Chapter 75: Kyle's Flower Garden

With Kyle's assistance, Hagrid finally managed to deliver all the Christmas trees to the Great Hall before the feast.

By the time they arrived, Professors McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were already waiting in the hall.

"Hagrid, you finally made it. These are the last two... Oh, excellent Levitation Charm, Mr. Chopper, five points for Hufflepuff," McGonagall exclaimed.

Professor Flitwick was initially puzzled about how Hagrid could effortlessly carry two Christmas trees, but when he got closer, he found that Kyle was holding a wand.

"If the end-of-term exams involved Levitation Charms... I could give you an 'O' right now," Flitwick winked at Kyle. He then used the same Levitation Charm to place the two fir trees in their designated spots.

Professor McGonagall wove the Mistletoe into hanging ribbons, filling the last gaps in the walls.

A few minutes later, the Great Hall was bustling with numerous students, and the feast officially began.

At the dining table, Cedric looked at Kyle in surprise. "What? You're not going home for Christmas?"

"Yeah," Kyle nodded. "I can't help it. There's no one at home, so there's no point in going back. It's better to stay at Hogwarts."

Chris was responsible for returning the magical creatures they previously captured to their original habitats. He had been traveling the world with Mr. Scamander recently.

The Department of Mysteries seemed to be out on the field as well. A few days ago, Diana sent him a letter, mentioning that she might not be back for Christmas, but the gifts would be delivered on time.

With Chris and Diana both away, it would be pointless for Kyle to go home. He might as well stay at Hogwarts, where he at least had something to do.

"How about you come to my place," Cedric suggested. "My dad would love to have you."

"Next time," Kyle shook his head. "I just promised Hagrid that I'd help take care of the magical creatures during the holidays."

Cedric looked somewhat disappointed.

Kyle, on the other hand, had no desire to face Mr. Diggory, a son showoff, let alone spend two weeks with him.

Even just thinking about it made Kyle feel dizzy. It was enough for Chris to bear this kind of treatment.

To shift Cedric's attention and make him forget this topic, Kyle turned to Kanna beside him and asked, "How about you? Are you going home for the holidays?"

Kanna didn't speak, just gently shook her head.

Seeing this, Kyle refrained from asking further.

...

After the feast, the semester came to an end.

The next day, young wizards rode the train back to King's Cross Station.

Mikel and Ryan also went home, leaving Kyle alone in the dormitory. Even the once lively common room now felt deserted.

This feeling wasn't bad.

Kyle sat on a couch near the fireplace, roasting a potato with the skin on, along with some flatbread, mushrooms, and some thinly sliced beef.

Although the house-elves offered to roast these ingredients when Kyle fetched them from the kitchen, he declined. What he desired was the process, followed by the eating.

Kyle took out the potato with a forked stick when it finally darkened. Peeling it after it cooled, all that will be left is the sweet, soft, and tender flesh.

However, he might have misjudged the cooking time as the inside was still raw.

Kyle used a spoon to dig out the raw section and tossed it to a rat not far away.

"Kyle..." Kanna glared at him fiercely, "Don't feed Pochi weird stuff !"

"It's just a potato, nothing weird," Kyle waved his hand and said indifferently, "Besides, what rodent doesn't eat potatoes?"

As if deliberately going against him, the rat named Pochi glanced at the undercooked potato, turned around, and went elsewhere, showing no interest in tasting it.

"Wow, even a rat can be picky," Kyle was a little embarrassed and said to Kanna seriously, "I think you should starve it for a few days."

Kanna ignored him, taking Pochi with her as she left the common room.

Now, with the Christmas holiday, the caretaker's cat wouldn't linger in the castle corridors continuously. So, Kanna planned to take this opportunity to take her pet for a stroll and let it explore Hogwarts.

It had been here for a long time, and she couldn't keep it locked in the dormitory forever.

After Kanna left, Kyle found himself alone in the common room. He was a little bored and after finishing what he had on hand, he didn't stay any longer. Instead, he got up and went to the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor.

After three months of effort from Kyle, the room had transformed. In addition to the Chomping Cabbages, there were also Dittany, Aconite, Moly, Bouncing Bulb, Hellebore… and a beautiful Golden Hydrangea.

The first three were common magical plants that Kyle bought seeds for in Hogsmeade. As for the latter... it originated from the Hufflepuff common room.

One night, Kyle couldn't resist and cut a small twig with a bud from the flourishing Golden Hydrangea...

It was really a tiny one, only about an inch long, so it didn't have any impact on the plant.

Kyle originally planted it here thinking to just give it a try, but he didn't expect that it would actually bloom.

Although it still looked small, Kyle was satisfied. As long as it survived, it would grow eventually.

Kyle walked straight to the center.

The Chomping Cabbage plants were growing very well. In three months, they had grown from seeds to the size of bludgers. The open mouths displayed a powerful array of sharp teeth, promising a formidable bite.

Kyle loosened the soil for them and shooed away the Billywig that had been hovering over him.

"I'm busy right now. Go play on your own."

A few days ago, he accidentally saved this Billywig from Mrs. Norris' mouth who had mistaken it for lunch.

At that time, the Billywig had a long cut on its body and must have been caught by Mrs. Norris. Kyle brought it here, and with the help of Dittany, treated its long cut.

And then... it wouldn't leave.

Fortunately, it was quite well-behaved. After Kyle spoke, it flew aside obediently.

This was a big place, with many magical plants, and most importantly, a smart human wizard often came to play with it, so the Billywig liked it here very much.

After loosening the soil for the Chomping Cabbages, Kyle walked around the room again.

He still felt that this place was a bit empty. Although he still had many Aconite and Dittany seeds, having such a great place and only planting ordinary magical plants seemed like a waste.

Kyle rubbed his chin and looked thoughtfully at the large open space on the left side of the room that he had specially left.

If he remembered correctly, Herbology class should be learning about Devil's Snare soon.

...

(End of chapter)