Chapter 987: Rozier's Actions
Chapter 987: Rozier's Actions
"How does it feel?"
On the first weekend of the new school year, Hagrid invited Kyle to the Three Broomsticks for a drink, curiously asking about his experience in the first Alchemy class yesterday.
"It's okay, well, not as smooth as I'd hoped, but not terrible either," Kyle replied, taking the butterbeer Hagrid offered.
Everyone started from scratch, so to speak, on the same starting line. But there was an upside to this; as long as they followed the curriculum step by step, starting with the basics, it would be manageable.
Moreover, Kyle discovered that almost all the students who chose Alchemy were from Muggle families, with only two from wizarding backgrounds.
"The Muggle-born students are great," Kyle thought. "Although they might lack a solid foundation, or you could say they're starting from scratch, they approach every class at Hogwarts with immense enthusiasm and curiosity, free from preconceived notions."
Kyle had only shown them a few small trinkets he had 'acquired' from Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, and they were already captivated, their eyes wide with wonder.
Especially after seeing the Hungarian Fire Crab, the size of a fist, capable of flying and spitting fire, and the lifelike Wizard's Chess set, a few third-year students had their eyes glued to the spectacle, sitting there, wide-eyed and eager, yearning to delve into the study of Alchemy right away.
"That's good," Hagrid said, sitting next to Kyle. "I was worried you might be nervous."
"I was so nervous during my first class that I couldn't sleep for several nights afterward," Hagrid confessed.
"Hagrid, I think you've misunderstood something..." Kyle glanced at him. "I've just switched disciplines; it's not like I'm teaching students for the first time."
"It's not the same," Hagrid waved his hand dismissively. "Before, you were only a substitute teacher. Now, you're an official professor."
Kyle didn't respond, mainly because he couldn't quite understand what the difference was.
But seeing Hagrid's adamant expression, he didn't argue further. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the copy of the Daily Prophet lying nearby.
Initially, he had only wanted to check if the commotion regarding the Alchemy class at Hogwarts had settled down. However, his attention was suddenly captured by a photograph on the front page.
The photo depicted a disheveled and unkempt wizard, appearing slightly deranged, reminiscent of Sirius' post-escape photo.
Below the photo was a bold, eye-catching headline.
[Nurmengard: Treasure or the Mysterious Man's Hoax?]
"What's this?" Kyle blurted out.
"What?" Hagrid also turned to the newspaper. "Oh, this is today's Daily Prophet, which I used to wrap some walnuts."
"Can I borrow it?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Thanks." Kyle took the newspaper and carefully read the content on the front page.
"Most people seem to be unaware that since the Battle of Hogwarts ended, the Ministry of Magic has not returned to peace, especially in Cornwall, where several small-scale wars have recently broken out.
'We're handling it, but I can't say more,' an anonymous, short-tempered Auror said yesterday upon returning to the Ministry.
However, it has been confirmed that this ongoing unrest is related to a mysterious hearing.
Although the Ministry's spokesperson has yet to disclose the content of the hearing, many in the wizarding world know that the secret they are trying to keep is the Horcrux, the person whose name cannot be mentioned, and a significant factor in his resurgence after more than a decade.
There are rumors that a Death Eater attempted to escape after the defeat of the Mysterious Man and stole a map he cherished...
...
The article was lengthy, almost filling an entire page.
Kyle had only read halfway through when Hagrid had already finished two pints of mead.
"If you ask me," Hagrid said, uncorking the last bottle of mead and belching, "that map is just a hoax."
"A map containing the method for creating Horcruxes... The Mysterious Man wouldn't entrust such an important thing to an obscure Death Eater."
"To be honest, I've never even seen the person in the photo," Kyle said, looking up from the newspaper. "Or perhaps he's not even a Death Eater..."
"He's definitely not a Death Eater," Kyle added, lifting his gaze from the photograph. "He's a wizard from Norway who arrived in Britain just a month ago."
"Hagrid, you didn't even finish reading the article, did you?"
