Chapter 403: Cedric's Suspicion
Chapter 403: Cedric's Suspicion
Hearing that the club was only open once a month, many students felt disappointed, as they had assumed it would be a weekly event.
But before they could say anything, a single glance from Professor McGonagall silenced them, and everyone quietly filed out of the Great Hall.
As Kyle and his friends walked down the corridor, Cedric suddenly asked, "Do you think Professor Lupin would agree to let me face a boggart alone?"
"I don't know," Kyle shook his head. "But if you really want to, you should probably talk to him soon. Who knows, by tomorrow, the boggart might no longer be in the castle. You know, neither Dumbledore nor Professor McGonagall are fond of those creatures... the one in the Great Hall is purely used for instructional purposes."
"That's true," Cedric nodded, patting his head. "I won't wait until tomorrow, I'll go now..."
With that, he turned and ran back the way they had come.
The others parted ways at the staircase, each returning to their common rooms.
Kyle noticed that Kanna had been quiet and seemed conflicted, occasionally glancing back in the direction of the Great Hall.
"Do you also want to talk to Professor Lupin?" Kyle asked.
Kanna nodded and then shook her head.
She did want to obtain her patronus early, but the thought of facing a boggart filled her with dread... or perhaps her original intention for learning the spell was to protect herself from the effects of boggarts.
There were some things Kanna didn't want to experience again... like what happened in her first year with her Animagus rat.
She had almost forgotten about it, but when the boggart appeared during the Quidditch match, it reminded her of the 'resurrection' show in the Forbidden Forest, and she felt disturbed for days, unable to eat.
The sight of rats now filled her with anger, and she felt she was developing a phobia.
Kanna shook her head again and offered a random excuse, "I'm just worried about Cedric. Do you think he'll succeed?"
"He probably will," said Kyle, "but it depends on whether the professors agree."
Cedric was just one step away from success. If he couldn't take that step himself, a little push from someone else might do the trick.
Boggarts were perfect for this, and they could deliver a powerful kick.
The two of them entered the common room and sat down near the fireplace.
It was already late, but many students were still up, excitedly discussing what had happened at the club, showing no signs of wanting to sleep.
Kanna glanced at Kyle, who was roasting sausages over the fireplace, and asked quietly, "Aside from boggarts, are there other ways to help with learning the Patronus Charm?"
"Yes," Kyle replied, turning the sausages with a pair of fire tongs. "Patronuses can influence each other. A true patronus can evoke and deepen happy emotions, making the process of learning the charm much easier."
Kanna blinked, "Then why didn't you tell Cedric earlier?"
"He didn't ask," Kyle said matter-of-factly. "I thought he liked boggarts."
"Who would like those things..." Kanna trailed off.
"You never know, everyone has their quirks," Kyle said, giving the fire tongs another flip. "But more importantly, that method is better suited for beginners to simplify the process. Cedric has already passed that stage and is at the final step. If he can't find the trick to it, having a hundred patronuses around him won't help."
"It should," Kyle said, "but it's getting late today. How about we go to the Room of Requirement tomorrow?"
"Mhm," Kanna murmured in agreement.
Just then, the aroma of the roasting sausages attracted quite a few people, and the two of them dropped the topic.
The Patronus Charm was already a challenging spell, and after two hours of training, many students were feeling hungry.
The tantalizing scent of grilled sausages had their mouths watering.
Some students left the common room immediately, and when they returned, they were carrying all sorts of food.
Bread, pumpkin juice, pies... and even whole roast chickens and large slabs of meat.
This was one of the perks of being in Hufflepuff.
The others could only go to bed hungry, while they could enjoy a sumptuous late-night feast within a short time.
And they didn't have to worry about getting caught for their midnight feast.
The kitchen was right next door, so unless a professor or Filch was guarding the entrance, they were unlikely to get caught.
Soon, the sausages were done.
Kyle grabbed a fork and handed a slightly charred sausage to Kanna.
Kanna's eyes lit up as she took it and bit into it.
"Well? Is it cooked enough?"
"Mhm," Kanna nodded vigorously, "it's delicious."
Only then did Kyle take one for himself.
Kanna blinked, feeling that something was amiss, but the enticing aroma wafting from the tip of her nose made her forget about it soon enough.
Before long, Cedric returned as well.
As he stepped in, he was hit by the mouthwatering smells.
"Are there any left? Give me one, too!" He walked over to Kyle and snatched a sausage without ceremony, then helped himself to some roasted bread from another table.
"That was quick. Did you get it sorted?" Kyle asked.
Cedric shook his head. "No, I just came back."
"Because Professor McGonagall didn't agree to let you face a boggart?" Kanna asked.
"No, Professor McGonagall had already left when I got there, but Professor Lupin didn't seem to be feeling well."
Cedric explained, "I waited at the entrance of the Great Hall until everyone had left, and just as I was about to go in, I saw Professor Snape handing him a large cup of potion, saying he needed it."
"Is Professor Lupin ill again?" Kanna asked.
In just the first half of the school year, Professor Lupin had already taken leave twice—once when Professor Snape substituted for him, and another time when Professor McGonagall took over.
And according to Autumn, their Ravenclaw peers had also missed a few Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.
"I suppose so...he drank all the potion," Cedric said, "and if you look closely, his complexion does seem a bit worse than usual. I think it's not very appropriate to have him deal with a boggart right now, so I just came back."
"It's fine, you can try talking to him again in a few days," Kyle suggested, "or wait until the club opens again next month."
"I guess that's the only option," Cedric said as he put down his pumpkin juice and added thoughtfully, "Don't you guys find it strange that Professor Lupin didn't seek Madam Pomfrey instead...
I mean, she was there too, and she should be much more professional than Professor Snape, right?"
"Maybe Madam Pomfrey had other things to do," Kanna offered.
"Maybe..." Cedric took another sip of his pumpkin juice and muttered softly.
(End of Chapter)
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