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Chapter 921: The Battle of Hogwarts
Chapter 921: The Battle of Hogwarts
When Fred and George found Kyle in the entrance hall, he was busy searching for the younger students.
Somehow, the rumor that Voldemort was coming to Hogwarts had reached the students before their evacuation.
So, some students with a strong sense of justice immediately decided to stay and stand with Hogwarts.
They tried their best to sneak out of the evacuation line and hide in various corners of the school, while the professors were busy sending away most of the students, leaving no time to search for them individually.
Thus, the task of finding these students fell to Kyle, the most idle person in the entire school.
When Fred and George approached, there were already three small figures with bowed heads following behind Kyle.
"It's understandable for fifth and sixth-year students to want to stay, but what are you second-years doing here?" Kyle said with a stern face, "You're not even as tall as the Death Eaters. What can you do if you stay..."
"We can poke them with our wands..." a young voice whispered, "My wand is made of iron birch, it's super hard."
"Ambitious." Kyle gave a thumbs-up, "But you still can't stay."
"Why not!"
"Because I'm a professor, and I make the rules!" Kyle kicked them, sending them to Professor Sinistra who was waiting at the castle entrance.
The Astronomy professor would then take them to Hogsmeade.
Although the Knight Bus had already left, Professor McGonagall had also prepared other means to leave.
The older students would Apparate with the shop owners in Hogsmeade, while the younger ones would ride on Cleansweep brooms.
The process might not be as comfortable, but the Knight Bus wasn't much better either.
"Hey, Kyle!" Fred greeted, but before he could say more, Kyle, with gleaming eyes, pulled him away.
Finding people in Hogwarts... this was a job tailor-made for Fred and George, as they knew all the hiding spots.
Indeed, with Fred and George's help, Kyle's efficiency increased several times, and he quickly found the remaining students in the castle.
Ginny was among them, and she was also underage. Fred and George intended to let her go, but unfortunately, Mrs. Weasley happened to pass by.
Ginny forcefully freed herself from her mother's grasp.
"No, I'm a member of Dumbledore's Army..."
"...That's just a group of teenagers!"
"It's a group of teenagers preparing to face the Dark Lord." Fred tried to speak up for his sister, "Others don't have the courage to do this."
"Shut up, she's only sixteen!" Mrs. Weasley turned angrily, "She's too young, what were you two thinking... conspiring behind my back!"
"Oh, Mom, I had nothing to do with it." George promptly sold out Fred, buying himself a moment of peace.
Kyle didn't even glance at them, squeezing past Mrs. Weasley without a sideways glance.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Professor McGonagall was looking for me."
"I'll come with you!" George quickly caught up.
At this moment, every life saved mattered.
Brotherhood? That didn't matter.
...
The two returned downstairs, and within this short time, it seemed that many more people had gathered.
The magically enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall was dark and flickering with faint stars, and below, many disheveled people wearing travel cloaks sat at the four long tables.
They all seemed to have rushed back upon hearing the news, some with anticipation and others with tension, but everyone present had made a firm decision to return to Hogwarts at this critical moment.
Professor Sinistra was the busiest among them, walking back and forth.
"Kyle, what's our next move?" George asked eagerly, mainly because he wanted to find a way to leave the castle to avoid Fred's potential retaliation.
"We..."
"It seems I'm not too late." A voice interrupted Kyle.
Two beautiful witches stood side by side at the entrance of the Great Hall.
"Conner?" Kyle blinked, thinking he was mistaken, "How did you..."
"Is it strange to see me?" Conner and Furong walked over.
"To be honest, a little." Kyle replied.
He had guessed this situation, and Conner's personality ensured that she wouldn't stand idly by regarding Voldemort. She was bound to return.
However, this battle was almost impromptu. Before this, everyone thought Voldemort was still searching for Ravenclaw's Diadem, and no one expected him to come to Hogwarts.
If not for Fred and George spreading the news immediately, there might not have been many people here.
But Conner and Furong were in France. Even if they received the news, it seemed unlikely that they could make it back in such a short time.
"We returned a while ago." Furong said, "After Dumbledore's funeral."
"What?" Kyle was taken aback, "How come I didn't know?"
