Chapter 989: Lady Longbottom
Chapter 989: Lady Longbottom
Kyle almost forgot that Neville was also at Hogwarts.
After graduation, the botany enthusiast applied to become a Herbology Assistant, and Professor Sprout agreed.
After all, Neville undeniably possessed exceptional talent in botany, especially when it came to patiently nurturing delicate plants.
As the number of plants in the school's greenhouses increased, Professor Sprout found herself busier than ever, sometimes having to dash to another greenhouse in the middle of a lesson.
An extra pair of hands would undoubtedly alleviate her workload, and Neville's application came at the perfect time.
The assistant professor's salary wasn't particularly high, but even if the school didn't approve, she could afford it herself.
Of course, the Headmaster and the Board of Governors had already given their consent.
After all, they already had one assistant, so one more wouldn't make much difference.
Hogwarts welcomed outstanding students to stay and work at the school... Oh, except for Tom Riddle.
...
When Kyle found Neville in the third greenhouse, he was collecting spores from a Jumping Tentacula.
It was a tedious task because it was challenging to keep the Jumping Tentacula still.
However, Neville seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself, swaying his body and hands in rhythm with the plant while humming a tune.
The song was "Transfiguring a Feast" by the Weird Sisters, a lively and upbeat melody.
It was evident that Neville genuinely enjoyed this task, not merely treating it as a chore to be completed.
"Neville..." Kyle knocked on the greenhouse door.
"I'm here... Oh, Kyle, what brings you here?"
Neville looked up, pleasantly surprised, "Are you looking for Professor Sprout? She should be in her office in the castle, grading assignments."
"No, Neville, I'm here to see you."
"Me?" Neville was taken aback, seemingly not expecting anyone to come looking for him in the greenhouse.
Ever since staying at Hogwarts, his only companions had been Belladonna, Three-Leaf Clover, and Venomous Tentacula, and rarely did anyone seek him out.
Yet, he relished this solitude, rarely seeking out others as well.
"Do you have time?" Kyle asked, "I'd like to discuss something important with you."
"Sure, no problem." Neville snapped out of his reverie and hastily wiped his dirty hands on his clothes, only to dirty them again.
"Sorry, can you wait a moment? I'd like to change my clothes."
"I know this may sound offensive, but Neville, you really should remember that you're a wizard."
Kyle drew his wand and waved it gently.
"Scouring Charm!"
All the dirt and dust on Neville's body and hands vanished instantly, leaving him noticeably cleaner.
"Thank you," Neville couldn't help but say, "You know, my memory has never been that great."
Neville, who had been incredibly reliable and brave during the war, seemed to have reverted to his forgetful 'idiot' self once the war ended.
"Where are we going?"
"How about The Three Broomsticks? I feel like having some butterbeer," Kyle suggested.
"Sure, that's fine." Neville nodded, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "But could we hurry back? I still have a lot of work to finish."
"That depends on your choice," Kyle replied casually.
The two made their way to The Three Broomsticks and ordered their drinks.
"You can talk now," Neville took a sip of butterbeer, "Don't be shy. If there's anything I can help you with, just ask, and I'll definitely do it."
"No, it's about your parents," Kyle clarified.
Neville froze, his cup halfway to his mouth.
"I have a way to restore their consciousness," Kyle continued.
"Bang!"
Neville abruptly stood up, and in his excitement, half of the butterbeer in his hand spilled.
But Neville didn't seem to mind at all.
He just stared at Kyle, his entire body trembling slightly.
"You... you can make them..."
"Calm down, Neville," Kyle waved his hand, "Let me finish."
The chair that had been knocked away earlier returned to its original position behind Neville, but he didn't sit down.
It wasn't that Neville didn't want to sit; it was that he couldn't move.
For some reason, his legs felt frozen, and he couldn't do anything but stand.
Kyle didn't keep him in suspense and explained the entire situation from start to finish.
"...That's how it is."
