Chapter 934: This Broken Hogwarts, I Can't Stand It for a Minute
Chapter 934: This Broken Hogwarts, I Can't Stand It for a Minute
The morning sun pierced through the clouds, casting its rays upon the rooftops of Hogsmeade Village.
Unbeknownst to them, the sky had gradually brightened.
Kyle finally understood what Dumbledore was trying to do, but he remained calm, even appearing completely unconcerned.
"There's no need for that, Professor," Kyle waved his hand, "I merely did what I had to do. The Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts, and of course, we fought back. Even if there was no fault in killing them, why would you worry that others would cause trouble for me?"
"Kyle, this has nothing to do with right or wrong," Dumbledore said solemnly. "Even Tom has never killed over two hundred wizards at once. Such unrestrained power will inevitably make other wizards feel fear and rejection... even if they know you're not a Dark Wizard.
"Believe me, Kyle, no one understands this better than I do." Dumbledore spoke earnestly.
But Kyle wasn't disbelieving his words... he knew all too well what kind of people those in the Ministry of Magic were.
"But I've never killed that many Death Eaters. Not even close to two hundred and sixty, maybe not even twenty-six."
Kyle found a chair and sat down, looking at Dumbledore, "The Death Eaters destroyed the school's greenhouse, which released those Man-Eating Kales. What does that have to do with me? It's their own doing.
"Also, I only trapped the Death Eaters and never intended to kill them. It was Voldemort who thought they were incompetent and deliberately deflected the spell, leading to the Fiendfyre going out of control. He killed his subordinates and wanted to frame me for this. That deceitful Dark Wizard, his actions are truly nauseating.
"But I believe that the fair and just Minister Bones will surely see through his conspiracy and clear my name."
Kyle spoke calmly, but by this point, Dumbledore was slightly stunned.
Especially with Kyle's confident demeanor, if it were someone who didn't know him, they would probably believe it.
However, Dumbledore clearly understood Kyle and had witnessed everything. He was well aware that not a single word of what Kyle said was true.
First of all, it's uncertain whether there were that many Man-Eating Kales in the school's greenhouse. Even if there were, it's impossible for them to have all bypassed the Death Eaters and run to the other side at the same time.
Additionally, how could Tom possibly kill over a hundred Death Eaters instead of using them and then frame Kyle during the war?
Dumbledore thought that even if Tom cut his soul into pieces as small as black whiskers, he wouldn't make such a decision.
However, Kyle didn't seem to mind and continued speaking:
"Even if he accused me in the process, so what? Who would believe the words of a notorious Dark Wizard, the primary culprit behind countless wizards' broken families and ruined lives?"
"But that doesn't mean everyone doesn't believe it."
Dumbledore finally couldn't hold back and shook his head, saying, "If there's even one different voice, it will bring you a lot of trouble... some people in the Daily Prophet like to dig into these things and report on the unknown side of famous wizards."
The Daily Prophet?
Kyle was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Well, Professor, if you're referring to Rita Skeeter, there's absolutely no need to worry."
"Hmm?" Dumbledore was a bit unsure, "I'm afraid you don't understand the power of that woman... she always finds what she wants and doesn't care about your status."
"Of course... that's right." Kyle smiled, "I admit Rita Skeeter is very capable, but Professor, there's something you might not know... in a sense, Rita Skeeter and I are actually partners."
"Partners?" Dumbledore was a bit confused and didn't understand what he meant.
"Let me explain." Kyle thought for a moment, "I've provided her with a lot of high-quality first-hand information. Currently, we have a cooperative relationship."
"Right, she's also at Hogwarts and participated in this defense." Kyle suddenly remembered something, "If I'm not mistaken, she should be in some corner writing her report.
"Voldemort fled in defeat, and the Death Eaters were completely wiped out. I can say that the next issue of the Daily Prophet will definitely sell out."
Dumbledore listened to Kyle's words and was a bit taken aback.
What's going on? How is Rita Skeeter also at Hogwarts?
"Anyway, that's how it is..."
Kyle continued, "Although Rita Skeeter's character isn't great, I can assure you that she will never betray a partner like me or report anything unfavorable about me." Kyle said with conviction.
Dumbledore was half-believing and half-doubting, feeling like he was talking to two different people. Although he knew to some extent about Kyle and Rita Skeeter's cooperation, he didn't think the witch who liked to pry into others' secrets would show any leniency towards Kyle.
Betrayal was a common thing for her.
However, Dumbledore didn't say anything more.
