https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-900-The-Sleeping-Hungarian-Firebird/13017522/
Chapter 899: Deduction, a Must-Have Deduction
Chapter 899: Deduction, a Must-Have Deduction
"So, this is why you sneaked out in the middle of the night and came to me?"
Inside the cottage, Kyle, who had just returned from the castle, stood before three Gryffindors leaning against the wall, their brows slightly raised.
"True to your house, you've even learned how to pick locks and Apparate. Are you that eager to go to Azkaban?"
"Or you could just nod, and I have connections who can arrange for you to be directly placed in Azkaban, with single rooms and the best treatment."
"Well? Speak up!"
Hermione's face turned crimson, wishing she could sink into the ground, leaving her speechless.
The other two weren't in a better state, but with their thick skin, it wasn't as noticeable.
"We... didn't pick locks or Apparate..." Ron stammered, "I just gave it a little push... and the door opened."
"If Gringotts Underground Vault wasn't locked, why don't you go and push that door?" Kyle said expressionlessly, "The gold coins there are piled higher than mountains, and no one would stop you from grabbing as much as you want."
Ron fell silent.
"Yes, we're 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 cleaned up, and there wasn't anything particularly private. He just didn't expect these three to be so bold.
They had seen dragons before. During the Quidditch World Cup, when the Death Eaters rioted, they already knew there was a dragon in their trunk, and Ron even fainted from the scare.
How long had it been? They had such short memories?
Did they think they could just break into any trunk?
Fortunately, his Venomous Tentacula and poisonous tentacles hadn't been transplanted yet, and Hagrid, in his excitement, hadn't slept either. This was how they were saved from the dragon's mouth.
Kyle turned his head and glanced at Hagrid, who was standing beside him.
Smoke was still rising from his clothes and hair, and the air was filled with a pungent odor.
Kyle signaled to him with his eyes.
"Do you understand your mistake?" Hagrid immediately said sternly.
"Yes."
"Yes!"
"We will never do it again."
The three nodded vigorously.
"Since you understand your mistake, go back quickly," Hagrid said earnestly, "If it happens again, I'll definitely tell Professor McGonagall... Headmistress McGonagall."
What? That's it?
Kyle looked at Hagrid in disbelief.
Even without detention... there should be a deduction of points.
Night roaming, trespassing into an associate professor's office, and not a single point deducted?
No matter how good their relationship was, he couldn't be so blatant in his favoritism, not even Snape was this biased.
"Hmm?" Kyle's voice rose slightly.
"Wait... deduct another ten points," Hagrid quickly said, glancing at Kyle cautiously.
He felt this was enough.
After all, the trio didn't have any malicious intent, and Kyle's reprimand earlier was also merciless.
To be honest, just standing there and listening made his heart race, and when Kyle shouted 'Stand', he instinctively straightened his legs.
Moreover, they had already received another form of punishment... Ron's pants had changed color.
Hagrid felt that these punishments combined would definitely make them remember the lesson.
Kyle narrowed his eyes.
After all, he wasn't a professor yet and didn't have the authority to deduct points, hence the need for Hagrid's assistance.
"If you think it's okay, then forget it." He rubbed his forehead and waved towards the door.
Harry and Ron rushed out of the house as if they had been pardoned.
But Hermione stopped at the door, turned around, and said seriously, "Kyle, although we were wrong this time, privately raising dragons is illegal, and you'll be arrested by the Aurors."
"What, are you going to report me?" Kyle looked at her.
"I'm doing this because we're friends." Hermione blurted out, "But you can't hide it, the professor and the principal will find out."
Hearing Hermione's words, Kyle's mood improved somewhat.
It was fine, she wasn't too rigid.
To be honest, even if Hermione really went to the professor to report, he wouldn't find it strange.
Kyle knew that Hermione could be a bit stubborn.
Three years ago, when Harry received a Firebolt sent by an unknown sender, she hid it from the two of them and informed Professor McGonagall.
Although she was afraid of dark magic on the broom, and Harry and Ron didn't listen to her advice, which led to this last resort, it also showed that she was a person with strong opinions.
Of course, this was just a more pleasant way of saying it.
So no matter what decision she made, Kyle wouldn't find it strange, and at the same time, he understood... after all, their relationship wasn't that good, at most they were just ordinary friends.
Moreover, it was a dragon, and no one could remain calm in such a situation.
The premise was that reporting it would be effective.
Kyle didn't speak, he just waved his hand.
A piece of parchment fell off the wall and flew into his hand.
Kyle handed it to Hermione.
"Take a look, I'm not illegally raising dragons, I have proper procedures, and even the Aurors can't do anything."
Hermione glanced at the parchment, and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Legal dragon keeping... this is impossible!" she exclaimed in disbelief, "Except for dragon reserves, no wizard can privately raise dragons."
