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Chapter 759: The Wolf and the Lamb
Chapter 759: The Wolf and the Lamb
Hermione had always prided herself on her well-thought-out decisions, rarely regretting any of them.
For instance, during her third year, despite being overwhelmed with a packed schedule, she never regretted taking on all her courses.
But today, she did regret something, and the thought of it made her want to bang her head against the wall.
"You really saw Hogwarts a thousand years ago?" she asked Harry, her eyes wide. "And attended a class?"
"Yeah," Harry replied casually, in the middle of a conversation with Ron. "I only stayed for about ten minutes, though. I couldn't understand a word he was saying."
Then, he continued his chat with Ron, "You know, the Fat Lady wasn't there at first. There was a knight's portrait hanging there instead."
"Was it Sir Cadogan?" Ron inquired.
"No, it was someone else," Harry said. "He was tall and imposing, but I've never seen him in the castle before."
As Hermione watched the two of them engrossed in a discussion about a painting, her frustration grew.
A thousand-year-old wizard teaching a class was a precious opportunity, and Harry had missed it... just to look at a painting?
Hermione couldn't understand why she was regretting not agreeing to go in Harry's place the night before.
If she had agreed, she would have not only heard those valuable lessons but also seen what the original library looked like.
What a missed opportunity!
At that moment, Harry finished talking about the painting and started describing Helga Hufflepuff's appearance among the Four Founders, completely oblivious to the fact that Hermione's eyes had turned red.
The Four Founders? Hermione had never wanted a Time-Turner more. She wished she could go back to the previous night and slap herself for refusing Harry.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron finally noticed her distress and asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Hermione took a deep breath and gulped down a large glass of iced pumpkin juice.
Perhaps it was the cool drink, but Hermione suddenly remembered something.
"Harry," she asked hurriedly, "Didn't you say Kael took you to the Room of Requirement?"
"Yeah," Harry replied. "He had a key-like object that could only open the door when placed on the wall. Why?"
"Nothing," Hermione shook her head, fell silent, and stared blankly at the plate in front of her, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, on the Eighth Floor.
Kael encountered an embarrassing situation; he couldn't get out.
The door of the Room of Requirement seemed jammed from the outside, and no matter how hard Kael tried, he couldn't turn the knob, not even with the bronze door knocker.
He shouted several times, but no one answered.
Kael couldn't understand why he was suddenly trapped, and to make matters worse, he felt a bit hungry.
The Room of Requirement had no food, and even Rowena Ravenclaw couldn't defy Gamp's Law of Transfiguration.
In this situation, Kael... well, he could hold out for quite some time.
After all, his trunk was well-stocked with plenty of precured boar legs, a flock of Tebo warts, and regular livestock. Additionally, there were fish in the lake... all arranged during his recent boredom with the help of Hagrid.
Kael had done this to simplify things. With the increasing number of magical creatures in his trunk, providing food had become a significant issue. With these arrangements, Norbert and the others could hunt for themselves, freeing Kael from the constant task of feeding them.
Thus, Kael didn't have to worry about food for the time being, even though the lack of seasoning would make the taste less appealing, it would suffice to fill his stomach.
As for water, the Aqua Eructo spell and a golden cup would suffice.
"This won't do; I need to find a solution," Kael frowned. He couldn't stay here indefinitely.
Rowena Ravenclaw wouldn't make such a mistake; something must be amiss.
Kael couldn't help but think of Dumbledore and Harry. It was too much of a coincidence that the Room of Requirement malfunctioned with their arrival.
He should've never let them come.
Kael grumbled to himself. But just as he turned to find another place, he noticed a conspicuous golden plate in the Great Hall.
Amidst the surrounding silverware, the golden plate stood out, and Kael felt a sense of familiarity. Its design and color resembled the plates commonly used by the students.
Kael approached the plate instinctively.
On the plate lay two fire sandwiches, a fried sausage, and a baked potato... a standard Hogwarts dinner, complete with a glass of pumpkin juice.
Kael tentatively reached out and touched the sandwich.
His fingers felt the distinct texture of bread.
Kael was taken aback, finding it hard to believe.
Could this be real?
How could there be real food in Rowena Ravenclaw's memories? He picked up the sandwich and took a bite.
This confirmed it; the dinner was indeed real and not a part of the memories.
The taste was all too familiar, having eaten it for years, the handiwork of a house-elf.
But Kael was even more perplexed. The key had been in his possession, so how did the house-elf deliver the food here?
And how did the house-elf know to bring dinner specifically?
After all, ten minutes ago, Kael had no idea he'd be trapped here, so how did the house-elf know?
