Chapter 209: A Great Place to Unwind
Chapter 209: A Great Place to Unwind
This was probably one of the most extraordinary Quidditch matches Hogwarts had seen in a century.
Throughout the entire match, Hufflepuff, though targeted, won the game but felt no joy, only symbolically celebrating a few times before hurrying back to the locker room.
And Gryffindor, not being targeted, lost the match and naturally couldn't feel happy either.
Even many spectators had their enthusiasm dampened by the continuous whistle-blowing, sitting there listlessly, hoping for the match to end quickly.
If one had to say who was satisfied with this Quidditch match, it was probably Snape, the referee.
With that magical whistle, he turned the match into his personal show, targeting Kyle and preventing Harry from catching the Golden Snitch, a win-win situation... he won twice.
Who would've thought that being a Quidditch referee could be so interesting? Perhaps he should try it more often in the future.
After dismounting from the broomstick, Snape's mood was indescribably good, especially when he saw the ashen faces of Kyle and Harry. He couldn't help but smile from the heart.
It was truly wonderful... he hadn't felt this happy even when he first brewed Felix Felicis.
"Damn him!"
In the Hufflepuff locker room, Harris was so angry he was pounding the wall.
"A thirty-minute match, and Snape judged... he called twenty-one fouls on us. I've never experienced such absurdity."
"Even the 1473 Quidditch World Cup had an average of one foul every two minutes."
"If the referee for the next match is still him, we'll refuse to participate."
Everyone nodded in agreement. They didn't want to experience such a joyless match again.
Kyle felt this even more so, as all twenty-one fouls were called on him. Enduring to the end was already challenging enough.
Kyle chose to leave the locker room alone instead of staying with the others. He wanted to find a place to unwind and calm his troubled emotions.
The Forbidden Forest was a good choice, but Hagrid was keeping a close watch lately. Kyle had just arrived there when Hagrid found him and brought him back to his hut.
"I watched the match. It wasn't your fault."
Hagrid poured a cup of tea for Kyle and said, "Professor Snape probably doesn't understand Quidditch well. Everyone could see you didn't commit any fouls."
"I've heard this many times, Hagrid." Kyle took a sip of tea and asked, "Can't you let me go to the Forbidden Forest?"
"No, Kyle." Hagrid said sternly, "The Forbidden Forest is dangerous now. If it were someone else, I would've sent them back to the castle immediately and informed the professors, deducting many points."
Seeing Hagrid's determination, Kyle didn't insist.
In fact, if he really wanted to go to the Forbidden Forest, he could've used an Invisibility Cloak or the Invisibility Charm, which Hagrid definitely wouldn't have noticed.
But there was no need. There were many places to unwind, not just the Forbidden Forest.
After leaving Hagrid's hut, Kyle met Harry by the Black Lake.
"Potter, are you here to see Hagrid too?"
"No... oh, yes." Harry looked tense, "I don't want... to keep hearing their consolations."
"I understand." Kyle patted his shoulder, "Go on then, Hagrid just mentioned you too."
After saying this, he prepared to leave.
As he took only two steps, Harry suddenly called out from behind, "Wait..."
"What is it?"
"Kyle... you, did you see anyone strange just now?"
"Strange person?" Kyle furrowed his brows.
"Yeah, like someone wearing a hood or something..."
Kyle thought for a moment and shook his head. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention, but you can ask Hagrid. If that person went to the Forbidden Forest, he might know something."
"Okay... thanks, thanks."
After bidding farewell to Harry, Kyle turned and headed back into the castle.
Now, he finally understood what Harry meant.
Almost everyone who saw him would come forward and say a few words of comfort.
And more and more people were coming this way.
Kyle could only quicken his pace and hide in the library for a while. Professor Flitwick helped him shoo away those who weren't there to read.
Error-free version, read at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+ Book_Bar, the first to publish this novel.
Kyle, on the other hand, hid behind the bookshelves and used the Invisibility Charm to sneak out. He made his way through the rotating staircases and arrived at the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor.
After half a year's effort, he had gradually transferred his flower garden into the box, but only for the mature plants.
The ones still growing would remain here for now.
Compared to the Room of Requirement, the environment was more suitable for the growth of magical plants. After all, the box couldn't provide rain or change the weather on demand... at least, not Kyle's box.
The same went for the Mooncalves; they would have to stay here for a while until Kyle completely finished modifying the box.
Since many new plants were planted at the beginning of the school year, the garden didn't feel empty at all, despite taking away a batch of plants, the place felt even more crowded.
Looking at the thriving plants in the garden, Kyle's mood improved significantly.
He somewhat understood Professor Sprout and Newt; whether it was plants or magical creatures, watching them grow was indeed a fulfilling experience.
Kyle walked past a row of large flower pots with Mandrakes and arrived at the innermost part of the room.
This was the territory of the Venomous Tentacles.
This vine-like plant was similar to Devil's Snare, wrapping around nearby living creatures.
But it was far more dangerous than Devil's Snare, for not only was it unafraid of sunlight, but its entire body was also covered in deadly poison. Whether it was the sting of its tendrils or its bite, both were fatal.
This was the main reason it was classified as a Class C Restricted Substance by the Ministry of Magic.
However, the growth cycle of the Venomous Tentacles was relatively slow. Even with Mooncalve dung as fertilizer, it had only just sprouted a short, tender shoot. Even the signature thorns were still tiny, unnoticeable black dots.
The other side's Mandrakes were about the same.
The Mandrakes were better; not only were they more convenient to use, but their growth cycle was also shorter. Despite being planted on the same day, they were all already sprouted and growing teeth.
Ever since Kyle arrived at the garden, he had been hearing the sound of teeth clacking, "Clack, clack," like someone playing castanets. It was quite lively.
He returned to the Mandrakes and took out his box from the Chameleon Lizard's leather bag. Then, he selected some of the most vibrant ones and placed them inside.
...
(End of Chapter)
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