Chapter 962: A Thousand Horcrux Creation Diagrams
Chapter 962: A Thousand Horcrux Creation Diagrams
"I say it's real, and it is real..."
In an instant, the once bustling Headmaster's Office fell into an eerie silence.
The Headmasters all turned to Kyle, their eyes filled with disbelief.
They had initially thought Kyle had made a mistake, but now it seemed he had done it intentionally.
And to use the Cruciatus and Imperius Curses on himself, was this a decision a normal wizard could make?
"They will die." One Headmaster couldn't help but speak up. "No one would use the Imperius Curse on themselves; it might cause the spell to spiral out of control..."
"Oh, might it?" Kyle blinked, once again manipulating the quill pen to erase a line and add new content on the parchment.
When Kyle lifted the parchment again, the Headmasters noticed that the Imperius Curse had been replaced with the Killing Curse.
This was no longer subtle; it was an outright attempt to kill them...
At this thought, some Headmasters glanced at Dumbledore, who was seated at the edge.
"Is this the student you educated?" Phineas scowled. "Although I was known as the most unpopular Headmaster in history, I believe I was a bit more competent than you."
Phineas disliked the title of 'most unpopular Headmaster' and didn't think he had done anything wrong. He believed someone was targeting him.
But now, Phineas suddenly felt he could accept it.
Being unpopular was one thing, but being incompetent was another. At least his students had been well-behaved.
Unlike Dumbledore... In his youth, he was entangled with Grindelwald, and in his middle age, he taught Tom Riddle, who became obsessed with Dark Magic. Now, in his old age, he had nurtured Kyle, an even more unconventional wizard.
Moreover, Dumbledore himself held the title of the most powerful white wizard and was widely admired.
"Why..." Phineas' expression turned resentful. "You deserve to die!"
Dumbledore shifted his gaze elsewhere with a wry smile. He hadn't expected Kyle's solution to be so... unexpected.
"This makes it even more foolproof." Kyle, unaware of the Headmasters' reactions, continued, "I had intended to write the Killing Curse, but I was worried they might not believe it, so I changed it to the Imperius Curse."
"Even if it were the Imperius Curse, no one would believe it." Armando Dippet couldn't hold back any longer. "Even we portraits, who can't think, can see that this process is wrong. How much more so for living wizards... Their brains aren't made of paint."
"What if this method was something they had toiled to obtain?" Kyle smiled. "If I just threw the parchment away, they wouldn't believe it. But what if it were engraved on a stone deep beneath Nurmengard?"
"The once-rampaging Grindelwald, a secret he'd rather be imprisoned for seven years to protect, suddenly becomes more believable."
A collective gasp filled the room.
Regardless of Grindelwald's reputation, his deeds carried a legendary aura. If this parchment went through this entire process, it would be real.
Even if Grindelwald himself denied it later, no one would believe him; they would think he was deceiving them.
"But..." Headmaster Delores Dervish frowned. "Your incorrect method might kill them."
As the Headmistress of Hogwarts, she was also a renowned healer, and it was natural for her to think more deeply about this.
"So what?" Kyle said nonchalantly. "The real Horcrux creation requires killing to split the soul... If someone can bring themselves to use the Cruciatus or Killing Curse on themselves, they can certainly do the same to others.
"So, from another perspective, we are saving lives."
Delores frowned.
She knew Kyle was arguing, but she also felt there was nothing wrong with his statement.
Indeed, a wizard determined to create a Horcrux would inevitably go against the Wizardry Law.
Apart from the necessary condition of killing to split the soul, the process also involved various prohibited Dark Magic spells, big and small, totaling over a dozen.
Therefore, regardless of whether a Horcrux was successfully created, the minimum punishment for attempting it was a Dementor's kiss.
From this perspective, Kyle's claim of saving lives was not wrong.
"Then how will you get it beneath Nurmengard, and who can find that place?" Someone asked the most critical question.
The entire process revolved around Nurmengard, a place even more mysterious than Azkaban, which ordinary wizards had no chance of finding.
"This is where I need your help, Professor." Kyle turned to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore looked back at Kyle, blinking, neither agreeing nor refusing.
"Of course, this is just a preliminary plan," Kyle continued. "When it comes to execution, we'll need more detailed steps."
"For example, how to find those determined to create Horcruxes...how to lead them to inadvertently discover the legend of Nurmengard from the escaped Death Eaters...and how many people they need to kill to find a way to engrave the Horcrux creation diagram. These all require careful discussion."
"Haven't you already said everything? What's left to discuss?" Armando Dippet said softly. "If you just fill in the specifics, it'll be a complete plan."
"Not quite. It still needs careful discussion to ensure foolproof success..." Kyle modestly shook his head.
The Headmaster's office fell silent once more.
"I like this kid," a bearded headmaster suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. "If you were born a hundred and fifty years earlier, I wouldn't have had to hand the position to that fool Phineas."
"Hey, you old geezer, I can hear you!" Phineas jumped up, about to grab the other's face.
Armando was quick, extending his leg just in time.
Phineas's face slammed into the ground with a bang, sliding forward a good distance.
"He's indeed a fool," the bearded wizard muttered, "A very lucky fool, as others were even more foolish back then..."
"You're not any better!" Phineas stood up, wiping mud and pebbles from his face.
The advantage of portraits is that they don't get truly injured. Even if the head falls off, it can be easily reattached with a quick rub.
Sometimes, on a whim, they can even try out different heads.
