Chapter 537: Tata the House-Elf

Ludo Bagman had been speaking with Krum for about ten minutes. When he finally returned to the main bar, his expression was dark, and he muttered curses under his breath, clearly frustrated by the conversation. Without lingering, he hurried out of The Three Broomsticks, the fierce-looking goblins trailing after him.

Fred and George, who had been watching with rapt attention, opted not to follow Bagman and the goblins—likely deterred by the goblins' intimidating demeanor. Instead, they leaned in closer to discuss the scene with growing interest.

"Why do you think Bagman wanted to talk to Krum?" Fred asked.

"Could it have something to do with the Triwizard Tournament?" George speculated. "Bagman's one of the referees, so he'd have insider information. That includes what the Second Task is."

"Do you think he's leaking information to Krum?" Fred suggested, his tone conspiratorial.

"I doubt it," Cedric interjected, frowning slightly. "Referees helping Champions cheat is strictly forbidden. Bagman's the Director of the Department of Magical Games and Sports—he'd know better than to risk his career over something like that. If word got out, it'd ruin him."

"I know," Fred said, "but you have to admit it looks suspicious. Meeting with a Champion in private, away from everyone else? That's not exactly normal behavior."

"Krum probably rejected whatever he was offering," Cho chimed in thoughtfully. "You saw Bagman's face when he came back—he looked like he'd swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro."

"Or he could've been acting," Cedric said, his tone slightly clipped. "Maybe they already had a deal, and the whole scene was just for show."

Kyle glanced at Cedric, raising an eyebrow. There was something in his tone that didn't quite sit right. If jealousy had a scent, Cedric might as well have been drenched in it.

Fred and George seemed to catch on as well. The twins exchanged a mischievous look and leaned closer to Cedric.

"Why don't you take a stroll over to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Room?" Fred drawled with exaggerated sweetness.

"Exactly!" George added with a grin. "It's the perfect place for a heart-to-heart. A cozy cup of treacle, maybe?"

"No, it should be coffee," Fred mused mockingly.

"Right—treacle disguised as coffee," George concluded.

The twins burst into laughter, and Cedric's faint blush made their teasing even more satisfying.

Despite their playful prodding, Cedric and Cho didn't visit Madam Puddifoot's. After finishing their drinks, the group left The Three Broomsticks and returned to Hogwarts, chatting idly as they crossed the snow-covered grounds.

...

"That's strange..." Kanna said, her voice tinged with curiosity as she walked alongside Cho. "Look at that House-elf. He's dressed completely differently from the ones in the kitchen. Could it be Dobby?"

"What?" Kyle followed her gaze.

Sure enough, a House-elf stood in the clearing near the castle. Unlike the Hogwarts kitchen elves, who wore tea towels and pillowcases, this one was dressed in an unexpectedly bold fashion.

The elf sported tall boots, a brown leather jacket that wouldn't have looked out of place on a motor racer, a cowboy hat perched at a jaunty angle, and sunglasses beneath it.

"Oh, that's cool..." Fred said, clearly impressed. "This House-elf really has character. Does he work in the kitchen?"

"No," Cedric replied, shaking his head. "To be honest, I've never seen him there."

Kyle's lips twitched slightly. Of course Cedric hadn't seen this elf before. He recognized the impeccably dressed elf immediately—it was Tata, the House-elf who worked for Nicolas Flamel. Tata's penchant for fashion made even Dobby's adventurous wardrobe choices seem tame by comparison.

But why was Tata here? The elf never left Nicolas Flamel's manor.

Unless...

Kyle's thoughts raced. Could it be that Nicolas himself was at Hogwarts? Perhaps he was here because of the Diadem?

His heart skipped a beat.

Before Kyle could say more, Tata walked over to stand before them.

"Are you... Tata?" Kyle asked cautiously.

"Yes, sir, Tata says hello," the elf said, removing his cowboy hat and bowing slightly. "Mr. Dumbledore and the owner are in the castle, and they have asked Tata to find you, sir."

Fred's eyes widened. "Wait—you know this House-elf, Kyle?"

