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Chapter 314: Agent Michael
Chapter 314: Agent Michael
The Christmas holidays soon came to an end, and students flocked back to Hogwarts by train, filling the once-quiet castle with lively chatter once more.
In the aftermath of the break, the fear instilled by the attacks seemed to have lessened. Everyone appeared cheerful and at ease on the surface, a stark contrast to the anxious atmosphere before the departure for the holidays.
Perhaps, in their eyes, the professors had dealt with the monster in the Chamber of Secrets during the break.
After all, that was what Professor Lockhart claimed.
He had been the first to leave the school, even before the students, hastily departing right after the last Defense Against the Dark Arts class and skipping the final feast.
No one knew what he had encountered or heard during the holidays, but upon his return, he proudly announced... that he had solved the mystery of the Chamber.
While waiting near the entrance hall, Kyle inadvertently overheard his conversation with Professor McGonagall.
"I believe the trouble is over, Professor McGonagall," Lockhart declared loudly. "I think the Chamber will never be opened again because I've found the real heir, but I've decided to give him a chance. If he's smart enough, he won't cause any more trouble."
Many students heard his words, and while some believed him, others remained skeptical. Nonetheless, his statement provided a measure of comfort.
It's worth mentioning that five minutes earlier, Lockhart had said the exact same thing to Professor Flitwick in the same spot...
And ten minutes before that, it was Professor Sprout...
Kyle had been present for both instances.
Regardless of whom he was speaking to, Lockhart's words remained unchanged, as if he had memorized a script.
Soon, Professor McGonagall left, and Lockhart stood in the same place, looking around as if searching for his next target.
Based on the order, he was likely looking for Professor Snape next... but that task might prove challenging.
It remained to be seen if Snape would ignore him or patiently listen...
Or perhaps he'd opt for a Tongue-Tying Curse to temporarily shut him up or a Killing Curse to silence him permanently.
All these scenarios were possible.
Kyle was quite curious to see how it would play out, but at that moment, the person he was waiting for arrived.
Cedric descended the stone steps into the castle and made his way directly toward Kyle.
"I've made some inquiries for you," Cedric said, handing Kyle a golden chain. "Including Diagon Alley, none of the shops I know of have sold anything with this kind of decoration."
"Not even something similar?" Kyle frowned.
"No," Cedric replied after a moment's thought. "But I didn't go to Knockturn Alley to ask around. My father doesn't allow me to go there..."
"It's fine; this is enough," Kyle shook his head. "Not many people in Knockturn Alley would tell the truth anyway, so it wouldn't be helpful."
"You make sense..." Cedric agreed as they walked into the Great Hall together. "I was going to ask you about this earlier. What exactly is this?"
"I don't know," Kyle admitted. "I found it, and it felt like it might be related to the recent attacks. That's why I asked you to help me find out what it is."
"Are you saying... the Chamber of Secrets?" Cedric asked, his steps faltering slightly. Perhaps realizing his voice was a bit loud, he quickly lowered it. "Are you sure?"
"It's just a guess. Maybe it's just an ornament on someone's clothing.
"Is this Transfiguration?" Cedric stared at Kyle in surprise, unable to believe he hadn't noticed it before.
Not long after they sat down at the long dining table, the feast began.
Dumbledore, clad in a light blue robe, was chatting with Professor Trelawney, who taught Divination.
Speaking of Divination class... Kyle suddenly remembered that since the start of the school year, he didn't think he had attended a single Divination class.
According to his peers, he had almost become a teaching aid for the Divination class, and Professor Trelawney was very displeased. Before the break, she had even stated,
"I am very disappointed. If he continues to skip my class, he will permanently leave us after the next semester."
Mikel and Ryan had tried to convince him to attend a Divination class in his free time.
Kyle had wanted to go, but as luck would have it, Divination class conflicted with Ancient Runic. He could only choose one.
He couldn't afford to miss Ancient Runic, especially after losing his tutor, Riddle. The only person he could turn to for help with the magical texts was Professor Babbling, and that was only during their weekly class.
Outside of class, no one knew where Professor Babbling was, and her shadow was never seen in the castle.
So, Kyle had no choice but to give up on Divination class, and he hadn't attended since.
By the time the second semester started, his name would likely become a "teaching aid" for the Divination class.
Next to Dumbledore stood Professor McGonagall with a solemn expression, while Professor Lockhart gestured animatedly.
Lockhart looked extremely pleased with himself and even took out a bottle of whiskey, intending to share a drink with the other professors.
Everyone refused, and Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, clearly displeased with his drinking during school hours. However, Dumbledore didn't seem to mind, leaving her unable to say more.
Even after the feast ended, a tipsy Lockhart stood up and repeated what he had told the professors earlier.
A cheer erupted from the surrounding students.
Lockhart also announced that he would be releasing a new book about Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets, in which every student would become a protagonist.
The cheer grew louder.
However, a small portion of the students remained still, no longer believing a word Lockhart said. They merely regarded him as drunk and rambling.
Back in the Hufflepuff common room, some students settled into the sofas to make up for lost time on their holiday assignments, as was customary.
Kyle handed his assignment to Mikel.
"Thanks." Mikel beamed. "I'm just five inches short of finishing my Potions essay!"
As Mikel worked on his assignment, Kyle asked, "Have you noticed anyone acting strangely in Slytherin recently?"
Mikel had mentioned wanting to sneak into the Slytherin common room to gather information, and he wasn't just talking about it. He had actually succeeded. Under the pretense of having been stung by a three-tailed bee, he had managed to blend in with a group of Slytherins returning from their Care of Magical Creatures class and followed them into their common room, secretly memorizing the password.
However, he had been discovered, and because of this incident, Snape had deducted fifty points from Hufflepuff.
(End of Chapter)
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