Chapter 972: Roach's Efficiency
Chapter 972: Roach's Efficiency
Kyle refrained from commenting on which school was more impressive, Hogwarts or Beauxbatons, but he genuinely disliked the way people like Roach and Grindelwald conducted themselves.
They came rushing over without a word, pointing and gesturing as if Hogwarts was inferior in every way to their own schools.
If Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were so great, why didn't they win the Triwizard Tournament last time?
Was it because they didn't like it?
"Are you thinking of something very rude?" Roach asked, looking at him.
"No, how could I!" Kyle quickly denied, "I was just thinking about the exams. You know, the N.E.W.T. results are very important for every wizard."
"As a qualified professor, it's understandable to have such concerns."
"Is that so?"
"Of course."
Roach glanced at Kyle again.
She didn't believe a word of what he said, but she couldn't be bothered to argue.
"Where are the things?" Roach held out her hand, "You know what I want. Don't disappoint me."
"They're ready." Kyle took out the album he always carried with him and handed it to Roach.
She was about to open it instinctively.
"I advise you not to do that." Kyle placed his hand on the album, "This is for your own good. Grindelwald probably wouldn't like it if a third person saw the contents, even if that person is his most loyal subordinate."
"If you're concerned about its safety, rest assured. Even if I were stupid, I wouldn't think that a single album could take down Grindelwald."
Roach said nothing.
Neither did Kyle.
In fact, the force he used to hold down the album wasn't strong. If Roach insisted, she could easily break free, but she didn't.
After a brief stalemate, Roach smiled, "Alright, I'll take your advice."
She put the album into a small handbag and then looked up, "Aren't you going to invite me for a drink? It's not very gentlemanly to have a lady almost a hundred years old standing in the courtyard outside the door."
"Oh, it's my negligence." Kyle slightly sidestepped and extended his hand, "Then, Ms. Roach, may I invite you to lunch?"
"I'd be delighted." Roach walked forward, following his hand.
"Where are you taking me?"
"How about Hogsmeade?" Kyle suggested, "Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks makes excellent orange jam pancakes, and her homemade jam is also quite tasty."
"No need to go that far." Roach turned back to look at the castle behind her, "I've heard that the food at Hogwarts is also quite unique, made by house-elves. I'd like to try it."
"It's not that great, just average." Kyle casually remarked, "Besides, today is the big day for students taking the N.E.W.T. exams. It's better for strangers to avoid the castle."
"What if I insist on going?" Roach narrowed her eyes.
"That's also possible..." Kyle's voice remained calm, "But if you go now, you might easily be mistaken for a wizard helping students cheat. If you're not careful, the professors might catch you and lock you up in the dungeons, which would be a bit embarrassing."
"After all, the dungeons at Hogwarts haven't been used for a long time, and the environment is not very pleasant."
"Is that professor you?"
"Who knows?" Kyle shrugged, "It could also be the other professors."
"In that case, since the students are taking exams, I won't disturb them." Roach said with a smile and turned to walk towards the school gate.
Kyle followed behind her.
The two arrived at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Due to the ongoing exams at the school, there were very few people around, only two wizards sitting at the bar, drinking and chatting.
Roach chose a seat near the window and turned to look at the quiet street outside.
"Is it okay to talk here?" she said softly, "I don't want to cause trouble for him."
"No problem." Kyle waved his wand.
"Even if you shout at the top of your lungs right now that Grindelwald is coming here, others will only think you've had too much to drink and won't take it seriously."
"That's true." Roach laughed at herself. Perhaps the young wizards nowadays no longer recognized who Grindelwald was.
If it weren't for Dumbledore...
Roach suddenly shook her head, not wanting to think further.
Just then, Madam Rosmerta also arrived with Kyle's order.
Two plates of orange jam pancakes, a bottle of butterbeer, and a glass of wine.
"I don't know your preferences, but since you're a Beauxbatons student, you should enjoy wine bars."
"You're a clever one." Roach took a small sip from his cup.
The taste was average, but considering they were in Britain, she gradually accepted it.
British wizards preferred Firewhiskey and Butterbeer, and wine didn't sell well.
She took another bite of the scone... it did taste good, at least Kyle had been truthful about that.
"Tell me about your plan... regarding those who covet the Horcruxes." Roach took only a few bites before setting down his utensils.
"How can I help you, or if you need me to, I can help you come up with a plan. It's just a small matter, not much trouble."
"This plan isn't needed yet." Kyle shook his head. "If no one is coveting the Horcruxes, then we don't need to do this."
"Do you really think so?" Roach swirled the wine in his glass.
"I did a little investigation these past few days, and the matter of the Horcruxes has already spread in Britain."
"But we haven't received any news."
"That's because you're at Hogwarts." Roach laughed. "If you're willing to leave this school and visit where the rats gather, you'll probably come to a different conclusion."
Kyle furrowed his brows.
Thinking carefully, he realized he hadn't left Hogwarts much recently.
And when Roach mentioned the gathering place of the rats, he thought of someone.
Montague, this Phoenix Order member who didn't fit in with others, had provided a lot of information—news that couldn't be heard at Hogwarts or the Ministry of Magic.
But Montague should also know that everyone disliked him. After Dumbledore's funeral, he rarely appeared again.
No wonder Kyle always felt like something was missing—it was the news from the black market, and no wonder Dumbledore had him join the Phoenix Order.
"But how did you find out about this?" Kyle asked with a frown.
"Is it difficult?" Roach chuckled lightly. "I just wandered around for a couple of days, and basically, I got a clear picture of what I needed to know."
"What do you know?"
