Chapter 316: Diverting Disaster
Chapter 316: Diverting Disaster
Even though Cedric's reaction was swift, he had still underestimated the severity of this incident... or perhaps he was unaware of his own fame.
Being a fourth-year student, good-looking, and patient with others had made him well-known among his peers.
He had barely walked a hundred meters from the Great Hall when five small dwarves came running towards him, their golden wings flapping comically.
"Hey, you! Cedric Diggory!" The dwarf in front pushed through the crowd, making his way to Cedric.
Cedric's hair stood on end, and he tried to flee, but before he could take more than a few steps, the dwarf was kicking at people's calves and had caught up to him.
Three in front and two behind blocked his path completely.
"I have a musical message to deliver to Cedric Diggory in person," one of the dwarves said, stepping forward and plucking his harp in a challenging manner.
As more people gathered around, Cedric wanted to escape again... but the dwarves were tugging at his clothes, leaving him unable to move.
"Not here..." Cedric pleaded, "I'm going to be late for class!"
But the dwarf ignored him and shouted, "This is your singing Valentine's Day gift...
His gray eyes, like wrinkled figs, are captivating,
His hair, like a thirty-year-old crucible, is shiny and black,
I wish he were mine, he's so handsome,
He's the perfect Hufflepuff."
All color had drained from Cedric's face, making him look even paler than a vampire from legend.
He tried to join in the laughter of those around him, but only managed a dry groan.
Cedric had expected the dwarves' message delivery to be less than friendly, but he had no idea it would be this bad.
This wasn't just unfriendly, it was a nightmare.
And there were four more such nightmares to come...
Kyle had been watching the spectacle from a distance, but then Connor suddenly tugged on his sleeve.
"You'd better run..."
"What?"
Kyle looked up and saw a group of dwarves running towards them.
Seven, to be precise.
And their target didn't seem to be Cedric...
"Hey, Kai..."
"Avifors!" Kyle's scalp tingled, and he immediately drew his wand...
With a loud bang, his cedar wand released a flock of birds that flew out, surrounding the dwarves and blocking their vision.
Without hesitation, Kyle pulled Connor through the crowd and ran back to the Hufflepuff common room.
Only when the barrel-like door slowly closed behind them did Kyle lean back against a sofa and breathe a sigh of relief.
He wasn't tired, but scared.
Connor stood beside him, her hand over her mouth, laughing so hard that tears were forming in her eyes.
"It's the first time I've seen you so scared," she said with a shrug. "You didn't lose your composure like this even when Oren tricked you into going to the Forbidden Forest."
"You don't understand..."
Kyle wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "I'd rather go back to the Forbidden Forest with Oren than deal with those dwarves any day."
"Pffft!" The young witch couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Connor, that's not funny," Kyle said irritably. "I helped you out, you know. Those dwarves could have been after you, too."
"I'm warning you, don't you dare say it. Those dwarves had their eyes on you the whole time. It has nothing to do with me, not even a Knut's worth!"
"How can you be so sure... I don't believe you can see every dwarf's eyes."
"I did see them!" Conner exclaimed.
Just then, the door opened again, and Cedric returned, his face bearing a trace of relief, as if he had narrowly escaped a calamity.
"Thanks to you, Kyle."
He slumped onto the sofa, "Those birds distracted the dwarves, and I managed to escape. It was terrifying... Do you think Madam Pomfrey would notice if I feigned illness and went to the hospital wing?"
"Feigning illness won't work." Kyle shook his head, "But if you're serious about that idea... I have some henbane with me. Want a bite?"
"I'll pass on the henbane." Cedric declined after some thought.
He just wanted to hide out in the hospital wing for a day; losing half his life wasn't a fair trade.
...
When the Hufflepuff common room door opened once more, Cedric emerged, his steps tentative and nervous.
There was only one Invisibility Cloak, and after an internal struggle, Cedric decided to let Conner have it.
He glanced to the side and muttered, "Kyle, do you think your idea will really work?"
"Give it a try." The wall beside him rippled slightly, and Kyle's voice came through, "There are only twelve dwarves. As long as we keep them busy, they won't have the chance to pull off another stunt like before."
Kyle's idea was simple—if you can't beat them, either hide or join them.
Others could send them Valentine's cards, why couldn't they send cards to others? After all, they didn't need to sign their names...
As long as someone else received an extra card, they would receive one less.
"But who should we send them to?"
Cedric hesitated, feeling that while the idea was good, it was a bit unethical, and he felt somewhat uncomfortable with it.
"Fred and George would be perfect." Kyle suggested casually, "They love this kind of excitement and would be thrilled to receive Valentine's cards."
"And Lockhart... let's send him a hundred first."
"Additionally, we could send some to Professor Snape. He probably won't get any Valentine's cards, so we can send him fifty to boost his spirits."
As they were discussing this, an arm suddenly appeared out of thin air and smacked Kyle.
"Alright, ten for Snape... and the rest for Lockhart."
Kyle then took out a stack of papers filled with writing and distributed them to the others.
These were the cards they had prepared in the common room, and the contents were almost identical.
"Just add the names and find some dwarves to deliver them."
Cedric still hesitated, "Are these duplicated cards really okay? Should we change the content a bit?"
"No need." Kyle shook his head and explained, "Dwarves usually assist fairies in crafting weapons, so they're used to mechanical work. Even if the content on the cards is identical, they'll still deliver them.
But you did remind me of something—remember to mix up the names so they have to make multiple trips."
...
(End of Chapter)
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