Half an hour later, Kyle took a sip of butterbeer, "I just finished this method, and it involves Horcruxes... Of course, I'll change its name later so that the Ministry won't have any objections.
"Of course, you are certainly entitled to know the truth, and I won't hide it. Whether you agree or not is up to you... and your grandmother.
Neville looked at Kyle.
He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
Neville actually wanted to agree, because this was probably the only way to restore his parents' sanity.
However, the words of agreement stuck in his throat, and he hesitated.
He wasn't hesitating because this method had never been tried before.
Neville trusted Kyle, and that trust had reached its peak after Kyle defeated Voldemort at Hogwarts.
It was irrational, but it was Neville's true feeling.
If Kyle said he had a way to make his parents regain their sanity, it would definitely work, especially with Professor Saxia's involvement.
Neville's hesitation stemmed from the Horcrux.
Although he had never lived with his parents, he knew them well, a familiarity that came from family ties.
Thus, he knew that his parents, as Aurors, had their own principles.
They would rather remain in their current state forever than use a Horcrux, a dark and evil form of magic.
His grandmother felt the same way.
So Neville hesitated; he couldn't make this decision.
After a long while, Kyle had already finished his second Butterbeer, and Neville was still standing there, pale-faced, tightly gripping his cup.
"I suggest you talk to your grandmother," Kyle said.
These words seemed to awaken Neville. His eyes gradually regained their luster, and he finished the remaining Butterbeer in his cup, trying to calm himself down with this action.
For some psychological reason, although Butterbeer had almost no alcohol content, Neville genuinely felt better.
"I will... no, I'll go now."
"Right," Kyle stopped him. "Remember to tell Lady Longbottom that the reason Horcruxes are called dark magic is because they require the murder of others to split one's soul.
"But Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom's souls are already fractured... I hope you don't mind me saying this, but they don't need that step.
"Moreover, this Horcrux is a new construction, fundamentally different from the original. Strictly speaking, it should be called a Horcrux Spell, which is a type of magical spell."
"I, I understand," Neville nodded stiffly and then turned and left.
At that moment, someone at the next table stood up.
"Are you sure he remembered everything?" Fred sat down in front of Kyle.
"You know, his memory has never been very good," George said.
They had come into The Three Broomsticks with Kyle and Neville.
After all, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was right at the entrance of Hogsmeade, and Fred had noticed Kyle and Neville as soon as they arrived, checking their inventory at the door.
Kyle, Neville...
It took them only a moment to guess why the two had come here, and they immediately followed.
Neville, still in shock, hadn't noticed them.
"Having a poor memory doesn't mean he can't remember anything," Kyle looked out the window. "I guarantee he won't forget a single word."
"Maybe," Fred shrugged, not committing to an opinion.
After that, Kyle also left, and Fred, who was the last to leave, paid the bill.
Neville had run out with the Butterbeer cup, which required an extra charge.
...
Back at Hogwarts, Kyle first found Professor Sprout and asked for a leave of absence for Neville.
Professor Sprout didn't ask why, and after confirming that she didn't need to help, she agreed.
...
"Do you think Lady Longbottom will agree?"
After dinner, in the castle's corridor, Conna and Kyle walked side by side, speaking softly.
"Yes," Kyle said.
"You're so sure they'll trust you?" Conna turned to look at him.
"Not me, but Professor Saxia," Kyle said. "Didn't you notice? When Neville and I went to The Three Broomsticks, Professor Saxia also left Hogwarts."
"She said she was going to get something."
"If I'm not mistaken, she probably went to St. Mungo's."
"Why?"
"Because she wants to find the counter-curse for the Cruciatus Curse," Kyle said.
"Then why not you?" Conna stopped and looked at Kyle.
Kyle didn't answer, hesitating for a long time.
"To be honest, I don't know."
"Huh?"
"Don't look at me like that, I really don't know," Kyle said. "I first had this idea when I saw the Longbottoms at St. Mungo's, driven mad by the Cruciatus Curse.