At this moment, Harry slowly crawled up from the ground.
It was clear that he hadn't fully recovered from the effects of the Dementor, looking as pale as if he had just emerged from the Black Lake in winter. He kept rubbing his arms.
"So cold... what happened to me..." Harry said as he sat on the ground, looking to the side.
"Ron, Hermione, you two..."
"It's okay, they're fine," said Kayle, waving his wand, and the unconscious pair were instantly moved by an invisible force to the more spacious floor beside them.
As it was rather cold in the early morning, Kayle thoughtfully provided them with two sleeping bags.
"Why can't you wake them up?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Because I don't want to explain to them why they were stunned," Kayle replied matter-of-factly. "How do you feel now? Can you still connect to Voldemort's mind?"
It was then that Harry recalled what had just happened, and he shuddered again.
The feeling of being in close contact with a Dementor was truly unpleasant, especially since the Dementor had almost given him a kiss.
The sensation of the soul leaving the body was still unsettling, even now. If he could help it, he never wanted to experience it again.
"Harry, are you listening?"
Kayle's voice brought Harry back to his senses and also reminded him that there was still important business to attend to.
"Oh... I'll give it a try," said Harry.
He closed his eyes and tried to feel the pain from his scar.
Before, his scar had been like a red-hot branding iron, constantly burning his forehead.
But now, the scar had quieted down, and Harry didn't even feel its presence without touching it.
"I... I don't know..." Harry said subconsciously. "I don't know where Voldemort is."
"That's right," Kayle nodded, not finding it strange, or rather, this was the normal state of affairs.
If Voldemort's soul fragment had been sucked out by the Dementor, Harry would still be able to enter his mind. In that case, Kayle would consider letting him take the Killing Curse.
Fortunately, this situation did not occur.
"I forgot to ask earlier, how did you two end up here?" Kayle looked at Harry, who was trying to wake Ron up. "Is the clean-up work at school finished?"
"Ah, no," said Harry. "We came here to find an Erumpent, which is also one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Voldemort hid it here with the Malfoy family."
"I discovered that Voldemort didn't take it with him when he escaped, so I came here to try my luck."
As he spoke, Harry couldn't help but look around.
He didn't see the Erumpent, and the Malfoy family was nowhere to be seen, probably having escaped before Dumbledore arrived here.
This discovery instantly made Harry feel incredibly disappointed. He couldn't help but think that if he hadn't gone to the Headmaster's Office to see Snape's memories but had returned here directly, he might have been able to personally send the Malfoy family to Azkaban.
What a pity, Harry sighed.
"If you're referring to the Horcrux as a thirty-foot-long Erumpent, it's right here." Kayle pointed to a corner on the left.
Harry turned his head and saw a scorched mark on that wall.
"That's the Erumpent you mentioned." Kayle explained. "Look carefully, and you should be able to put together a small one."
"It's already dead?" Harry was surprised. "But, besides us, no one should know it's here..."
"That's why I came here." Kayle looked at Harry, who was trying to wake Ron up. "Next time, you and Ron should learn to take turns in the Invisibility Cloak, don't crowd into it. It can't cover you both now."
"What?" Harry almost jumped up. "You've been... following us all this time?"
"Yes, since you first entered the secret passage, I've been behind you. When Voldemort was chasing you, I had just enough time to turn back and deal with that snake."
"What about Malfoy? Did you see Malfoy?" Harry asked anxiously.
"Um... no." Kayle shook his head.
"When I returned, there was only the snake here. They must have escaped early."
"I see." Harry lowered his head again, looking dejected.
"Don't worry." Kayle patted his shoulder, comforting him. "You'll definitely see Draco Malfoy again."
"I don't want to see him." Harry muttered.
"Alright, it doesn't matter." Kayle said. "But we should head back. It's a bit much for us to be slacking off while everyone else is working."
"Okay." Harry nodded, looking at Ron and Hermione on the floor, wanting to speak but holding back.
"Oh, almost forgot." Kayle took out his wand and tapped a few stones beside them.
The original text in Chapter 6 Book.
After a few seconds, the stones grew sturdy legs and arms, and the sleeping bag on the floor was lifted into the secret passage.
"Oh, wait for me." Harry said, looking at Kayle.
A few seconds later, Kayle turned to Dumbledore again.
"Yes, Professor." He looked at Dumbledore again. "Harry just reminded me of something I think I should tell you."
"What is it?"
"About Nurmengard." Kayle said, and briefly explained what had happened here earlier.
