Chapter 755: Stop, Don't Fight Anymore
Chapter 755: Stop, Don't Fight Anymore
One has to admit, Snape has his principles.
It seemed he was reluctant to ask Kyle for help again, and this time, after entering the Room of Requirement, he stayed inside for a full five days without stepping out even once.
Everything else was manageable, as the castle was well-equipped with all necessary amenities.
The only challenge was food... Kyle had no idea how Snape managed to survive for so long.
Perhaps Cona helped bring food, or maybe Snape resorted to potions.
For instance, the Vitality Elixir, a single bottle could sustain one for an entire day without food, but the downside was its unpleasant taste.
Kyle had tried it once, and the sensation was akin to mashing all the distasteful flavors of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans into a ball, squeezing out the juice, and then tossing in a handful of dirt.
If given a choice, Kyle would prefer a morning snack of bread and roasted potatoes over that potion any day.
However, Snape could endure it. He could easily bring a bag enlarged by the Traceless Extension Charm, filled with a dozen or more bottles of the Vitality Elixir, without any issues.
But how Snape managed it, Kyle wasn't sure. Aside from a brief conversation on the first day, they hadn't spoken since.
This was mainly because there hadn't been an opportunity, as the Potion Classroom was the last place Kyle wanted to visit.
It wasn't until the sixth day that Kyle saw Snape again, looking noticeably thinner but with bright eyes.
It was evident that Snape, like the other professors, had gained a lot.
Although Kyle wasn't particularly curious, he knew Snape wouldn't share his secrets, so he tactfully refrained from asking and returned to the Charm Classroom.
"Don't try to control the Runes consciously. Treat them as an integral part of magic," the old professor said, waving his wand gently a couple of times.
His movements were delicate, as if conducting a grand orchestra, and the flickering Runes resembled dancing musical notes.
Despite being a simple Lumos spell, it emitted a blinding light akin to the sun.
Kyle mimicked the professor's gesture with his wand... but nothing happened, and the tip of his wand flashed half-heartedly.
The duration was too short for him to channel his magic into drawing the Runes.
"You're such an idiot! How can there be a student as dim-witted as you in this classroom?"
The old professor roared, "While magic is the ink, the wand isn't the only quill. The spells you recite are also Runes in another form!"
Kyle was berated, a situation that hadn't occurred in the previous six years but had become a norm in the past month.
He was already accustomed to it.
After all, the professor wouldn't strike him with his wand, so a verbal lashing was tolerable.
Listening to the professor's words, Kyle gradually adjusted his spellcasting technique.
...
This continued until the day before the start of term, when Kyle decided to take a break.
After enduring such a prolonged scolding, even if he didn't care, it was still somewhat stressful. Moreover, the relentless high-intensity learning was exhausting, so a brief respite was necessary.
It had been raining since the wee hours of the morning, and Kyle slept until eleven o'clock before yawning and stepping out of the dormitory.
The Common Room was bustling with students working on their assignments, but everyone was focused on their own tasks, paying no heed to others, including Cona, who was also catching up on her work.
She had spent a considerable amount of time in the Room of Requirement and only realized a crucial detail two days ago.
Kyle had taken a leave of absence in advance, so he wasn't burdened with assignments, but Cona hadn't.
Completing two weeks' worth of homework in three days was an impossible task, and Cona was stunned when she realized this.
Kyle had intended to help her, which wasn't difficult; he only needed to modify the self-answering quill slightly.
However, Cona refused, insisting on doing it herself.
All Kyle could do was keep his distance from her... He had no choice, as he was the one who invited Cona to the Room of Requirement, neglecting the fact that there was homework to be done. Now, he felt a twinge of guilt.
Kyle didn't disturb anyone, quietly exiting the Common Room, and leisurely strolled through the castle.
It seemed like ages since he had done this, strolling without any time constraints, aimlessly wandering the castle.
Gazing at the castle walls with their muted colors, faded picture frames, and varnished railings, Kyle felt a momentary sense of disorientation.
Perhaps it was because he was accustomed to it, but Kyle found these familiar surroundings more appealing; the Room of Requirement's Hogwarts felt a bit too new to him.
As he walked, Kyle suddenly encountered a group of seventh-year Gryffindor students descending the stairs, huddled around someone, chatting animatedly.
Due to the crowd and the angle, Kyle didn't immediately recognize the person, but soon he spotted a familiar face.
"Hermione!" Kyle waved in greeting.