"Just because it wasn't possible before doesn't mean it's not possible now. The signatures and magical seals on this parchment can't be faked."
Kyle shook his finger, "Also, the professor and the principal already know. I went to Hogwarts before for this matter... they've agreed to let me raise dragons in the Forbidden Forest."
"What?" Hermione was stunned.
"Now you know, 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 shining.
Kyle knew what he was up to at the castle, and he had been anxious about it all along.
The reason he was still awake at dawn, besides his excitement, was this... He was worried that the school would reject Kyle's application and not allow him to keep dragons in the Forbidden Forest.
"Fortunately, they weren't hurt," Kyle sighed. "Professor McGonagall barely agreed to this. If a student had been injured, even just a scratch, with her personality, she would have immediately changed her mind and rejected my dragon-keeping application."
"What did you say?" Hagrid shuddered.
He hadn't thought about it before, but Harry's curiosity had gotten the better of him more than once, and he had pestered Hagrid for details about Fluffy the Three-Headed Dog.
Hagrid was used to it and didn't think much of it.
But he never expected that this time, Harry would almost ruin 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 so beautifully in his sleep.
And it almost fell apart at Harry's hands.
Why couldn't he grow up? Even in his seventh year, he was still roaming around at night.
"Stop right there!" Hagrid roared, striding quickly to block Harry and Ron as they were about to leave.
"Wh-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 again, I promise."
"Night roaming, ignoring school rules, and trespassing in the Forbidden Forest... That's a fifty-point deduction!" Hagrid said, talking to himself.
"Fifty...?" Harry's expression froze, pointing at himself, "Hagrid, take a good look, it's me."
"I know that." Hagrid continued to scowl, "But I'm a professor. If I let personal relationships influence punishments, I'd be a terrible teacher."
"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 never dreamed that Hagrid would deduct one hundred and fifty points from them. Usually, only Snape and Professor McGonagall would utter such a number.
Even Hermione was stunned... If this deduction went through, Gryffindor would be at the bottom this year.
"No, Hagrid."
"Please..."
"We really know we were wrong."
...
Watching the three of them pleading with Hagrid, Kyle felt a sense of relief.
That's right, what's the use of a ten-point deduction? They'll probably forget about it as soon as they turn around.
They should have given them a bigger punishment.
...
Ten minutes later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in a row, their heavy footsteps trudging back to the castle.
They could already imagine the expression on the Gryffindor students' faces the next morning when they saw the points in the hourglass drop significantly.
But there was no way around it; Hagrid was determined to deduct their points, and no amount of pleading would change his mind.
After the three left, Kyle immediately closed the door and gave Hagrid a thumbs-up.
"Well done."
Read the original text at 69 of the book!
"Harry will probably hate me," Hagrid sighed, suddenly feeling a bit regretful.
"No, you're doing this for their own good." Kyle examined the door, "Speaking of which, can you really deduct one hundred and fifty points from them?"
At Hogwarts, there are limits to the number of points that can be added or deducted.
For example, a Head Boy can only deduct ten points in a week and no more than thirty points in an academic year, while a Student Council President can deduct fifty points.
This is to prevent them from abusing their deduction rights... If there were no such restrictions, by the second day of school, the points of all houses except Slytherin would be emptied.
By the third day, Slytherin's points would also be emptied, rendering the House Cup meaningless.
The same goes for professors; there are limits to the number of points they can add or deduct. Large amounts like fifty points require reporting to the Headmaster, who then decides whether to impose a punishment or reward.
Hagrid, as a Care of Magical Creatures professor, teaches fewer than one hundred students across five grades. Does he really have this right?
It's just talk.
"Yes, but I won't be able to deduct points for the rest of the academic year." Hagrid peered out the window to confirm that Harry and the others were indeed returning, then turned back.
"Forget about that. Did Dumbledore and McGonagall really agree?"
"Of course, I wouldn't lie to them." Kyle said, "I just had to pay a small price."
"What price?"
"It's nothing... just a small matter." Kyle shook his head, not revealing the truth to Hagrid.
Even if he told him, it wouldn't help; Hagrid neither understands magical plants nor knows anyone at St. Mungo's.
"By the way, Professor McGonagall will come tomorrow to check on the dragon's safety. Remember to restrain yourself and don't show too much enthusiasm."
"Is McGonagall coming?" Hagrid was startled and asked with some concern, "Didn't you say she already agreed?"
"She temporarily agreed." Kyle corrected, "We have the upper hand in the professor's vote, and it's too late. That's why Professor McGonagall compromised.
"But as the Headmaster, she has the power to veto, so this matter isn't completely settled yet."
"What should we do...?" Hagrid's heart sank.
"It's fine. I won't sleep tonight and will work on the Alchemical Mist." Kyle said.
