After being thrown out of the classroom by Snape, Kyle didn't leave immediately. Instead, under Kanna's puzzled gaze, he leaned his ear against the door again.
All he could hear, however, was a faint buzzing, like a swarm of Billywigs flying about. It was the unmistakable effect of the Muffliato Charm.
"Honestly, no trust at all," Kyle muttered.
He realized there would be no thrilling revelations today. With nothing else to do, he resigned himself to leaving the Dungeon alongside Kanna. As they walked, he shared his suspicion.
"Unlikely..." Kanna hesitated. "But why would Professor Snape use the Memory Charm on Umbridge?"
Though Snape was known for his sharp tongue, particularly with professors he disliked, such as Lupin or Sirius, Kanna couldn't imagine him crossing that line. Despite their animosity, Snape and Sirius had always kept their conflicts to verbal sparring. Attacking someone outright, especially behind their back, seemed unthinkable.
After all, they were professors at Hogwarts. There were boundaries, and even if tensions ran high, restraint was always maintained.
"I don't think I'm wrong," Kyle said. "You must have noticed too—Umbridge's questions were identical to the last time. That means she doesn't remember she's already been here."
As the Dungeon grew more distant behind them, Kyle glanced back and added, "As for why Snape would do it... well, maybe she said something offensive. It wouldn't be shocking if that happened with her."
Kyle had considered lingering, curious if Snape would use the Memory Charm on Umbridge again. But no one came out of the Dungeon, and with their next class being Herbology with Professor Sprout, he had no choice but to suppress his curiosity and head to the greenhouses with Kanna.
At dinner, the atmosphere in the Great Hall was a bit unusual. A buzz of excitement rippled through the students, as though many were eagerly anticipating something.
Fred had managed to cause a commotion by accidentally setting off a firework. A flaming lion streaked through the air, frightening some younger students who screamed and dashed about, overturning several glasses of pumpkin juice in their panic.
Professor McGonagall, furious, docked twenty points from Fred, who accepted his punishment grudgingly.
At the Hufflepuff table, however, Cedric was unusually composed. He had been tense for days, but now seemed remarkably calm.
"Aren't you nervous?" Kyle asked, glancing at him.
"It's strange," Cedric replied, scooping up a spoonful of Cornish cream soup. "I was so nervous at lunch I could barely eat. But after class, it all just... disappeared."
"We've prepared for everything. We've considered every possible scenario and planned for it. So why should I be nervous now?"
"That's a good way to think about it," Kyle said.
He couldn't help but notice how different Cedric's demeanor was compared to Harry's. Harry, who had seemed fine over the past few days, now sat at the Gryffindor table, visibly tense. He wasn't eating, barely acknowledging anything around him—not even the flaming lion that had startled half the hall.
Cedric, meanwhile, appeared to thrive under pressure, growing calmer as the stakes rose.
"Are you going to the Room of Requirement today?" Cedric asked. "Everyone who signed up for the self-study course in Defence Against the Dark Arts signed the magical contract at lunchtime today."
"Under the influence of magic, they won't be able to tell anyone what goes on in the Room of Requirement, so you don't have to worry about Umbridge finding out."
"If that's the case... okay," Kyle nodded.
To be honest, he was curious to see what Cedric had planned. Besides, it didn't really matter if Umbridge found out. Kyle had to admit that, despite his questionable character, Professor Lockhart had taught him a very practical Charm that could solve many problems, especially in situations like this.
At half past seven, Kyle, Kanna, and Cedric left the Hufflepuff Common Room and made their way toward the Room of Requirement.
"I asked earlier, and the House-elves can't take us to the eighth floor, so we'll have to go in groups," Cedric said, glancing toward the portrait of the fruit-bearing man at the end of the corridor. "They can't use magic in front of students unless they have the headmaster's permission."
"Then just go and tell Professor Dumbledore," Kyle suggested.
"You've got to be kidding me," Cedric replied, shooting him a look. "What we're doing tonight is breaking at least ten school rules. How could we possibly tell the headmaster? He'd never agree."
"That's not necessarily true," Kyle said. "You're still trying to learn, aren't you? I bet the headmaster wouldn't mind giving you a little leeway."
"That... better not," Cedric said after a moment of hesitation, shaking his head.
As a typical Hufflepuff, Cedric still placed Dumbledore on a pedestal and hadn't considered the idea of openly discussing rule-breaking with him. Kyle, on the other hand, seemed like the only person at Hogwarts bold enough to think that way.
When they reached the eighth floor, a door had already appeared across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Cedric approached, knocked three times, then pushed it open and walked in.
Inside, they found Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Fred and George.
As soon as Ron saw Kyle following behind them, his expression soured. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Fred and George enthusiastically greeted Kyle instead.
"I knew you'd come, mate," Fred said with a grin.
"Even though your plan is important, it'd be a shame to miss something this interesting," George added.
"This... You're not..." Ron stammered, staring at the scene in disbelief. It felt like his brain had stopped working. Hadn't they fallen out? They'd ignored each other for days, and now they were acting like friends again?
Hermione, holding a book nearby, simply glanced up with a knowing expression. She'd already figured out that Kyle and the twins had some sort of plan. Only Ron, in her view, had been too oblivious to see it.
"But we've never known you to defend us like this before..." Fred said, patting a stunned Ron on the back.
"Yeah," George added with a chuckle. "It almost makes us feel bad about teasing you in the future."
Even Ron, slow as he was to catch on, realized at this point that he'd been tricked. His own brothers had kept him in the dark, watched him flounder, and said nothing.
How could they do that?
Ron's face flushed red with anger as a sense of betrayal washed over him. Internally, he swore to never meddle in anyone's business again.
Seeing Ron's angry expression only made Fred and George laugh harder.
Meanwhile, Kyle was surveying the room.
Shelves lined the walls, stocked with books on Defence Against the Dark Arts, ranging from basic texts to more advanced works. The variety ensured that students of all ages could find something suited to their skill level.
There were also magical items scattered around—simple but useful ones like Sneakoscopes, Secrecy Sensors, and Foe-Glass.