Hagrid belched again.
He hadn't read it all; after seeing the phrase "The Mysterious Man's Treasure," he had used the newspaper to wrap the walnuts.
He couldn't believe that Voldemort would leave behind any treasure. Even if he did, it would undoubtedly be fake, a trap to lure others into a hoax.
So, in his mind, this news was certainly false, and the Daily Prophet was spreading nonsense again.
And why would he care about such a useless piece of fake news?
Hagrid nonchalantly finished off the last bottle of mead.
Kyle continued reading the latter half of the newspaper.
"...It is said that the battle for the map ended a few days ago, and no one knows who the winner is. The only news available now is that a group of wizards suddenly disappeared, and their whereabouts are unknown.
The fearless journalist, Rita Skeeter, ventured into the chaotic Cornwall, using her exceptional intelligence and unparalleled transformation skills to successfully obtain the latest information.
The treasure map is actually a map that marks a mysterious place... Nurmengard."
The front page ended there.
Kyle flipped to the second page and found it filled with introductions to Nurmengard and Grindelwald.
He glanced at it and noticed quite a few exaggerations, such as Grindelwald summoning a patronus the size of a giant.
This was actually the achievement of the invincible Andros; only he could summon a giant patronus, but here it was attributed to Grindelwald.
Furthermore, the article described the battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald as lasting seven days and seven nights, even detailing the process.
"The sky was gloomy, with night and day alternating, and golden streams of light flickered in the night sky. Invisible spells whizzed past one's ears..."
It was quite thrilling, but also a bit fake.
To be honest, battles between wizards rarely last that long. Forget about Dumbledore and Grindelwald; even two alchemy tools using spells continuously for seven days would likely explode.
If Kyle's guess was correct, this description likely belonged to a Quidditch match.
The golden streams of light were the Golden Snitch... two invisible spells, Bludgers?
With this realization, everything became clear.
Rita Skeeter probably read a certain issue of the 'Quidditch Weekly.'
Well, those who figured this out might laugh and then throw it away like Hagrid would.
But if they didn't notice, they might be truly deceived.
At this moment, the door of the Three Broomsticks opened, and someone entered from outside. They looked around the shop and then sat down in the empty seat in the corner.
The sound of the bell when the door opened caught Hagrid's attention, and he turned to look outside.
"Is it almost noon already?" Hagrid stood up and said, "I need to go to the Forbidden Forest this afternoon, so let's head back."
"I want to discuss something with Fred later," Kyle said. "You go back first."
Hagrid nodded and left without much concern.
It wasn't unusual for Kyle to frequently visit the Weasley brothers here.
After Hagrid left, Kyle didn't go to Weasley Wizard Wheezes but remained seated.
A moment later, a witch walked over and sat in the spot Hagrid had just vacated.
"Long time no see, Rita," Kyle lifted his head.
"Long time no see," Rita Skeeter said, carrying a new handbag, seemingly made of dragon skin.
"I must thank you for providing such an explosive piece of news," she said, but her tone wasn't particularly excited; instead, she seemed hesitant.
But she hid it well.
"The legendary Nurmengard and Grindelwald, you know, the number of replies I received for this was second only to the previous Hogwarts battle."
"I'm glad you're satisfied," Kyle smiled.
"But there's one thing I don't understand," he opened the newspaper and pointed to the exaggerated content on the second page.
"Aren't you afraid of being exposed with such fabrications?"
"Not at all," Rita Skeeter said matter-of-factly. "Who dares say Grindelwald couldn't summon a giant patronus?
And who has ever witnessed the battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald?"
"No one has seen it, so there's no problem with what I said. Besides, most people don't care about this; they're more concerned about whether someone has created a new horcrux."
Kyle was taken aback, but what she said made sense.
The original text is in Chapter 6, Section 9, Book/Bar!
"Okay."
"When will you release the coordinates of that group?" Kyle changed the subject. "They shouldn't have gone too far by now, right?"