He had originally planned to engrave the Alchemical Mist throughout Hogwarts to create a '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' situation.
This was the situation Hermione had seen earlier, restricting the dragon's range of activities and using the Alchemical Mist to create a large cage, invisible from the outside and inescapable from the inside.
Let's transition for now, and once the Dragon Repelling Charm is nearly complete, we'll find an opportunity to remove the cage.
"I have one more question," Hagrid suddenly remembered something, "What if Miller arrives and encounters the situation Harry and the others just faced?"
The other dragons were manageable, if not well-behaved, but at least they would give Kyle some face and not randomly attack a wizard who stumbled in.
But that Hungarian Firebird... Even with Hagrid's Dragon Filter, he couldn't in good conscience say it had a good temperament; at best, it was just beautiful.
"It's fine, a beating will do. At least it'll be quiet for a few days," Kyle said, rubbing his forehead.
"What? You want to beat a dragon?" Hagrid jumped up, spreading his arms to guard the door like a mother hen protecting her chick.
"Not me, I don't want to mess with that Firebird," Kyle shook his head, "It's better if you go back, Hagrid. You probably can't go to the garden tonight."
"I won't..." Hagrid stared at Kyle doubtfully, "I won't go in, just stand by and watch, is that okay?"
"You can watch the Firebird, 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 Firebird's opponent could only be a basilisk.
Although Hagrid had an extraordinary resistance to curses and other magic, even a pure-blood giant couldn't be completely immune to a basilisk's gaze, let alone a half-blood like him.
If he stood by and watched, there would likely be another lifelike stone statue in the garden the next day...
Kyle tried to persuade Hagrid, repeatedly assuring him that he wouldn't harm the Firebird. Finally, Hagrid left, glancing back repeatedly like an abandoned puppy.
Kyle shook his head, trying to shake off the eye-watering image from his mind.
At this moment, the sky outside had turned a faint pink. Without wasting any time, Kyle opened the box and jumped in.
A few minutes later, a massive basilisk emerged from the box and slithered into the garden through the already open gate.
Moments later, a violent tremor erupted in the garden, accompanied by a crisp sound of gold and iron clashing, like a sharp sword piercing a sturdy shield.
Kyle also emerged from the box and closed the garden gate.
He, too, was not immune to the basilisk's gaze, so he didn't follow it inside. Instead, he went outside the house and stared blankly at the front door.
The arrival of Harry and the others served as a wake-up call for Kyle.
Hogwarts was never short of students who loved challenges, like Harry, Fred, George, or even himself.
The cage was secure, but having the entrance here was still a potential risk. It was necessary to lock it, with 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 would notice that the circle was composed of numerous magical runes.
But as he prepared to draw the second one, he suddenly stopped and shouted.
"Hagrid, if you want Professor McGonagall to be disappointed, then keep peeping," Kyle said.
In the neighboring wooden house, Hagrid moved his face away from the window, and a clattering sound came from inside. It seemed like he had knocked over his brass 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. I'll be briefing you on some matters later, but remember, don't disturb me, and don't let anyone else come close," Kyle said.
"Don't worry," Hagrid assured him, patting his chest.
As long as Kyle was here, he wasn't worried about anyone causing trouble for the Firebird.
Kyle shook his head and didn't speak further to Hagrid. He raised his wand again.
Another irregular pattern appeared next to the circle, overlapping with it and then with a third pattern.
When a certain number of these patterns accumulated, they would combine to form 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 executed flawlessly.
Kyle's hand was steady, and the patterns on the door were perfected slowly, one by one.
Hagrid stood not far away, watching intently.
But he couldn't understand.
All he could make out was that Kyle had drawn two large circles on the door, with a square inside and some curved lines. Towards the center, there were more small circles and irregular patterns.
In any case, it was incomprehensible, and it made his eyes and head spin.
But Hagrid wanted to watch, so he forced himself to stand there, soon dozing off.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky had completely brightened. The castle, quiet all night, gradually became lively, and the sounds of students' laughter could be heard from within.
Kyle put down his wand, rubbed his eyes, and sighed in relief.
Finally, it was done. It was a similar alchemical mist to the one in the garden, but not targeting dragons; instead, it was aimed at wizards, a simplified version of the one at the Beauxbatons Academy entrance.
It was a bit rough, but it was more than enough to deal with the students in the castle, especially those who hadn't studied Ancient Runes. If they approached carelessly, they would, at the very least, be spinning in place for an hour.
Kyle wasn't targeting anyone... Well, he was targeting Harry and Ron, those two guys who were clueless about runes.
Kyle turned around, wanting to remind Hagrid of a few things and tell him the correct route.
Then, he heard a melodious snore, a harmonious rhythm of highs and lows rising and falling regularly... Quite a cheerful rhythm.
Hagrid stood there, sleeping soundly.
...
(End of Chapter)
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