The secret passage seemed designed for nighttime wanderers, its exit tucked behind some bushes near the Quidditch field, not far from the castle.
Fred and George strode to the front once everyone had emerged, spreading their arms wide, "Welcome to Hogwarts at night."
"It's completely different from daytime — enjoy it."
Cedric and Kanna were visibly excited. For them, sneaking out at night was an entirely new experience, bringing with it an indescribable thrill.
Though it was also Kyle's first time seeing Hogwarts under the night sky, he felt nothing special — yet he couldn't help looking around curiously.
Hogwarts at night was exceptionally peaceful. Stars dotted the sky, their soft light making the castle look dreamlike, as if tiny lanterns hung from its walls.
The group stood transfixed until Fred's reminder snapped them back to reality — they had business to attend to in the Forbidden Forest.
They took a wide detour around Hagrid's hut on their way. Though Fang was somewhat cowardly, he was still a proper hunting dog with keen senses. Getting too close risked detection.
Taking the longer route was preferable to being caught and dragged back to the castle by Hagrid.
Beyond the hut stretched a wide expanse of woodland. Under Kyle's guidance, they quickly found the Mooncalf nests among the lush protective trees.
Just then, the Mooncalves emerged from their burrows. They lifted their long necks skyward, their large heads creating a striking contrast with their thin, spindly legs.
They resembled miniature alpacas — quite cute, actually.
Under the moonlight, they began to dance, raising their front legs while their slightly thicker hind legs moved in intricate patterns.
"The Mooncalf dance... this is the Mooncalf dance!" Cedric exclaimed. "I've only seen it in books before, but seeing it live is so much better!"
"Don't get too excited." Kyle warned quietly, "If they notice us, they'll stop performing."
Mooncalves are very shy magical creatures — they retreat bashfully into their burrows at the slightest sign of observers.
Cedric wasn't wrong, though. The live dance was far more spectacular than any photograph could capture.
Even the best pictures by Newt, despite his talents as a magizoologist, couldn't do justice to the real thing.
As the Mooncalves warmed up, their dance steps grew more complex and enchanting.
With each step, silvery sparkles appeared on the ground behind them, multiplying and spreading like a glittering stage beneath their feet.
This silvery stage caught the moonlight, making their performance even more magnificent.
"How beautiful..." Kanna whispered, her eyes sparkling with wonder.
"Ahem..." Kyle hesitated, then leaned over to whisper in her ear, "That silver stuff is their droppings."
The sparkle in Kanna's eyes faded instantly as she turned to him in disbelief.
"It's true." Kyle said matter-of-factly, "Check 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' if you don't believe me."
Kanna: "..."
Now that she knew the Mooncalves were dancing atop their own droppings, the beautiful performance lost its magic. She could never see it the same way again.
Frustrated, Kanna couldn't understand why Kyle had to reveal this now — couldn't he have waited until after the show?
She turned and punched his arm in annoyance.
Fred and George shared her sentiment, each giving Kyle an irritated punch while scolding him for not knowing when to keep quiet.
Only Cedric remained composed, since he already knew about this.
Seeing everyone's anger, Kyle quickly raised his hands in surrender, "I was wrong!"
But it wasn't enough — everyone continued staring at him intently, including Cedric, who felt compelled to join in.
"Alright, let's look at it another way." Kyle suggested, "That stuff is silver, and Sickles are silver too. Know what that means? If you're diligent, you could collect about five in one night."
Fred and George gasped, their criticism forgotten as they huddled together to calculate.
Five Galleons a night, thirty-five a week, for one semester would be... The twins' heads spun — they couldn't calculate the exact sum, but they knew it would be enormous.
With six years left at Hogwarts and this potential windfall, even after splitting it with Kyle and the others, they could open their dream joke shop after graduation.
Could it really be that simple?
The brothers embraced tearfully, nearly jumping with excitement.
After that, they focused solely on watching the Mooncalves. The moment the silver spots stopped appearing, they rushed forward.
The startled Mooncalves retreated to their burrows while Fred and George collected the droppings. Finding the task too slow, Fred called for Kyle and the others to help.
Kyle and Cedric remained still, while Kanna's movement forward was stopped by Kyle's restraining hand.
"Um, aren't you going to tell them the truth?" Cedric asked, wrestling with his conscience.
Mooncalf droppings were indeed valuable, but only when fresh, and unlike Bertie Bott's beans, they required proper sales channels and customers.
Fred and George couldn't even leave Hogwarts grounds, let alone establish a business. Cedric couldn't imagine who they could possibly sell the droppings to.
Moreover, there was something more important — this was Hogwarts. Both Hagrid's pumpkin patch and Professor Sprout's greenhouses needed plenty of fertilizer.
Surely the school wouldn't purchase fertilizer from outside sources?
"What truth? I don't know what you mean." Kyle said innocently, "What I said was true — that stuff really is expensive."
Cedric pressed his lips together, giving the twins a sympathetic look.
After a while longer, Kyle began feeling sleepy. He went to stop the enthusiastically scooping twins, and despite their fierce protests, he and Cedric forcibly dragged them out of the Forbidden Forest.
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