"Because you've been in Hogwarts all this time." Furong explained.
"Did Conner think that after Dumbledore's death, Britain wouldn't remain peaceful for long?"
"She was right. It hasn't been long, and the Dark Wizard is about to make his move on Hogwarts."
Kyle looked at Conner.
However, she seemed a bit distracted, constantly looking around as if searching for someone.
"Kyle, have you seen Uncle Severus?"
"No," Kyle replied, "I've been busy evacuating students. I didn't see Professor Snape... Well, he might have gone to Hogsmeade to Apparate students out."
"Alright." Connor nodded, not suspecting anything, and quickly joined the queue of graduating students.
Meanwhile, Harry, who was still on the eighth floor, asked the same question.
"Snape! He was driven away!" Ron exclaimed with delight. "Professor McGonagall saw the Dark Mark on his arm, and he confessed to being a Death Eater. They fought, and he broke through the window and fled."
"I knew it! He's a Death Eater!" Harry said, "Looks like my decision was right."
"Absolutely right," Ron agreed, licking his lips. "You don't know what Snape did as Headmaster. He wanted Death Eaters to teach us, and even tried to lock all the students in their common rooms."
"Fortunately, Professor McGonagall discovered his identity in time," Hermione added.
"Too bad he escaped," Harry sighed.
"There was no other way," Ron said, "Death Eaters are skilled at escaping."
"You're right..."
"I know you're preparing for this!"
Harry's words were drowned out by another voice that echoed through the castle. It was high-pitched, cold, and seemed to come from everywhere, as if every brick in the castle was speaking.
"Your efforts are futile. I don't want to kill you, nor do I want wizards to shed blood."
Everyone fell silent.
In the Great Hall, some faces turned pale, and everyone felt the immense pressure.
Despite their decision to resist Voldemort, hearing his voice instantly occupied their minds.
"Hand over the Crown, and I'll let all of you go... Hand over the Crown!"
Voldemort's voice became slightly hysterical towards the end, clearly losing patience.
Then...
"Buzz..."
Something seemed to vibrate, and the entire ceiling lit up.
The Forte Aurore Charm, set up by the professors in advance, took effect, blocking a speeding spell.
Kyle quickly left the Great Hall and went outside the castle.
Through the illuminated sky, Kyle saw that Death Eaters surrounded Hogwarts, all wearing the same black cloaks, like a vast, dark cloud.
No wonder he had arrived; he must have called for reinforcements.
However, the professors seemed to have anticipated this and weren't overly surprised.
The first spell was ineffective, but it seemed to be just a signal. The next second, thousands of spells rained down like a colorful light show, illuminating Hogwarts like daylight.
Professor McGonagall stood at the forefront, calmly formulating battle plans. She, Flitwick, and Sprout led their respective combat teams to three strategic high points: Ravenclaw Tower, Gryffindor Tower, and the Astronomy Tower.
These locations offered better visibility and were more suitable for casting spells.
"Lupin, Arthur, take a group to the Quidditch Pitch... We also need to secure the entrances to the school. The Aurors checked them last time, but I suspect the Death Eaters know about it too."
"Sounds like our kind of job," George smiled. "I need to find Fred quickly. See you later, Kyle."
He ran off, and Fred also hurried down the stairs.
The two of them quickly gathered a few familiar Gryffindors and dispersed to various corners of the school.
Everyone received their tasks, except for Kyle... He was forgotten again.
But that was fine.
With a Horcrux in hand, Voldemort would undoubtedly be on edge, subconsciously thinking of his other Horcruxes and checking on their status.
Voldemort knew Dumbledore too well; he was certain that once Dumbledore uncovered the secret of Horcruxes, he would relentlessly pursue them until they were all destroyed.
In this situation, the exposed Diadem became less of a concern; he had to first ascertain the status of the other Horcruxes.
After checking and finding all the Horcruxes destroyed, he would naturally come for Kyle.
After all, each Horcrux represented a life... The Diary, the Diadem, the Golden Cup, the Locket, and the Resurrection Stone were all gone, which meant he had been 'killed' five times.
As for who did it... Voldemort's first thought would naturally be Dumbledore, but with Dumbledore dead, his hatred naturally shifted to Kyle.
