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Chapter 71: The Joys of Pet Ownership
Chapter 71: The Joys of Pet Ownership
This secret passage seemed to be designed for night-time excursions, as its exit was not far from the castle, hidden behind a bush near the Quidditch pitch.
Once everyone had emerged, Fred and George quickly took the lead, spreading their arms out wide. "Welcome to Hogwarts by night," they said.
"It feels completely different from daytime; enjoy it while it lasts."
Cedric and Connor couldn't hide their excitement.
For them, this was a brand-new experience, and their hearts raced with a mix of novelty and stimulation.
Kyle, on the other hand, felt no particular thrill, but as this was his first time seeing Hogwarts at night, he couldn't help but feel curious and looked around.
The night enveloped Hogwarts in a tranquil atmosphere. The stars in the night sky emitted a soft glow, like tiny night lights hanging over the castle.
It was dreamlike and peaceful.
The group paused for a moment, taking in the scene, until Fred reminded them of their task. They snapped back to attention and made their way toward the Forbidden Forest.
Along the way, they took a large detour to avoid Hagrid's hut.
Though a bit skittish, Fang was a proper hunting dog with keen senses of hearing and smell. If they got too close, he might notice them.
It was better to take the time to go around than risk being caught by Hagrid.
After bypassing the hut, they found themselves in a spacious woodland area. The Mooncalf nest wasn't hard to find, and soon, led by Kyle, they spotted the lush guard tree.
Just then, the Mooncalf emerged from its nest.
They craned their long necks to gaze at the sky, their large heads contrasting comically with their slender, spindly legs.
They resembled miniature llamas.
Quite adorable, actually.
In the moonlight, they slowly lifted their front legs, while their slightly sturdier back legs began to move in an erratic, rhythmic motion.
"The Mooncalf dance… This is the Mooncalf dance!" Cedric exclaimed excitedly. "I've only seen pictures in books, and they don't do it justice!"
"Calm down," Kyle whispered. "If they notice us, the show will be over."
Mooncalves were extremely shy magical creatures. If they sensed the presence of others, they would retreat into their nests, embarrassed.
But Cedric was right—the real thing was far more captivating than any photograph.
This was understandable, as Newt was a socially awkward Magizoologist. Photography probably wasn't his forte, and his pictures were passable at best.
As the Mooncalves danced, they seemed to loosen up, their steps becoming more complex and enchanting.
And with each movement of their legs, the ground behind them began to sparkle with tiny, silvery specks of light.
These specks multiplied, forming a silvery "stage" beneath the Mooncalves' feet, reflecting the moonlight from above.
The silvery stage and the moonlight combined to elevate their dance to new heights.
"So beautiful…" Connor whispered, her eyes sparkling with wonder.
"Ahem…"
Kyle hesitated, but then leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Those silvery things are their droppings."
"……"
The stars in Connor's eyes vanished at a visible rate, and she turned to look at Kyle in disbelief.
"It's true," he insisted.
Upon learning that the Mooncalf was dancing on its own droppings, she couldn't unsee it.
The graceful and intricate dance before her suddenly lost its appeal.
Connor felt exasperated.
She couldn't understand why Kyle had to tell her this now; couldn't he have waited until after they'd finished watching?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She turned again and threw a punch at Kyle's arm.
Fred and George, feeling much the same, also shot Kyle dirty looks and told him to know when to keep quiet.
Only Cedric was a little more forgiving, as he had already known this fact.
Seeing that he had angered everyone, Kyle quickly raised his hands in surrender and conceded, "I'm sorry!"
But it was to no avail; the group, including Cedric, continued to stare at him unflinchingly. They just couldn't bring themselves to agree with him.
"Alright, let's put it another way," Kyle continued. "That stuff is silver, and silver is valuable. You know what that means, right?
Let me put it this way. If you're diligent, you can probably collect five of them in one night."
Fred and George gasped, too shocked to reprimand Kyle any further. They huddled together, their minds racing with calculations.
Five Galleons a night, thirty-five a week, and in a term...
The twins' heads spun; they couldn't quite do the math, but they knew it amounted to a substantial sum.
And they still had six years left at Hogwarts.
With this windfall, even if they had to split it with Kyle and the others, they could open their own joke shop upon graduation.
Could their dream really come true so easily?
The brothers embraced, overcome with emotion, and nearly jumped for joy.
After that, they forgot about everything else and stared intently at the Mooncalves. As soon as the silvery specks stopped appearing, they rushed forward.
The Mooncalves, startled, scurried back into their nests, leaving Fred and George to scoop up their droppings.
Finding the process slow, Fred even called for Kyle and the others to help.
However, Kyle and Cedric didn't budge, and though Connor hesitated, Kyle held her back.
"Won't you tell them the truth?" Cedric asked, his honest nature showing through.
It was true that Mooncalf droppings were valuable, but only when fresh, and unlike Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, they couldn't just be sold to anyone; a stable sales channel and customers were needed.
Fred and George barely ventured beyond Hogwarts, so Cedric couldn't imagine who they would sell the droppings to.
Moreover, there was something even more important to consider... they were at Hogwarts.
Whether it was Hagrid's pumpkin patch or Professor Sprout's greenhouse, large amounts of fertilizer were needed.
Surely they didn't buy it from outside sources.
"What truth? I don't know what you mean," Kyle said innocently. "What I said earlier is true; that stuff really is valuable."
Cedric pursed his lips and gave the twins a sympathetic glance.
A while later, Kyle started feeling sleepy, so he walked over to the ecstatic dung-collecting twins and, despite their vehement protests, forcibly dragged them away from the Forbidden Forest along with Cedric.
(End of Chapter)
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