Chapter 980: Sasha, Professor
Chapter 980: Sasha, Professor
The Bogey had gone on strike again. After being blasted into a cloud of mist countless times, the infuriated Bogey retreated into its bottle, refusing to come out no matter what, choosing to silently protest against the cold-hearted Kyle. Even Fred and George were at a loss this time.
When the Bogey was angry before, they could pretend to be scared, using their acting skills to give it a sense of accomplishment it had never experienced. Even if it was fake, it was still better than nothing, and once the Bogey was in a good mood, it would continue to cooperate with Kyle.
But not this time. Perhaps it had been blasted too many times, and even the mindless Bogey had become suspicious. No matter how much Fred and George screamed, it refused to show itself.
"It's become smarter!" George rubbed his throat and gulped down a glass of water. He had been screaming for half an hour, and his throat felt like it was on fire.
"It's not just being smart, it's developed instincts," Fred said, holding a cup in his hand. "Kyle has been blasting it since the Hogwarts holidays, and now the school year is about to start."
"To be honest, the Bogey is already one of the duller ones among its kind for only rebelling now."
"That's true. Even I feel a bit sorry for it sometimes." George waved his wand and poured himself another glass of water.
"With over a dozen Avada Kedavra spells each day, it's a good thing the Bogey has no feelings, or it would have fought back against you."
Kyle stood by, staring at a stone in his hand, silent for a long time before finally looking up.
"That's not entirely true. If other wizards see a Bogey, they would usually eliminate it. But considering how much it has helped me, I've decided to find a suitable habitat for it."
As he spoke, Kyle picked up the bottle on the ground and shook it, then casually placed it on the table next to him when he saw no movement inside.
"You want to keep a Bogey?" Fred frowned, looking at it with the same disdain he had when Percy first brought home a grey-haired rat from the garden.
In the wizarding world, Bogeys were as troublesome as Veela, Blast-Ended Skrewts, and Ghosts.
Bogeys, in particular, would hide in houses where wizards lived, and you never knew when they might appear.
Imagine opening a closet door and being confronted by your worst fear. It could be a spider as big as a tire, or a snake filling the entire closet.
This explained why Bogeys were so unpopular. When the startled wizards regained their senses, they would often vent their anger by killing the Bogey... The Riddikulus Charm had a low threshold, and any wizard could learn it; it was simple and convenient.
"What's wrong with keeping a Bogey? Doesn't Slughorn also keep a Ghost?" Kyle glanced at them. "They're all pests, you shouldn't look at Bogeys with prejudice."
"At least Ghosts have some intelligence and can communicate."
"They can also help guard the house. Last time, a goblin tried to sneak in through the window, but the Ghost chased it away."
"It also eats Veela."
Fred and George took turns speaking, as if trying to convince Kyle that even though Ghosts were pests, they were still more suitable to keep at home than Bogeys.
However, Kyle didn't care. He didn't plan to let the Bogey settle in the house anyway; there was plenty of space in the box, and any corner was big enough to hide a Bogey.
"Forget it, if you want to keep it, then do so," Fred waved his hand. "I'm more concerned about your Horcrux spell. How's that going?"
"I've made some progress," Kyle said, "but I still need to try a few more times. If everything goes well, I can go to St. Mungo's in a few months."
"A few more months?" Fred opened his mouth in surprise. "Why so long?"
He hadn't been to Diagon Alley in a while, and business seemed to have declined significantly.
With the new school year about to start, all Hogwarts students, including the new ones, would go to Diagon Alley. They had hoped to make a fortune during this time.
"What else do you expect? Do you think I'm researching Skiving Snackboxes?" Kyle couldn't help but laugh. "And if I really wanted to, I could go to St. Mungo's now, but I can't.
"Neville is my friend. I can't use a spell that only exists in theory, and it's a Dark spell, on his parents.
"If it succeeds, that's fine, but what if it doesn't... His entire family are Aurors, they've dedicated their lives to the wizarding world. I can't take that risk."
"But you're saving them," George said in a small voice, his uncertainty evident.
"That's also a problem," Kyle shrugged. "St. Mungo's is a restricted area, and my actions there are prohibited."
"Keep preparing, studying, and ensuring everything is foolproof. That's also Professor Sasha's..." He paused, "...or rather, Professor Sasha's intention now."
"Wait... What did you just say?" Fred reached out and grabbed Kyle. "Who is this Sasha you mentioned?"
"Who else could it be? She's the Headmistress of St. Mungo's."
"But you just said 'Professor'..."
"Oh, right. She retired just a month ago," Kyle explained. "She had wanted to retire for a long time, but some matters kept delaying it. She didn't want to hold onto the position, so after handling most of the issues, she chose to retire."
"What does that have to do with the Professor?"
"Hold on," Kyle glanced at Fred, who had spoken. "At the same time Professor Sasha retired, she submitted an application to Headmistress McGonagall, volunteering to teach Potions at Hogwarts."
"Headmistress McGonagall has agreed. Half an hour after receiving the letter, she sent the appointment letter and a reply."
"So, after the school reopens, she'll be a professor at Hogwarts."
Fred and George stared, speechless for a long moment.
Sasha, the Chief Potioneer of the Order of Extraordinary Potioneers, a first-class recipient of the Order of Merlin, and one of the few living individuals to grace the Chocolate Frog cards, was going to teach Potions at Hogwarts...
It all felt so surreal.
Hogwarts already had Dumbledore, making other magic schools envious. Now, with Dumbledore's departure, Sasha was joining as well.
Who would be next? Newt Scamander or Nicolas Flamel...
Wait, these two seemed to have a good relationship with Kyle as well.
Forget about the other magic schools; even they would feel a surge of envy upon hearing this news.
