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Chapter 897: Kyle's Garden
Chapter 897: Kyle's Garden
"Thud, thud, thud..."
"Bang, bang, bang..."
Since the morning, students of Hogwarts had been hearing these sounds intermittently coming from the direction of the Forbidden Forest.
Driven by curiosity, they couldn't help but peer out of their windows, looking towards the source of the noise.
"Is Hagrid building a new house?" Ron asked, rubbing his ears in Transfiguration class.
The sound was so loud that it hurt his ears even from a distance.
"Maybe," Harry also curiously glanced out the window.
Next to Hagrid's small cottage, a larger wooden house had appeared out of nowhere, and the sound was coming from within.
"Why can't they use magic?" Ron grumbled, "I can't even focus on the lesson."
"Do you think Professor McGonagall will believe that excuse?" Hermione said on the other side, glancing down at the potted cactus on Ron's desk, which was riddled with holes.
Their lesson was on Transformation Charms, and they were required to swap their arms with a cactus, or at least their fingers if they couldn't manage the whole arm.
The content wasn't particularly difficult, and Hermione succeeded on her first try, but Ron struggled throughout the class and managed only to shatter the cactus pot twice.
Seamus, sitting next to him, was covered in mud and didn't want to sit nearby anymore.
However, Seamus wasn't much better off, as his cactus had exploded three times, and his handiwork—the scattered cactus spines—could be seen all over the classroom.
Professor McGonagall didn't even want to look in their direction, and Hermione felt she probably wouldn't be using cacti as teaching tools again.
Fortunately, the bell rang soon after.
Harry and Ron were the first to rush out of the classroom, running straight towards the Forbidden Forest.
"Hagrid, what are you up to?" Harry called out before they even reached him.
The door of the new wooden house was opened from the inside, and Hagrid poked out his shaggy head.
Harry, who was running in front, was startled and reflexively drew his wand.
"Hagrid, were you attacked?"
Hagrid's appearance was truly frightening; he was covered in dirt, looking like a freshly pulled Mandrake root, and several unhealed wounds were visible on his face.
"Attacked? Oh no, of course not," Hagrid said, "We're conducting a little test, and the sound might be a bit loud. Sorry if we disturbed you."
As he spoke, his eyes sparkled with lingering excitement.
"A test?" Harry asked, puzzled, "Testing what, magic?"
"Wait, Hagrid," Hermione, who had followed them, noticed another key word, "You just said... 'we'? Is there someone else with you?"
"It's me."
Kyle emerged from the house.
He looked similar to Hagrid, except for the absence of wounds; his body was also dirty.
"Kyle?"
"When did you get here!"
"What are you doing here!"
The three of them spoke almost simultaneously, each with different words, but all expressing surprise at Kyle's sudden appearance.
"Mind your manners," Hagrid reminded them even before Kyle could say anything, "Kyle will soon be your professor, so you should show him some respect."
"Who?"
"Professor?"
"Kyle is a professor?"
They spoke at the same time, and it was clear that Hagrid's news had shocked them.
How could a fellow student suddenly become a professor?
"Don't say that, Hagrid, it's not a done deal yet," Kyle waved his hand dismissively, "For now, we're still friends, so let's just get along normally."
"Do you want to come in and take a look?" Kyle then said to them, "I might be staying here for a while, so I set up a place for myself."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the house, still dazed by the news they had just received.
"Kyle, are you really going to be a professor?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.
"Headmistress McGonagall did mention it to me," Kyle said, "But it's not a done deal yet, so it's just a possibility for now."
"But you just graduated, right?" Ron muttered, "Can you already be a professor?"
"I'm not sure," Kyle said, "But Headmistress McGonagall and Chairman Dumbledore both think it's fine."
"Dumbledore... Chairman?" Harry's head buzzed, "Isn't he the Deputy Headmaster? When did he become the Chairman!"
The amount of information was overwhelming, and his brain couldn't process it all at once.
"Oh, that's a recent development," Kyle explained.
It took a while for the three of them to gradually accept the news they had received from Kyle, and they began to examine the surroundings.
Unlike the previous house, which had a simple exterior but luxurious interior, this place looked normal—the tables, chairs, and benches were all standard models, identical to those in the common room.
Even the curtained bed seemed to have been dragged in from some dormitory.
It was all very conventional and uninspiring, and the three of them quickly lost interest.
While they were touring the house, Kyle was chatting with Hagrid in the corner.
"How does it feel?"
"It's amazing, it's so beautiful and full of life, it's perfect."
"So in your opinion, being temperamental equals being full of life?" Kyle shook his head, "You should be more careful, like just now, it almost used its tail to make a hole in you."
"It's fine, I don't mind," Hagrid patted his chest, "As long as I can see it every day, I'm happy."
"Forget it, I don't want to take your place teaching Care of Magical Creatures."
The trio was left confused by their fragmented conversation.
However, at that moment, Hermione suddenly noticed another door on the opposite wall.
"What's that place?" She asked, pointing at the door.
