Chapter 90: Kyle, Do You Have Any Mouse Repellent?
Chapter 90: Kyle, Do You Have Any Mouse Repellent?
Over the next few weeks, Kyle visited the Room of Requirement almost daily. Aside from tending to the newly grown Devil's Snare, he also had to keep a close eye on the Biting Kale.
Once they entered their mature phase, the plants could briefly free themselves from the confines of the soil and move about on the wide outer leaves.
However, this wasn't a major concern for Kyle. As long as no creatures provoked them, the Biting Kale plants were unlikely to leave the comfort of their soil.
What worried Kyle was their random seed spitting.
Mature Biting Kale could spit their seeds out at any moment, and the distance they reached depended entirely on their mood. Sometimes, the seeds could be spat out as far as several hundred meters away.
The Room of Requirement wasn't exactly small, and it would be troublesome if these seeds took root near the Moon Madness beasts or the Devil's Snare.
Biting Kale was a plant that was extremely difficult to transplant, especially during the germination phase. If the surrounding environment changed even slightly, they would wither on the spot.
Only a master botanist like Professor Sprout could successfully carry out such a technically demanding task.
Kyle's skills weren't quite there yet, so he could only resort to the most rudimentary method: collecting the seeds before they germinated and planting them in a suitable location.
After a busy month, just before the Easter holidays, there were already five Biting Kale plants in the Room of Requirement: two mature ones and three newly sprouted.
Only after confirming that there were no stray seeds left did Kyle finally feel relieved. At least he didn't have to rush to the Room of Requirement every day now.
However, Cedric had become busier, and so had the rest of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.
Harris' demands on them were stricter than ever, and even after the heavy snowfall and the ensuing gloomy rainy days, his enthusiasm for training hadn't diminished in the slightest.
But none of the team members complained.
If they won the next match against Slytherin, their total points would surpass Gryffindor, making them the top-ranked House.
After that, as long as they won the final match or maintained their lead, they would become champions and bring the Quidditch Cup to Hufflepuff.
Driven by the pursuit of ultimate victory, all the team members had turned into training fanatics, wishing they could eat and sleep right there on the Quidditch pitch.
Of course, the Gryffindor team was in a similar situation.
On the other hand, Slytherin seemed to be slacking off. They trained as per usual and disbanded right on time, not staying a second longer.
This wasn't surprising, as their only chance at the championship was to win the next match against Hufflepuff by three hundred points, which was highly unrealistic.
It would have been slightly more plausible if they were playing the Ravenclaw team, the known pushovers.
During the Dark Arts Defense class that morning, Kyle eagerly anticipated the upcoming match while recording various methods for treating werewolf bites.
"Remember, the mixture of white and silver powder can only seal the wound and won't prevent werewolf transformation," Professor Aurene said solemnly from the lectern. "If you don't have confidence in defeating a werewolf, the best course of action is to run as fast as you can. Choose curses that create obstacles to buy yourself time to escape, rather than attempting to fight back.
Sometimes, it's a good habit to keep a flying broomstick with you, as it could save your life in critical moments."
After taking notes on this information, Kyle watched as Professor Aurene used a Transfiguration spell to turn the lectern into a werewolf, allowing the young witches and wizards to practice their combat skills.
"What are you talking about? I would never give Patchy away," Connor pushed Kyle, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I meant medicine for treating mice. Patchy hasn't been well lately and has lost its usual vigor."
"Sick?" Kyle furrowed his brows. "Have you been giving it the mouse tonic on time?"
"Of course," Connor nodded. "I've been very punctual, not missing a single month."
"That's odd..." Kyle scratched his head in confusion. "I wonder if I bought the wrong ingredients?"
The mouse tonic he sold to Connor wasn't the kind of sugar water sold in Diagon Alley shops but a special tonic Newt had researched specifically for Moft mice.
For ordinary mice, this tonic was akin to the "Fountain of Youth." As long as they drank a small bottle each month, they would surely live a healthy life until the end of their natural lifespan.
"Are you sure it's sick?" Kyle asked again.
"Positive," Connor replied after a moment's thought. "It even sneezed last night. I suspect it might have something to do with the heavy rain we had during our Flying class the other day. Everyone in our dormitory caught a cold after that."
"Maybe..."
Kyle glanced at the dwindling number of students ahead of them in line and took the initiative to pull Connor to the back of the queue.
"I do know a formula for mouse medicine, but I'm missing some potion ingredients," he said, stroking his fingers. After thinking for a while, he continued, "How about this: you give Patchy a bottle of mouse tonic tonight and observe its condition. If it still doesn't improve, I'll have an owl go to Hogsmeade to buy the ingredients tomorrow after the Quidditch match."
Kyle paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "By the way, have you lost any Galleons lately...? Or Sickles and Knuts, for that matter."
"Not since you gave me that handbag," Connor replied, puzzled. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing," Kyle smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you could afford it."
"Er... is it very expensive?" Connor took out the pink handbag and asked nervously, "I only have about a dozen Galleons left."
"That's more than enough," Kyle assured her. "The ingredients are quite common, and it will only cost a few Sickles."
Connor patted her chest in relief. "Phew, that's good."
As they were talking, the number of young witches and wizards ahead of them in line diminished, and soon it was their turn to undergo the practical training.
However, due to the limited number of spells the young witches and wizards could perform, they were almost helpless against Professor Oren's "werewolf." Within seconds of facing it, they were captured.
It was inevitable that they would be defeated so quickly.
Connor lasted a minute before succumbing to the "wolf's kiss."
Kyle was the last one.
Instead of running away like the others, he quickly drew his wand and pointed it toward the classroom door.
"Fly here, broomstick!" he commanded.
A few seconds later, an old-fashioned Comet broomstick crashed through the classroom door, carrying Kyle, who had been running around the room to avoid the "werewolf," into the air.
"The correct answer..." Professor Oren looked a little disappointed. "If you had paid closer attention, you would have noticed that I had already placed the broomstick by the door. Even if you didn't know the Flying Charm, you could have simply opened the door and grabbed it. That would have been more than enough time."
"Hufflepuff gets ten points!" Professor Oren looked disappointed as he undid the Transfiguration spell on the lectern.
(End of Chapter)
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