https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-900-The-Sleeping-Hungarian-Horntail/12938080/
Chapter 899: Deduction, A Must
Chapter 899: Deduction, A Must
"So, this is why you sneaked out in the middle of the night and came here without permission?"
Inside the wooden cabin, Kyle, who had just returned from the castle, stood before three Gryffindors leaning against the wall as punishment, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"True to your house, Gryffindor, even learning how to sneak and pick locks. Are you that eager to get yourselves into Azkaban?"
"Or you can nod, and I have connections. I can arrange for you to be directly placed in Azkaban, in single cells with the best treatment."
"Well? Say something!"
Hermione's face turned crimson, wishing she could disappear into the ground, leaving her speechless.
The other two didn't fare much better, but their thick skins hid their embarrassment.
"We... didn't sneak or pick locks..." Ron stammered, "I just gave it a little push... and the door opened."
"The Gringotts underground vault isn't locked either. Why don't you try pushing that?" Kyle said expressionlessly, "The gold coins inside are piled higher than mountains, and you can grab as much as you want without anyone stopping you."
Ron fell silent.
"Yes, I'm sorry..." Hermione took a deep breath and said softly, "We shouldn't have entered without your permission."
"Are you apologizing to me?" Kyle said irritably.
He wasn't angry about them breaking in.
The place had just been tidied up, and there wasn't anything embarrassing to hide. He just didn't expect these three to be so bold.
They weren't strangers to dragons; during the last Quidditch World Cup, when the Death Eaters rioted, they had already known about the dragon in his trunk, and Ron had even fainted from the shock.
How much time had passed since then? They still hadn't learned their lesson?
Fortunately, his Snargaluff and Venom Tentacle hadn't been transplanted yet, and Hagrid, excited as he was, hadn't slept either. That's how they were rescued from the dragon's mouth.
Kyle turned his head and glanced at Hagrid, who was standing nearby.
Smoke was still rising from his clothes and hair, and the air was filled with a pungent smell.
Kyle gave him a subtle signal.
"Do you understand your mistake?" Hagrid immediately put on a stern face and asked.
"Yes."
"Yes!"
"We won't do it again."
The three nodded vigorously.
"Since you understand your mistake, go back quickly," Hagrid said seriously. "If it happens again, I'll definitely inform Professor McGonagall... Headmistress McGonagall."
What's going on? Is that it? Kyle looked at Hagrid in disbelief.
Even without detention... there should be a deduction of points.
Night wandering and trespassing into a professor's office, and not a single point deducted?
No matter how close their relationship was, this was too blatant. Even Snape wasn't this biased.
"Hmm?" Kyle's voice rose slightly.
"Wait... another ten points," Hagrid quickly added, glancing at Kyle cautiously.
He felt this was enough.
To be fair, Harry's trio didn't have any malicious intent, and Kyle had been harsh in his reprimand.
Honestly, just standing there and listening made his heart pound. When Kyle shouted 'Stand still!', he instinctively straightened his legs.
Moreover, they had already received another form of punishment... Ron's pants had even changed color.
Hagrid felt that these punishments combined would surely teach them a lesson.
Kyle narrowed his eyes.
The main issue was that he wasn't a professor yet and didn't have the authority to deduct points; otherwise, he wouldn't need Hagrid to do it for him.
"If you think it's fine, then let it go." He rubbed his forehead and waved towards the door.
Harry and Ron felt like they had been pardoned and rushed out of the cabin.
But Hermione stopped at the door, turned around, and said seriously, "Kyle, although we were wrong this time, privately raising a dragon is illegal. You... you'll be caught by the Aurors."
"What, are you going to report me?" Kyle glanced at her.
"I won't, because we're friends." Hermione blurted out, "But you can't hide it forever. The professor and the Headmistress will find out eventually."
Hearing Hermione's words, Kyle's mood improved a little.
Not bad, she wasn't too rigid.
To be honest, even if Hermione went to report to the professor, he wouldn't find it strange.
