Chapter 70: Why Are You Wearing Slytherin Colours?
Chapter 70: Why Are You Wearing Slytherin Colours?
"I can't believe you, Kyle."
Cedric, with a conflicted expression, stood by the wooden barrel at the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room late at night. "You actually agreed to go on a midnight adventure with the Weasley twins!"
With his head lowered, Kyle rummaged through his Chameleonic Lizardskin pouch. "I've thought it over, and they're right. I really do need to do something fun to lift my spirits."
"But you can't go wandering around at night..." Cedric said with a pained expression. "It's against the rules. If you're caught, you'll not only lose points, but you'll also be put in detention! You're only in your first year; you mustn't start breaking the rules so early."
Cedric's tone was sincere as he spoke, as if he truly didn't want to see Kyle led astray by the Weasley twins.
"Relax, with the Marauder's Map, no one will be able to catch us."
Kyle found what he was looking for and looked up at Cedric. "Also, before you say anything else, you might want to consider your own position. We're standing in a castle corridor, not the common room, and you're part of this midnight adventure, too."
"I... I don't want to go on this adventure at all." Cedric stiffly replied, holding his neck stiffly. "I just wanted to keep an eye on you and prevent you from breaking more rules."
"Tsk, tsk." Kyle clicked his tongue and raised an eyebrow. "Then, if you insist, let's head back now and forget about going to see the Mooncalfs dancing in the Forbidden Forest."
"Well, that..." Cedric's gaze suddenly became a bit unfocused, and he mumbled incoherently, "I didn't mean that... I just wanted to..."
"You want to go to the Forbidden Forest, don't you?" Kyle interrupted him without hesitation and pointed to the silent Connor beside him. "Take a lesson from her. If you want to go, just wait quietly. Say one more word, and I won't take you."
Cedric let out a dry laugh and immediately fell silent.
Earlier, in the Great Hall, although Kyle had tried to keep his voice low when speaking with the Weasley twins, with the tables so close together, it was inevitable that Cedric and Connor, sitting next to them, would overhear some of their conversation.
When Kyle sneaked out of the dormitory that evening and turned around, he saw two heads staring straight at him in the moonlight.
The sight startled Kyle, causing the last vestiges of sleepiness to vanish, replaced by a cold sweat.
These two were Cedric and Connor, and their intention was simple: they wanted to join Kyle on his trip to the Forbidden Forest.
And so, the previous scene had unfolded.
After Cedric fell silent, Kyle took out a bundle of long, thin objects from his Chameleonic Lizardskin pouch and handed them over, saying, "Choose one yourself."
As Cedric looked at what Kyle was holding, he felt that it somehow looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, he realized that they were the scarves of the other three houses.
Gryffindor's scarlet and gold, Slytherin's silver and green, and Ravenclaw's blue and bronze were all there.
There were probably about a dozen or so, tightly bound together, and if one didn't look carefully, they might mistake them for a log.
Cedric was a bit dazed and asked subconsciously, "Kyle, why are you giving me this? I already have my own scarf."
"This isn't for keeping you warm; it's just a precaution," Kyle said without turning his head. "If we're discovered, just drop it on the ground as you run away."
"..."
Cedric and Connor looked at each other, unsure if they should take the scarves.
Seeing their hesitation, Kyle simply reached in and pulled out two silver-green scarves, draping them around their necks.
He was using the same scarf himself.
After donning their gear, the trio left the kitchen corridor and made their way to the pre-arranged meeting spot—the door of a small hut next to the Great Hall, where new students awaited their Sorting before entering Hogwarts.
Aside from the Sorting Ceremony, this place usually went unnoticed, and even Filch rarely patrolled here.
"I never expected our night-time crew to be so luxurious. This is simply too..." Fred trailed off, suddenly noticing something amiss. "Why are you all wearing Slytherin colors?"
Kyle sighed, knowing he had to explain again.
"What a brilliant idea..."
Fred and George were astounded by the explanation, eagerly asking, "Do you have more? Give us some too!"
Shrugging, Kyle handed them two silver-green scarves as well.
Don't ask why they were all Slytherin scarves; it was simply what he had on hand, and it had nothing to do with Snape targeting him.
The twins immediately donned the scarves.
Fred admired his new look, then asked curiously, "Kyle, I thought you never left Hogwarts. Where did you get these?"
"My mom sent them to me," Kyle explained. "Along with the scarves, she also sent a universal key and an Invisibility Cloak enchanted with a Disillusionment Charm.
I don't know why she sent me these things, but they're coming in handy now."
Kyle spoke casually, but he didn't notice that the twins' eyes had turned red.
"A universal key..."
"An Invisibility Cloak..."
Fred swallowed, his voice filled with admiration. "Mrs. Joab is truly the greatest mother in the world."
"Absolutely," George agreed. "Her deeds and thoughts should be written into a book and placed in the most prominent positions in Flourish and Blotts and the school library."
"If that day ever comes, I promise to buy it," Fred declared.
"I'd buy it even if it meant going bankrupt," George added.
"In the kitchen..."
"Or Mom's room!"
"If that day ever comes..." Kyle smirked, "...you two will most likely be strung up and beaten by Mrs. Weasley."
"No," Fred said seriously. "Mom never hangs us up to beat us."
"She only twists our ears," George laughed. "I guess she wants to twist them off so she won't get our names wrong anymore."
"Even though she's never gotten them wrong before."
As Kyle and the twins chatted and laughed, Cedric and Connor stood by, too scared to move. They feared that Filch would suddenly pop out from some corner and drag them off to a professor's office.
Noticing their unease, Fred reassured them, "Don't worry, we've been keeping an eye on the Marauder's Map." He held up the parchment, "Filch and Mrs. Norris are on the fifth floor. Unless we make a lot of noise, he won't be able to find us... Oh, damn, the cat's coming down!"
On the map, Mrs. Norris's name was rapidly moving in their direction.
Without hesitation, George pointed his wand at a nearby tapestry.
"Revelio!"
The tapestry split open, revealing a deep passageway.
"Get in, quick!" Fred urged. "We need to get out of here before that cat arrives!"
The group hurried into the secret passageway, with George bringing up the rear.
As soon as he was inside, the tapestry closed, returning to its original appearance.
The next second, Mrs. Norris arrived.
She looked around the empty corridor, hesitated for a moment, and then left, seemingly confused.
(End of Chapter)
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