Chapter 315: A Valentine's Day Surprise
Chapter 315: A Valentine's Day Surprise
"To be honest..."
Mikel set aside his completed Potions essay and pondered for a moment before continuing, "I think they're all a bit odd."
Kyle was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Do you know the sorts of things they usually talk about?"
This time, Mikel didn't even pretend to work on his essay, setting down his quill. "Every time I go to their common room, I hear people loudly discussing who the heir is and how they're going to help him purify the school."
"Ha... help the monster in the Chamber of Secrets purify the school?" Mikel's anger grew as he spoke. "They talk as if we're all pests. No wonder so many people dislike Slytherin.
I just couldn't hold myself back one day. When someone left the room, I gave one of those arrogant guys a good punch. That's when I was caught.
But those guys were too slow. I lost them all by the third staircase... Unfortunately, I didn't realize my scarf had fallen off, and a third-year Slytherin recognized me. I lost fifty points just like that."
Mikel slammed the table in frustration.
Kyle shook his head, amused.
It was a good thing Mikel had run quickly back then. If he had been caught in the act, he might have faced more serious consequences than just losing fifty points.
However, Mikel's words helped Kyle rule out some suspects, such as Pansy, Millicent, and Crabbe and Goyle...
Given their personalities, if any of them had indeed released the monster, they probably would have bragged about it by now.
From now on, he just needed to keep a close eye on the remaining suspects.
Kyle thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you know if any of them were absent from the Halloween feast?"
"The Halloween feast?" Mikel replied quickly. "I think they were all there."
"They talked the most about Filch. If someone hadn't been in the Great Hall, everyone would have asked about it, but that didn't happen when I was there.
But it's also possible that I arrived too late and they had already asked."
"Is that so?" Kyle furrowed his brow and headed back to the dormitory, deep in thought.
...
In the following days, Kyle paid extra attention to a few individuals from Slytherin.
However, after a month of observation, he didn't notice anything unusual. Everything seemed normal.
In early February, the snow gradually melted, and the sun began to shine weakly on Hogwarts once more.
During this time, there were no more attack incidents in the castle, and more people began to believe Lockhart's words, their moods becoming more optimistic.
Additionally, Professor Sprout happily shared in class that the mandrakes were becoming moody and quiet, indicating that they were rapidly leaving their childhood phase.
In just one or two more months, those who had been petrified would make a full recovery.
Good news kept coming.
Lockhart had been extremely proud lately.
Because of what he had said at the start-of-term feast, more and more people were starting to believe that he had stopped the monster in the Chamber of Secrets, and some who had lost faith in him were now once again his admirers.
"To boost morale and erase the unpleasant memories of last term, I have prepared a surprise for all of you."
In one of the Dark Magic Defense classes, he said cheerfully, "It's a secret for now, but I think you'll all love it."
Whispers filled the classroom as students began to speculate about Lockhart's surprise.
However, they didn't have to wait long to find out.
The next day was Valentine's Day.
When Kyle walked into the Great Hall as usual to have breakfast, he wondered if he had walked into the wrong room.
The walls were covered with large pink flowers, and colorful heart-shaped confetti fell from the ceiling. Behind the teachers' table, a huge heart made of various flowers was hung on the wall.
"I think so too." Cedric looked up towards the teachers' table.
Lockhart, donning a bright pink robe, stood at the front, waving to capture everyone's attention.
The professors sitting beside him wore grim expressions, especially Snape.
His position directly behind the left half of the enormous heart on the wall, while Lockhart stood on the right, only added to his gloom, as if he had been forced to wade through a pile of cockroaches.
He gripped his wand tightly, and Kyle had no doubt that he would unleash a spell on anyone who uttered a wrong word... most likely the Bat-Bogey Hex.
The only one who seemed to be enjoying himself was Dumbledore.
He had even changed the color of his robe to a pearly white that complemented the surrounding decorations.
"Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!" Lockhart said cheerfully. "So far, sixty-five people have sent me greeting cards, and I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to them... Yes, I took the liberty of arranging this little surprise, and there's more to come!"
Lockhart clapped his hands, and twelve gloomy-faced gnomes marched in, each with golden wings and a harp on their backs.
Lockhart proudly announced that these gnomes would be wandering the castle all day to deliver Valentine's Day cards on everyone's behalf.
"I know you must all be eager to get started, but just a little more patience, there's still more to come!" Lockhart clapped his hands again.
"Everyone, look up!"
Hundreds of owls flew into the Great Hall, dropping letters and packages for the students.
Among them were sheets of paper filled with writing, fluttering down like confetti.
Cedric picked up one curiously, but his expression changed after a quick glance...
"What the heck is this!"
Cedric's stomach churned, and he quickly threw away the note, rubbing his hands vigorously on the bench.
"I know some of you may not have experience writing greeting cards," Lockhart continued, "so I took the liberty of selecting some of the best ones from the cards I received and sharing them with you..."
Lockhart flashed his shiny teeth. "If you don't know how to write one, you can simply copy these... word for word."
"Of course, if you have other ideas, that's fine too.
Professor Snape is an expert at brewing Love Potions, and he has never failed in that regard.
And Professor Flitwick, he's more proficient in enchantment magic than any wizard I've ever met. You sly dog!"
Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands, wishing he could disappear under the table.
Veins popped on Snape's forehead, and he raised his wand several times as if he were about to cast a spell.
"I bet Professor Snape is enduring quite a lot right now," Cedric remarked.
Looking at the gnomes, he seemed to have an idea. He turned to Kyle and asked, "Kyle, I remember you know how to cast the Disguise Charm, right...?"
Kyle nodded.
"Then, could I borrow your Invisibility Cloak for a day?" Cedric asked eagerly. "I'm willing to pay any price."
"No need for money." Kyle smiled. "The Invisibility Cloak is in our dormitory. I'll go get it for you after breakfast."
"Great." Cedric breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he wasn't sure if anyone would send him a card, it was better to be prepared. The last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by those gnomes in a crowded place... that would be utterly embarrassing.
He wasn't ready to transfer to another magic school just yet.
(End of Chapter)
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