"After Professor Snape's analysis, Voldemort's Elder Wand is broken now, but it's still possible they'll go to Nurmengard."
"What?"
Kyle didn't even see how Dumbledore got up.
"Are you saying they went to Nurmengard?"
"It's just a possibility," Kyle shrugged, "Now that the Death Eaters are mostly defeated, Voldemort needs more power for revenge, like complete control over the Elder Wand."
"Although the Elder Wand is broken, the core is still there, and it's not impossible to repair it."
"Damn, I shouldn't have let Severus know about Nurmengard," Dumbledore blurted out.
"Hmm?" Kyle was curious, "Did you tell Professor Snape about this?"
"For some reasons, he knows that you've been to Nurmengard," Dumbledore turned and walked towards the door.
"Do you need my help?" Kyle was eager to help.
"If needed..." Dumbledore said, "But I think it's better for you to stay here for now. You must be exhausted too."
"Indeed," Kyle nodded.
After fighting Voldemort for so long, his legs felt weak just standing.
But if it was going to Nurmengard with Dumbledore, Kyle felt he could squeeze out some more energy.
If all else fails, he still had his potions.
"So, leave this to me."
Unfortunately, Dumbledore didn't intend to take him along, and turned to leave.
But as he reached the door, he stopped and turned back, saying, "I'll be back after dawn, as we discussed before..."
"No, Professor Dumbledore, I've never said anything. It's just your wishful thinking." Kyle shook his head.
"But..."
"Don't worry, Professor," Kyle interrupted, "Even if it's true as you said... I can just leave Britain."
Dumbledore looked at Kyle with a slight change in his expression, as if he wanted to say something but held back.
"Professor, do you think I'll become the next Dark Lord?" Kyle raised an eyebrow, half-jokingly.
"Of course not," Dumbledore shook his head, "You're different from Tom. You have friends, family. You'll never become a Dark Lord like him."
"But it's not impossible," Kyle continued, "For instance, if the Ministry of Magic turns against me and makes things difficult..."
"You know, Professor, I can't be as tolerant as you. I can't ignore these difficulties... I can clearly say that I will fight back."
"Let me think." Kyle stood up and walked around the room.
"My counterattack will make the Ministry see me as an enemy, and even if I don't want to, I'll become the next Dark Lord in everyone's eyes."
Dumbledore fell silent.
There was one more thing Kyle didn't mention: if he became the Dark Lord, without Dumbledore, no one in the British magical world could stop him.
Those with the ability, like Newt and Scamander, were close to Kyle.
Even the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had a close connection with him. Diana was his mother, and there was Ariana... Honestly, Dumbledore couldn't even guarantee that Ariana wouldn't help Kyle if it came to that.
"I think you're overthinking, Professor. Do wizards get more paranoid as they age?" Kyle looked at Dumbledore and winked.
Without waiting for Dumbledore's response, he continued, "The magical world isn't limited to Britain. If I'm not welcome here, I can go elsewhere."
"France is a good choice. Madame Maxime has wanted me to go to Beauxbatons for a long time... To be honest, her offer is very tempting, and I've almost agreed to it several times."
Dumbledore stared at Kyle, then said softly, "I'm sorry, Kyle."
"It's understandable, Professor. I can relate," Kyle smiled and sighed, "And I'm not trying to comfort you. I really want to go to France."
"Oh... Why!"
Visibly, Dumbledore became more anxious, and he even stepped back inside the room.
"Isn't Hogwarts good enough? If you want to talk about the new Alchemy course, we can start after dealing with Tom's troubles."
"It's not about that," Kyle waved his hand.
Any British wizard who has tried authentic French cuisine will have a reduced sense of belonging here.
The house-elves at Hogwarts do a decent job, but with a limited menu, Kyle was already tired of the food by the time he graduated.
A change of taste would be nice.
He could stay in France for a few years, and when he gets tired of French cuisine, he can move on to better places.
The more Kyle thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Although it's not easy for a wizard to settle in a different country, Kyle had the connections.
Madame Maxime from France was just one example. If Kyle wanted to go to Beauxbatons, the rest would be effortless.
Newt and Scamander knew even more wizards worldwide, and a simple word from them could solve this problem.
After that, why would he care about the British Ministry of Magic?
Kyle quickened his pace and even started planning where to settle in different countries. He didn't want to stay in this broken Hogwarts for even a second.
Across from him, Dumbledore pursed his lips, suddenly realizing he might have made a wrong decision.
...
(End of Chapter)
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