Chapter 979: The Perfect Bogeyman Assistant
Chapter 979: The Perfect Bogeyman Assistant
Fred and George stood motionless, glancing at each other in disbelief, before turning their gaze towards Kyle.
For a moment, they couldn't process what they had just heard. Was Kyle suggesting what they thought he was?
"A Horcrux..."
"And you can help others create one?"
They spoke in unison, their voices filled with astonishment.
This was akin to illuminating someone else's wand with the Lumos Charm, something they had never seen or even heard of before.
"Why else do you think I gathered all these books?" Kyle pointed to the stack of thick Dark Magic tomes on the ground.
"But how is it possible..." Fred still struggled to believe it.
"Nothing is impossible," Kyle said, "I asked Nicolas Flamel and Rowena Ravenclaw about it, and they both believe it's feasible, as long as we find the right approach."
"But why do you want to do this?" George asked, perplexed.
This was the part that baffled him the most.
Typically, spells cast on others had a specific purpose.
For instance, the Killing Curse aimed to control the target, while the Avada Kedavra intended to kill. However, he couldn't fathom what this 'Horcrux' spell could achieve...
Keep someone from dying and allow them to live forever?
If so, then Kyle, the inventor of this spell, would be truly remarkable.
"Didn't I tell you about this before?" Kyle turned to look at them, explaining, "The first time I saw Neville's parents at St. Mungo's, I wanted to do this... Only a Horcrux can mend their shattered souls and restore them in a different sense.
"By then, they should be able to return to normal."
"Neville's parents..." Fred pondered for a moment, "I know, they were driven mad by the Cruciatus Curse."
"Now that you mention it, I think I do recall something about it," George said.
He vaguely remembered Kyle mentioning his desire to create a Horcrux at some point, but both he and Cedric had assumed Kyle was joking, so they didn't take it seriously.
It was understandable, given the circumstances.
Back then, Dumbledore was still alive, and no one dared to openly research Horcruxes under his watchful eye.
Kyle had spoken so bluntly and without any pretense, it was no wonder no one believed him.
Not even Dumbledore himself took it seriously, let alone Fred and George.
"You're serious about this?" Fred muttered, unable to contain his surprise.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Kyle opened a book, flipped through a few pages, and then tossed it aside.
During this, Fred and George's attention was drawn to the bottle on the ground.
"What's that..."
"A Boggart," Kyle said.
"I know it's a Boggart," George interjected, "but how did you manage to capture it in a bottle?"
"And," Fred added, "didn't it just shatter into pieces a moment ago?"
"The bottle is a little trick I made. It blocks the Boggart's vision, so its current state is similar to being inside a wardrobe."
As Kyle spoke, his excitement became evident.
This particular Boggart was an accidental discovery, and he had immediately captured it to serve as his assistant.
The Boggart's unique ability to change its form based on fear made it an ideal candidate for Kyle's spell, as it could be transformed into any shape with the right combination of the Mind Lock and Memory Charm.
Furthermore, Boggarts were one of the few creatures immune to the Killing Curse, a fact that Kyle did not conceal from Fred and George.
"A special case..." Fred raised an eyebrow, "I remember it turning into a Boggart's form when it saw you."
"But I'm certain you're not afraid of Boggarts!" George asserted confidently.
He knew Kyle could cast the Patronus Charm, and he had heard from Cedric about their joint efforts to hunt down Boggarts across Britain.
He was sure Kyle had killed numerous Boggarts.
Given this, the Boggart should have transformed into Kyle's form when it saw the Boggart, rather than the other way around...
"It's just a simple trick," Kyle explained.
Boggarts change their form based on fear, and with the right application of the Mind Lock and Memory Charm, Kyle could manipulate the Boggart to take on any appearance.
The Boggart was just one example... perhaps the simplest one.
Choosing the Boggart allowed for a more tangible demonstration of the spell's effects.
The Boggart, a unique soul in itself, and the Dementor, devoid of any soul, are two magical creatures that, when combined, lead to something quite extraordinary.
Just like what happened earlier, the spell intended to split souls ended up splitting the body instead, making everything more visually apparent.
This was something Kyle discovered by accident.
Initially, Kyle had only transformed the Boggart into a Dementor's appearance to make it easier to deal with physically.
After all, when facing a Dementor, there's no psychological burden associated with casting any spell.
"Are you still up for joining me?" Kyle put down the second book he was holding and asked, "I don't have much information, but this isn't something that can be done in a few days. It might take a long time, and by then, you won't be able to go to the store anymore."
Fred and George exchanged a glance, both falling silent.
To be honest, as owners of a magical items shop, they were curious about Horcruxes, a special form of alchemical Dark Magic.
But what Kyle was researching seemed to go beyond alchemy; it was more akin to a spell.
And soul-splitting, no matter how you looked at it, was an extremely dangerous spell.
Only objects that held soul fragments could be called Horcruxes. What if one were to just split the soul, skipping all the subsequent steps...
After all, Kyle was the one holding the wand and casting the spell. Whether or not to put the soul where it belonged was entirely up to Kyle.
He could even crush the soul fragments without a second thought.
"We..."
"Let's do it!"
The two clenched their teeth, their eyes fierce as if they had made a significant decision.
"Perhaps soon, the Unforgivable Curses will become four," Fred said half-jokingly.
"Dad would kill us if he found out."
"Don't worry, I'll help you." Kyle patted his shoulder.