Phineas had always wanted to chat all night with the portrait of a woman with many heads, but never found the chance.
"Look at how many rules you've added. Hogwarts only had fifty rules for eight hundred years, and you doubled it after you left."
"Ha, if not for me, you'd be the 'Least Popular Headmaster'."
Phineas spoke while seizing the moment to punch Armando's face.
"This is for you!" Without hesitation, Phineas took off running and disappeared from the Headmaster's office in the blink of an eye.
"What a fool," muttered Armando.
"Aren't you going to chase him?" Kyle asked curiously. They usually enjoyed this game, but today Armando was unusually generous.
Not even angry after getting punched in the face.
"It's fine. He can't escape anyway. In the portraits of Hogwarts, his connections are far inferior to mine." Armando waved dismissively.
"I'm more interested in your plan now. You specifically avoided Professor McGonagall and came to find Albus. It can't be just for his help, right?"
"Oh...don't talking portraits not think?" Kyle feigned surprise.
"It's the portraits on chocolate frogs that can't think. We're a little better than that," Armando said, winking.
"Not much, but you're not hiding your intentions either, are you? After all, you didn't seek out the real Albus."
"That's true." Kyle nodded, "I hope the Headmasters can contribute to this matter."
"What do you want us to do?" Armando asked.
"This." Kyle picked up the parchment again, "I hope you can deliver it to a wizard who knows how to create Horcruxes and is still alive."
The Headmasters from three centuries ago turned and left.
They were mostly portraits of people they knew, and the rest were unfamiliar.
"Let's discuss this later." Armando stroked his beard, "First, tell me your thoughts. Also, we don't know legendary wizards like Grindelwald. You'll need to make up many more stories."
"Not this time." Kyle shook his head, explaining, "They don't have to do anything specific. Just casually reveal it when someone seeks them out."
"We can enhance its credibility further," the bearded wizard said, seeming a bit confused.
"There's no need to increase credibility," Kyle said. "Borrowing Grindelwald's name is just a temporary solution for the current situation. What I mentioned earlier is for the future."
The Headmasters became even more curious.
"Tell us more."
"If what you say makes sense, we'll help you with this favor."
"I do know a few Elders, but I'm not sure if they can create Horcruxes."
"That's fine. Even if they can't, it's okay."
"If we only prepare one set of Horcrux instructions, it might be quickly discovered as suspicious... But what if there were a hundred or a thousand sets?"
Kyle thought for a moment and shared his plan.
"The people you know must be well-known figures in the Magical World, right?"
The Headmasters all nodded in agreement.
As the only Headmaster of the sole magic school in Britain, not just anyone could become their friend.
"So, is what they say credible?"
"Of course," Kyle laughed and volunteered, "They themselves carry credibility, so others will naturally believe them without a doubt."
"Wait a moment," said Delores. "If that's the case, I don't think many people would be willing to use their reputation to help you lie. Some old wizards value this highly."
"This isn't a lie," Kyle said earnestly. "The method of making Horcruxes is something they found in ancient magical texts, discovered while exploring magical ruins, passed down through the family... In short, it's all true."
"What if they die?"
"Perfect," Kyle said matter-of-factly, "Then no one will know about this anymore." He continued, "Just like the shop selling Mandrake earplugs will never have negative reviews."
Delores was stunned. As a portrait, she suddenly struggled to understand Kyle's line of thinking.
"But what if there were two people?"
"Headmaster Delores, that's a bit far-fetched," Kyle spread his hands, "Horcruxes have existed for over a thousand years. It's unlikely that this incident will suddenly make them popular, and not many people will go looking for them."
"Don't get me wrong, Delores. I'm not trying to make things difficult for you," Armando quickly interjected. "She's just... trying to convince those old wizards."
"You know, if you want them to help with something that might affect their reputation, you need to be well-prepared."
"Fine," Kyle sighed and said again, "The instructions are real, but the process is incorrect, or the Horcrux has a failure rate. But it's definitely not fake."
"If someone doesn't believe it, let them try it themselves. Maybe they'll succeed next time."
"That's a good excuse," Armando nodded, and Delores didn't say anything more.
"With this approach, when a thousand different sets of Horcrux instructions from old wizards, ancient books, and magical ruins appear, even if someone is lucky enough to find the real one, they won't believe it."
"By then, perhaps Horcruxes will completely disappear in another form."
Armando's eyes lit up as he listened.
"Interesting. I'm going to find those old wizards right now." After saying this, he quickly ran out of the portrait.
Some Headmasters were still hesitating.
"This is equivalent to indirectly promoting Horcruxes."
"Many people will die..."
"They probably didn't intend to make Horcruxes in the first place."
"I understand, Headmasters," Kyle said loudly. "Do you remember what I said at the beginning?"
"If no one asks, I won't tell."
"So I'm not promoting Horcruxes, I'm just letting them voluntarily change the method of making Horcruxes."
"Like Professor Slughorn..." Kyle looked at Dumbledore, who also hadn't moved.
"Does Professor Slughorn, who knows how to make Horcruxes, influence the students at school?"
Dumbledore shook his head.
"That's what I'm saying," Kyle shrugged, "Also, if he had told Tom Riddle false information back then, there might not have been a Voldemort later on."
...
"Okay, you've convinced me," Delores said first. "I'll pass on your message, but I can't guarantee how many people will help."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." She also left the Headmaster's Office.
At the same time, Dumbledore disappeared from the portrait frame.
...
(End of Chapter)
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