Chapter 564: Special Treatment
Chapter 564: Special Treatment
At Hogwarts, staying up all night to finish assignments is a rite of passage for any Hufflepuff worth their salt.
And Kyle was no exception.
To fit in better, he spent the entire night completing his Potions homework.
This unexpected move left his peers in awe, as it was the first time they had seen Kyle in the homework-finishing crowd. Some even thought they had gotten the date wrong, assuming the break was still ongoing, and promptly put down their quills to return to their dormitories for a good night's sleep.
Of course, Kyle's actions came with a price—a three-day detention, to be precise.
"Mr. Brown, your detention starts this Friday, don't forget," Professor Snape announced, turning his head and glancing in Kyle's direction, seemingly by chance.
Although he knew Kyle had finished his homework at the last minute, the content was all correct, and even Snape, who was close to tearing the parchment apart, couldn't find a single mistake.
But, well, opportunities like this don't come often.
"Why didn't you remind him that yesterday was the last day of the break? Are you happy to see a classmate being punished?"
"Hufflepuff, five points deducted!"
It was hard not to admit that this reason truly broadened Kyle's horizons.
There were so many people finishing their homework last night, with someone leaving and another joining almost every moment. How could he know if they had genuinely finished?
He couldn't possibly ask each one, that would be absurd.
Kyle was already accustomed to Snape's behavior.
Besides, it was only five points, not a significant amount. In fact, it was the least amount Snape had deducted from him in recent years.
...
After Potions class, it was time for Care of Magical Creatures, a much friendlier lesson.
Hagrid brought along a group of old friends, animals he was eager to introduce to the class on his first day as a professor. Kyle, however, had stopped him just in time.
"Griffins," Hagrid announced to everyone. "But remember, don't be fooled by their beautiful appearance. Griffins are proud creatures, so always remember not to try to humiliate them..."
The students gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves.
Kyle felt that, aside from Hagrid, no one would be fooled by the griffins' appearance. Their dagger-like claws and beaks were too conspicuous to go unnoticed.
However, for a third-year student, this level of danger was not too intimidating. After all, griffins were only Class 3X Magical Creatures.
Next, Hagrid gave some instructions and demonstrated the correct way to approach a griffin. Then, he let the students try it themselves.
But he stopped Kyle.
"Come with me, over here," Hagrid said, leading Kyle to a gray griffin.
"His name is Buckbeak... a great little fellow," Hagrid continued. "Would you like to ride him around the field now?"
Kyle found this a bit strange.
Hagrid was overly enthusiastic, but it wasn't his usual kind of enthusiasm... It was as if he had some other purpose, making his tone and actions seem a bit forced.
"I know this won't be a problem for you," Hagrid said, seeing that Kyle hadn't responded. "But this time is different, very different."
He glanced instinctively in the direction of the Beauxbatons carriage and then lowered his voice. "Griffins are highly intelligent creatures. They remember wizards who have shown them kindness and won't forget for years.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Hagrid blinked, "Well, that's all I can say... So, the task for this lesson is to ride Buckbeak around the field, or you can fly a few more rounds if you like. There's food that Buckbeak likes on the rack over there, and you can feed it to him as a reward... Good luck."
"Mr. Dewey, you should be more patient and not rush to touch them... Oh, that's right, like this, it's fine now."
After Hagrid left, Cona asked in a low voice, "What did he mean just now?"
"I guess he wanted me to get familiar with this Griffin," Kyle said after some thought. "I think it's related to the last task of the Triwizard Tournament."
When Hagrid was speaking, he glanced more than once at the Beauxbatons carriage, and each time he looked over, he seemed nervous, obviously afraid of being noticed by them.
Regarding Beauxbatons, it's probably only related to the Triwizard Tournament... After all, since the Christmas Ball, Hagrid hasn't spoken to Madame Maxime on his own initiative, nor has he tried to manage his hair with machine oil again.
"So, the third task is about Griffins?" Cona's eyes lit up.
"It shouldn't be that simple."
Kyle shook his head, "Think about it, the first task was about Kneazles and Dragons. It's unlikely they'd use Class 3X Magical Creatures for the finale... That's too unreasonable."
I guess it's just part of the task."
Read the correct version at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_Bar's first release of this novel.
"That's enough too," Cona said, "Every advantage is crucial when competing for the Triwizard Cup, isn't it?"
"You're right about that," Kyle nodded.
He looked at the Griffin named Buckbeak and politely bowed.
Almost simultaneously, the Griffin bent its front knee, then it leaned forward and rubbed Kyle's arm with its huge, feathered head.
"Oh, you remember me," Kyle rubbed its head.
The feathers were a bit stiff, not as fluffy as an owl's, but very smooth.
"Do you know it?" Cona asked, feeling that Kyle and Buckbeak seemed to have met before.
"I guess so, we've met before," Kyle climbed onto Buckbeak's back, "Hagrid was right, they are indeed intelligent."
Twelve-foot-long wings spread out on either side of Kyle, and Buckbeak immediately took off into the air.
Although they were both flying, it felt completely different from riding a flying broomstick.
Kyle didn't have to worry about which direction to fly or when to turn; the only thing he needed to pay attention to was not getting hit by the wings on either side of Buckbeak's body... It was thrilling, to say the least.
Soon, Buckbeak circled the field and returned to the ground.
To avoid being thrown off, Kyle seized the opportunity and jumped off Buckbeak's back first when it was preparing to land.
"Well done, Kyle!" Hagrid shouted to everyone, "Look, someone has already finished first! Five points to Hufflepuff..."
"How does it feel?" Cona walked over and asked curiously.
"Much more exciting than riding a Hippocampus."
Kyle straightened his robe that had been blown by the wind,
"I think playing Quidditch on a Griffin would be interesting too, but I wonder if Professor Dumbledore would agree."
Cona imagined a dozen Griffins flying chaotically above the Quidditch pitch and shook her head repeatedly.
"I don't know what the Headmaster is thinking, but Professor McGonagall will definitely not agree."
"That's true," Kyle sighed, "It's a pity, I think it's worth a try."
(End of Chapter)
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