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Chapter 48: Moonstruck Beast
Chapter 48: Moonstruck Beast
Cedric's Quidditch tryout results were very promising.
He caught the Golden Snitch in just five minutes and smoothly became the new Seeker for the Hufflepuff team.
Due to his first team training, he had to spend the entire afternoon at the Quidditch pitch.
Kyle only had a brief encounter with him during lunch.
"Fred and George don't know anyone from Slytherin either, but they said they'll help us figure something out," Cedric said with his mouth full of steak.
"We'll discuss it more thoroughly in the afternoon. Do you want to join us?" he added, his words slightly muffled.
"I..."
Before Kyle could respond, a voice with a strong presence came from the other end of the dining table.
"Hurry up, Cedric, we're about to start training."
"Yes, Captain!"
Cedric struggled to swallow the steak in his mouth, then chugged a large cup of pumpkin juice before turning to Kyle. "I'm off to training. This year's Quidditch Cup belongs to Hufflepuff."
With that, he dashed towards the Quidditch pitch.
"Tsk..."
Kyle grimaced, feeling not the slightest bit envious.
What's so great about being on the team? They had to train on weekends and couldn't even enjoy their meals properly.
Kyle tapped the table and ordered himself a glass of lemonade to refresh his palate.
In the afternoon, Kyle headed out of the castle with the parchment in hand.
Growing Man-Eating Kale was more complicated than he had imagined. This plant had extremely strict requirements for its environment and climate, and only a small number of Herbology masters could successfully transplant it outside its native habitat.
However, the Room of Requirement could perfectly solve this major problem, and Kyle only needed to focus on the fertilizer.
According to the Detailed Guide to Asian Magical Plants, in its natural state, Man-Eating Kale took fifty days to germinate and two to three years to grow fully, making its growth cycle ridiculously slow.
Kyle couldn't wait that long. He planned to speed up the seeds' growth.
After leaving the castle, Kyle crossed the lawn and arrived at a small wooden cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
The cabin looked quite old, with the wood on its walls and door varying in shades of darkness, indicating numerous repairs. A crossbow and a pair of rubber boots hung outside the door.
Kyle knocked on the door.
"Who's there... Oh, move back, you'll scare someone," came a deep, low growl as the door opened a crack, revealing Hagrid's bearded face.
"Little wizard, what are you doing here?" Hagrid stared at Kyle, his face stern. "First-year students are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest. Go back to the castle."
As he spoke, he prepared to close the door.
"Hagrid, it's me," Kyle quickly said. "Remember, we met before."
Hmm?
Hagrid took a closer look at Kyle, and the more he looked, the more familiar he seemed.
"I remember now," Hagrid suddenly clapped his hands. "You're that troublemaker from the Joba family. Because of you, Sebann doesn't even recognize his own name anymore."
"That's because he doesn't like that name, Hagrid," Kyle said seriously. "When you name an owl, you should ask for their opinion first."
"I... Alright, I can't argue with you," Hagrid looked a bit nervous, his voice slightly rushed. "So, what brings you here?"
Kyle didn't answer him directly but looked around. "Can we talk inside your room?"
"No!" Hagrid became more tense, using his body to block the door. "...I mean, my room is a bit messy, so let's just talk here."
And Yaya doesn't like strangers, I'm afraid she might scare you."
"Oh, Yaya is a hunting dog I keep, and she's taller than you."
"Oh, I see... Then forget it." Kyle's expression turned surprised, and he politely asked, "I came here to ask if there are any Moonstruck Beasts in the Forbidden Forest."
It was common knowledge that the best fertilizers in the Wizarding World came from the droppings of dragons and Moonstruck Beasts.
Dragons were definitely not in the Forbidden Forest, so he had to wait until next semester. That's why he was interested in the Moonstruck Beast.
"What are you up to!"
Hearing the words "Forbidden Forest," Hagrid also forgot his nervousness and said seriously, "First-year students are absolutely not allowed to enter the Forbidden Forest. It's dangerous there. Go back to the castle, or I'll have to inform Professor Sprout."
"Don't be so tense, Hagrid." Kyle said, "I didn't plan to go to the Forbidden Forest, or I wouldn't have come to you."
"Really?"
"Of course." Kyle explained, "I just planted two cute plants, and I wanted to find some fertilizer for them."
"Is that so? No wonder you asked me about the Moonstruck Beast."
Hagrid carefully squeezed out of the room and quickly turned to close the door.
Hagrid led Kyle to the pumpkin patch next to the cabin and brought out a tin can from the corner, saying, "Don't be shy, take as much as you want."
The tin can was filled with silver, spherical objects the size of ping-pong balls—the droppings of the Moonstruck Beast. There were probably two or three hundred of them in the can.
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However, Kyle frowned.
No, the color is too dark. It looks like it's been stored for at least a month.
"Do you have any fresh ones?" Kyle asked.
"I'm not sure..." Hagrid hesitated and then said, "But we can go and see. Follow me."
The two walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest for a while, and then Hagrid asked Kyle to wait outside while he went into the forest alone.
Kyle agreed and silently memorized the route and surroundings for future reference.
Since the Moonstruck Beast was only an XX-level magical creature and did not live deep in the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid returned in about ten minutes.
"Here, take it."
He handed Kyle a bag and said, "Because Moonstruck Beasts usually step on their droppings to bury them in the soil at sunrise, so I could only find this much.
If you need more next time, it's best to send me an owl with a letter in advance, and I can collect some more for you."
Kyle took the bag and weighed it; there were probably seven or eight in it.
It was a bit less than he hoped for, but it was enough.
Kyle put away the bag and smiled, "Thank you, Hagrid."
"It's nothing." Hagrid scratched his hair awkwardly, "Just don't rename the school's owls next time."
"That was just an accident."
When the two returned to the cabin, Kyle once again asked to go inside and take a look.
Hagrid, as expected, refused.
"There's really nothing to see, Kyle." He blocked the way and said with a nervous glance, "You should go back to the castle."
Kyle couldn't help but smile at Hagrid's behavior.
Hagrid was truly terrible at lying; anyone could tell there was something wrong inside the cabin just by looking at him.
"Alright, then I'll head back to the castle."
Kyle turned around and casually said, "By the way, there's something I should remind you about. You can't keep a Three-Headed Dog in your room."
(End of Chapter)
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