Chapter 210: What About Your Egg?
Chapter 210: What About Your Egg?
As March arrived, the weather gradually warmed, and the ice that had covered the surface of the Black Lake throughout the winter melted away just last week.
Lately, the giant squid had frequently emerged from the depths, poking its head and tentacles above the water to bask in the warm sunlight.
This spectacle had drawn crowds of curious students.
While many who had read Hogwarts, A History knew of the giant squid's presence in the lake, it rarely surfaced, so apart from Slytherin, whose common room was located at the bottom of the lake, students from other houses rarely had the opportunity to lay eyes on it.
This sudden appearance had sparked intrigue, especially among the first-year students, who rushed to catch a glimpse as soon as their classes ended.
And so, the Black Lake inexplicably became the newest hotspot for students to gather and take photos.
However, Kyle did not join the crowds. He had already seen the giant squid last year during his finals, and honestly, apart from its massive size, it wasn't that different from a regular squid.
Moreover, staring at it for too long made him hungry, and he couldn't exactly grill it, so there wasn't much point in going again.
He'd rather spend his time reading a couple of books.
After months of studying, he had finally mastered the Trace-less Extension Charm to a reasonable degree.
While he wasn't yet proficient, and the amount of space he could manipulate fell short of his imagination, he had overcome the most challenging first step, and with continued practice, he would improve.
Kyle planned to completely revamp his trunk before the start of his fifth year... He might not be able to match Newt's, but he wanted to at least be able to fit half of the Forbidden Forest inside.
In the past two years, he had acquired quite a collection, and the plants in his garden alone could fill his current trunk. On top of that, he needed to allocate space for the territory of his giant and the mooncalves... as well as any new members that might join in the future. His current trunk was far from sufficient.
With determination, Kyle set to work...
From then on, whenever he had free time, he would rush to his trunk to continue his project.
Through his diligent efforts, on the third day of the Easter holidays, he finally completed the first expansion of his trunk.
The internal space was now nearly double its original size.
Kyle surveyed his handiwork with satisfaction. He felt like he had just upgraded from a studio apartment to a villa.
Moreover, several of his previous problems had been instantly solved.
For instance, the giant now had a much larger area to move around in.
He could also start preparing a new home for the mooncalves... To construct caves suitable for their habitation, he needed a substantial amount of space, which he had struggled to find previously. Now, he finally had the room he needed.
The only issue was that the surroundings felt somewhat sparse and monotonous after the expansion... but that was easily remedied.
The next day, Kyle headed towards the Forbidden Forest early in the morning.
He planned to take advantage of the holiday break to relocate two service trees into his trunk.
Of course, he couldn't do it during the day—he was likely to be caught by Hagrid—so he was merely scouting the area this time... He would identify the trees he wanted and then move them at night.
A few minutes later, Kyle arrived at Hagrid's hut, but curiously, the door was tightly shut, and all the curtains were drawn closed, even the small window at the very top was covered with a copy of the Daily Prophet.
Kyle knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
Hagrid's voice sounded tense from inside.
The door opened a crack.
"Oh, it's you, Kyle. What brings you here?" Hagrid said, stepping aside to let Kyle in and quickly shutting the door behind him.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Hello," Kyle greeted them.
"Y-you...hello," Harry stammered.
"It's been a while...Kyle," Ron added.
"Good morning," Hermione said.
The trio stood in front of the fireplace, their replies tinged with tension as their eyes darted nervously from side to side, clearly indicating that something was amiss with the fireplace.
Fortunately, Hagrid intervened at that moment.
He poured Kyle a cup of tea from a copper kettle and brought over some white weasel sandwiches.
"You were saying you needed my help with something?" Hagrid asked.
"Yes," Kyle replied, shifting his gaze from the fireplace. "I want to go to the Forbidden Forest to look for some service tree branches. May I?"
"Is it for making those charms again?" Hagrid inquired, referring to the popular "Exam Passing Charms" Kyle had crafted the previous year.
Kyle nodded. "The end-of-term exams are just two months away, so we need to prepare in advance."
"Simple enough," Hagrid said with a smile. "Just tell me how many you need, and I'll bring them to you tomorrow."
"It's alright, I can pick them out myself," Kyle insisted.
"But..." Hagrid frowned, clearly reluctant to let Kyle venture into the Forbidden Forest alone.
"Don't worry, Hagrid. The service trees are on the edge of the forest, so there won't be any danger," Kyle reassured him.
"And I need to choose branches with the right shapes. Otherwise, it'll be a hassle to work with them later," he added.
"Alright, fine!" Hagrid conceded after a moment's thought. "But you can only search for them at the forest's edge."
"No problem," Kyle agreed, as that had been his plan anyway.
Hagrid stood up, preparing to head out.
"Are you coming with me, Hagrid?" Kyle asked.
"Of course," Hagrid replied firmly. "I can't let you go into the Forbidden Forest alone, even if it's just the outskirts."
"What about the dragon egg, then?" Kyle inquired. "Are you alright with leaving it in their care?" He gestured towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"It'll be fine," Hagrid said. "Dragon eggs aren't that fragile, as long as you keep it away from the fireplace..."
"Wait a minute..." Hermione interrupted, her eyes widening in surprise. "Kyle, how did you know there's a dragon egg here? You can't possibly see it from where you're standing."
Hagrid froze, realization dawning on him. "You don't think hiding the fireplace will do the trick, do you?"
Kyle chuckled. "I suggest you refer to the latest edition of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.' The chapter on fire dragons clearly mentions that dragon eggs emit a faint sulfurous odor when exposed to flames, which can be easily overlooked amidst the smoke and fire."
"If you don't believe me, just take a look at Fang over there," Kyle continued, pointing to the corner. Hagrid's black boarhound, usually energetic and eager, now lay in the corner with its head drooping, looking utterly listless, a stark contrast to its usual self.
"Oh, Fang! What's wrong with you, boy?" Hagrid exclaimed, rushing over to pick up the dog and dash out of the hut.
(End of Chapter)
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