"Kyle?" Hermione, at the back of the group, rushed over with her arms full of books, "What are you doing here?"
"Just touring the castle, I guess. I've got nothing better to do."
"Who was that person who just passed by, so popular?" Kyle asked.
"Oh, that's Katie Bell," Hermione replied. "She just returned from St. Mungo's this morning."
"She's recovered?"
"She's completely fine, according to her," Hermione nodded, but then added, "Harry already asked, and she doesn't remember who used the Mind Control Spell on her, only that it happened at the Three Broomsticks."
"Well, it doesn't matter," Kyle said nonchalantly, not intending to inquire further.
In truth, the one who cast the Mind Control Spell on Katie Bell was none other than Professor Rosmerta, a fact he had learned after the Love Potion incident.
Professor Rosmerta had confessed that during the time she was under the influence of the Mind Control Spell, she had also used the same spell on a Hogwarts student."
However, this was not her intention, as she was being controlled.
The professors kept this matter strictly confidential, and only a few people knew about it, including Harry.
"Where are you headed?" Kyle glanced at the books in her hand, with 'Wands and Magic' being the topmost.
"You haven't finished your homework yet?"
"No, I completed it ages ago. It's Harry and Ron," Hermione explained. "But they've finished too, and I'm planning to return the books."
"Oh, in that case, go ahead," Kyle smiled and waved, ready to continue his exploration upstairs.
"Wait, Kyle," Hermione suddenly called out from behind, "I heard from someone that you took a leave of absence from classes. Is that true?"
"Who said that?"
"Comet McLaggen, a Gryffindor seventh-year student," Hermione replied. "He mentioned at a dinner that it's been a long time since he last saw you in class, and Professor Slughorn said you took a leave of absence and stopped attending classes."
"Yes, that's true," Kyle confirmed.
"Can you tell me why?" Hermione asked, taken aback by his admission but quickly recovering to inquire further.
In her opinion, not attending classes was a behavior she struggled to comprehend, especially for someone as academically gifted as Kyle.
Moreover, weren't seventh-years about to take the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (N.E.W.T.)? It seemed odd to skip classes at this crucial time.
"It's just that I have some other matters to attend to," Kyle said casually. "Although this might sound a bit arrogant, I genuinely don't need to attend classes anymore."
"I've taken a temporary leave, and I might resume classes after a while," he added.
Kyle didn't mention the 'make-up classes' to Hermione. Despite their good relationship, Hermione's personality led Kyle to abandon this idea.
Firstly, Hermione's Rune proficiency was comparable to Seamus', and even if she attended, the amount she could learn would be minimal.
Secondly, there was a difference between her and Seamus.
To put it simply, Hermione could be a bit stubborn about certain things, like her excessive trust in books. Even when faced with facts, if they conflicted with what was written, she might doubt or even resist them.
The teachings from a thousand years ago were vastly different from the ideas she encountered daily, and she would undoubtedly have numerous questions. Kyle didn't have the time to explain everything to her.
Furthermore, even if all her questions were answered, Hermione's personality might lead her to stubbornly try to learn it all.
If she succeeded, it would be fine, but Rowena Ravenclaw had stated that the Room of Requirement wouldn't always be there. If she didn't learn everything before her memories faded, the time spent would be wasted, and this experience might even hinder her future magic learning, making it somewhat counterproductive.
Considering these factors, despite their good relationship, Kyle decided to keep this information to himself and not disclose it to Hermione.
Hermione had her suspicions, but with Kyle's silence, she had no choice but to trust him.
After exchanging a few more words, the two parted ways. Hermione headed to the library downstairs, while Kyle planned to continue his tour. However, before he could take more than a few steps, he faintly heard an explosion.
That's odd, why would there be an explosion in Hogwarts? Initially, Kyle thought he misheard, but the next moment, a louder sound reverberated, accompanied by screams.
"Don't... don't do this..."
"Stop fighting, please, stop fighting!"
...
"That's Tawny's voice, upstairs!" Hermione appeared behind Kyle, having heard the commotion as well.
Tawny? Kyle paused briefly, then rushed up the stairs toward the source of the sound, with Hermione closely following.
As they drew closer, the voices became clearer, and Kyle could even make out Harry's voice.
"It's Harry!" Hermione shrieked, recognizing his voice instantly.
Was Harry under attack at Hogwarts?
Hermione instantly recalled the Triwizard Tournament two years ago when Harry was abducted from the school... This made her even more anxious, and she hastily dropped her heavy books onto the nearby corridor.
