Chapter 532: Is That Even Humanly Possible?
Chapter 532: Is That Even Humanly Possible?
"An Animagus... No wonder she's able to write so many exclusive articles."
On the way back, Connor couldn't help but comment, "After all, beetles are so common, and they wouldn't arouse suspicion. She must have eavesdropped on a lot of people's secrets in that form."
"Definitely," Kyle nodded.
Rita Skeeter had looked so nervous earlier, probably because she knew too much...
Or, to put it another way, if the news of her ability to turn into a beetle got out, a lot of people with skeletons in their closets wouldn't be able to sleep or eat in peace.
Take, for instance, the names she had just mentioned.
Ludo Bagman—Kyle could guess that it probably had something to do with money.
During the Quidditch World Cup, Mr. Weasley had bet a galleon on Ireland's victory, and to this day, he still hadn't paid out the winnings.
But Mr. Weasley himself didn't seem to mind much, nor had he ever asked Bagman for the money. According to him, he considered it payment for the ticket.
However, as for the other two names—Fudge and Dolores Umbridge—Kyle had no idea what secrets they shared.
Come to think of it, a Minister of Magic and a Senior Undersecretary would surely have some explosive secrets between them.
To be honest, Kyle was quite curious. If he had the chance, he might try to find out discreetly and enjoy some juicy gossip.
Of course, the prerequisite was to first resolve Hagrid's issue...
"Right, Kyle, how did you know that Rita Skeeter was the beetle...?" As they reached the corridor leading to the kitchen, Connor asked curiously.
"It's simple..." Kyle pointed to his robe, "Because I often come into contact with Norberta, my robe inevitably carries the scent of a Hungarian Horntail. Normally, insects wouldn't be able to rest on me... unless it was an Animagus.
"Also, if you observe carefully, you'll notice that the markings on the beetle's back resemble Rita Skeeter's hairstyle."
"I know," said Connor, "Professor McGonagall mentioned that an Animagus who transforms into an animal will always retain some feature of the wizard or witch they are. Like when she turns into a cat, the markings around her eyes resemble her glasses."
"Exactly," Kyle nodded, "but usually, most people wouldn't notice such details, especially with smaller animals. And even if they did, it would be difficult to associate it with the corresponding person..."
When they returned to the Hufflepuff common room, many people were already there, chatting and playing wizard chess in the soft armchairs, creating a lively atmosphere.
Kyle had never experienced such a bustling Christmas holiday, and he felt a little uncomfortable with the noise at first.
"Where have you two been?" Cedric approached them. "I've been discussing with Autumn about how to cheer Hagrid up. Any ideas?"
"It might not be necessary anymore," Kyle and Connor exchanged a glance and smiled as they explained what had just happened.
Upon hearing that Rita Skeeter was an Animagus, Cedric also looked surprised.
"I see. It's a good thing you found out," Cedric said, then frowned slightly, "But the question is, are you sure Rita Skeeter will speak positively about Hagrid in the newspaper?"
Perhaps it was a psychological effect, but as he said this, Cedric unconsciously looked around as if checking for any insects nearby.
"I believe she will," Kyle said, holding up the camera in his hand.
After all, he had already hinted at it—he would only be in a good mood if she helped keep the photo of her transformation process a secret.
And his good mood depended entirely on the next issue of the Daily Prophet's coverage of Hagrid.
Kyle believed that Rita Skeeter was a smart person and that she would be able to understand his meaning. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to continue her career unscathed after reporting so many infuriating stories.
"That's wonderful. I'm glad you're all here." At that moment, Lotus and her sister, Gabrielle, joined them.
Ever since she had received Professor Sprout's permission to move, Fu Rong had discovered that life here was even better than she had imagined.
Initially, she had only moved because of Connor, but she had never expected to make so many new friends here... genuine friends.
Later, Gabrielle had also joined her, and gradually, unless necessary, they rarely returned to the Beauxbatons carriage.
At her words, Cedric and Autumn also turned their attention to Kyle.
"Nope." Kyle shrugged. "Believe it or not, I haven't touched those stones at all since the first task ended. They're probably still gathering dust in some corner by now."
"What do you mean?" Lotus was a little surprised.
If it had been someone else, like Krum, she definitely wouldn't have believed this excuse, thinking that the person simply didn't want to reveal any information.
But Kyle... to be honest, she hadn't really seen him fiddling with the stones, and during his free time, he was often playing wizard chess with Cedric or his two roommates.
"Why did you suddenly think of asking about this?" Kyle asked. "The second task is still two months away. Is there a need to be in such a hurry?"
"It's Professor Maxime," Lotus hesitated for a moment, then decided not to hide anything. She said straightforwardly, "She told me that you might have already figured out the clue about the stones, and that you left school with a professor to prepare for the competition."
"She's probably talking about Professor Black." Kyle thought for a moment and explained, "We left school to take care of some personal matters, unrelated to the competition."
"I believe you." Lotus said, "But Professor Maxime insisted that I ask you about it, so here I am.
"However, Kyle, don't you plan to study those stones at all? We have some time now, and we can do it together."
"Yeah, we can help too." Connor chimed in, and Cedric immediately nodded in agreement.
"Nah, you guys go ahead without me." Kyle said, "I think it's fine to add a little more difficulty; otherwise, if the competition is too easy, it won't be very interesting... Cedric, how about a game of wizard chess?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire common room fell silent.
Those who were chatting stopped, and those who were playing chess held their pieces, forgetting to place them on the board. Everyone turned their heads and looked at Kyle with incredulous expressions.
Especially Lotus.
She rubbed her ears, as if she hadn't heard clearly, and asked word for word, "Did you just say... the competition is simple?"
"Yeah." Kyle said casually as he set up the chessboard, "It's pretty simple, don't you think?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't think so." Lotus gritted her teeth.
It was hard to describe the look on her face... Anyway, it was ugly. If a Veela could transform into a half-breed, she might have sprouted a sharp beak and feathers the next second.
She had almost been driven crazy by those Bludgers in the second task, and in the end, she had to exhaust all her magic and smash most of the Bludgers to barely pass.
As for the third task with the Hungarian Horntail, she didn't even want to think about it... She had been whipped by its tail, resulting in a broken arm, and her carefully groomed hair had been burned off by its fiery breath, reducing to a mere one-third of its original length.
If she hadn't dodged quickly, she might have become the first competitor to fail to complete the task.
And here was Kyle, casually dismissing the perilous competition as simple...
Was that even humanly possible?
Lotus breathed heavily through her mouth, barely suppressing the urge to curse. Then, without another word, she stood up and turned to leave.
Although she was aware that Kyle had cleared the obstacles with ease and had even come close to a perfect score, it was still a bit infuriating to hear him bluntly state that the competition was simple...
Lotus secretly vowed that if she ever came to consult Kyle about the stones again, she'd be a goblin, and the ugliest one at that.
...
"What's wrong with her?" Kyle asked in confusion, watching Lotus' departing figure.
"Well..." Cedric stammered, "Sometimes you could be a little more tactful, you know. After all, she worked really hard to get through those three challenges."
"Oh... sorry, I forgot." Kyle patted his forehead, "Do you think it's too late for me to apologize now?"
"I don't think it's a good idea." Cedric shrugged, "She's most likely not going to listen to anything you say, and she might even punch you."
"You're probably right." Kyle scratched his hair.
...
(End of Chapter)
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