"So, you're going to take all the blame, right?" George's eyes lit up.
"I knew it, Kyle. We're the best of friends."
"No." Kyle brushed his hand away, "I mean, when the time comes, I'll help you organize a grand funeral and invite every famous wizard I know. How's that for a proper send-off?"
"Hmm..."
"I knew we shouldn't have trusted you..."
The two forced a smile, their expressions unamused.
Nevertheless, Fred and George had made up their minds to join Kyle.
This was their first, and possibly only, chance to get close to a Horcrux, and even a spell version of it would suffice.
On the other hand, they also wanted to help Kyle.
Modifying a Horcrux sounded simple but was incredibly challenging, as evidenced by the stack of thick Dark Magic books. Their presence might save Kyle some time.
Additionally, if Kyle succeeded, it meant there would be a counter-curse for the Cruciatus Curse, which would undoubtedly create a sensation in the wizarding world.
Helping, no matter how small the task—fetching a glass of water or finding a book—would be like promoting Weasley Wizarding Wheezes.
A great deal!
"Tell us what to do," Fred stepped forward, assuming a serious demeanor.
George also stood beside him.
"Just ask, whether it's finding the correct magical text arrangement or researching Horcruxes from these books."
"You don't need to do that," Kyle said.
In truth, he didn't have a clear idea either. He had borrowed these books from Sirius to see if he could find anything valuable within them.
Besides these, he had also been reading many forbidden books he had copied from the library.
George quickly caught it and instinctively looked down.
Decoding Advanced Dark Magic
"The process of creating Horcruxes is inside, but you may not understand it..."
Kyle hadn't finished speaking when he turned around and realized that the two had already disappeared.
But he didn't mind.
He could tell that Fred and George had an unusual curiosity about Horcruxes, and he didn't mind lending them Decoding Advanced Dark Magic.
Moreover, they always had unconventional ideas. The Quick-Escape Candy, Extendable Ears, and Exploding Feather Quills quickly became popular throughout Hogwarts after their release.
Perhaps after they figure out the principles of Horcruxes, they might be able to provide some valuable suggestions.
But for now...
Kyle picked up the bottle and forcefully poured its contents out.
The familiar Boggart appeared in the attic once again.
"Avada..."
...
The special blue Killing Curse helped Kyle save a lot of trouble. Even if the Weasleys or other wizards saw it, they wouldn't suspect that someone in the attic was using the Killing Curse.
During this time, Kyle had managed to drag the smaller Boggart a considerable distance.
Although it still exploded, there was now more room for maneuver, unlike the beginning when he couldn't do anything.
A few days later, Fred and George also arrived, but they looked a bit off.
Their messy hair was dull, their faces were an unhealthy pale white, and they had dark circles under their eyes.
Their clothes seemed to be the same as before. As soon as they pushed open the attic door, Kyle smelled an unpleasant odor.
Kyle wasn't surprised.
Any wizard who had come into contact with dark magic books would be like this, and in Decoding Advanced Dark Magic, the page before the Horcruxes section was a dark magic spell related to nightmares, with a special magical symbol that could help people experience the spell's effects faster.
Fred and George must have seen it, which was why they were yawning incessantly.
But...
"Why don't you drink a Sleepytime Potion?" Kyle asked, puzzled by their appearance. "Don't tell me you didn't think of using Sleepytime Potion to solve this situation."
"We did."
"But we want to experience it." Fred rubbed his eyes. "The Sleepytime Storybook, our new product, will definitely have better effects than Zonko's Nightmare Goggles."
"Of course, we can't use the original version. We need to improve it." George yawned. "The original effect is too powerful. I feel like I'm about to split apart."
"Why don't you go and rest for a while?" Kyle suggested as he controlled a small clump of Boggart to fall into a cup.
"No need."
"We plan to wait until tonight... and then use the Sleepytime Potion..."
"Also, we've almost finished reading the part about Horcruxes."
"If you need any help, just ask."
"Bang!"
Fred's words were interrupted by a loud booming sound.
The Boggart exploded again.
However, none of them showed any surprise.
Kyle was used to it.
Fred and George, on the other hand, didn't react at all. After several days without sleep, the voices in their heads were louder than the explosion they had just heard.
"We... can help you with something..." George repeated, sounding like an emotionless recorder.
Kyle really wanted them to drink the Sleepytime Potion and go to sleep, but they had made up their minds to wait until nightfall, and they weren't going to move from their seats.
"Alright..." Kyle thought for a moment and said, "I do have something I need your help with."
"Sure, go ahead..."
"Help me comfort the Boggart." Kyle pointed to the bottle on the floor.
"Comfort the Boggart?"
Fred's rigid brain couldn't process what was happening for a moment.
"It's been exploding a bit too often these days and isn't very willing to help." Kyle scratched his head and whispered, "I have to persuade it for a long time before it comes out.
"You don't need to do anything else. Just watch the Boggart and pretend to be afraid and terrified to make it happy."
...
...
Recommended Book
Witches, Fireballs, and Steam Daemons
Transported to a world where mysticism and steam industry coexist, explore cursed objects, containment bureaus, and daemon mania.
In that year, Ethan arrived at a small town on the outskirts of the imperial capital. To survive in this perilous era, he began practicing fireball spells.
Several years later, Ethan noticed a problem as he watched a meteorite fall from the clouds.
The beginner spell he had learned didn't seem quite right.
(End of Chapter)
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