Chapter 72: Why Can't It Be You

As they were about to exit the Forbidden Forest, Fred and George finally resigned themselves and abandoned their struggle. However, their dissatisfaction lingered, and they continued to complain about Kyle's wasteful behavior.

"There's plenty more out there, we wasted at least one Galleon."

Fred lifted the hem of his robe, using it as a makeshift large pocket that contained silver "Moonlight Sand", piled like a small mountain.

George, adopting the same style, made them look like two kangaroos.

Kyle remained silent, only responding with casual acknowledgments.

Partly due to exhaustion, and that it was already very late. The initial excitement of witnessing the Mooncalves dance had worn off, and the fatigue from staying up late began to overwhelm Kyle.

All he wanted now was to quickly return to the dormitory and lie down for a good night's sleep.

As they approached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, a sudden bark and heavy footsteps echoed nearby.

Hagrid!

Startled, they all immediately dropped to the ground.

Kyle swiftly pulled out the Invisibility Cloak, which, though a bit small for five people, provided partial coverage. Fortunately, the dense undergrowth in the Forbidden Forest served as excellent cover.

The footsteps drew nearer, and they could now clearly see Hagrid's massive silhouette.

With the Invisibility Cloak concealing him, Kyle lay at the forefront, holding his breath nervously.

"Who's there? Come out!" Hagrid, carrying a dimly lit lantern, stopped nearby. "I saw you!"

Behind Hagrid, the black boarhound, Fang, followed suit. Lowering its head, it sniffed the ground and gradually approached Kyle and the others' hiding spot.

For a moment, everyone's hearts were in their throats. They all covered their mouths with their hands, desperately avoiding making any sound.

Fang came closer, and the distance between them quickly diminished to less than a meter. Kyle could even see its small black eyes and the drool dripping continuously from its mouth.

"Did you find something?"

Hagrid also noticed Fang's unusual behavior. Holding the lantern, he walked over and shouted, "I don't care who you are, but this is Hogwarts, not the kind of place you can casually wander into!"

"Leave before I get angry. If I catch you, you'll suffer!"

For some reason, after hearing Hagrid's voice, Fang hesitated for a moment, then suddenly changed direction and headed deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid closely followed, brushing past Kyle and the others.

Time passed slowly until the footsteps completely faded away. Only then did Kyle and the others relax, lying on the ground, panting heavily.

"So thrilling!" Cedric exclaimed, his face flushed. "Merlin's beard! I almost touched Hagrid's shoe; he nearly stepped on my hand!"

"Oh, darn it." Fred, just getting up from the ground, suddenly cursed, looking at his hands covered in sticky liquid. "I think I touched that dog's saliva."

"You should be thankful it's just saliva." George, still shaken, said, "Hagrid looked terrifying just now. If he caught us, it wouldn't be as simple as being detained."

As he spoke, George shivered.

It was his first time seeing Hagrid so angry, and the overwhelming pressure still made him shudder when recalling it.

"We owe it to you guys this time." Kyle patted Fred and George on the shoulders.

If they hadn't carried a bunch of Mooncalf dung, confusing Fang's sense of smell, they wouldn't have easily slipped through.

After this unexpected incident, they didn't dare to delay any longer. Seizing the opportunity while Hagrid was still in the Forbidden Forest, they quickly tidied up and headed back towards the castle.

Upon reaching the entrance of the secret passage, they didn't rush inside. Instead, they took out the Marauder's Map, confirming that Filch was not on the first floor. Subsequently, they successively passed through the secret passage and returned to the castle.

As they went their separate ways after leaving the secret passage, the group seemed particularly nervous on the way back.

Cedric felt his heart beating fast and couldn't help but say, "Kyle, do you think we'll get caught?"

"No worries. If we're discovered, we'll split up and run," Kyle whispered. "That way, he won't know who to chase."

"But..." Kanna, with a trembling voice, said, "I run slowly. What should I do?"

"Well, that is a problem." Kyle pondered, then suggested, "How about this? If we are discovered, you run upstairs."

"Running upstairs won't get me caught?" Kanna asked in confusion.

"No, running upstairs isn't safe..." Kyle shook his head, explaining, "But this way, Filch will go after you. Meanwhile, Cedric and I can take the opportunity to run back to the common room."

"..."

? ? ?

Kanna's eyes gradually became somewhat dull and then turned into anger in a very short time.

But Kyle remained oblivious, still whispering, "Catch one, two runs away—very cost-effective."

Kanna gritted her teeth. "Then why is the one getting caught me?"

"Well... It's quite simple." Kyle thought for a moment. "If someone has to get hurt, why can't it be you?"

For some reason, Kanna suddenly became less nervous. She silently took out her wand, inspecting Kyle's back, seemingly searching for a suitable spot to jab.

The wand, made of snakewood, was known for its hardness. According to Ollivander, in some extreme situations, the snakewood wand could even be used as a melee weapon.

Kyle felt a chill on his back and instinctively quickened his pace.

...

Without any surprises, the three of them returned to the common room smoothly.

That was for certain.

When checking the Marauder's Map at the secret passage, Kyle had already noticed that the professors were sleeping in their rooms, and Filch who was on night patrol was on the eighth floor.

The distance from the Great Hall to the Hufflepuff common room was pretty close. If they walked fast, they could reach it in a few minutes.

Therefore, Cedric and Kanna's worries on the way back were completely unnecessary.

"Goodnight, see you tomorrow," Kyle yawned and returned to the dormitory.

Originally, he planned to go to the kitchen to find something to eat after coming back, but as soon as he entered the common room, he couldn't hold on.

His eyelids began to fight, and his head felt heavy. All he wanted was a good night's sleep.

"Goodnight."

"Hmph~"

...

(End of chapter)