Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
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Since joining the Quidditch team, Kyle has become incredibly busy.
He now attends classes during the day, reads in the library, and sneaks out to the restricted section at night to copy books. Any spare time he manages to squeeze out is entirely devoted to homework.
The second-year homework is significantly more than last year; the professors seem to have conspired to change the length requirement for assignments from inches to feet starting last week.
Add to that the three nights of Quidditch training each week, which also takes up a lot of his time.
Harris is very strict about this, requiring at least three hours of training each time, with no return until curfew.
However, after several training sessions, Kyle's coordination with his teammates has become increasingly smooth.
Just today, he and Harris were able to skillfully execute a two-way offensive tactic.
This is a classic Quidditch tactic invented by the Wimbledon Hornets, a modified version of the Eagles formation.
Two chasers simultaneously fly towards the central goalpost, frequently passing the ball, then quickly splitting to either side once they reach the scoring zone, thus confusing the goalkeeper's judgment.
After the practice match, Kyle and Harris had scored a total of sixty goals. The Hufflepuff goalkeeper was practically questioning his existence, his eyes glazed over as he was carried back to the dorm by the others.
"Cheer up, Fello! You're already one of the best goalkeepers in the school! Think about it, if you can't catch a shot, nobody else can!"
Harris, his face flushed, lifted Fello's right leg and said, "Our names will be engraved on the Quidditch Cup again this year, I promise!"
"Haha...why isn't November here yet? I can't wait for the matches to start!"
The group returned to the castle in a grand procession, with Kyle following behind them, carrying his flying broomstick.
As they passed the Great Hall entrance, they encountered Fred and George coming down from the upper floor of the castle.
Their pockets were bulging, seemingly full of things.
After Harris and the others had gone some distance, Cedric raised an eyebrow and whispered, "Curfew's almost here, are you going out for a night out?"
"No, we just got back from Hogsmeade and are going to the kitchen for some late-night snacks," George patted his bulging pockets and laughed, "Zonko's latest stuff, bought before they closed."
"You know, for our lovely little brother." Fred winked and handed Kyle a leather bag.
"Here's what you wanted."
"Thanks." Kyle took it.
Fred glanced at him, then asked excitedly, "So, you've got some new money-making ideas lately? Tell us!"
"What?" Kyle was a little confused.
He's been so busy these past few days he hasn't even been to the flower garden, how could he possibly have time to research any new money-making ideas?
"Stop pretending, what's there to keep secret from us?" George said discontentedly, "If you didn't have a new idea, why would you buy so much parchment?"
"Don't tell me it's for making maps, the time to sell maps was almost a month ago."
Fred put his arm around Kyle's shoulder, giving him a "I'm smart, don't try to fool me" look, "If you didn't have a new idea, how could you possibly buy a thousand sheets of parchment?"
"A thousand sheets! The stock was almost insufficient."
"Insufficient stock?"
Kyle opened his mokeskin bag and quickly saw stacks of parchment inside, but he didn't know exactly how many sheets there were.
"Never mind, I'm not in a hurry, a little less won't matter."
"It's almost not enough." Fred said with a smile, "There are 1063 sheets here, the extras are bonuses."
"That's all, we've moved the closing time of Wenrenju forward by twenty minutes today."
"Alright, after saying so much, you should tell us what the plan is now."
Fred stroked his chin, guessing to himself, "If it's parchment, could it be a map of the secret passage... or are you planning to offer the answers to the assignment for a fee?"
"Neither!"
Kyle shook his head, "I really just bought this for my own use."
"Don't joke around, this is a thousand parchments. You wouldn't need that many just for homework.
Cedric, do you really need a thousand parchments for a semester?"
Cedric immediately shook his head.
To be honest, a thousand parchments would last him almost seven years.
"I know you find it hard to believe, but it's true."
Kyle thought for a moment and said, "I've been copying some things recently, and I need a lot of parchment, that's all."
Seeing Kyle's serious expression, Fred and George weren't as insistent as before.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course." Kyle shrugged. "And I can guarantee that if I'm lying, I'll make sure Cedric starts going bald this year."
"Hey, what does that have to do with me!"
Cedric glared at Kyle.
"Don't be so stingy." Kyle said nonchalantly, "Don't you believe me?"
"It's not the same thing!" Cedric said helplessly.
His father, Mr. Diggory, had hair problems, and he didn't want to become like that now.
Since Kyle had said that, Fred and George dispelled their last bit of doubt.
"Yes, Kyle had no reason to lie to them."
The two looked disappointed, turning away dejectedly and heading towards the Gryffindor Tower.
All the way there, they had been excitedly guessing Kyle's new plan, even preparing for a grand undertaking.
In the end, they discovered there was no plan at all; it was all wishful thinking on their part.
This sense of disappointment was hard for them to accept.
"You've gone the wrong way," Cedric reminded them. "You should go downstairs to get to the kitchen."
"Thanks, but we suddenly don't feel so hungry anymore."
"And we don't want to eat anything."
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After the twins left, Cedric scratched his head and asked, "What's wrong with them?"
Kyle shook his head. "Who knows? Maybe they're going through puberty."
"What puberty?"
"Nothing, curfew is coming soon, let's go back."
"Okay."
Late at night, after his roommates fell asleep, Kyle quietly got up and left the dormitory, heading to the library as usual.
Kyle walked straight to the third bookshelf in the forbidden section, opened his leather bag, and expertly took out a shorthand quill and a stack of parchment, placing them on the nearest table.
"Lumos!"
Kyle then lit his wand, picked up a carefully chosen book, and sat down to peruse it.
[End of the chapter]