Chapter 312: Catwoman Hermione
After emerging from the Headmaster's office on the eighth floor, Kyle was in a buoyant mood, greeting every portrait he passed. Hogwarts was truly full of surprises. Who would have thought that on an otherwise ordinary Christmas, he would encounter the legendary Ashes of Nirvana—and even receive a small vial of them?
It felt like a dream.
Kyle didn't know exactly how long it took Fawkes to undergo rebirth, but he was sure it wasn't a short period. Dumbledore's eyes had reddened at the time, and it was the first time Kyle had seen him lose his composure like that. In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Newt Scamander hadn't specified the frequency of a Phoenix's rebirth. This suggested that Fawkes hadn't undergone it in all the years since Newt had written the book.
If that were true, Fawkes' rebirth cycle might be at least sixty years—assuming no external forces like the Killing Curse accelerated it.
Kyle pulled out the small bottle again, examining it in the dim light... At least sixty years, reduced to a handful of ashes. It was possibly the rarest material in the wizarding world, one that few could even dream of possessing.
Legend had it that Phoenix ashes, left after rebirth, contained both the essence of death and the spark of new life—a substance revered by alchemists and master potion-makers alike. Kyle even suspected that Phoenix ashes might have been used in crafting the Resurrection Stone, one of the Deathly Hallows. If he got the chance, he'd love to study it.
He glanced back at the Stone Gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's Office, feeling the urge to quicken his pace as he jogged down the stairs.
When he reached the first floor, he came across two familiar faces in the foyer.
"Harry, Ron?" Kyle greeted them, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing here so late?"
The two of them jumped, spinning around to see who had caught them.
"Uh... couldn't sleep," Ron stammered. "Just... out for a stroll."