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Chapter 560: The Only Idler in the Manor
🕑 Added 2025-03-02 14:09:05 +0000 UTCHelena seemed even more shocked than Kyle at the fact that she could wear the Diadem.
“What... what is going on?” she stammered, looking at Kyle as though he might have an explanation.
Before Kyle could answer, Helena’s pearl-white form trembled violently. Her expression shifted rapidly—shock, fear, disbelief. Panicking, she tried to grab the Diadem to remove it, but her hands passed straight through the artifact, as if it were immaterial.
“Don’t worry, Helena,” Kyle said gently, a smile softening his tone. “You wanted me to deliver a message to your mother, didn’t you? Well, Madam Ravenclaw also has a message for you.”
Helena looked at him, wide-eyed, as he continued, “And since I’m not particularly skilled at owl post, I worried I might botch the delivery. So, I took the liberty of tricking you here. I hope you don’t mind.”
Helena remained silent, but tears began to well in her eyes—pearly-white, just like the rest of her. The tears fell to the ground, transforming into hazy wisps of smoke that drifted back into her body.
“You two must have a lot to talk about after a thousand years,” Kyle said, stepping toward the door. “I’ll leave you to it.”
As he reached the door, he paused, turning back to add, “Oh, and if you need anything, just call for Tata. He’s the House-elf here, and he’ll hear you if you’re anywhere in the manor.”
With that, Kyle gently closed the oak door behind him.
The room fell silent, its voices cut off entirely.
Though Kyle’s curiosity itched at the thought of what mother and daughter might be saying after such a long separation, he knew it wasn’t his place to listen. This was their moment, and eavesdropping would be a profound breach of privacy.
He followed the corridor back to the manor’s grand hall, where he found Tata diligently polishing a crystal ornament with a piece of flannel. Seeing Kyle, the House-elf quickly stopped and gave a deep bow.
“Don’t mind me, Tata,” Kyle said, waving a hand dismissively as he glanced around to ensure they were alone.
“Is Mistress Perenelle also helping Nicolas with the Philosopher’s Stone?”
“Yes, Mistress is assisting as well,” Tata confirmed with a nod.
“Alright,” Kyle replied casually, pulling up a chair and sitting down while Tata resumed polishing.
Hours passed. The manor remained quiet, and there was no sign of movement from either the alchemy lab or the room where Helena and Ravenclaw were. Tata prepared a lavish lunch for Kyle, but the long dining table felt lonely with only one person eating.
Kyle learned from Tata that Nicolas and Perenelle had been taking their meals in the alchemy room lately, engrossed in their work. As for Ravenclaw and Helena—a memory and a ghost—they had no need for food.
By the time dessert was served and finished, even Tata had vanished, leaving Kyle entirely alone in the grand hall.
Another few hours dragged by. Restless, Kyle finally got up and called out, “Tata, can I go upstairs to the opera room?”
He reasoned that Helena and Ravenclaw would need plenty of time to reconcile after a thousand years. Finding something to occupy himself seemed the only option. While Kyle didn’t understand opera well, listening to it was better than pacing the hall endlessly.
At the mention of the opera room, however, Tata appeared instantly, his demeanor suddenly tense.
The House-elf remembered Kyle’s prior conversation with Dumbledore about dismantling the room and taking it. Clearly, the idea still had him on edge.
"My master said you could go into any room you like," Tata said, though his tone was hesitant. "But you mustn't damage the house, sir. There are Charms placed throughout the house, and if you try to break the walls, you could get hurt."
"I'm only going to listen to an opera," Kyle replied, perplexed. "Why would I damage the walls?"
Tata seemed flustered and quickly backtracked. "No, it's nothing—Tata was just talking... This way, sir."
The House-elf hastily set down the fluffy blanket he had been holding and led Kyle to a room upstairs.
The opera room was as empty as ever. Kyle crossed to the wall directly opposite the door and pressed a symbol etched into its surface. In an instant, a full orchestra appeared as if by magic, filling the room with a rich, melodious symphony.