"Don't worry, we're in Hogwarts, it's safe," Kyle reassured her, quickening his pace.
They quickly arrived on the seventh floor, near a bathroom with a blasted door.
It wasn't hard to find, as Tawny was hovering right at the entrance, and Kyle rushed over.
Inside the bathroom was indeed Harry, holding his wand and panting heavily.
Across from him was Malfoy, in a similar state, also holding a wand.
No one knew what had just happened, but the bathroom door had been blasted by a spell, hanging crookedly on the frame.
The pipes inside were also damaged, spraying water non-stop. The water hit the ceiling and fell back down, as if a heavy rain had poured into the room.”
Tawny screamed anxiously, asking them to stop, but no one listened.
Both had eyes only for each other, completely ignoring their surroundings.
Simultaneously, they raised their wands again.
"Reducto!"
"Exploding Snap!"
"Stop, Harry!" Hermione screamed, trying to stop them, but it was already too late.
Two blinding spells crossed in mid-air, heading straight for each other.
The Bombarda and Diffindo spells...it was clear that both had the same goal, aiming to take each other's lives.
Hermione subconsciously closed her eyes, unable to bear witnessing the scene.
But the expected explosion and screams did not occur.
It seemed like only a second, or perhaps a minute, when Hermione opened her eyes again, only to witness an unbelievable scene.
The light of the spells had disappeared, but two differently colored...ravens?
Yes, ravens, one red and one blue, corresponding to the colors of the Reducto and Exploding Snap spells.
They flew around in the air for a while, then suddenly shook and transformed into two fireworks, vanishing without a trace.
Everyone froze, even Tawny became silent.
Hermione didn't see it, but she had witnessed it clearly.
Just as Harry and Malfoy shouted their spells, Kyle had also raised his wand.
No one knew what he did, but the two spells strangely froze in mid-air and, with a twist, transformed into the shape of ravens.
Perhaps the scene was too unbelievable, but in just an instant, the two heated combatants regained their senses and simultaneously looked at Kyle standing at the entrance.
"You came just in time..." Harry wanted to say something, but Kyle didn't give him the chance.
He waved his wand again, and the pipes on both sides instantly extended, coiling around the two like snakes, binding them tightly.
The metal pipes were effective, and no matter how hard Harry and Malfoy struggled, they couldn't break free.
"Let me go!" Malfoy roared in anger, "You can't do this..."
But Kyle didn't even bother to listen to Harry, let alone Malfoy. He waved his wand again, and the pipe coiled around Malfoy's mouth.
The same happened on Harry's side, ensuring a fair treatment.
Silence fell.
"Tawny," Kyle turned, "Could you please find a professor, any professor, and ask them to come here as soon as possible?"
"Ah...yes, yes!" Tawny, having regained her composure, looked worriedly into the bathroom and then flew off immediately.
Hermione, standing nearby, was shocked by Kyle's mastery over magic. The two fighters, a year ahead of Kyle, were restrained so easily? Even though they were a year older and not particularly weak academically, it seemed a bit exaggerated that they were controlled so effortlessly.
Even if a professor came, it would probably be no different...no, not even a regular professor might be able to handle the situation better than Kyle.
Hermione recalled Kyle's previous words...it seemed he truly didn't need to continue attending classes.
But now wasn't the time for such thoughts.
Hermione shook her head and stormed into the bathroom.
"Harry, you don't know what you're doing! Using the Reducto spell on a classmate, you'll be expelled if a professor finds out!"
Kyle, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow.
"If a professor finds out?"
So, this was what Hermione was concerned about?
"What happened," Hermione looked at Harry, "weren't you just in the common room? How did you suddenly end up on the seventh floor, fighting with Malfoy! Have you thought about the possibility of being expelled?"
"You talk, don't think you can get away with staying silent. Professor McGonagall will be here soon, and you better think of how to explain things to her if you don't want to be expelled."
Harry grunted in response.
He wanted to speak, but hadn't Hermione noticed his mouth was blocked?
Harry struggled to turn his head towards Kyle, blinking rapidly, signaling for Kyle to release him.
Kyle pretended not to notice.
This was where Harry went wrong. If he wanted to release them, why did he tie them up in the first place? This way, they could at least stay alert.
They were fearless, fighting without regard for consequences in school.
Kyle hooked his fingers, and the two wands on the ground flew into his hands.
(End of Chapter)
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