"I need a set of robes from Britain." Roach looked at him. "Although your food and wine are a mess, the robe craftsmanship is decent. My previous styles are a bit outdated."
"No problem." Kyle nodded without hesitation. "The Fashionable Wizard Clothing Store has the most innovative styles, right across the street."
"I trust your judgment." Roach took another small sip of wine.
"First, there were two people who leaked this information, both of them were Wizarding Council members who attended that hearing a few days ago."
"But you don't need to worry. Probably due to the recently concluded war, most of the capable and ambitious wizards who coveted the Horcruxes died at Hogwarts, so this news hasn't caused much of a stir in Britain."
"On the contrary, it has caused quite a stir in other countries."
"That's good." Kyle breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they didn't cause trouble at his doorstep, he didn't care about the rest, and he couldn't care less.
"You and Dumbledore are truly different." Roach said, looking at him.
"Professor Dumbledore took on too much; I don't want to be as tired as him." Kyle said.
"But you really can't ignore this matter. What if that Voldemort is a Brit?" Roach continued, "Afterward, whether it's for searching for clues or other reasons, those people will definitely come here."
"But..." Roach leaned in, "with just a little price, I can help you deal with them. What do you think?"
"No need." Kyle refused without hesitation.
Roach was different from Grindelwald; her price wasn't easy to pay.
Besides, they were just a few foreign wizards, and the Auror Office at the Ministry of Magic wasn't just for show.
"What a pity." Roach said softly.
"What else do you know?" Kyle continued to ask. "Grindelwald asked you for help; you can't just say a few true things."
"I received the payment in advance." He pointed to Roach's handbag, indicating that the photo album was the payment he had given to Grindelwald.
"Of course, it's not that simple." Roach cut a piece of the scone. "When you were still leisurely playing house with those young wizards at school, I had already found the culprit behind this matter."
"Who is it?"
"Coincidentally, it's your old friend.
Roach thought for a moment, "He once collaborated with others to revoke Dumbledore's position as the Chief Wizard of the International Confederation of Wizards.
"Of course, none of that matters now; you wouldn't be able to find him even if you wanted to."
"Did he run away?"
"Do you think I would let him escape?" Roach smiled, a genuine smile.
"You killed him..."
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Roach brushed his hair aside, "How weak. Has the International Confederation of Wizards fallen so low? Such a weak, arrogant, and conceited fool dares to judge Dumbledore."
"So, I'm still being sincere, right?"
"I don't think so," Kyle looked up, "Did you kill him out of sincerity, or was it because of Grindelwald's orders?"
Given that the person had offended Dumbledore, Grindelwald would never let him off the hook.
"Our goals are aligned, aren't they?" Roach said with a smile, "And rest assured, I found him in Hungary, not in Britain. Since coming here, I've been quite law-abiding when it comes to the Wizardry Law."
Kyle took a sip of butterbeer.
To be honest, he never expected that the International Confederation of Wizards would be involved in this matter.
But upon careful consideration, it wasn't surprising. There were many unusual aspects when Dumbledore was removed from his position.
Voldemort's power and influence were primarily in Britain, and even neighboring France was indifferent to his resurrection, not giving it any thought.
When Dumbledore announced his return, Fudge might have been excited, but why did the International Confederation of Wizards get involved and directly expel him from his position as Chief Wizard?
What did it matter to them whether Voldemort was dead or alive?
As for helping Fudge, that was even more ridiculous. The Minister of Magic, who still needed Dumbledore's support to stabilize his position, didn't have the clout to make the International Confederation of Wizards cooperate with him.
So, it must have been someone else who wanted to take advantage of the situation to target Dumbledore.
Of course, now it seemed unnecessary to think about these things.
Dumbledore didn't care, and Grindelwald wasn't one to make a big deal out of it.
Kyle glanced at Roach again.
"Did you find all this out in the past few days?"
He had only met Grindelwald and made this agreement with him just before the exams.
It had only been a few days since then, and the leaker, the instigator, and the attitudes of wizards from various countries towards Horcruxes were all laid out clearly before him.
Wasn't the efficiency a bit too high?
"Was it difficult?" Roach propped his chin up with his finger, "This matter isn't as complicated as you think. Everything has a traceable source, and at most, it's just a little more troublesome."
"Fortunately, we're good at handling these things, and with a little coincidence..." If I had more people to use, I could have come to you sooner."
As she spoke, Kyle kept his eyes on him.
If everything had a traceable source, he believed them, and they were good at handling such matters, but he couldn't bring himself to believe everything she said.
Oh, and that line... a little coincidence.
Kyle was suspicious. He felt that Roach had initially only acted on Grindelwald's orders to deal with the wizard who had targeted Dumbledore, and it was just a coincidence that he discovered the wizard's connection to Horcruxes during the process.
Of course, all of this was just Kyle's speculation, and it was also possible that Roach's abilities were genuinely exceptional.
"Can you tell me about your plan now?" Roach continued to ask.
"Do you want me to take care of those who want to come to Britain? I've been resting for seventy years, and I still enjoy keeping myself busy.
"Or you can just give me a list. Considering our past cooperation, I can offer you a very good discount."
"No need," Kyle said after a moment of silence, "I don't intend to kill them, at least not now. And I've already paid the reward, so there's no need for additional payment."
"But the list isn't part of the cooperation."
"Then I don't want the list," Kyle said, "I'll also spread the word later, and you just need to lead them to the location of Nurmengard. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Aren't you worried about any escapees?"
"No," Kyle replied, "In fact, I want there to be escapees."
Roach seemed taken aback by Kyle's response and was momentarily speechless.
He wanted escapees... Why couldn't she understand what Kyle was saying?
(End of Chapter)
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