"Oh, it's the garden," Kyle blurted out.
"A garden?" Ron exclaimed, "You made a garden for yourself?"
"So what?" Kyle said, "Living on the edge of the Forbidden Forest is all about the space, so what's the problem with making a garden?"
Ron coughed, startled by the sudden realization.
Having a garden just because there was enough space made perfect sense upon reflection.
"Can we take a look?"
"No," Kyle replied.
"What... Did you say?"
"No, you can't go in there," Kyle repeated. "The garden isn't finished yet; it's a mess, and there's nothing to see. You can come back when it's done."
The three young wizards, eager to explore, couldn't hide their disappointment.
Seeing their expressions, Hagrid's heart softened.
"It's fine, Kyle. It's just a look," he said softly. "There's not much there anyway."
Despite Hagrid's attempt to keep his voice down, everyone in the room heard him, and they all turned to Kyle with expectant eyes.
They had already sensed that something was off with Hagrid today. Aside from the mysterious wounds on his body, he seemed overly excited, his eyes emitting a bright light like a lightbulb at all times.
Based on Harry's understanding of Hagrid, he only displayed such an expression when faced with beasts with fangs and claws.
Like the three-headed dog in their first year or the dragons during the Triwizard Tournament.
But this room was ordinary, and there wasn't even a fox siren, let alone a beast. So, the problem must lie with the so-called backyard.
Harry's curiosity grew as he kept glancing at the door.
"Well, okay then."
At Hagrid's words, Kyle hesitated before agreeing.
Indeed, there wasn't much to see there at the moment.
And Harry's group was well-known for their insatiable curiosity. If he refused, Harry might just sneak over in his invisibility cloak tonight.
It was better to let them have a look.
Kyle opened the door, and the others eagerly stepped inside.
"Wow!"
The trio's jaws dropped in astonishment at the sight that greeted them.
Harry tugged at the corner of his mouth and asked Kyle, who had followed them in, "This is the garden you mentioned?"
"Yes," Kyle nodded.
"Are you serious?"
"What's wrong?"
Harry fell silent.
This was clearly the Forbidden Forest. They could even see Hagrid's hut from here. Kyle had simply created a backdoor in the house leading directly to the Forbidden Forest.
Using the entire Forbidden Forest as a garden?
Harry felt tricked, and his interest waned in an instant.
Ron, standing beside him, felt the same.
It was just the Forbidden Forest, a place they had visited before. Was there a need for such secrecy? Hermione, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes and focused on a tree in the distance.
It wasn't unusual to find trees in the Forbidden Forest, but this particular one was broken, which was odd. Stranger still were the three enormous notches on it.
The notches were neat, as if they had been clawed out by some creature.
But what creature could snap a tree like that?
Although the trees near the edge of the forest weren't as thick as those deeper within, they were still intimidating.
But it wasn't just one tree; there were five.
Hermione scanned the area, and even with the naked eye, she could see five trees lying on the ground, twisted and bent. Three of them had similar notches, while the remaining two... their broken parts were uneven, as if they had been smashed.
Wait, smashed...
"Hagrid," Hermione frowned, "Did you bring Grawp here?"
"Um... No..." Hagrid stammered, "I didn't bring him."
Grawp was Hagrid's younger brother, a pure-blood giant who had stunted growth, standing only sixteen feet tall.
Hagrid had brought him back from the giant tribe and was raising him in the Forbidden Forest, teaching him wizarding manners and rules while caring for him.
To be honest, while Grawp's height was somewhat stunted, his mind perfectly matched the giant standard.
Hagrid wanted him to understand the complex rules and etiquette of wizards and regular humans, which was indeed a challenge for a giant.
But Hagrid's actions only confirmed Hermione's suspicions.
These trees must have been broken by Grawp; only a giant possessed such strength.
"Listen to me, Hagrid," she said patiently, "I know Grawp is a well-behaved child, but others don't know that. People fear giants, and if they see Grawp, it will definitely cause chaos."
"I..." Hagrid wanted to explain but hesitated for a moment before closing his mouth. "I've been teaching Grawp English, and he's almost got it."
Harry and Ron immediately showed skeptical expressions... It was like hearing about a Quintaped learning to knit, unbelievable.
Seeing Hagrid's conflicted state, Harry decided to step in and smooth things over.
"Alright, Hermione, I think Hagrid knows what to do, and we should head back to the castle."
"Yes," Hagrid chimed in, "It's almost lunchtime. You should go back."
The three retraced their steps and left the new wooden house. As soon as they stepped outside, the door behind them closed with a loud thud.
"Something's off," Ron muttered. "Don't you feel like something's strange here?"
"Of course, it's strange," Hermione said. "Hagrid would never bring Grawp to the edge of the Forbidden Forest."
"It's not that," Ron shook his head. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but it feels different from usual."
"Hagrid sent us away," Harry frowned.
"Yes, that's it!" Ron smacked his thigh, finally understanding.
In the past, Hagrid had always invited them to stay for meals, even though his cooking was... well, indescribable. But this time, Hagrid had suggested they return to the castle.