Kael ate his sandwich, deep in thought, but he couldn't come up with an answer.
Kyle couldn't believe it was Rowena Ravenclaw. He wondered what purpose there could be in confining him here, especially considering the current state of the Room of Requirement.
Was the intent to force him to dedicate all his time to studying?
That seemed unnecessary, as Kyle only spent half an hour on meals each day. Even with the extra time, what use would it be? Deep in thought, Kyle didn't even notice that he had finished the food on his plate, leaving only a few crumbs.
The next moment, even the crumbs vanished, and the golden plate shone as if brand new, everything as pristine as the Great Hall outside.
"Could this plate be the reason?" Kyle wondered, picking up the plate and examining it closely.
He had tried it before; the house-elves couldn't deliver food into the Room, but now they could. The only change during this time was this plate.
The Hogwarts plate, through which house-elves transported food from the kitchen to the corresponding house tables in the Great Hall.
Yet, it now appeared in another Hogwarts Great Hall, and Kyle couldn't recall how it got there.
Who could have done this? The key to the Room of Requirement was always with him, allowing him to bring things in... Rowena Ravenclaw?
Kyle tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pondering her intentions.
Was it to save him time on meals, or something else?
At that moment, Kyle suddenly had a realization and looked up at the others in the Great Hall.
They were eating and chatting as usual, but Kyle noticed their bodies seemed less substantial, as if they had faded.
He first noticed this in the Spellcasting Class a few days ago when he observed that Professor Lagore's bald head wasn't as shiny as before.
However, preoccupied with researching the alteration of magic, he subconsciously overlooked this detail.
Now, it seemed likely that the Room of Requirement was almost back to normal.
This was the only explanation.
If so, saving time made perfect sense.
With this in mind, Kyle didn't linger in the Great Hall but returned to the Common Room, intending to get a good night's rest.
He took out the two-way mirror to inform Cona of the situation... The gift he had prepared indeed came in handy.
"You're trapped in the Room of Requirement and can't get out?" Upon hearing this, Cona was visibly surprised and exclaimed, "I'll go ask Professor McGonagall for help."
"No need," Kyle quickly interjected, "Professor McGonagall didn't even know about the existence of the Room in the school, so she probably can't help, and I don't need assistance at the moment."
"What do you mean?" Cona asked, "How are you eating in there?"
"Someone brought this," Kyle held up the golden plate in front of the two-way mirror, "It seems someone modified it, and now food from the kitchen can be delivered directly into the Room."
Seeing Cona's lingering doubts, Kyle directly said, "Your dinner was sandwiches, fried ham, and roasted potatoes, and there were pickled cucumbers in the sandwiches."
At this, Cona believed him.
"I didn't know what to do just now," she frowned slightly, "If even Professor McGonagall can't help, the other professors definitely won't be able to get you out of there!"
"What about Dumbledore?" Kyle asked.
"He left the school an hour ago," Cona replied.
"How do you know? Your timing is so precise."
"Of course," Cona said, "During dinner, he suddenly received a letter and left in a hurry. Almost everyone saw it... But you definitely didn't see it."
"I don't need your reminder," Kyle said, slightly annoyed.
Whether it was an illusion or not, after learning that food was no longer a concern, Kyle felt that Cona's face carried a hint of schadenfreude.
But Cona would never admit it.
...
After chatting for an hour, Kyle put down the two-way mirror.
From then on, he remained in the Room of Requirement.
During this time, as the colors of those around him gradually faded, Kyle chose not to balance work and rest. Instead, he seized every moment to shuttle between various classrooms.
He attended around sixteen hours of classes daily, and even during his free time, he spent half of it in the library.
When exhaustion hit, he relied on stimulants or the rejuvenating potion Cona provided.
The golden plate remained by his side, providing him with three meals a day without ever being late, not even by a minute.
Moreover, the plate wasn't confined to the Great Hall; Kyle could take it anywhere, saving him a considerable amount of time.
Until one day.
As Kyle finished taking notes and looked up again, everyone in the classroom had disappeared.
Kyle stepped outside, but whether it was the library or the Great Hall, not a single person was in sight, and the surroundings became eerily quiet.
Before Kyle could process what was happening, the castle began to vanish bit by bit.
It was as if someone was erasing the place with a rubber.
The second-floor classroom where he had been just five minutes ago was now a blank, empty space, leaving nothing behind.
Then, the library, the stairs, the Great Hall...
In the blink of an eye, everything around him disappeared, and Kyle found himself in a vast, empty space.
Just as he was hesitating about whether to hide in the box, a sudden pulling sensation accompanied a change in the scene before him.
