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Chapter 509: Professor Lockhart
Chapter 509: Professor Lockhart
Sirius Black must have sent it... Kyle's intuition proved correct as he hastily unwrapped the package.
Indeed, just as he had guessed, it was a finely crafted broomstick.
The Firebolt.
On the day Sirius was acquitted, he had wanted to buy this broomstick as a gift for Kyle, but Kyle had refused, reasoning that there wouldn't be any Quidditch matches this year.
Unbeknownst to him, Sirius still bought it months later.
"A Firebolt? Who sent you this as a Champion's gift?" Cedric exclaimed excitedly. "We have a Firebolt too! Now... oh, wait, there aren't any Quidditch matches this year."
Cedric seemed a little dejected, but he quickly regained his enthusiasm.
Regardless, owning a Firebolt was certainly a positive development. They could always use it next year, and by then, he'd show those Gryffindors, especially Fred and George, that they couldn't stay arrogant forever.
Micah was also thrilled, examining the Firebolt closely as if admiring a rare treasure.
"It's a shame..." he muttered softly. "If only we could bring brooms to the Triwizard Tournament."
...
Soon, word spread that Kyle had received a Firebolt.
However, as everyone was focused on the upcoming Triwizard Tournament the following day, and since Harry had also received a Firebolt the previous year, the novelty had worn off, and the news didn't create much of a stir.
Kyle glanced at the note from Sirius again, but said nothing. He simply put the Firebolt away in their dormitory before heading off to class.
Little did he know that today's surprises weren't limited to just the broomstick.
The last class of the morning was Care of Magical Creatures, and Hagrid had somehow acquired a large group of Fire Crabs, those jewel-backed creatures that quickly captivated the interest of the entire class.
Taking advantage of the students' preoccupation with feeding the Fire Crabs lettuce, Hagrid nonchalantly made his way over to Kyle.
He crouched down, pretending to examine the lettuce leaves on the ground, and whispered in a very low voice, "Come find me at my hut at midnight tonight. Remember, don't let anyone see you."
Then Hagrid straightened up and said loudly, "Well done, Kyle. You've mastered the technique of feeding Fire Crabs." He winked and left.
"Why does Hagrid want you to go see him?" Connor asked.
"He probably wants to show me something," Kyle replied. "We can go together tonight... if you don't feel like sleeping."
"But is that allowed?" Connor asked, concerned. "What if we're caught?"
"Don't worry," Kyle reassured her with a smile. "That's where the Invisibility Cloak comes in handy. I can use a Disillusionment Charm to conceal myself without needing that."
Connor's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously.
So, that afternoon, Kyle handed the Invisibility Cloak over to Connor. When eleven-thirty that night rolled around, Kyle quietly left the dormitory using the Disillusionment Charm and made his way through the common room's barrel door out into the corridor.
He waited outside for a few minutes until the barrel door beside him creaked open a crack.
"Connor?" Kyle asked softly, testing the waters.
"It's me."
Suddenly, a head appeared in mid-air. Connor, sounding a bit nervous, asked, "So, were you spotted?"
"No," Kyle replied. "They were up until the wee hours doing homework yesterday, so they went to bed at eleven today."
"Me too," Connor added.
Then Connor put the Invisibility Cloak back on, and the two of them proceeded with their plan to sneak across the castle grounds.
It was pitch-black outside, but they followed the faint glow of light emanating from Hagrid's hut in the distance.
However, they weren't the only ones visiting the hut that night. The door was ajar, and even from a distance, Kyle could clearly hear laughter and conversation coming from within.
"Oh no, someone's here," Connor said anxiously. "What do we do now?"
"Let's just wait and see," Kyle suggested, and they continued walking forward.
Just then, a growl emanated from inside the hut.
The voices stopped, and Hagrid stepped out the door.
Another person followed him, asking curiously, "Is someone there?"
"No, nobody's here," Hagrid replied, looking around. He deliberately raised his voice and added, "I reckon it's just a Kneazle. Fang loves playing with the Kneazles from the Forbidden Forest.
"I have to go now, Hagrid. It was nice meeting you, see you tomorrow."
"Wait a moment, Professor Lockhart," Hagrid called out, stopping him in his tracks. "I want to show you something amazing that you've never seen before."
"What is it?" Lockhart inquired, his interest piqued.
"You'll see soon enough," Hagrid said mysteriously. "But we should also bring Madam Maxime. I promised her."
The two of them made their way back toward the Beauxbatons carriage, and Hagrid kept glancing back as if checking for something.
It was only when he felt a pebble strike his arm that he seemed to relax, quickening his pace to reach the carriage.
Not far behind them, Kyle picked up the remaining pebbles and explained to Connor, "That man is Professor Lockhart from Beauxbatons. We met him before, remember? In Romania, at the dragon sanctuary. He was one of the experts invited, just like Newt."
Kyle had made a substantial profit from selling damaged dragon scales to Lockhart during that trip.
"Are there other professors from Beauxbatons as well?" Connor asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought Madam Maxime was the only one."
"He must have arrived recently," Kyle speculated. "If he had been here from the start, he would have been present in the Great Hall. But none of us saw him until today."
As they spoke, Madam Maxime emerged from the carriage. Lockhart started to approach her, but Hagrid was already by her side, offering his arm to escort her down the golden steps.
The trio then made their way past the enclosure where the Thestrals were kept and into the Forbidden Forest.
Kyle and Connor trailed behind at a discreet distance, occasionally catching snippets of their conversation.
"Where are you taking us, Hagrid, Lockhart?" Madam Maxime asked.
"I don't know, Headmistress," Lockhart replied. "I was just about to turn in for the night... Honestly, it's much colder here than at Beauxbatons."
"If you leave now, you'll regret it," Hagrid said in his gravelly voice, his excitement palpable. "You'll like this, it's worth seeing. Trust me, but... keep it a secret. Don't tell anyone about this, alright? You're not supposed to know."
"Of course, we won't tell a soul," Madam Maxime assured him.
"Absolutely not," Lockhart agreed.
The three of them continued on their way, and after about half an hour of walking deep into the Forbidden Forest, the Hagrid's hut and the castle were no longer in sight.
Another ten minutes passed.
"Do you hear that?"
Several men could be heard shouting up ahead. Connor cocked her head, trying to make out what they were saying.
Then, a deafening, piercing roar shook the air.
The trio quickened their pace.
Kyle and Connor followed at a jog, only stopping once they had passed through a patch of trees.
Before them lay a clearing, and Connor couldn't help but gasp in awe.
"Oh my!"
Fortunately, the surrounding area was filled with shouting, and no one noticed the two hidden observers.
"Those are dragons!" Connor whispered excitedly, her eyes wide.
Kyle nodded, having already spotted them.
Two fierce-looking adult dragons, a Swedish Short-Snout and a Hungarian Horntail, were confined within a sturdy wooden enclosure, their roars reverberating through the air as they huffed and puffed.
And it wasn't just the dragons; there were also a dozen or so burly dragon handlers, struggling to restrain the dragons with chains.
"Do you think the first task of the Triwizard Tournament will involve these dragons?" Connor asked, a note of worry in her voice.
"I really can't say," Kyle admitted, furrowing his brows.
Although he had suspected that Hagrid wanted to show them dragons, he couldn't understand why there were only two dragons present.
Indeed, there were only two dragons—no more, no less. No extra dragon eggs or any other signs of dragons.
But there were three champions in the Triwizard Tournament. How would two dragons be enough?
(End of Chapter)
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