Chapter 290: Whispers in the Ear
Chapter 290: Whispers in the Ear
After class, Kyle hurried to the Great Hall for a quick meal before rushing to the Quidditch pitch.
Ever since Slytherin acquired seven Firebolt 2001 brooms, even Professor Harris felt unusually tense.
Those brooms were incredibly fast, and Fred and George had secretly investigated the Slytherin team. According to them, when the players took flight, all they could see were seven faint green shadows swiftly darting through the air.
This was certainly not good news for their Hufflepuff team.
Initially, the equipment gap between Hufflepuff and Slytherin could be compensated for by their skills and teamwork... But now, Slytherin had upgraded their gear, while the Hufflepuff players' skills couldn't be improved within a short time.
Professor Harris had no choice but to relentlessly train his team, searching for tactics to counter these "pay-to-win" opponents.
However, this idea wasn't progressing smoothly. Up until today, none of the tactics he devised lasted beyond a day, each one being overturned without exception during training.
Today was no different.
As dusk approached, Kyle returned to the castle, exhausted.
After nearly a month of intense studying and training, he felt overwhelmed, his head heavy and foggy. All he wanted was to get back to the dormitory and have a good night's sleep.
"If only I had a Time-Turner..." Kyle thought to himself.
Upon returning to the castle, he even encountered Professor McGonagall.
"I was just looking for you," she said.
"Bad news..." Professor McGonagall handed a letter to Kyle, "Unfortunately, your second application for a Time-Turner has been rejected again."
"Is it still because there aren't any left?" Kyle took the letter, feeling even more distressed.
"Yes," Professor McGonagall nodded, "They specifically mentioned that this year is special, and all Time-Turners are currently in use."
Kyle glanced at the letter in his hand, which only contained a few brief lines.
"Dear Albus Dumbledore,
Regrettably, due to certain special circumstances, all Time-Turners are currently in use. Therefore, until June of next year, we must temporarily revoke their usage.
We hope you understand.
...Department of Mysteries, Rodolphus Bode."
"Dumbledore?" Kyle whispered.
"The application was personally written by the Headmaster," Professor McGonagall explained, "But it was still rejected."
Kyle sighed, "So, I definitely won't be able to use a Time-Turner this year?"
"I'm afraid so."
Professor McGonagall looked at him, well aware of his packed schedule.
The content of both her Transformation Club and Professor Flitwick's Charms Club was significantly more challenging than regular coursework.
Additionally, Kyle had to study twelve subjects, which explained his strong desire for a Time-Turner.
However, with the Department of Mysteries' disapproval, there was nothing she could do, as all Time-Turners were stored there.
Just as Kyle lowered his head to read the letter, he suddenly heard a sound... a sound completely different from the wind or the crackling of candles.
It was an ancient, mechanical whisper, cold and devoid of any emotion.
"Come... Come to me... I can give you what you desire."
Kyle's hand trembled, nearly tearing the letter in his hand.
"What?" He abruptly lifted his head.
"I mean, unfortunately, you definitely won't be able to use a Time-Turner this year."
Professor McGonagall whispered.
"Not that, Professor." Kyle shook his head and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I just heard someone talking, as if they were asking me to come over."
Professor McGonagall looked around curiously, then frowned slightly, and her fingers gently turned...
Kyle felt a gentle breeze pass by him, heading towards the depths of the castle.
After a few seconds...
"No one was talking, Kyle. There's nothing around us."
Professor McGonagall said, "The nearest Mrs. Norris is more than twenty feet away, and there are two walls between us. Her voice couldn't possibly reach here."
"Maybe I misheard," Kyle rubbed his ears.
"Or maybe you're just too tired. It's good to love learning, but you shouldn't push yourself too hard."
Professor McGonagall thought for a moment and continued, "Although we can't cancel the course selection now, I'll go and see Professor Burbage and Professor Trelawney later to see if they can exempt you from your homework.
And for Quidditch training, I think you can take a break as well... In my personal opinion, you only need to attend once a week.
Also, I'll allow you to take leave from the Transformation Club whenever you need to, so you should be able to relax a bit more."
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Professor Burbage teaches Muggle Studies, and Professor Trelawney teaches Divination.
The exam scores for these two subjects are not as important compared to others.
But what Professor McGonagall didn't know was that, aside from these classes, Kyle also participated in a "Rune Club."
Learning Runes is already challenging, and with Riddle's intentional traps, Kyle's time became increasingly insufficient.
As for training and homework, those were minor issues, not as important.
However, since Professor McGonagall had said so, Kyle naturally wouldn't refuse.
After bidding farewell to Professor McGonagall, Kyle left with a head full of doubts.
In the Hufflepuff common room, there were still many students catching up on homework.
Cedric hadn't returned with them; as the team's Seeker, Harris had placed all his hopes on him.
At this moment, Cedric should still be on the Quidditch pitch, practicing those classic Seeker feints.
Kyle greeted a few familiar faces and returned to the dormitory.
Mikael and Ryan were also outside, doing their homework, leaving Kyle alone in the dormitory.
Kyle lay on his bed, still thinking about what had happened at the castle entrance.
Who was talking...
The Basilisk?
Probably not.
Although the Basilisk can move through pipes in the walls and make sounds where others can't see, someone would have to release it first.
Riddle's diary is still in his trunk, with no chance of causing trouble.
The props he set up in the second-floor bathroom haven't made any noise either. Unless something unexpected happened, the Basilisk should still be sleeping in the Chamber at this time.
And most importantly, he had heard the Basilisk's voice last year, which, although devoid of emotion, didn't sound old... Instead, it sounded quite young.
But if it wasn't the Basilisk, then who could it be...
Kyle turned over in bed, staring blankly at a pot on the windowsill.
It couldn't be that he was too tired and misheard, right?
...
Thanks to Book Friend Du Yu for the generous Start Point Coin reward (very loud)
(End of Chapter)
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