https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-47-Mental-and-Physical-Wellbeing-of-Teenage-Wizards/12538139/
Chapter 48: The Moon-Addled Beast
Chapter 48: The Moon-Addled Beast
Cedric performed admirably in the Quidditch tryouts. He caught the Golden Snitch in just five minutes, securing his position as the new Seeker for the Hufflepuff team. As he had his first team practice in the afternoon, he would be spending the entire day on the Quidditch pitch.
Kyle only managed to catch a quick lunch with him.
"Fred and George don't know anyone from Slytherin either, but they said they'll help brainstorm ideas," Cedric said with his mouth full of steak. "We'll discuss it properly later this afternoon. Do you want to join us?"
"I..."
Before Kyle could answer, a robust voice called out from the other end of the table.
"Come on, Cedric, we're starting training. Let's go!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Cedric hastily swallowed his mouthful of steak, washed it down with a large cup of pumpkin juice, and turned to Kyle. "I'm off to practice. This year's Quidditch Cup belongs to Hufflepuff!" And with that, he dashed towards the Quidditch pitch.
"Tsk..."
Kyle pouted, feeling not the slightest bit envious. What was so great about being on the team? They had to train on weekends and couldn't even enjoy their meals properly. Unlike them, he had all the time in the world to savor this juicy steak.
Kyle tapped the table, signaling for a glass of lemonade to freshen his palate.
In the afternoon, Kyle set out from the castle, parchment in hand, heading towards the outskirts of the grounds.
The cultivation of Biting Lettuce was more troublesome than he had anticipated. This plant had extremely particular requirements when it came to environment and climate, and only a small handful of Master Herbologists could successfully transplant it outside of its native habitat.
But with the help of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Kyle could easily overcome this hurdle. He just needed to figure out the right fertilizer.
According to the Comprehensive Guide to Asian Magical Flora, Biting Lettuce took fifty days to sprout and two to three years to mature in its natural state—an absurdly slow growth cycle.
Kyle didn't have the patience to wait that long, so he intended to accelerate the seeds' growth.
After leaving the castle, Kyle crossed the grass and arrived at a small wooden house on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
The house looked old, with the wood on its roof and walls varying in color, indicating numerous repairs over the years. A crossbow and a pair of rubber galoshes hung by the front door.
Kyle knocked.
"Who's there...? Oh, back up, Fang, you'll scare 'em off."
Accompanied by a low growl, the door opened a crack, revealing Hagrid's bearded face.
"Little wizard? What're you doin' here? First-years aren't allowed in the Forbidden Forest. Off you go back to the castle."
As he spoke, he prepared to close the door.
"Hagrid, it's me," Kyle said hastily. "Don't you remember? We've met before."
Hmm? Hagrid took a closer look at Kyle, and the more he looked, the more familiar the boy seemed.
"Oh, I remember now!" Hagrid suddenly exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "Yuh're that troublemaker from the Jebbs' family. Because o' yeh, Seban won't answer to 'is name no more."
"That's because he doesn't like the name, Hagrid," Kyle said earnestly. "When you name an owl, you ought to consider their feelings too."
"I... alright, yeh got me there," Hagrid said, looking a bit flustered. "So, what're yeh doin' here?"
Kyle didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked around and said, "Can we discuss this inside your house?"
"No!" Hagrid grew more anxious, blocking the door with his body. "...Er, I mean, me room's a bit of a mess. Let's just talk here."
As everyone knew, the best fertilizers in the magical world came from the droppings of dragons and Moon-Addled Beasts.
Dragons definitely wouldn't be found in the Forbidden Forest, so he'd have to wait until next semester for that. For now, he was focusing on the Moon-Addled Beasts.
"What are you up to!"
Hearing the words 'Forbidden Forest,' Hagrid became serious, forgetting his nervousness. "First-year students are absolutely not allowed to go into the Forbidden Forest. It's dangerous in there. Get back to the castle, or I'll have to go find Professor Sprout."
"Relax, Hagrid," Kyle said. "I'm not planning to go into the Forbidden Forest, or I wouldn't have come to you."
"Really?"
"Of course." Kyle explained, "I just planted two little cuties, and I wanted to find some fertilizer for them."
"Is that so? No wonder you asked me about the Moon-Addled Beast."
Hagrid squeezed out of the room cautiously and quickly turned to shut the door.
Hagrid led Kyle to the pumpkin patch next to the wooden house and pulled out an iron bucket from the corner. "Don't be polite. Take as much as you want."
The bucket was filled with silvery spheres the size of ping-pong balls—droppings of the Moon-Addled Beast. There were at least two to three hundred of them.
However, Kyle frowned.
No good, the color was too dark. It seemed like these had been sitting here for at least a month.
"Do you have any fresher ones?" Kyle asked.
"I'm not sure..." Hagrid hesitated and thought for a moment. "But we can go and take a look. 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 entered the forest alone.
Kyle agreed and quietly memorized the route and the surroundings for future reference.
Since the Moon-Addled Beast was only an XX-level magical creature, it wouldn't dwell deep within the Forbidden Forest, so Hagrid returned in about ten minutes.
"Here, take it."
He handed a bag to Kyle. "Since the Moon-Addled Beast usually stomps its droppings into the soil at sunrise, I could only find this much.
If you need more next time, send an owl to me in advance, and I can help you collect some."
Kyle took the bag and weighed it. It felt like there were seven or eight droppings inside.
It was a bit less than he'd hoped for, but it would suffice.
Kyle put away the bag and smiled. "Thank you, Hagrid."
"Don't mention it." Hagrid scratched his hair awkwardly. "Just don't rename the school owls again next time."
"That was an accident."
When the two returned to the small wooden house, Kyle once again asked to go inside and take a look.
As expected, Hagrid refused.
"There's really nothing to see, Kyle." Hagrid stood in front of the door, his eyes shifting uneasily. "You should head back to the castle."
Seeing his expression, Kyle felt like laughing.
Hagrid was really bad at lying. Anyone could tell that there was something amiss in the house with the way he was acting.
"Alright then, I'll head back to the castle."
Kyle turned and, acting nonchalant, 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)
Chapter end
Report
