Chapter 956: One Galleon
Chapter 956: One Galleon
After a night of revelry, Hogwarts truly resumed its classes the next morning.
Although the war had caused a few days' delay, it wasn't a significant issue.
Voldemort had not just recently returned; in preparation for a war that could erupt at any moment, Hogwarts had already accelerated the young wizards' curriculum and increased their workload by several times.
Even before Christmas, the professors had finished teaching the necessary spells, and what followed was solely about teaching students how to protect themselves, unrelated to exams.
Despite this, the professors remained tense, especially Professor McGonagall, who had even more on her plate... She had to teach Transfiguration to all seven grades and also serve as the Headmaster of Hogwarts, handling all matters big and small.
Additionally, she needed to represent Hogwarts in the investigation of Snape's true identity.
Unfortunately, Hogwarts lacked the means for duplication magic, so Professor McGonagall had to rush between tasks. Fortunately, she could now use her authority as Headmaster to temporarily lift the school's restrictions on Apparition... Otherwise, she would have had to run across the vast grounds before returning to class.
While the professors were as busy as spinning tops, Kyle, another professor, could leisurely leave Hogwarts and travel to London with Kanna.
They were visiting Autumn.
As agreed upon the previous day, Cedric was waiting at the entrance of an old-fashioned red brick shop in the middle of the street, which served as the entrance to St. Mungo's. A large sign reading "Closed for Renovation" hung on the dusty door.
Rumor had it that the sign had been there for almost a century, yet passersby never found anything amiss.
Soon, Cedric spotted two familiar figures, Kyle and Kanna, emerging from an equally dilapidated telephone booth not far away.
This telephone booth was provided for wizards to use for Apparition, and like the red brick department store, it was enchanted with a Muggle-Repelling Charm to ensure that no Muggles would suddenly appear while wizards were using it.
"I'm here..." Cedric ran over from a distance.
Kyle looked around, "Where are Fred and George? Didn't they say they were coming too?"
Cedric shrugged, "They're waiting a bit longer. Apparently, they received another large order of Quick-Leave Lollipops last night."
Kyle raised an eyebrow, "Quick-Leave Lollipops? Those must be from Hogwarts."
Trying to skip class right after the war ended? These young wizards were truly disappointing.
Kyle hoped none of them would be foolish enough to suddenly vomit in his class.
After all, his class was already quite relaxed, with only one lesson per week and homework just one foot long.
If someone still wanted to slack off in such a class... Then they could only blame themselves for choosing the wrong subject.
Kyle had been intimately involved in the creation of Quick-Leave Lollipops and knew them inside out... Including how to render the antidote ineffective.
"Let's go in without waiting for them," Cedric said, leading the way towards a display window. "I've already arranged it; we can just go in..."
Kyle and Kanna followed closely behind.
The three of them disappeared into thin air and reappeared from the opposite side.
All around, voices buzzed and groans rose and fell.
"After the war ended, this place has been packed," Cedric said, leading the way upstairs. "But Minister Borens found the Headmistress, and a room was found for Autumn's mother."
"The Minister came personally?" Kanna was surprised, "You said it wasn't a big deal?"
"Yes," Cedric replied, "A curse that makes people mimic a gorilla's call, plus a twisted ankle, is indeed not a big deal."
"So, Minister Borens came personally... Oh, I wonder if she has a good relationship with Autumn?"
"Haven't heard of it..." Cedric thought for a moment, "They might have met or become familiar during this war."
As the two spoke, Kyle's attention was focused elsewhere.
What kind of creativity did the Death Eaters have to make a curse that makes people mimic a gorilla's call? What kind of curse is this... Well, it is a curse, according to its nature.
Although this spell had no effect on Kyle, for most other wizards, being hit by this curse would render them unable to cast spells again.
After all, gorillas don't cast spells, and the curse's severity is second only to the Tongue-Tying Curse. Truly, the Death Eaters were evil.
"I actually don't know why Minister Borens came personally," Cedric continued, "But I guess it's to show her importance. It's not a big deal with so few people, and it's not that troublesome."
"So few people?"
"Yes, the Ministry of Magic's battle started suddenly, without much prior planning, but the Hit Wizards and Aurors were on our side, and the Death Eaters weren't their main force. So, the battle ended quickly.
