Chapter 403: Cedric's Suspicion
Chapter 403: Cedric's Suspicion
Upon learning that the club was only open once a month, many felt disappointed... They had initially thought it was a weekly affair.
But before they could say anything, a glance from Professor McGonagall silenced them all, and they quietly exited the Great Hall.
As Kyle and the others walked down the corridor, Cedric suddenly asked after they turned a corner:
"What if I go to Professor Lupin? Do you think he would agree to let me face a Dementor alone?"
"I don't know." Kyle shook his head. "But if you really want to do this, you should go find him as soon as possible. By tomorrow, the Dementor might no longer be in the castle."
"You know, neither Headmaster Dumbledore nor Professor McGonagall likes those guys..." Kyle added, referring to the Dementor in the Great Hall. "...It's purely used as a teaching tool."
"That's true." Cedric patted his head. "I won't wait until tomorrow. I'm going now..."
With that, he started running back.
The others parted ways at the staircase, each returning to their respective common rooms.
Kyle noticed that Conna had remained silent, looking conflicted, and occasionally glancing back at the Great Hall.
"Do you want to find Professor Lupin too?" Kyle asked.
Conna nodded and then shook her head.
She really wanted to have her own Patronus sooner, but she didn't want to face a Dementor... Or perhaps, her original intention for learning this charm was to protect herself from the effects of Dementors.
There were some things Conna didn't want to experience again... Like her Animagus rat in her first year.
She had almost forgotten about it, but when the Dementor appeared on the Quidditch pitch, it reminded her of the 'transformation' in the Forbidden Forest, making her feel uncomfortable for several days, unable to eat.
Now, she felt almost traumatized whenever she saw a rat.
Conna shook her head again and made up an excuse: "I'm just worried about Cedric. Do you think he'll succeed?"
"He should be able to." Kyle replied. "But it depends on whether the professors agree."
Cedric was just one step away from the finish line, and if he couldn't take that step himself, having someone else kick him forward was a good idea.
Dementors were perfect for this task, and they could kick quite far.
The two entered the common room and sat down near the fireplace.
It was already late, but many students were still there, enthusiastically discussing what had happened at the club, showing no signs of wanting to sleep.
Conna glanced at Kyle roasting sausages in the fireplace and asked quietly, "Aside from Dementors, are there other ways to help with learning the Patronus Charm?"
"Yes." Kyle turned the sausages on the 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."
Conna blinked. "Why didn't you tell Cedric about this before?"
"He didn't ask." Kyle said matter-of-factly. "I thought he liked Dementors."
"Who would like that kind of thing?" Conna wondered.
"You never know. Everyone has their quirks." Kyle turned the fire tongs again and continued, "And most importantly, this method is more suitable 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, even a hundred Patronuses surrounding him won't help. In this situation, Dementors will be of much more use to him than Patronuses.
"What about me..." Conna whispered, "Will this method work?"
"Yes," Kyle said, "It's too late today, how about tomorrow, at the Room of Requirement?"
"Okay," Conna replied softly.
At this moment, the aroma of grilled sausages had already attracted many people, and the two didn't continue the topic.
The Patronus Charm was a high-level spell, and after two hours of training, many people were hungry.
The rich aroma of grilled sausages made them salivate.
Some people immediately left the Common Room, and when they returned, they had plenty of food in their hands.
Bread, pumpkin juice, meat pies... and even a whole roast chicken and large slabs of meat.
This was the advantage of Hufflepuff.
Others could only go to bed hungry, but they could have a hearty midnight snack in a short time.
Moreover, they didn't have to worry about getting caught during night patrols.
The kitchen was right next door, and unless a professor or Filch was guarding the door, they might be caught.
Soon, the sausages were also grilled.
Kyle brought a fork and handed Conna a slightly charred sausage.
Conna's eyes lit up as she took a bite.
"How is it? Is it cooked?"
The correct version is available at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_Bar's first release of this novel.
"Yes, yes," Conna nodded repeatedly, "It's delicious."
"That's good," Kyle said, taking a sausage for himself.
Conna blinked, feeling that something was amiss, but the aroma wafting from her nose quickly made her forget about it.
Before long, Cedric also returned.
As soon as he walked in, he was hit by various aromas.
"Is there more? Give me one too!" He walked to Kyle's side and snatched a sausage without a word, then took some grilled bread from another table.
"So fast?" Kyle asked.
Cedric shook his head, "No, I came back directly."
"Because of Professor McGonagall?" Conna asked, "Does she still not want you to come into contact with Dementors?"
"No, when I went, Professor McGonagall had already left, and Professor Lupin seemed a bit uncomfortable."
Cedric said, "I waited at the Great Hall door until everyone had left, and just as I was about to go in, I saw Professor Snape hand him a large cup of potion and say that he needed it."
"Is Professor Lupin sick again?" Conna asked.
In just the first half of the school year, Professor Lupin had already taken leave twice, once with Professor Snape substituting and once with Professor McGonagall.
And according to Autumn, their Ravenclaw had also missed several Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.
"He probably is..." Cedric said, "He finished all the medicine."
"And if you observe carefully, his complexion does seem a bit worse than usual. I think it's a bit inappropriate to let him come into contact with Dementors at this time, so I came back directly."
"It's okay, you can go find him in a few days," Kyle said, "Or wait until next month when the club starts."
"That's the only way."
Cedric put down the pumpkin juice in his hand and said thoughtfully, "Do you find it strange that Professor Lupin didn't look for Madam Pomfrey...
I mean, she was there too, and she should be more professional than Professor Snape, right?"
"Maybe Madam Pomfrey has other things to do," Conna said.
"Maybe..." Cedric took another sip of pumpkin juice and said softly.
(End of Chapter)
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