Kyle knew that Hermione could be stubborn.
In their third year, when Harry received a Firebolt sent by an unknown sender, she had secretly informed Professor McGonagall, fearing that the broom might be cursed, and Harry and Ron wouldn't listen to her advice. This incident showed that she was a person with strong opinions.
Of course, this was a more pleasant way of putting it.
Therefore, no matter what decision the Seeker made, Kyle wouldn't find it strange and would understand... after all, their relationship wasn't that close, at most they were just ordinary friends.
Moreover, it was a dragon, and no one could remain calm in such a situation.
That is, if reporting it would do any good.
Kyle didn't speak but simply waved his hand.
A piece of parchment automatically peeled off the wall and flew into his hand.
Kyle handed it to Hermione.
"Take a look. I'm not illegally raising a dragon; I have the proper documentation. Even the Aurors can't do anything about it."
Hermione glanced at the parchment, and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Legal dragon ownership... that's impossible!" She exclaimed in disbelief, "The book says that no wizard can privately own a dragon except in dragon reserves."
"It wasn't possible before, but that doesn't mean it's not possible now. The signatures and magical seals on this parchment can't be faked."
Kyle shook his fingers, "Also, the professor and the Headmistress already know. I went to Hogwarts previously regarding this matter... they've agreed to let me raise the dragon in the Forbidden Forest."
"Huh?" Hermione was stunned.
"You see, my actions are completely legal... there's no issue with either the school or the Ministry of Magic."
"The Headmistress agreed?"
"Hagrid asked eagerly, his eyes sparkling.
He knew why Kyle had gone to the castle, and before that, he had been anxious.
The reason he hadn't slept until dawn was not just excitement; he was also worried that the school would reject Kyle's application and not allow him to keep the dragons in the Forbidden Forest.
"But it's a good thing they weren't hurt," Kyle sighed, "Professor McGonagall only reluctantly agreed. If a student had been killed by the dragons, or even just a scratch, with her personality, she would probably change her mind immediately and reject my application to keep the dragons."
"What did you say?" Hagrid was startled.
He hadn't thought that far before, and Harry's curiosity had gotten the better of him more than once. He had pestered Hagrid for details about Fluffy the three-headed dog.
Hagrid was used to it and didn't take it seriously.
But this time, he was surprised that Harry had almost ruined their efforts.
He had waited decades to finally see dragons at Hogwarts and even had the chance to touch their scales and feel their fiery passion.
Hagrid had never dreamed such a beautiful dream, even in his sleep.
And it was almost ruined by Harry.
Why couldn't he grow up? Even in his seventh year, he was still wandering around at night.
"Stop right there!" Hagrid roared, quickly blocking Harry and Ron as they were about to leave.
"W-what's wrong?" Harry's heart trembled slightly.
Hagrid's expression was terrifying, and he was a bit scared.
"We're heading back now, and we won't come here again."
"Nighttime wandering, ignoring school rules and entering the Forbidden Forest... fifty points deducted!" Hagrid said, speaking to himself.
"Fifty...?" Harry's expression froze, and he pointed at himself, "Hagrid, look carefully, it's me."
"Of course, I know." Hagrid continued to scowl, "But I'm a professor, and if I let personal relationships influence punishments, then I'm not doing my job properly."
"Oh, and it's not fifty points, it's fifty points each!"
"Haven't you already deducted points?" Ron was stunned.
There were three of them... that's one hundred and fifty points!
He had never dreamed that Hagrid would deduct one hundred and fifty points from them. Usually, only Snape and Professor McGonagall would utter such a high number.
Even Hermione was speechless... if this deduction went through, Gryffindor would undoubtedly be at the bottom this year.
"Please, Hagrid."
"I beg you..."
"We truly regret our mistake."
...
Kyle felt relieved as he watched the three of them pleading with Hagrid.
That's right, what's the use of deducting just ten points? They'd probably forget about it as soon as they turned around.
They deserved a bigger punishment.
...
Ten minutes later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in a row, their footsteps heavy as they reluctantly returned to the castle.
