinking about it, Voldemort had indirectly fulfilled his dream...to be a professor at Hogwarts.
It's just that Kyle was the one receiving the salary.
Tom was also applying to be a Runes professor, wasn't he?
With Professor Babbling's personality, Tom dared to apply, and she dared to resign.
In the morning, go to the Headmaster's Office, and in the afternoon, he could directly take up the position. Why insist on focusing on Defense Against the Dark Arts?
His heart was too real.
Kyle turned around and saw Hermione still standing there, staring at him.
"Why are you still here?" he blurted out.
Hermione's face stiffened.
After studying for so long, this was the first time she encountered a professor who would chase students away.
"Kyle...um, I'm not used to this title yet," Hermione stammered, "Regarding the arrangement of Runes, I also have many questions. Could you..."
"No." Kyle shook his head, interrupting her.
"It's almost dinner time, even if you're not hungry, you can't delay me. Any questions, ask next class, that's it."
"But that's still a long time from now." Hermione frowned.
"Perfect, then you can familiarize yourself with today's content."
After saying this, Kyle stood up and left without giving Hermione another chance to speak.
There was no way, if Hermione continued asking, she could go on all day. Kyle didn't want to become a second Talking Book, he had other things to do.
...
(End of Chapter)
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