Kyle found himself in a familiar corridor, facing a blank wall, with a giant tapestry of a dancing monster behind him.
He's out?
Kyle reached into his pocket, only to find it empty... The key Ravenclaw had given him was gone.
Just as Kyle was pondering this mystery, a piercing commotion jolted him back to reality.
It wasn't the sound of students playing, but of roars and exploding spells!
"No way!" Kyle's heart skipped a beat.
He had no idea how long he'd been trapped in the Room of Requirement.
A week? Two weeks? Or even longer?
Could it be that during this time, Death Eaters had entered through the Vanishing Cabinet?
But didn't Dumbledore know about the Vanishing Cabinet? Why didn't the Headmaster's portraits stop them from entering the school?
Too many questions flooded Kyle's mind.
But now wasn't the time for such thoughts. Without hesitation, Kyle turned and ran towards the source of the noise.
Fortunately, he didn't encounter any students along the way; everyone seemed to be in their Common Rooms.
This was good news.
"You think you can run away?" Kyle suddenly heard a beastly, raspy growl.
He sped up again, turned a corner, and found himself in another corridor.
Then, he saw a person covered in long brown hair leaping high, claws extended, pouncing towards someone on the ground.
Without hesitation, Kyle drew his wand and waved it vigorously.
An invisible rope pulled the person on the ground towards him, also helping him dodge the attack.
The claws scraped against the floor, emitting a piercing sound.
"Thanks!" The person said, turning his head, and for a moment, he froze. "Kyle? Is that you?"
"Cedric?" Kyle was also taken aback. He had found the person familiar but didn't expect it to be Cedric.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came with Mr. Weasley." Cedric said quickly: "He told me Death Eaters might attack Hogwarts tonight."
"You..."
"Look who's here, a little lamb..." Kyle's words were interrupted by a roar.
The beastly person didn't seem angry that his prey was saved; instead, a hint of excitement lingered in his voice.
"Be careful!" Cedric hurriedly said: "He's Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf with astonishing strength, and spells have little effect on him."
"Not running away? Or knowing you can't escape?" Greyback took a step forward, closing in.
"I thought I wouldn't meet those tender, tasty little lambs today, but you came right to me. What a pity, it's not a full moon today."
His pupils were small, and when he spoke, he showed sharp teeth like a wolf.
Right, he was originally a wolf.
"Wait." Kyle extended his hand, a bit perplexed, and pointed at himself, "The little lamb you mentioned, is it me?"
"Yes." Greyback licked his lips, his gaze falling on Kyle's school uniform, "Only underage wizard students can be considered tender lambs. I miss it so much, the feeling of sinking my teeth into their bodies."
As he drew closer, Kyle's expression grew more peculiar.
"This guy's got issues." He looked at Cedric and asked.
"Greyback prefers to bite underage wizards. Turning them into werewolves." Cedric said tensely, "Be careful, Kyle, don't be careless. Greyback isn't easy to deal with. The Ministry of Magic has been after him for years, but he always escapes."
"Those useless fools can't catch me!" Greyback roared, and rushed towards the two.
But the next moment, he flew back even faster, slamming into the wall.
"Tsk tsk, the big bad wolf got butted by the little lamb." Kyle smiled, his wand waving lightly.
A bean on the ground, unseen by Kyle, transformed into a five-foot-long spear.
Kyle waved his wand again, and the spear instantly appeared in front of Greyback. Although he tried to dodge, he was still pierced in the shoulder.
Greyback let out an angry roar, feeling the intense pain from his shoulder and the sensation of his whole body being crushed from the previous impact. He suddenly realized that the student he was dealing with wasn't an ordinary lamb to be toyed with.
Or perhaps, he was the lamb.
A beast's intuition is often the most accurate, and Greyback, who had escaped death multiple times, believed this especially.
He wanted to run.
But Kyle didn't give him that chance.
In fact, as the spear flew, he had already prepared a second spell.
An enormous force struck the end of the spear, like hammering a nail, and the spear, already deeply embedded in Greyback's body, shortened by another section, pinning him to the wall. No matter how hard Greyback struggled, the spear didn't budge.
"I do have some experience dealing with werewolves." Kyle said with a smile.
He opened his trunk, and a dark shadow darted out, moving swiftly. Cedric didn't even see what it was.
But before Kyle could take another step, Professor McGonagall rushed over from the other side of the corridor.
She held her wand, her lips tightly pressed, and strode towards them.
Seeing Professor McGonagall, Kyle could only wave his hand silently, and Cedric heard a rustling sound behind him, but it soon disappeared.
(End of Chapter)
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