They could already imagine the expressions on the Gryffindor students' faces the next morning when they saw the House Cup Hourglass drop significantly.
But there was nothing they could do; Hagrid was determined to deduct their points, and no amount of pleading would change his mind.
After they left, Kyle immediately closed the door and gave Hagrid a thumbs up.
"Well done."
"Harry will probably hate me now," Hagrid sighed, suddenly feeling a bit regretful.
"No, you're doing this for their own good." Kyle looked at the door, "By the way, can you really deduct one hundred and fifty points from them?"
At Hogwarts, there were limits to adding and deducting points.
For example, the Head Boy/Girl could only deduct ten points in a week and no more than thirty points in a school year, while the Head Prefect could deduct fifty points.
This was to prevent them from abusing their power... If there were no limits, the points of all houses except Slytherin would probably be emptied the day after the start of school.
By the third day, even Slytherin's points would be gone, rendering the House Cup meaningless.
The same applied to professors; there were restrictions on adding and deducting points. Large amounts like fifty points had to be reported to the Headmaster, who would then decide on the punishment or reward.
Hagrid was a Care of Magical Creatures professor with fewer than one hundred students across five grades. Did he really have the authority to do this?
Don't just talk big.
"I can, but I won't be able to deduct any more points this school year." Hagrid peered out the window to make sure Harry and the others had indeed returned to the castle before turning back.
"Never mind that. Did Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall really agree?"
"Of course, I wouldn't lie to them." Kyle said, "It just cost me a little."
"What cost?"
"Nothing... it's a small matter." Kyle shook his head, not revealing the truth to Hagrid.
Even if he did, it wouldn't help; Hagrid didn't understand magical plants and didn't know anyone at St. Mungo's, so he couldn't be of any assistance.
"By the way, Professor McGonagall will come tomorrow to check on the dragons' safety. Remember to keep your enthusiasm in check and don't act too passionate."
"Is Professor McGonagall coming?" Hagrid was startled and asked with some concern, "Didn't you say she had agreed?"
"It's a temporary agreement." Kyle corrected, "We had the upper hand in the professors' vote, and since it was late, Professor McGonagall compromised.
"But as the Headmistress, she has the final say, so this matter isn't completely settled yet."
"What should we do...?" Hagrid's heart sank.
"Don't worry, I won't sleep tonight. I'll work on perfecting the Alchemical Mist." Kyle said.
He had originally planned to inscribe the Alchemical Mist throughout the Forbidden Forest within Hogwarts, creating an artificial 'Dragon Repelling Charm,' but it was a massive project that couldn't be completed in a short time.
To deal with Professor McGonagall, he decided to maintain and reinforce the current 'cage' state.
This was the situation Hermione had seen earlier, restricting the dragons' movement and using the Alchemical Mist to create a large cage that was invisible from the outside and inescapable from the inside.
Let's temporarily transition for now, and once the Dragon Repelling Charm is almost complete, we'll find an opportunity to remove the cage.
"I have one more question," Hagrid suddenly remembered something, "What if Professor McGonagall encounters the same situation as Harry and the others when she arrives?"
The other dragons were manageable; if not well-behaved, they would at least show some respect for Kyle and not randomly attack unfamiliar witches and wizards who entered.
But that Hungarian Horntail... Even with Hagrid's dragon filter, he couldn't bring himself to say it had a good personality; at best, it was just good-looking.
"It's fine, a good beating will do," Kyle rubbed his forehead, "At least it will keep things quiet for a few days."
"What? You're going to beat a dragon?" Hagrid jumped up, spreading his arms to guard the door like an overprotective mother hen.
"Not me," Kyle shook his head, "I don't want to mess with the Horntail. So, Hagrid, you should head back now. You probably won't be able to visit the garden tonight."
"I won't..." Hagrid stared at Kyle suspiciously, "I won't go in, I'll just watch from the side. Is that okay?"
"You can watch the Horntail, but not its opponent," Kyle said, "This is also for your own good. If you still want to keep the dragon company, it's better to go back."