"On a deserted island near France," Rita Skeeter replied without hesitation, as if those people were under her control.
No, they were under 'her' control.
"Perfect, just make sure to give a detailed location. We might be able to lure in a few more of those onlookers and have them make another move."
"After that, the British magical world should be peaceful for a while."
Rita Skeeter remained silent, staring at Kyle across from her. Suddenly, she shuddered as if remembering something.
He was like that, and so was that witch.
Those self-proclaimed victorious dark wizards, each with a vicious personality and ruthless actions, were now being led by an invisible thread, every move exposed.
Rita Skeeter even suspected that Kyle introduced her to the witch not out of friendship or cooperation but because her Animagus form was discreet enough for tracking without arousing suspicion.
After all, others were unaware of their route and hideout.
Not to mention, if the location of their current island hideout were exposed, those people would start suspecting each other, possibly leading to infighting and mutual destruction.
Rita Skeeter glanced at Kyle again, and although he hadn't been directly involved, he seemed to have guessed the witch's plan.
What was this, a silent understanding?
Rita Skeeter shook her head, deciding not to dwell on these messy thoughts.
"She said it's not the right time yet, and we need to wait a bit longer."
"Then let's wait." Kyle didn't seem to mind.
Since Rozier was taking full responsibility, he wouldn't interfere and create trouble for himself.
"So, what brings you here this time?"
"I need a guarantee," Rita Skeeter hesitated.
She initially had other matters to discuss with Kyle, but suddenly changed her mind, saying seriously, "I don't want to end up like those guys."
She wanted to mention how they died without even knowing how, but at the last moment, she swallowed her words, leaving them unspoken.
"Are you scared?"
"I can't help but be scared," she said without a hint of embarrassment.
"I trust you, but that witch doesn't seem like a kind-hearted person. I have reason to suspect that after she's done with her business, she won't mind squashing a weak little beetle like me."
Rita Skeeter's previous boldness was due to her illegal Animagus ability.
Beetles were too small to be noticed unless someone was looking closely.
But now, that ability seemed useless.
Despite her advanced age, the witch's eyesight was sharp, and she had immediately recognized Rita Skeeter's beetle form.
Rita Skeeter was caught off guard, not knowing how she had been exposed, and now she was in the witch's grasp.
"I can give you a letter," Kyle said softly. "If she wants to kill you, give her this letter."
"Will it work?"
"Not sure."
"What did you say?!"
"Don't look at me like that," Kyle shrugged. "I've only met her a few times, and our relationship isn't close enough for a letter to change her mind."
"Then what's the use of your letter to me?"
"Give it a try," Kyle said. "I don't think she'll care much about you. Whether she kills you or lets you go, it's all the same to her."
Rita Skeeter fell silent.
"You can refuse, it's your choice," Kyle said. "Rest assured, I definitely won't do anything to you. Just say you're not up for it, and I'll immediately find someone else to go to Nurmengard."
Rita Skeeter remained silent, seemingly still in hesitation. But when Kyle mentioned the place Nurmengard, her expression suddenly became strained, and her body began to tremble.
"You just mentioned Nurmengard. Does that place really exist?"
"Of course."
"Do you know its location?"
"Yes, they have a proper Nurmengard map, and it's where they're headed next.
"If they're lucky, they might even get to see Grindelwald himself, the legendary wizard from seventy years ago..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Rita Skeeter took a deep breath!
"I must be crazy!" She stood up abruptly, bumping into the chair behind her.
Fortunately, it wasn't a Hogsmeade day, and there were only a few people in the Three Broomsticks.
After that, Rita Skeeter seemed afraid she might change her mind and turned to leave immediately.
"Don't forget about my letter. I need it as soon as possible!"
"Don't worry," Kyle assured her.
He wanted to tell Rita Skeeter that he could write the letter right now and let her take it, saving an extra step.
But at that moment, Rita Skeeter had already left the Three Broomsticks and disappeared.
(End of Chapter)
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