Being held responsible for killing him once had already earned him a decade of grudge, let alone killing him five times.
Could Voldemort hold back this resentment?
If he could, he wouldn't be Voldemort. So, he came, with a desire for revenge... and a fantasy.
From his earlier words, it was evident that he still hoped the soul fragment in the Diadem was unharmed.
But Voldemort didn't consider that with the Diadem looking so new, how could it possibly preserve his filthy soul?
Kyle couldn't help but laugh, which further angered Rita Skeeter.
"Isn't this perfect?" Kyle said with a smile, "The final battle against the Death Eaters, is there any news more explosive than this?"
"You're the only journalist here, don't you understand what this means?"
Kyle's voice was light and airy, as if imbued with a certain magic, causing Rita Skeeter's body to start trembling.
The final battle against the Death Eaters...
Indeed, there was no news more explosive than this, not even if Dumbledore were to miraculously come back to life.
She was going to make a fortune!
Rita Skeeter's breathing quickened.
The fortune she envisioned wasn't in the form of useless Galleons, but in the honor she would gain from publishing this news, regardless of who won or lost; her name would become a household name.
"Even if it's dangerous, it's worth it..." Rita Skeeter clenched her fists.
But soon, she calmed down, as there was still one crucial thing missing. Without that, all her previous thoughts were for naught.
"Here, this is for you," Kyle handed her a brand new camera, "I guess you don't have one, right?"
"How did you know?" Rita Skeeter's heart raced.
Indeed, what she lacked was a camera; without photos, her words would lack credibility, and people wouldn't believe her.
"Oh, how did you get this!" Rita Skeeter was amazed, her red-painted nails tightly gripping the camera.
"This is my treasure, a French product, very valuable," Kyle glanced at her and reminded her, "Be careful, don't damage it."
"Don't worry, it won't break!" Rita Skeeter said, secretly deciding that she would not let this item be destroyed by the Death Eaters, even if it meant putting herself in harm's way to block curses.
"And I want half of the profits from this report," Kyle continued.
"Okay... that's fine..." Rita Skeeter thought for a moment, "But my name must be listed first in the byline."
"That's not a problem," Kyle nodded.
He wanted Galleons, and Rita Skeeter's desire for fame aligned.
Soon, Rita Skeeter transformed into her Animagus form, a beetle, and disappeared into the night.
Kyle didn't ask where she was going, nor did he invite her to join Hogwarts to receive protection from the professors and the Phoenix Society.
Rita Skeeter was experienced in hiding herself.
"Boom!"
Another dazzling display of 'fireworks' exploded above, signaling another wave of attacks from the Death Eaters.
This time, the Fortified Armor Charm, previously set up by the Hogwarts faculty, couldn't withstand the onslaught of curses and shattered.
With Voldemort's command, the Death Eaters surged forward like a tide.
Voldemort himself moved, with a clear target, heading straight for Kyle, who was sitting by the edge of the Black Lake.
He had spotted Kyle earlier, and his stationary behavior was a direct challenge to his nerves.
"Your opponent is me!"
At the crucial moment, a white-bearded wizard stood in front of Kyle.
"You finally came, Professor Dumbledore... wait, why is it you?"
"What's the matter?" Aberforth's expression darkened as he glanced at Kyle, "Otherwise, I'll leave, and you can deal with Voldemort."
"No, I was just joking."
Though he said this, Kyle still scrutinized him, searching for signs of a Disguise Charm.
It's impossible, they had planned it; he was supposed to attract Voldemort's attention while Dumbledore handled the aftermath.
Why was there a last-minute change, Aberforth... could he handle it, please don't let him fall into Voldemort's hands.
"Stop looking, it's not a Disguise Charm, it's me," Aberforth forcefully waved his wand, deflecting Voldemort's Killing Curse with a red-glowing whip-like spell.
The swift and clean move allowed Kyle to breathe a sigh of relief.
"That bastard has other matters to attend to, leaving me to save your life."
"Other matters..." Kyle didn't understand, "At this point, what could be more important than killing Voldemort?"
"How would I know?" Aberforth's expression was equally grim, "I asked, but that bastard wouldn't tell me, he just said..."
...
(End of Chapter)
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