"Yes, he works for Nicolas," Kyle replied simply, still processing the information.

He turned to Kanna. "Sorry, I need to find Professor Dumbledore first. I'll see you at dinner. If everything goes well... I might have a surprise for you then."

With that, Kyle followed Tata toward the castle.

The others stood in silence for a moment, watching Kyle disappear inside.

Fred was the first to break it. "Did Kyle just say Nicolas? As in... Nearly Headless Nick?"

"That's what I heard," George said, scratching his head. "Does a ghost even need a House-elf?"

"Will you two use your brains for once?" Cho snapped, exasperated. "Obviously, Kyle didn't mean that Nicolas."

"I think I know who he meant," Cedric said in a low voice. "Remember that one holiday Kyle spent in France?"

"France..." Fred repeated, his voice trailing off as realization dawned. He lowered his voice too. "You mean... Nicolas Flamel?"

"I think that's it," Cedric confirmed. "And don't forget—the House-elf just mentioned the Headmaster's name."

Fred's eyes widened further. "If that's the case... then Kyle really is connected to the Flamels. No wonder he's always so calm about everything."

"I'm starting to get curious about this 'surprise' Kyle mentioned," George added.

...

On the other side, Kyle had followed Tata to the Headmaster's Office on the eighth floor of the castle.

Inside the large office, Dumbledore sat in his usual chair, calm and composed, while opposite him stood a gray-haired old man.

It was Nicolas Flamel, dressed in a yellow-striped shirt, with a pair of clamshell glasses tucked neatly into the breast pocket.

"I was just saying you should have been back already," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Long time no see, Kyle. How have you been?" Nicolas greeted him warmly.

"Not bad," Kyle replied casually. Then, with a hint of curiosity, he added, "Nicolas, are you here for that thing again? You know, you don't have to come all the way to Hogwarts for that. Just write a letter."

For a moment, Kyle thought Nicolas's expression grew slightly unnatural, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

"Oh?" Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes shifted to Nicolas. "I suppose this isn't the same topic we're going to discuss later?"

"Ahem, it's nothing, Albus," Nicolas replied, clearing his throat. "Kyle just asked me to help him fix a gadget earlier."

"I see," Dumbledore said, his smile tinged with amusement. "Kyle is always tinkering with new and interesting gadgets. I've seen them many times."

"You're right," Nicolas agreed with a knowing nod. Ravenclaw's Diadem... There's no more novel gadget in the wizarding world. I truly don't know where Kyle managed to get his hands on it.

"Well, that can wait," Nicolas said, steering the conversation away. "I had considered inviting you to the Manor again, but Albus mentioned you're now a Champion in the Triwizard Tournament. I thought it best not to distract you, so I came here instead."

"No need," Kyle responded, shaking his head. "The competition's still a while away. It wouldn't be a distraction."

"I don't think so," Nicolas countered with a smile. "The Triwizard Tournament is a grand event, especially for the Champions. Every second counts if you want to win, so there's no room for carelessness."

Kyle didn't argue further, though he felt Nicolas's reasoning was a bit contrived. Regardless, since the man was already here, there was no point in debating.

"I'm glad they've restarted the Triwizard Tournament," Nicolas said, his tone brightening. "I saw the First Task—it was incredible. Much better than the last one. Honestly, they should never have held it at Durmstrang; they've never hosted a good tournament."

Nicolas seemed to drift into his memories, recounting in great detail how poorly organized the previous Triwizard Tournament had been and criticizing its arrangements.

It wasn't until ten minutes later that Dumbledore, ever patient, had to gently interrupt.

"Fascinating as the history of the Triwizard Tournament is, let's get to the point, Nicolas."

At Dumbledore's words, Kyle couldn't help but feel that Nicolas's visit to Hogwarts wasn't about the Diadem after all, but something else entirely.

"Alright then," Nicolas said, his tone turning serious as he looked directly at Kyle. "The main reason I came this time is to borrow something from you."

"What is it?" Kyle asked, intrigued.

"The ashes of the Phoenix after its Nirvana."