Chapter 71: The Joyful Scooper

This secret passage seemed to be designed for night adventures, as its exit was not far from the castle, just behind the bushes near the Quidditch pitch.

After everyone emerged, Fred and George quickly walked to the front, spreading their arms and saying, "Welcome to the nighttime Hogwarts."

"The feeling is entirely different from daytime, so enjoy it thoroughly."

Cedric and Kanna seemed a bit excited. For them, this nighttime experience was entirely novel, and besides the novelty, there was an indescribable thrill in their hearts.

Kyle didn't feel anything special, but it was his first time seeing Hogwarts at night, so he couldn't help but look around curiously.

Nighttime Hogwarts was exceptionally tranquil, with stars in the night sky emitting a soft glow, resembling night lights hanging on the castle.

It was as beautiful as a dream, yet quiet and peaceful.

The group stood still for a moment until Fred reminded them, and they remembered there was still a task at hand. After snapping out of it, they headed towards the Forbidden Forest.

They took a big detour on the way, deliberately avoiding Hagrid's cabin.

Although Fang was a bit timid, he was still a proper hunting dog. Both his hearing and sense of smell were keen, and getting too close might alert him.

It was worth spending some extra time detouring rather than being hauled back to the castle by Hagrid.

After walking around the cabin, they entered a vast woodland. The nest of the Mooncalves was not hard to find. Under Kyle's guidance, they quickly saw the lush Wiggentrees.

At this moment, the Mooncalves had just walked out of their nests.

They lifted their long necks to gaze at the sky, creating a vivid contrast between their large heads and slender, thin legs.

They looked like miniature alpacas.

Quite cute.

In the moonlight, they slowly raised their front legs, and the two slightly thicker hind legs began to sway irregularly.

"The dance of the Mooncalves... this is the dance of the Mooncalves!" Cedric exclaimed excitedly. "I've only read about it in books before, and it's far inferior to the live version!"

"Don't get too excited, we might not get to watch it if they notice us," Kyle reminded in a low voice.

The Mooncalves were incredibly shy magical creatures. If they sensed other people nearby, they would shyly retreat into their nests.

However, Cedric was right.

The live version of the dance was indeed much more beautiful than the pictures in the books.

But that was normal. Newt was just a Magizoologist with social phobia, what did he know about taking pictures? He just had to make do with it.

After dancing for a while, the Mooncalves seemed to get into the groove, and their dance steps became more complex and enchanting.

Moreover, with each step they took, some fine silver-white dots gradually appeared on the ground behind them.

These dots increased more and more and spread out under the Mooncalves' feet like a stage.

The silver-white "stage" and the moonlight in the sky complemented each other, elevating their dance to another level.

"So beautiful..." Kanna's eyes sparkled with little stars, and she looked mesmerized.

"Ahem..."

Although it was a bit embarrassing, Kyle thought for a moment and whispered, "Those silver things are their droppings."

"..."

The stars in Kanna's eyes vanished at a visible rate. She turned her head, looking at Kyle in disbelief.

"It's true," Kyle calmly said, "If you don't believe it, you can check the book 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', it's written in it."

Kanna: "..."

After learning that the Mooncalves danced on their droppings, she could never go back.

The beautiful and complex dance in front of her seemed to become dull.

A wave of frustration surged in Kanna's heart.

She couldn't understand why Kyle had to tell her these things now. Couldn't he wait until after finishing watching it?!

The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. She turned around again and punched Kyle on the arm.

Fred and George beside him did almost the same thing. They also punched Kyle angrily and told him not to speak when he should shut up.

Only Cedric was better off because he already knew all this.

Seeing the outrage of everyone, Kyle quickly raised his hands in surrender, and decisively gave in, "I was wrong!"

But it didn't work, everyone was still staring at him, even Cedric.

It couldn't be helped. It would be strange if they didn't stare.

Helpless, he continued, "Okay, let me put it differently. That stuff is silver, and Sickles are also silver. Do you know what this means? If you are diligent, you can probably harvest five Galleons in one night."

Fred and George gasped for breath, temporarily forgetting to reproach Kyle. They huddled together and began calculating.

Five Galleons in one night, thirty-five in one week, and for one semester...

The twins' heads were a bit dizzy, they couldn't figure it out, but it was undoubtedly a huge number.

And they still had six years to spend at Hogwarts.

With this windfall, even if they shared it with Kyle and others, they could open their own joke shop when they graduated.

Did their dream come true just like that?

The two brothers hugged each other with tears of joy and almost jumped with excitement.

After that, they didn't care about anything else and just stared at the Mooncalves. When the silver dots stopped increasing, they rushed out instantly.

The Mooncalves were frightened and ran back to their lair, and the Weasley twins started collecting their droppings.

Maybe thinking it was too slow, Fred even invited Kyle and others to join.

However, both Kyle and Cedric didn't move, and Kanna was a bit hesitant, but Kyle also pulled her back.

"Uh, won't you tell them the truth?" The honest Cedric was a bit conflicted.

The droppings of Mooncalves were indeed valuable, but they had to be fresh. Moreover, unlike Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which could be sold just by mentioning it, this stuff needed a stable sales channel and customers.

Fred and George couldn't even leave Hogwarts, let alone venture outside. Cedric truly couldn't think of anyone who would buy the collected droppings of Mooncalves.

Furthermore, there was something more crucial... this was Hogwarts.

Whether it was Hagrid's pumpkin patch or Professor Sprout's greenhouse, they required a considerable amount of fertilizer.

These fertilizers certainly wouldn't be bought with money from outside.

"What truth? I don't understand what you mean," Kyle innocently said. "I was telling the truth, that stuff is indeed valuable."

Cedric pursed his lips, looking at the twins with some sympathy.

After a while, Kyle suddenly felt a little sleepy, so he stepped forward and stopped the twins who were still happily scooping droppings.

Regardless of their fierce objections, he and Cedric forcibly dragged them out of the Forbidden Forest.

(End of chapter)