"They are all Aurors who went insane during the battle against the Death Eaters. I wanted to try and save them."
"So, strictly speaking, my initial intention in studying the Horcrux Spell was for the Lombardons... compared to Professor Saxia, it seems a bit selfish."
"Of course not," Conna replied without hesitation, gently pulling Kyle's hand, "Because you succeeded... only you succeeded."
"I can't say that yet," Kyle said, looking out the window. "I didn't realize how difficult this spell was until I graduated and succeeded... but it's not too late."
As he spoke, Kyle suddenly narrowed his eyes.
He spotted a familiar double-decker bus parked in front of the Hogwarts gates, resembling the Knight Bus.
Then, someone ran down from the bus.
Although the distance was too far for Kyle to see who it was, he immediately turned and started walking down the stairs.
"Come on, I think they've already made their decision."
"So soon?" Conna was a bit surprised but followed closely behind.
When the two reached the entrance hall, a small female witch also hurried in from outside.
She was an eccentric old witch, wearing an outdated green dress and a tall hat adorned with a vulture specimen.
Kyle was a bit skeptical about how the specimen was attached; she ran so fast without it falling off. Was it a Permanent Adhesive Charm?
Now didn't seem like the right time to think about such things.
The old witch also stopped when she saw Kyle.
"Grandma..."
Neville rushed up behind her.
"Kyle, what are you doing here... Oh, I mean, we were just coming to find you. My grandma wanted to ask you..."
"I've heard everything," Lady Longbottom approached and looked at Kyle solemnly. "So, Frank and Alice will be in your care."
"You agreed?"
"Yes," Lady Longbottom nodded.
"I think Neville must have mentioned the Horcrux," Kyle said.
"Exactly, I know," Lady Longbottom said. "But as a stranger, you're willing to spend a lot of time researching Horcruxes to save them. If we continue to hesitate about whether Horcruxes are Dark Magic, we'd be shameless!"
"Neville, come and thank him," Lady Longbottom suddenly yelled, startling Kyle.
Neville came out from behind like a quail. "Thank you, Kyle."
"And!" Lady Longbottom glared at him.
"Sorry, I should have thanked you this afternoon," Neville said.
"Oh, you're welcome," Kyle said. "And I consider Neville a friend, not just some stranger."
He hadn't expected Lady Longbottom to be so decisive. The issue that had troubled Neville for so long was instantly resolved by her.
"Don't worry about it," she said, stepping forward. "You're doing this to save Frank and Alice. If they can't accept the Horcrux, then let them knock themselves out again—two spineless cowards."
Kyle wanted to say that he didn't mind.
Besides, the Lombardons hadn't fully recovered yet, so wasn't it a bit early to scold them?
But Lady Longbottom spoke so quickly that Kyle didn't have a chance to respond before she had already said several sentences.
Kyle thought about it and decided to stay silent.
After all, she was scolding her own family, and they probably wouldn't mind.
...
Lady Longbottom was truly decisive, just like how she had rushed to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus as soon as she made her decision.
Although it was still night, after hearing Kyle's response, she immediately returned... still on the Knight Bus.
There was no other way; she couldn't Apparate, and without a key, the Knight Bus was the fastest option.
They agreed to meet at St. Mungo's the next morning.
They chose the next day because Professor Saxia still needed to use potions to stabilize their souls.
The new potion she had invented with snake blood was specifically for souls, and it would be useful now.
Moreover, this matter wasn't urgent. Although the Lombardons' consciousness wasn't clear, their bodies were relatively healthy.
To avoid disrupting Kyle's classes, Lady Longbottom had planned to wait until the following weekend. However, since Kyle didn't have classes the next day, it worked out.
During this time, Kyle also paid another visit to the Headmaster's Office.
There was no need to hide this matter from Headmistress McGonagall, and he needed to ask for leave as well.
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
