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Chapter 538: Dumbledore’s Request
🕑 Added 2025-02-25 12:29:33 +0000 UTCKyle did, in fact, have a small bottle of phoenix ashes that Fawkes had gifted him during his third year. Since it was an exceptionally rare and high-end material, he had refrained from using it until he felt confident in his skills. For now, the bottle had remained safely stowed at the very back of his suitcase.
“May I ask why?” Kyle inquired, his curiosity piqued. Then he added, “Of course, if it’s a secret, I’ll understand.”
“Oh, it’s nothing secretive. After all, they belong to you,” Nicolas replied with a glance at Dumbledore, who gave him a subtle nod of approval.
“Do you remember the Time-Turner from the Chamber of Secrets?” Nicolas continued.
“Of course,” Kyle replied with a firm nod. How could he forget? That Time-Turner had led him to an encounter with the Founders of Hogwarts.
“It’s like this: I’ve fixed it,” Nicolas said calmly, though his words landed like a thunderclap.
“The Time-Turner... fixed?” Kyle echoed, glancing instinctively at Dumbledore.
To his surprise, Dumbledore, usually composed and full of wisdom, now had an expression filled with a mix of anticipation and unease. It was a side of the headmaster Kyle had never seen before.
“It wasn’t supposed to be this quick,” Nicolas admitted, “but I received some crucial help... and I have you to thank for that, Kyle.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow as Nicolas gave him a knowing look.
“But,” Nicolas continued, “there’s still one final—and most critical—component missing: the core that powers the Time-Turner. It requires an enormous amount of magic to travel back a hundred years. That level of power is simply beyond estimation, and no existing runes can resolve the problem.”
“Not even a stack of runes?” Kyle asked without thinking.
“No,” Nicolas said, shaking his head. “While stacking the rune of increasing magic can indeed meet the activation requirements, it cannot sustain the ongoing supply of magic."
“In such a case, the Time-Turner will inevitably—no, it will definitely—shatter again. The user would then be trapped, potentially in the fiftieth year or the seventieth, unable to reach the intended time and incapable of returning.”
Kyle nodded slowly, processing the implications. He understood that Nicolas was referring to Dumbledore as the intended user, and the one hundred years of regression were for him.
Being stranded in the past wouldn’t likely trouble someone like Dumbledore, but being unable to reach the predetermined moment...
Wait.
Kyle’s thoughts raced. If Dumbledore ended up stranded sixty years in the past... would Grindelwald recognize him? And what might that lead to?
The corner of Kyle’s mouth twitched at the thought, but he quickly masked his reaction.
Nicolas, oblivious to Kyle’s momentary lapse, continued, “So, I came up with another solution: the Philosopher’s Stone!”
“Only the Philosopher's Stone can provide the Time-Turner with the immense and steady magical energy it requires,” Nicolas explained.
“But wasn’t the Philosopher’s Stone destroyed?” Kyle asked, snapping out of his thoughts.
“That’s correct,” Nicolas replied with a small smile, “but have you ever considered this: if I was able to refine the Philosopher’s Stone six hundred years ago, why can’t I do it again now?
“To be honest, the process of refining the Philosopher’s Stone isn’t particularly difficult for me. The challenge lies in sourcing the materials, and the ashes left from the Phoenix’s Nirvana are the most critical component.”
Kyle understood immediately. Once the ashes were given, they couldn’t be recovered.
Of course, if the trade resulted in him receiving a Philosopher’s Stone, he wouldn’t hesitate. But the real question was: could he trust that he’d actually get one?
He recalled his experience in the Chamber of Secrets. After successfully returning to the correct timeline, the Time-Turner had been destroyed, leaving no trace behind. That Time-Turner had been built to span a thousand years; this one needed to bridge only a century. Still, the risks couldn’t be ignored. What if this version was also a fragile, subpar construct?
Not only might he not get Ravenclaw’s Diadem this time, but he’d also have to sacrifice another priceless resource.
One thing didn’t add up, though. Nicolas had lived for over six centuries and must have collected countless rare materials. Shouldn’t he already have Phoenix ashes in his possession?
Curious, Kyle voiced his thoughts.
“I did have some,” Nicolas admitted with a sigh. “But back then, I never thought I’d need to make a second Philosopher’s Stone. I used them for other projects... like the dragon statue in front of my house. It’s actually my proudest creation in the last hundred years.”
“And to create the Philosopher’s Stone,” Dumbledore added from his seat, “the ashes must come from a Phoenix’s natural Nirvana. Ashes obtained by trickery or coercion won’t work.”
Kyle nodded, realizing now why Nicolas and Dumbledore had come to him. If he’d known, he might have lingered in Hogsmeade longer—or spent the night there altogether.
Even as these thoughts crossed his mind, he opened his suitcase, retrieving a small, tightly sealed bottle.
The bottle, no larger than a thumb, was stopped with cork and wax-sealed for protection. Inside was half a bottle of gray-black powder, speckled with golden-red flecks that shimmered like stars in the night sky when shaken.
“This is all I have,” Kyle said. “Do you need all of it?”
He hoped, deep down, that Nicolas might leave him a small amount, even just a pinch.
But his hopes were dashed when Nicolas replied, “It’s a bit lacking, but it’s barely enough.”
Kyle’s shoulders slumped at the confirmation.
Seeing Kyle’s reluctance, Dumbledore spoke with a note of embarrassment. “I understand this might be a difficult decision for you. In truth, I initially intended to ask Professor Snape, but the ashes he had were already used up. Until Fawkes’ next Nirvana, you’re the only one who still possesses any.”
“Snape used up the ashes?” Kyle asked, incredulous.
He hadn’t expected that. Something so rare and precious should have been preserved carefully, passed down through generations—or, at the very least, used sparingly. Instead, Snape had squandered it.
“Shameful waste,” Kyle muttered under his breath.
Still, there was no point dwelling on it. Looking at Dumbledore, whose expression was filled with a mix of hope and something bordering on pleading, and then glancing at the pair of blue-and-white woolen socks prominently displayed on the office bookshelf, Kyle finally sighed and handed over the bottle.
“Then I’ll leave this to you, Professor.”
Dumbledore stepped forward hurriedly, accepting the bottle with the utmost care, as if it were a delicate treasure made of glass.
“I’ve discussed this with Nicolas,” he said as he carefully placed the bottle into a padded wooden box. “We’ve agreed: if the Philosopher’s Stone remains intact after use, it will belong to you."
“If it is damaged... I promise to grant you anything you ask, even the entire contents of my private vault at Gringotts.”
Kyle waved his hand dismissively. “That won’t be necessary, Professor.”
He couldn’t quite make sense of what had been happening lately. Just a few days ago, Sirius had offered him a shop worth nearly ten thousand Galleons. Now Dumbledore was going a step further, offering him the entirety of his Gringotts vault.
It was a bit overwhelming.
Of course, if it came down to it, Kyle would much prefer the Philosopher’s Stone.