Perhaps he was afraid Hermione would continue speaking.
Harry said uncertainly.
He knew all too well how annoying Hermione could be when she was being pedantic.
In any case, Hagrid was definitely fine; there was no way the Death Eaters could disguise themselves as a half-giant.
"Forget it, let's head back," Harry said. "It's almost the weekend, and we have plenty of time. We can come back tomorrow."
The other two nodded in agreement.
Ron didn't mind, but Hermione had no other choice.
She hadn't seen Grawp nearby, and everything was just a guess. They could come earlier tomorrow, and maybe Hagrid would slip up if they questioned him.
They had used this method before, and it had always been effective.
The three began to retrace their steps.
Hermione turned to look at the Forbidden Forest, wanting to search for any signs of giants nearby.
But as she turned, she froze in her tracks.
"Hermione?" Harry asked, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"Come on," Ron urged. "If we don't make it back before lunch, we'll be stuck with dry bread."
"Those trees... don't you find them strange?" Hermione said.
"Trees?" Ron looked up. "Isn't it normal to have trees in the Forbidden Forest? You must be reading too much."
"Reading doesn't make you dumb, but you certainly are," Hermione said irritably, giving him a glare. "Don't you realize? All the trees we saw were completely intact."
Harry also noticed something amiss after Hermione's reminder.
When they were in the 'Garden,' a few trees were broken, but now, the trees around the hut were all intact, with no signs of breakage.
"So what? Maybe Kyle fixed them," Ron said nonchalantly. "It's not that difficult for him."
"Fixed... Did you hear any noise?" Hermione grew more agitated. "From the time we left to now, it's only been about a minute. Even Professor Dumbledore couldn't restore five trees to their original state in such a short time."
"And at this distance, did you hear any sounds of branches moving?"
"No," Harry shook his head, understanding Hermione's implication.
Perhaps Kyle could restore five trees in a short time, but it was impossible to do it so quietly. They should have heard the sounds of branches and leaves rustling during the process.
But from the moment they arrived, it had been eerily silent, without even the sound of insects.
Speaking of insects, there were quite a few living on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Every time they visited Hagrid, they could hear the earwigs and the fluttering wings of the fairies.
But this time, there was no sound at all, as if all the creatures had disappeared.
"Let's go and see!" Hermione decided, turning back towards the hut.
Harry followed closely behind.
Ron gave a wistful glance at the direction of the castle hall, sighed, and followed.
Hermione didn't knock on the door but went around to the back of the hut, only to stare with wide eyes.
There was no door at the back of the hut, nothing at all.
But they had just entered the Forbidden Forest from that direction; how could the door have disappeared?
Hermione, determined to prove her point, continued forward, wanting to get a closer look.
However, after five minutes, she was still at a distance from the hut, unable to get any closer no matter how she walked or ran or changed direction.
If she hadn't just come out of the hut, she would have thought she was seeing a mirage.
"Impossible... This can't be..." Hermione muttered.
At the same time, in the garden behind the hut.
Hagrid watched as the three circled around, "Looks like they've discovered your setup."
"That's normal," Kyle said, waving his wand to reconnect the broken trees. "Harry and Ron definitely won't notice these details, but Hermione might. She's always been very observant."
"Have you thought of how to explain it?"
"Why should I explain?" Kyle said. "I'm about to become a professor. Why should I explain to them? If you hadn't spoken up for them, I wouldn't have let them in."
"Sorry," Hagrid said.
"It's fine," Kyle waved his hand. "If I'm not mistaken, they'll be knocking on the door soon..."
"Bang, bang, bang!"
"See?" Kyle spread his hands.
"Should we open it?"
"No, let's pretend we didn't hear it," Kyle said, continuing, "The initial test of the garden isn't complete. Should we continue or wait until after lunch?"
Hearing Kyle's words, Hagrid immediately forgot about Harry and eagerly rubbed his hands together.
"Do we need to say it? Of course, we should continue!"
"Then be careful, and don't get too close."
"Don't worry, I won't!"
As Hagrid watched eagerly, Kyle opened the box.
A black dragon suddenly sprang out, roaring and lashing its tail at Kyle.
Kyle had expected this and calmly conjured a shield.
The shield and the dragon's tail collided, unmoving.
Kyle chuckled and gave the Hungarian Horntail the middle finger.
Was that it?
The Hungarian Horntail, enraged, lashed its tail again.
On the wall of the hut, a string of golden magical runes lit up.
This time, Kyle didn't move, but the Hungarian Horntail's body swayed, and its tail struck a tree, missing its target by a wide margin.
However, the Hungarian Horntail didn't seem to realize it had missed.
"Hmm... Not bad," Kyle said, taking out a piece of parchment and quickly jotting down notes.
Alchemical Mist Concealment Effect (Invisible from the outside, can only enter through special means, but sound can be heard)
Mist also effective against dragons (Confirmed)
Distance and range (To be determined)
Affected by other magic? (To be determined)
...
(End of Chapter)
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