As they were about to exit the Forbidden Forest, Fred and George finally gave up their struggle, though they continued to complain about Kyle's wasteful behavior.
"There's still so much left there — we wasted at least a Galleon's worth."
Fred was holding up the hem of his robes like a makeshift pouch, filled with a small mountain of silvery "Moonsand". George beside him mirrored the same pose, making them both look like a pair of kangaroos.
Kyle responded only half-heartedly.
He truly had no energy left. It was very late, and after the initial excitement of watching the Mooncalves dance had worn off, exhaustion was setting in. All he wanted now was to return to his dormitory and sink into his warm, comfortable bed.
As they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, they suddenly heard a dog bark and heavy footsteps in the distance.
Hagrid!
Everyone dropped to the ground in an instant.
Kyle pulled out the Invisibility Cloak as quickly as he could.
Though the cloak was too small to completely cover all five of them, the thick undergrowth of the Forbidden Forest provided additional cover.
The footsteps grew closer, and Hagrid's enormous figure came into view.
Kyle lay at the front, holding up the Invisibility Cloak, not daring to breathe.
"Who's there? Come out now!" Hagrid stopped nearby, holdin' up a dim lantern. "I knows yer there!"
Behind him came his black boarhound, Fang. The dog kept its nose to the ground, sniffing around and gradually approaching their hiding spot.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats as they covered their mouths, trying desperately not to make a sound.
Fang came closer and closer until he was less than a meter away. Kyle could clearly see his small black eyes and the drool dripping from his mouth.
"Did yeh find somethin'?" Hagrid noticed the dog's unusual behavior and walked over with his lantern, shouting, "I don' care who yeh are, but this is Hogwarts — not somewhere fer people like yeh ter jus' wander into! Leave before I lose me temper! Yeh'll be in real trouble if I catch yeh!"
{T/N: Do you prefer it this way, as in the original, or leave it as it was for better understanding?}
For some reason, after hearing his voice, Fang hesitated for a moment before suddenly changing direction and heading deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid followed closely behind him, passing mere inches from Kyle and the others.
Time crept by, and only after the footsteps had completely faded did the group finally relax, collapsing onto the ground with heavy breaths.
"That was intense!" Cedric said, his face flushed, "Merlin's beard, I actually touched Hagrid's shoe — he nearly stepped on my hand!"
"Oh, damn." Fred suddenly yelped as he got up, grimacing at the sticky liquid on his hand, "I think I touched the dog's drool."
"Be grateful it was just drool." George said, his voice still shaky, "Hagrid looked terrifying just now. If he'd caught us, we'd have gotten worse than detention."
George shuddered. It was his first time seeing Hagrid so angry, and the overwhelming pressure still made him tremble.
"We really owe you guys for this one." Kyle said, patting them on the shoulders.
If they hadn't been carrying all that Mooncalf dung to confuse Fang's sense of smell, they wouldn't have escaped so easily.
After this close call, no one wanted to linger. While Hagrid was still in the Forest, they quickly tidied up and ran toward the castle.
✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭
At the secret passage exit, they paused to check the Marauder's Map. Only after confirming Filch wasn't on the first floor did they proceed through the passage back to the castle.
They split up after exiting, each heading toward their respective destinations.
Still rattled by their earlier encounter, everyone seemed tense on their way back.
Cedric, his heart pounding, couldn't help asking, "Kyle, you don't think we'll get caught, do you?"
"Don't worry, if we're discovered, we'll split up and run," Kyle whispered. "That way he won't know who to chase."
"But..." Kanna said with a trembling voice, "I... I run slowly. What should I do?"
"Ah, that is a problem." Kyle thought for a moment and said, "How about this — if we're discovered, you run upstairs."
"Running upstairs will keep me from getting caught?" Kanna asked, confused.
"No, running upstairs isn't safe..." Kyle shook his head and explained, "But that way, Filch will chase after you, and Cedric and I can make it back to the common room."
"..."
???
Kanna's expression gradually became blank, then quickly turned to anger.
But Kyle remained oblivious to this, still speaking softly, "Catching one to let two escape — it's a good deal."
She said through gritted teeth, "Why am I the one getting caught?"
"Hmm... it's simple." Kyle thought for a moment and said, "If someone has to get hurt, why not you?"
Somehow, Kanna suddenly wasn't nervous anymore. She silently took out her wand and looked up and down his back, seemingly searching for the right spot to jab it.
The Snakewood wand's most notable characteristic was its hardness — according to Ollivander, in certain extreme situations, Snakewood wands could even be used as close-combat weapons.
Kyle felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively quickened his pace.
✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭
Without further incidents, the three made it back to the common room.
This was certain. Kyle had noticed earlier while checking the Marauder's Map at the secret passage that all the professors were asleep in their rooms, and Filch was patrolling the eighth floor.
The distance from the Great Hall to the Hufflepuff common room wasn't far — it only took a few minutes at a brisk walk. That wasn't enough time for Filch to come down.
So really, Cedric and Kanna's worrying on the way back had been completely unnecessary.
"Good night, see you tomorrow." Kyle said with a yawn as he headed to his dormitory.
He had originally planned to go to the kitchen for some food after getting back, but as soon as he entered the common room, he couldn't keep his eyes open.
His eyelids were heavy, his head felt fuzzy, and all he wanted was a good sleep.
"Good night."
"Hmph~~"
✭✭✭
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