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Chapter 556: Testing
Chapter 556: Testing
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin wasted no time, and the very next day, they began cleaning out the Shrieking Shack.
Just as Kyle had said, renovating a house that had been abandoned for many years was no easy task.
The place was infested with pests like gnomes and knarls, and Lupin even found two bogeys in the attic.
Sirius suggested tearing down the entire structure and rebuilding, arguing that it might be quicker. But Lupin disagreed, insisting that the Shrieking Shack was still sturdy and demolishing it would be a waste. After much debate, they finally settled on a compromise.
They decided to keep the structure but get rid of everything inside.
Kyle paid them a visit via the passage under the Whomping Willow.
Lupin and Black were hard at work, and the shopkeepers of Hogsmeade, drawn by the commotion, had gathered to see what was happening.
Some kind souls, like Ambrosius Flume and his wife from Honeyduke's, even lent a hand in clearing the weeds and carnivorous cabbages from the yard.
Aside from this helpful couple, the other shopkeepers were also friendly and welcoming.
Hogsmeade was a small community, and the addition of new members was always a welcome sight. Plus, the Shrieking Shack, though infamous, had long been the subject of outdated legends. Its overgrown and abandoned state was a bit of an eyesore for the otherwise charming village.
Kyle didn't stay long, only about half an hour, before Lupin shooed him away.
According to Lupin, they didn't need too many hands for such a simple task. Moreover, it wasn't Hogsmeade Day, and if any professors from Hogwarts happened to spot Kyle in the village, he'd lose house points or perhaps even face detention.
Kyle didn't argue and simply nodded before leaving.
After exiting the passage by the Whomping Willow, Kyle ran into Harry, Hermione, and Ron—or at least he assumed it was them.
They were presumably trying to avoid being seen, as they were huddled under Harry's Invisibility Cloak, though their feet were comically sticking out. The sight was rather odd.
However, they were almost past the Whomping Willow, so Kyle pretended not to notice and walked right by.
...
On Monday morning, Dumbledore returned to the castle.
Meanwhile, there was a very brief note in the day's newspaper:
[Proposal to Restrict Aurors Rejected]
The text was minuscule and tucked away between two articles, easily missed if one wasn't looking carefully.
Even so, Professor Moody was still seething about it. During the first Dark Arts Defense class of the afternoon, he ranted about the incompetence of the Ministry, claiming they were all talk and no action, oblivious to the challenges Aurors faced daily.
"I think the professor is right," Autumn nodded along seriously. "If the Ministry had actually passed that restrictive law, I would never consider becoming an Auror."
"Don't worry," Kyle said. "If they had passed it... we'd be reading about mass resignations from Aurors tomorrow."
As he spoke, Kyle tucked the Marauder's Map back into his pocket.
With Professor Moody away for a month, Kyle had taken to bringing the map to class. The good news was that Moody's name was still absent from the map, just as it had been before.
However, out of caution, as soon as the class ended, Kyle rushed out of the classroom and caught up with Professor Moody, who hadn't gone far.
"Professor..." Kyle said calmly, "weren't you going to check our progress with the Iron Armor Spell?"
Professor Moody's normal eye and his magical blue eye fixed on Kyle.
"I think you must have misremembered," he stated confidently. "The Iron Armor Spell was covered in the first class, and I've already spent a significant amount of time teaching it to you. Whether you've mastered it or not, I won't waste any more time on it; it's pointless."
"Maybe I did misremember," Kyle said. "Perhaps it was Professor Black who mentioned it since he was the one filling in for you for a month."
"In that case, you can forget all about it," Professor Moody said, glancing at the students in the corridor. "At least while I'm teaching, I certainly won't waste time checking your progress on the Iron Armor Spell."
"Understood, Professor," Kyle said, preparing to leave.
Professor Moody's blue eye followed Kyle's movement, and on his scarred face appeared a rather frightening smile.
"I must say, your vigilance is impressive, kid," he rasped. "Those incompetent fools at the Ministry are so oblivious that not one of them suspected I might be someone else in disguise, nor did they show the slightest bit of caution."
"I don't know what you mean, Professor," Kyle said, looking at him perplexedly.
Although he had been testing the professor, saying it outright seemed a bit impolite.
But Professor Moody seemed not to have heard Kyle's explanation as he continued, "It was necessary to verify my identity. As you all know, I only drink from my own flask. If someone wanted to impersonate me, they'd just need to put Polyjuice Potion in a flask and take a sip every hour. Simple as that."
Kyle remained silent, mainly because he didn't know what to say; after all, someone had indeed done just that.
"Are you interested in becoming an Auror?" Professor Moody asked abruptly.
"An Auror?" Kyle shook his head. "Not at the moment, but maybe I'll consider it in the future."
"You really should give it serious thought," Professor Moody said, pointing to his magical eye. "I trust my own judgment. You're smart and more vigilant than most, and that's particularly important. As I've often said, constant vigilance is an Auror's strongest weapon.
And you, young man, possess that weapon. I dare say you'll become a legendary Auror like your mother one day."
"My mother?" Kyle, who had only been trying to get away from Professor Moody, now wore a look of surprise and doubt for the first time. "But Professor, I think you must be mistaken. My mother wasn't an Auror."
"Mistaken? No, I'm not," Professor Moody chuckled. "Diana was one of the most talented and promising Aurors I've ever seen, right from the moment she joined.
"Back when I was still active, I once thought she would take over the Auror Office in the future. Unfortunately, she chose not to stay.
"But now I see that her decision was the right one. The Ministry these days is utterly rotten... and that Fudge, he's only interested in grabbing more power instead of being a decent Minister."
Professor Moody's anger rose again, and without saying another word to Kyle, he limped toward his office.
Even though he had walked quite a distance away, Kyle could still hear his grumbling.
...
(End of Chapter)
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