After all, no matter how powerful and renowned Dumbledore was, his fame couldn't be used as currency.
But Sasha could... Any potion she brewed, even those used for demonstration in class, would be snatched up by people at several times the price if put on the market.
"So, you're just upset about missing the chance to make a small fortune?" Kyle looked at them disdainfully. "Your Veasley Wizard Wares business isn't doing that badly, is it? You're still concerned about a few Galleons?"
"It's not about the Galleons, but our reputation," George shook his finger earnestly.
"You don't understand," Fred added with a serious expression. "Let me put it this way: in the past decade or so, Sasha's potions have been nearly impossible to find on the market. If we could sell them on her behalf, even the potions in our store would instantly become bestsellers."
"Huh?" Kyle blinked.
To be honest, he hadn't realized that Sasha's potions were so... sought-after.
Perhaps it was because of their close relationship. Whenever Sasha developed a new potion using Basilisk ingredients, she would send Kyle a few bottles.
Moreover, a long time ago, she had even given Kyle a whole box of various potions, so he didn't feel anything special about it.
And Snape was also a renowned Potioneer, yet he hadn't received such exaggerated treatment.
Kyle smacked his lips and looked up to see two identical faces.
"Hehe..."
"Kyle..."
The twins rubbed their hands, their faces oozing with flattery.
"Don't even think about it," Kyle said before they could speak. "I won't help you steal Professor Sasha's potions. If you have any ideas, go to Hogwarts yourselves."
"Don't reject us so quickly," Fred continued with a smile. "We can pay."
"I don't need money."
"We can help. We'll do whatever you ask."
"We can even offer our little brother." Fred suddenly had an idea. "He doesn't know about the Boggart here. If we find a reason to trick him into coming, the Boggart will surely be satisfied."
Kyle twitched his mouth, surprised at Fred's shamelessness. He didn't even spare Ron after his graduation.
"That's unnecessary," Kyle refused, thinking of Ron. "I don't need the Boggart much anymore."
Kyle showed them the stone in his hand.
There was nothing special about it, just an ordinary stone commonly found by the roadside.
But now, on this seemingly mundane stone, a faint layer of something appeared, as if it were a thin veil, so delicate that a gentle breeze could blow it away. Yet, it seemed to be an integral part of the stone, returning to its original position no matter how it was shaken or danced in the wind.
"This is..."
"Could it be..."
"This is a fragment of a Boggart's soul, or a part of its body," Kyle nodded.
"Strictly speaking, I have succeeded, but Boggarts are special cases, so I'm not sure if this stone can be considered a Horcrux or not."
"Now you understand, Boggarts are no longer that important to me."
"And if needed, I can always find another Boggart. They are not rare, and Hogwarts has plenty of abandoned classrooms."
Fred and George exchanged glances.
No wonder Kyle had said earlier that he could help the Longbottom family right away.
To create a Horcrux for others...
Without the need to study Horcrux knowledge or take any risks, as long as Kyle was willing, he could effortlessly grant anyone immortality.
If this news got out, Kyle's fame might surpass Dumbledore's overnight, making him the most sought-after figure in the entire wizarding world.
However, Kyle didn't seem to care much. He treated it like an ordinary stone, tossing it and catching it.
In fact, Fred and George had overthought it.
Whether creating a Horcrux for oneself or with the help of others, the first step was always soul splitting.
Kyle chose the simplest method, an extension of the original, also using the Killing Curse...
By the way, his understanding and application of the Killing Curse had improved significantly since the Hogwarts War.
Before, his Killing Curse was even weaker than the Stunning Spell in terms of damage. It was so weak that even Norbert felt fear after the Hogwarts War.
He had used it once in the box, and for a long time afterward, Norbert kept his distance from Kyle. It was an instinctual fear, hard to overcome.
It had to be said that having too pure of magic made it impossible to learn the Killing Curse, no matter how hard one tried.
So, Kyle didn't mind if someone asked for his help, as long as they could survive his Killing Curse, he was willing to assist in creating a Horcrux.
And there was no limit to the number; he could make as many as needed. He could even provide some meaningful Horcrux vessels.
No charge.
Fred and George didn't know what Kyle was thinking, but they both turned the conversation back to the previous topic.
"Since that's the case, we can help you with other things."
"Tell us what you want us to do."
"Just ask!"
"Then... I want you to help me improve Horcrux magic." Kyle knew what they were thinking.
"But you've already learned it, haven't you?" Fred blurted out.
"I'm talking about improvement." Kyle shook the stone, "Have you ever seen a soul fragment floating outside?"
"You can just say no if you want to refuse." Fred rolled his eyes.
During this time, Fred and George had immersed themselves in Dark Arts books, even during mealtimes and water breaks.
To put it bluntly, they hadn't studied this hard, not even the day before their N.E.W.T. exams at Hogwarts.
But even with all their theoretical knowledge about Horcruxes, they could only help Kyle comfort the Boggart.
If it weren't for the legendary concept of Horcruxes, they would have given up long ago.
"Isn't my refusal clear enough?" Kyle smirked. "I said from the start that I would never help you steal Professor Saisia's potions."
"Why!"
Fred stiffened his neck, and George looked indignant.
"We're friends, the best of frie..."
"Because of the love potions you sell in your shop." Kyle said calmly.
George's words stuck in his throat, and he fell silent.
"And the hair loss potion, the hiccup potion, the dung-flavored energy drink, the night-time glow hair dye, and the invisibility potion that only hides clothes..."
With each item Kyle mentioned, Fred and George felt more and more guilty. By the end, they couldn't even look at Kyle, only staring at the ground.
"If Professor Saisia finds out I'm using her potions to promote these things, guess what she'll do to me."
...
(End of Chapter)
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