Kyle listened to the enchanting music for a moment, then turned to Tata. "If a ghost comes looking for you, let me know right away."
At the mention of a ghost, Tata visibly trembled. His entire body seemed to shake, and he stuttered, "S-Sir must be joking with Tata. There are no ghosts here. Tata knows..." The elf’s teeth clattered audibly as he spoke.
"Are you... afraid of ghosts?" Kyle asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Tata's not afraid!" the House-elf responded sharply, puffing out his chest. "Tata just... just doesn't like them."
"Alright, fair enough," Kyle said, deciding not to press the matter. Fear of ghosts wasn’t uncommon, and he recalled how nervous many first-years had been upon encountering Hogwarts’ spectral residents.
"Here's what we'll do," Kyle continued. "If you hear someone calling your name, just come straight to me. Don't worry about it. That ghost is a guest of Nicolas’s, so it won’t harm you."
At the word guest, Tata seemed to relax slightly. Though still visibly nervous, his teeth finally stopped chattering.
"When will that ghost... guest... come looking for Tata?" Tata asked tentatively.
"I’m not sure," Kyle admitted after a moment of thought. "It could be today or tomorrow—I really don’t know. But it shouldn’t take too long."
"If you’re nervous, you can stay by my side for the next couple of days. If anything unusual happens, just let me know right away."
"Tata's not scared," the House-elf insisted, standing straighter. However, despite his words, he didn’t move an inch from Kyle’s side.
Kyle chuckled softly, amused by Tata’s thinly veiled fear. Without commenting further, he drew his wand and conjured two chairs—one for himself and one for Tata. He sat down and gestured for the House-elf to join him.
As the orchestra continued its performance, Kyle leaned back in his chair, enjoying the soothing melodies that filled the room.
...
Kyle ended up spending the entire first day listening to opera, and then the second day passed in much the same way. Yet, there was still no sign of the oak door opening, nor any word from Nicolas or Perenelle.
Every mealtime, Kyle sat alone at the long dining table. The empty hall and the echoing silence around him made him wonder if he’d been completely forgotten.
“Wait, could they really have forgotten about me?” Kyle mused, looking around at the vast, empty dining room. For a moment, he felt like he might as well be the owner of the manor.
By breakfast on the third day, his patience began to wear thin. After finishing his meal, he stopped Tata, who was bustling off with his usual efficiency.
“Tata, could you bring me a mirror?”
“A mirror?” Tata asked, tilting his head. “What kind of mirror does the gentleman require?”
“Just a regular mirror,” Kyle said. “But a bit larger, with a wooden frame, if possible.”
Tata nodded and disappeared, returning shortly with exactly what Kyle had requested. The mirror was sizable and framed in a ring of polished sycamore wood, resembling The Mirror of Erised from the Headmaster’s Office.
Kyle directed Tata to place the mirror in an empty room, then followed him inside.
At first, Kyle had assumed Helena and Ravenclaw would finish their conversation in a day or two, but now it seemed their reunion could stretch out to a week—or even longer. Meanwhile, Nicolas and Perenelle showed no sign of leaving the alchemy room.
The opera, while lovely, was not something Kyle could listen to endlessly for weeks on end. Besides, it felt unproductive to simply sit idle while everyone else was engrossed in their own work.
With that in mind, Kyle decided to take on a project of his own—something ambitious: attempting to recreate the magical mirror he had seen in Nicolas’s room, the one capable of storing memories.
Thanks to the insight he’d gained from Ravenclaw’s Diadem, the magical formulas and runes engraved on the original mirror no longer seemed incomprehensible. He could now recall their purposes and placements with startling clarity.
Although replicating such a complex artifact without the Diadem’s aid would be a significant challenge, Kyle was determined to try. He had time to spare, and success—even partial success—could be rewarding.
In addition to this project, Kyle also planned to revisit the Firestorm Charm. After identifying the issues with his previous technique, he wanted to see if the adjustments he’d conceptualized would make a noticeable difference.
Soon, he could ask Tata if there was a spacious and sturdy spot nearby where he could safely use the Charm without concern.