The Horntail's opponent could only be a basilisk.
Although Hagrid had an extraordinary resistance to curses and other magical spells, not even a pure-blood giant could be completely immune to a basilisk's gaze, let alone a half-blood like him.
If he watched from the side, there would probably be one more life-like stone statue in the garden the next day...
After much persuasion and repeated assurances that he wouldn't harm the Horntail, Hagrid finally left, glancing back repeatedly like an abandoned puppy.
Kyle shook his head, trying to shake off the image of the eye-stinging scene from his mind.
Outside, the sky had already turned a faint red, and Kyle didn't waste any more time. He opened the box and jumped inside.
A few minutes later, a massive serpent emerged from the box and slithered into the garden through the already open garden gate.
Moments later, a violent tremor erupted in the garden, accompanied by a crisp sound of gold and iron clashing, like a sharp sword striking a sturdy shield.
Kyle also emerged from the box and closed the garden gate behind him.
Since he wasn't immune to the basilisk's gaze either, he didn't follow it inside but instead stood outside the house, staring blankly at the front door.
Harry's arrival had also served as a wake-up call for Kyle.
Hogwarts was never short of students who liked to challenge the rules... like Harry, Fred, George, or even himself.
The cage was secure, but leaving the entrance here was a hidden danger. It was necessary to add a lock, a password lock that couldn't be opened by an unlocking charm.
Kyle extended his wand and waved it swiftly. After a few minutes, a golden circle appeared on the wooden door.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that the circle was composed of numerous magical runes.
But just as he was about to draw the second one, he suddenly stopped and shouted, "Hagrid, if you want Professor McGonagall to leave disappointed, then keep on watching!"
In the neighboring wooden house, Hagrid moved his face away from the window, and a clinking sound came from inside. It seemed like he had knocked over his copper kettle and broken something.
Hagrid then stepped out of the house, his eyes bloodshot.
"I can't sleep."
"Alright, if you can't sleep, then watch," Kyle said, "But remember, don't disturb me, and don't let anyone else come close."
"Don't worry," Hagrid assured him, patting his chest.
As long as Kyle was there, he wasn't worried about anyone causing trouble for the Horntail.
Kyle shook his head and didn't speak further to Hagrid. He raised his wand again.
Another irregular pattern appeared next to the circle, and the two patterns overlapped, merging with a third pattern.
As they accumulated, these intertwined patterns would become part of another symbol.
This was alchemy, an art that produced specific magical reactions through the arrangement and combination of magical runes and symbols.
It was also very precise; every step had to be error-free.
Kyle's hand was steady, and the patterns on the door were perfected slowly.
Hagrid stood nearby, watching carefully.
But he couldn't understand what he was seeing.
All he could make out were two large circles drawn by Kyle on the door, with a square and several curves inside, and more small circles and irregular patterns in the center.
In short, it was incomprehensible, and it made his eyes and head spin.
But Hagrid wanted to keep watching, so he forced himself to stand there, and soon he began to doze off.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky had completely brightened, and the castle, which had been quiet all night, gradually became lively. Even from a distance, the laughter and chatter of students could be heard.
Kyle put down his wand, rubbed his eyes, and breathed a long sigh of relief.
Finally, it was done. It was the same Alchemical Mist used in the garden, but not targeting dragons, but wizards, a simplified version of what was at the entrance of Beauxbatons Academy.
It was a bit rough, but it was more than enough to deal with the students in the castle, especially those who hadn't taken Ancient Runes classes. If they approached carelessly, they would at least be spinning in place for a while.
Kyle wasn't targeting anyone... Well, he was specifically targeting Harry and Ron, those two guys who knew nothing about magical runes.
Kyle turned around, wanting to remind Hagrid and tell him the correct route.
Then he heard a melodious snoring sound, with a rhythmic rise and fall of high and low notes... a rather cheerful tempo.
Hagrid was standing there, sleeping soundly.
...
(End of Chapter)
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