Chapter 726: The Opal Necklace, Kyle's Decision
Chapter 726: The Opal Necklace, Kyle's Decision
"Malfoy, you bastard!"
Harry and Ron were unaware of what had transpired and saw nothing amiss with the package until Hermione was almost pushed over. They immediately stepped forward, ready to teach Malfoy a lesson.
With Malfoy's two burly cronies absent, the odds were in their favor, two against one.
But before they could take two steps, a powerful force pushed them back.
"Stay where you are!" Tonks shouted from a distance, still holding her wand.
However, Harry quickly understood that she had no intention of using it.
Soaked by the rain, the parcel wrapped in parchment paper fell to the ground and broke open, its contents landing on Katie's shoes.
In an instant, Katie flew uncontrollably into the air, looking bizarre... Her arms stretched out, her hair whipped around by a fierce wind, but her eyes remained tightly shut, her face devoid of expression.
Soon, her eyes snapped open, as if enduring immense pain, and she began to scream piercingly.
"I'm going to find a professor!" Hermione immediately started running towards the school.
However, at that moment...
"Finite Incantatem!"
At the shout, Harry turned instinctively and noticed a layer of orange light suddenly appearing on Kyle's wand. Then, Kyle forcefully thrust it into the stone-filled path.
The once-hard stones became as fragile as freshly fried potato chips under the wand's orange glow, easily pierced.
A golden flame seemed to spread around, and upon contacting Katie in mid-air, a black smoke appeared on her, quickly consumed by the golden flame.
The screaming abruptly stopped.
The unconscious Katie fell from the sky, caught by Tonks.
By now, a small crowd had gathered, curious onlookers pointing and whispering about the unconscious Katie.
"What's going on here?" Tonks demanded an explanation, especially from the girl who was with Katie.
Because she had witnessed it all, and she knew it was because of the package. If not for the sudden appearance of a rude troublemaker, the person lying on the ground might have been Kyle.
"I... I don't know." The girl, still shaken from the shock, stammered.
She pointed at the broken parchment paper on the ground, "We were going to Madam Puddifoot's, but she found this package somewhere and said it was for Kyle, and she had to deliver it..."
"Oh, and her expression was strange when she spoke, just like what Professor Snape described about someone under the Imperius Curse... Oh no, why didn't I realize it then?"
The girl slapped her forehead in regret and started crying again, this time out of self-blame.
If she had noticed her friend's strangeness earlier, Katie might not have suffered.
Cona walked over and gently patted her shoulder.
"It's not your fault... I remember you're Linny, right?"
The girl nodded.
"So, do you know who gave her the package?"
"No," Linny sobbed, "I forgot something at Honeydukes and was separated from her for a while. When I returned, the package was already there."
"Is that so?" Cona turned to look at Kyle.
"It's fine." Kyle stared at the opal necklace on the ground and said softly, "Let's deal with the situation at hand."
"You're right, we need to get back to school quickly." Tonks, seeing the growing crowd, immediately ran towards the school with the unconscious Katie.
She also reminded Fred and George, "Fred, George, please take care of that thing on the ground and make sure no one else touches it."
"Leave it to us." Fred waved his wand skillfully, and the stones on the ground instantly transformed into a box, rewrapping the opal necklace. Then, he used his wand to make the box float forward.
Throughout this, the box maintained a distance from everyone.
Harry and the others exchanged glances and quickly followed.
"By the way, what spell did Kyle use just now?" Ron asked curiously.
"Finite Incantatem," Hermione replied, "It's an advanced spell, like an enhanced version of Finite Incantatem, capable of removing all magical traces within a certain range."
"Even the effects of Dark artifacts?" Harry asked.
"Of course," Hermione said impatiently, "If you had paid attention to Professor Snape's class, you'd know that Dark artifacts are just objects imbued with curses.
"And curses are a form of magic."
"Paying attention to Snape's class?" Harry opened his mouth, finding it incredibly difficult.
It wasn't that he didn't want to, but Snape always managed to infuriate him within ten minutes, making it impossible to focus even if he tried.
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"Without any personal involvement," Fred added.
Filch's face turned pale, clutching the Secrecy Sensor tightly to his chest.