"We only had a few injuries, and those were from running too fast and being knocked over by our own people."
This...
Kanna nodded, and as Cedric explained, it seemed indeed not a big deal, no wonder they could leave St. Mungo's so quickly.
Soon, they reached the fifth floor.
Spell Damage Ward'.
This place was even more crowded than the others, with the corridor almost filled.
Kyle looked at the people around him, feeling a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen them somewhere before.
"Clang!"
A person ahead dropped an iron bucket, creating a loud noise.
Kyle instinctively turned his head and saw someone staring at them in fear before taking off running.
"Stop!"
A person at the corner immediately gave chase upon seeing this.
"Why is that person running?" Kyle furrowed his brows, puzzled. "Are they also from the Ministry of Magic?"
"Well, no," Cedric hesitated for a moment before answering. "They are... not exactly."
As they reached a less crowded area, Cedric lowered his voice, "Those people are Death Eaters, and the ones at the corridor and the staircase corner with wands are Aurors and Hit Wizards, responsible for guarding the Death Eaters."
Upon hearing that they were Death Eaters, Kanna's initial sympathy vanished.
"The Ministry of Magic is so kind, not even interrogating them first."
"Well..." Cedric became more hesitant, "I guess... it's because there's not much value in interrogating them."
"They didn't participate in the Hogwarts Battle?"
"They did, but in a sense, they also didn't," Cedric glanced at Kyle.
Kyle immediately understood.
"Are they... the ones I..."
"Yes, they are the ones trapped by the Killing Curse," Cedric's voice grew softer, "These people basically didn't move after rushing into the school, so I said the interrogation wouldn't be very meaningful."
No wonder...
Kyle's mouth twitched. No wonder he felt a sense of familiarity.
After all, there were quite a few Death Eaters surrounded by Kyle's Killing Curse, and it was impossible for him to remember every single one. Having a vague impression of them was already impressive.
"Ah, we're here," Cedric stopped in front of a door and knocked.
"It must be Cedric..." Autumn's voice came from inside, followed by the sound of the door opening.
"I already said, you don't need to help..."
Perhaps Autumn didn't expect that not only Cedric but also Kyle and Kanna had come. She stood there in a daze for a moment.
When she reacted, she quickly closed the door again. If Kyle hadn't pulled Cedric back, he might have already crashed into the door.
"Hey, Autumn, it's me..." Cedric called out in confusion, but there was no response.
Kyle guessed what might have happened.
In a balanced war, injuries were a badge of honor, but in a one-sided battle, it wasn't always the case.
Especially in such a crushing defeat, injuries could be embarrassing.
Autumn probably didn't expect Cedric to bring Kanna along as well.
Fred and George must have known the truth and used an excuse not to come.
Kyle shook his head. He hadn't realized this earlier due to the sudden mention of Death Eaters.
But it wasn't too late now.
Kyle quickly scanned the surroundings, thinking of a reason to leave naturally.
Just then, he spotted Headmistress Saxia approaching from a distance.
"It's great that you won this war," Saxia also noticed Kyle.
"I feel the same," Kyle said, "How about we find another place to chat?"
"Hmm?" Saxia was taken aback. Although she had only come to greet them, since Kyle suggested this, she didn't refuse.
At this moment, there wasn't much to do, and after seeing Kyle, she remembered something.
"Then let's go to the sixth floor."
The sixth floor of Saint Mungo's was the tea room and shop, a place dedicated to chatting and receiving guests.
"Let's go, Kanna," Kyle tugged at Kanna's sleeve.
The smart witch immediately understood and followed Kyle, leaving a confused Cedric standing alone.
Weren't they supposed to go and pick up Autumn?
"No problem."
"I know you're in a difficult position, but this potion requires... What did you say?"
"I'm not in a difficult position. I said it's no problem."
"But..." Kyle's quick agreement made Saxia hesitate.
"The basilisk tailbone isn't just about venom and shed skin; it's a direct extraction of a bone, and it's essential for the basilisk's movement."
"That's not a problem," Kyle waved his hand dismissively. "Even if you need the basilisk's heart, it's still no problem, because it's already dead."
