Cedric's Quidditch tryouts went exceptionally well.
He caught the Golden Snitch in just five minutes, earning his place as Hufflepuff's new Seeker. His first team practice would keep him at the Quidditch pitch all afternoon.
Kyle only managed to catch him briefly during lunch.
"Fred and George don't know anyone from Slytherin either, but they said they'll help think of something." Through a mouthful of steak, Cedric mumbled, "We're planning to discuss it properly this afternoon — want to join?"
"I—"
Before Kyle could finish speaking, a commanding voice called from the other end of the table.
"Hurry up, Cedric, we're starting practice!"
"Yes, Captain!" Cedric hastily swallowed his steak, gulped down a large glass of pumpkin juice, and turned to Kyle, "I'm off to practice now — this year the Quidditch Cup will definitely belong to Hufflepuff."
With that, he dashed toward the Quidditch pitch.
"Tch..." Kyle pursed his lips, not envious at all.
What was so great about being on the school team? You couldn't even eat properly, and weekends were consumed by practice. Unlike him, who could take his time savoring the tender, juicy steak.
He tapped the table and ordered a glass of lemon water to cut through the richness.
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In the afternoon, Kyle headed outside the castle with the piece of parchment.
Growing a Chomping Cabbage was proving more challenging than he'd imagined. The plant had strict requirements for environment and climate, and only a handful of Herbology masters could successfully transplant it outside its native habitat.
Fortunately, the Room of Requirement could solve this major problem — he just needed to handle the fertilizer issue.
According to "Asian Magical Plants: A Detailed Guide", a Chomping Cabbage naturally takes fifty days to germinate and two to three years to mature — a painfully slow growth cycle.
Kyle couldn't wait that long; he planned to accelerate the seeds.
After leaving the castle, he crossed the grounds and arrived at a small wooden cabin at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
The cabin showed its age, with wood of varying shades on the roof and walls — evidence of numerous repairs. A crossbow and a pair of rubber boots hung by the front door.
Kyle stepped forward and knocked.
"Who is it... oh Fang, step back, you'll frighten them."
Accompanied by deep barking, the door opened a crack, revealing Hagrid's bearded face.
"Little wizard? What are you doing here?" He fixed Kyle with a stern look, "First years aren't allowed in the Forbidden Forest — go back to the castle."
He started to close the door.
"Hagrid, it's me." Kyle said quickly, "Remember? We've met before."
Hagrid peered at him carefully, recognition slowly dawning.
"I remember now." He exclaimed, clapping his hands, "You're that troublemaker from the Owlery. Because of you, Sebastian won't even respond to his name anymore."
"That's because he doesn't like that name, Hagrid." Kyle said seriously, "When naming owls, you should ask their opinion."
"I... well, I can't argue with that." Hagrid looked nervous and asked hurriedly, "So what are you doing here?"
Kyle didn't answer directly, but looked around and asked, "Can we talk inside your room?"
"No!" Hagrid became even more nervous, blocking the doorway firmly, "...er, I mean my room's a bit messy, let's leave it at that. Besides, Fang doesn't like strangers — I'm worried he might frighten you. Oh, Fang's my hunting dog, he's taller than you."
"Is that so... well, never mind then." Kyle showed a surprised expression and went along with it, "I came to ask if there are any Mooncalves in the Forest."
As everyone knows, the best fertilizers in the magical world come from two sources: dragon and Mooncalf dung. Dragons definitely weren't in the Forest — that would have to wait until next term — so he focused on Mooncalves instead.
"What are you planning!" Hearing the words 'Forbidden Forest', Hagrid forgot his nervousness and said sternly, "First years are absolutely not allowed in the Forest — it's very dangerous. Get back to the castle, or I'll have to tell Professor Sprout."
"No need to be so nervous, Hagrid." Kyle said, "I wasn't planning to go into the Forest, otherwise I wouldn't have come to ask you."
"Really?"
"Of course." He explained, "I just planted two little darlings and wanted to find some fertilizer for them."
"Oh, is that why you asked about Mooncalves?" Hagrid carefully squeezed out of his room, then quickly turned to close the door.
He led Kyle to the pumpkin patch beside the cabin and brought out an iron bucket from the corner, "Don't be shy, take as much as you want."
The bucket was full of silver spheres the size of table tennis balls — this was Mooncalf dung, and there were at least two or three hundred pieces.
But Kyle frowned. No good, the color was too dark; by the looks of it, it had been sitting there for at least a month.
"Do you have any fresh ones?" He asked.
"I'm not sure..." Hagrid hesitated, then thought for a moment and said, "But we can go check, follow me."
The two walked along the edge of the Forest for a while, then he had Kyle wait outside while he went into the Forest alone. Kyle agreed, and quietly memorized the route and surroundings for future reference.
Since Mooncalves were only XX-class Magical Creatures and didn't live deep in the Forest, Hagrid came back after only about ten minutes.
"Here, take it." He handed Kyle a bag, saying, "Since Mooncalves usually stamp their droppings into the soil at sunrise, this was all I could find. Next time if you need more, better send me an owl in advance, and I can collect more for you."
Kyle took the bag and weighed it. From the weight, it seemed to contain seven or eight pieces — a bit less than ideal, but it would do.
He put away the bag and smiled, "Thank you, Hagrid."
"It's nothing." Hagrid said, scratching his hair sheepishly, "Just don't rename the school owls again next time."
"That was just an accident."
When they returned to the cabin, Kyle once again asked to look inside.
Hagrid predictably refused.
"There's really nothing to see, Kyle." He said, blocking the doorway with shifty eyes, "You should head back to the castle."
Kyle had to suppress a laugh at Hagrid's behavior. The gamekeeper really couldn't lie — anyone could tell something was up from the way he was acting.
"Alright then, I'll head back to the castle." He turned around and added casually, "By the way, there's something I should tell you — you're not supposed to keep a three-headed dog in your room."
"…"
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