The device had been placed in Hogwarts for an unknown amount of time, and who knew where it was purchased...
Even if the location was known, after so many years, the place would have likely changed hands.
However, Fred and George's faces were filled with satisfaction. They had been interrogated by Filch numerous times during their school days, and now, after graduation, the tables had turned.
It was hard not to admit that this feeling was fantastic.
"Hurry up, Filch, hand over the device," Fred urged. "We need to inspect it. It's a requirement from the Ministry of Magic."
"Alright, everyone, quiet down," Professor McGonagall glared at them. "I assure you, the Secrecy Sensor is in perfect condition, isn't it?"
"If Professor McGonagall says so, we certainly believe it," George said with a smile.
"Then keep your comments to a minimum." Professor McGonagall said, "Now, please take this to Professor Snape."
She glanced at Kyle, Harry, and the others, "You lot, follow me..."
Professor McGonagall led Kyle and the others into the castle, up the stairs, and into her office. The rain and snow tapped against the windows, but the fireplace was warm, making the room cozy.
"Speak," Professor McGonagall walked briskly behind the desk and said sternly, "What happened?"
Leanne stuttered, her words disjointed due to the shock, but she managed to convey the situation.
She didn't know much, only that during the time she left to visit The Three Broomsticks, Katie had received the package. As for who sent it and who used the Imperius Curse on her, Leanne had no idea.
After that, Professor McGonagall sent Leanne to the Hospital Wing.
Leanne's current state was not ideal, and she needed a calming potion to soothe her nerves.
"Then, what happened next?" Professor McGonagall turned to the others and asked.
Hermione immediately recounted how Katie had been thrown into the air and then rescued. Her detailed explanation allowed Professor McGonagall to quickly understand the sequence of events.
"Very well, Gryffindor gets five points," Professor McGonagall nodded. "You can go too, but remember to keep this confidential. Don't tell anyone else, even if they ask."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione also left the office, leaving only Kyle and Cona behind.
At this point, Professor McGonagall's expression was no longer as tense as before.
"Because of your calmness in the face of danger..." Professor McGonagall looked at Kyle and said gently, "I'm going to award Hufflepuff fifty points. Well done."
"Thank you, Professor," Kyle said.
"You deserve it," Professor McGonagall rubbed her forehead. She couldn't bear to imagine how much worse things could have been if Kyle hadn't been there... at the very least, Katie Bell would have suffered more.
Even if Nymphadora Tonks had been there, she might not have handled the situation better than Kyle.
"Do you know anything else?" Professor McGonagall continued to ask, "Who do you think is targeting you, to the extent of using the Imperius Curse on a Hogwarts student?"
"I'm not sure," Kyle said calmly. "Perhaps it's a deranged Death Eater, as I foiled many of their plans during the holidays. It's reasonable for them to seek revenge."
"A Death Eater?" Professor McGonagall exclaimed in surprise. She was shocked that a Death Eater would dare to target a Hogwarts student, but aside from that, there didn't seem to be any other explanation.
"If that's the case..." She paced back and forth in the room. "Kyle, I must say, for your safety, it's best you don't leave the castle for now, and avoid Hogsmeade as well."
"Okay, I understand," Kyle nodded, having anticipated Professor McGonagall's request.
After all, his trips to Hogsmeade were merely to enjoy a Butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks.
Moreover, with such a significant incident, the school would likely not organize student trips to Hogsmeade anymore, whether he agreed or not.
"You can go too," Professor McGonagall waved her hand, looking a bit tired. "The school will investigate this matter promptly."
"There's one more small matter, Professor," Kyle didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave.
"Speak."
"It's about Mr. Malfoy," Kyle paused briefly before continuing, "Regardless, he did save me indirectly, so can I give him twenty-five points?"
Professor McGonagall seemed surprised by Kyle's request. She looked up, "But it was because of Mr. Malfoy that the package was broken."
"One thing at a time," Kyle said calmly, "I can't act as if nothing happened."
"So, I'm saying, give him half of the points I earned, not additional points."
"Alright, if you insist..."
Professor McGonagall stared at Kyle, hesitating for a moment before nodding. "Hufflepuff loses twenty points, Slytherin gains twenty points."
(End of Chapter)
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