"What did you say?!"
Saxia stood up abruptly, looking at Kyle in disbelief.
"The basilisk... is dead?"
"It's a basilisk, who could kill such a powerful creature..."
"Voldemort, who else could it be?" Kyle spoke casually, but Saxia's expression kept changing.
Well, Voldemort could indeed kill a basilisk.
But... Saxia still felt a pang of sadness.
The basilisk, while alive, could continuously produce venom and blood. She had discovered that these two ingredients, after a certain degree of processing, had an extraordinary neutralizing effect on Dark Magic.
Especially for petrification magic, a potion brewed with basilisk venom was more effective than mandrake.
But the basilisk was dead.
With that, her previous research... wait a moment.
Saxia suddenly realized that since the basilisk was already dead, there was no need to worry about a little venom.
"Kyle..."
"I was thinking of selling the basilisk to St. Mungo's," Kyle said, as if guessing Saxia's thoughts.
This was originally his idea.
He needed a live basilisk, not just the ingredients, even though they were valuable.
As soon as Kyle finished speaking, Saxia's breathing became heavy, her eyes gleaming with excitement, but also a hint of apprehension.
"How many Galleons do you need..." Saxia struggled to control her excitement. "I know a basilisk is priceless... but St. Mungo's has limited funds. If possible, can we pay in installments?"
"It's possible... but I didn't expect St. Mungo's to not even be able to come up with a hundred Galleons." Kyle sighed, then said, "How about this: I'll accept one Galleon per year, no interest."
"Squeak..." The chair Saxia was sitting on made a teeth-grinding sound.
"How much?" She looked at Kyle in disbelief, thinking she had misheard.
"One hundred Galleons." Kyle repeated.
Saxia fell silent.
In fact, if Kyle, the little money-grubber, had offered an exorbitant price, she wouldn't have been surprised. But one hundred Galleons, and paying one Galleon per year... What's the difference between that and giving it away for free?
But Saxia didn't immediately agree.
She looked at Kyle, picked up the teacup on the table, put it down, picked it up and put it down again, and after repeating this several times, she stood up.
"Let's talk somewhere else; I suddenly don't feel like drinking tea."
"How about the Three Broomsticks?" Kyle suggested. "They have the most authentic butterbeer."
"Sure." Saxia waved her wand, and something around them seemed to disappear.
Then, she disappeared.
"Apparition?" Kyle raised an eyebrow. In his memory, St. Mungo's and Hogwarts both prohibited Apparition.
But considering Saxia's position as the Headmistress, it wasn't surprising.
The Headmaster of Hogwarts could lift restrictions, so the Headmistress of St. Mungo's could too.
"Do you need me to take you there?" Kyle extended his arm towards Kanna.
"I'll wait for you in Hogsmeade." Kanna smiled slightly and disappeared as well.
Kyle then Apparated to Hogsmeade.
Business had gradually resumed here, including the Three Broomsticks, and as soon as he arrived, he heard exclamations coming from inside.
"Ms. Saxia..."
"Oh my..."
"Isn't that Headmistress Saxia?"
Apparently, someone had recognized her, and Madam Rosmerta was also excited. She had previously been under the Imperius Curse, and Saxia had helped remove all its effects.
"Welcome... Headmistress..." Madam Rosmerta immediately shooed away the other customers from the pub. If it weren't for the fact that Saxia was with Kyle and Kanna, they might have been shooed out as well.
"Please, let me treat you to something. What would you like to drink?" Madam Rosmerta's attitude surprised Kyle; she hadn't been this excited even when meeting Dumbledore or the Minister of Magic.
"Honey Wine, thank you. I need something different right now." Saxia said.
As Madam Rosmerta left to pour the drink, Saxia looked at Kyle and spoke softly, "This isn't St. Mungo's, is it?"
Kyle nodded, not understanding what she meant.
"Then, if I purchase the basilisk from you in my personal capacity, would you still agree? You can raise the price... If it's reasonable, I won't refuse." Saxia looked into Kyle's eyes and said.
"No, that's not necessary." Kyle smiled, "I believe that whether it's Ms. Saxia or the Headmistress, one hundred Galleons is a very reasonable price."
...
(End of Chapter)
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