Back at the castle, Kyle and his friends navigated the crowded corridors, heading to their next Transfiguration class. Over the past two days, students had been constantly asking about the Chamber of Secrets in nearly every class. But unlike Professor Sprout, the other professors weren't as tolerant.
In Transfiguration, a Gryffindor girl raised her hand during Professor McGonagall's lecture, only to be cut off before she could even utter the words "Chamber of Secrets."
"Ten points will be deducted from Gryffindor," Professor McGonagall said, lips pursed tightly. "Miss Bell, I would suggest you focus more on your studies and less on such idle legends. If I recall correctly, you still haven't managed to turn a button into a beetle... That was the assignment from our first lesson, and now Halloween has already passed. At this rate, you might not even earn an Acceptable on your exam."
Katie Bell flushed deeply and slouched back in her seat, her head bowed. With her as an example, no one else dared to broach the subject. But while the Gryffindors bit their tongues, Hufflepuff students felt no need to ask—they'd already heard the whole story from Professor Sprout. Watching their Gryffindor classmates remain clueless, the Hufflepuffs couldn't help but feel a small, smug sense of superiority.
So much for being a Gryffindor...
When class ended, Kyle intended to head straight to the Great Hall for lunch. But as he reached the first floor, he was startled by a rapid series of "crackling" sounds from above. He recognized those sounds all too well—the signature blasts of props being triggered in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
Without hesitation, Kyle turned and sprinted up the stairs, drawing his wand and readying his suitcase as he went. Could it be the diary's owner? Or... the Basilisk! His heart pounded as he ran. If it was a person, fine, but if it was the Basilisk... he wasn't sure if it would still obey him. And if it didn't... could Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback, handle it?
With these thoughts racing through his mind, Kyle hurried down the corridor leading to Myrtle's bathroom. But as he arrived, he froze, surprised to see three familiar faces standing at the bathroom door.
"Harry, Hermione, Ron?" Kyle asked, blinking in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
The trio looked startled, clearly spooked by the string of explosions, and only fully registered Kyle's presence when he spoke.
Harry turned around, flustered. "We... we were just passing by... yeah, just passing by!"
As he spoke, Kyle noticed Hermione holding a large, ancient-looking book, which she quickly hid behind her back when she caught Kyle's gaze. Despite her attempt to conceal it, he caught a glimpse of the word "Potions" on the cover. Judging by the look of it, he guessed it was Moste Potente Potions, a rare, advanced potions book. Kyle happened to own a handwritten copy of it himself, tucked away in his suitcase.
He didn't press her on it, though. Instead, seeing their soot-streaked faces, he felt a wave of relief. Thank goodness it's not the Basilisk.
"Whether you were 'just passing by' or not, I think you should run," Kyle said, glancing over his shoulder. "We just finished Transfiguration, and Professor McGonagall hasn't gone far yet."
"Professor McGonagall?!" The trio's eyes went wide, looking as if they'd been caught red-handed.
"If she finds out we blew up the bathroom..." Ron muttered, trailing off.
"Ron, we didn't blow up the bathroom!" Hermione corrected him. "We just opened the door—we didn't even go inside!"
"I know, but Professor McGonagall doesn't know that!"
Apparently, they'd learned from their Halloween experience. Without a moment's hesitation, the three of them bolted.
As they dashed past Kyle, Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't forget to thank him.
"Thanks for the tip, Kyle."
The three reached the stairs in record time and hurried towards Gryffindor Tower. Just as they rounded a corner, a tabby cat leapt lightly onto the nearby handrail. Its amber eyes scanned the hallway before spotting Kyle and the smoky mess around the bathroom.
The tabby cat then jumped off the rail, transforming mid-air into Professor McGonagall.
"So this is where the noise came from..." she muttered.
She stepped into the bathroom and gasped. "My goodness, what on earth happened here? Was someone practicing the Exploding Charm?"
Kyle leaned forward to take a look. In truth, Professor McGonagall was exaggerating a bit. Other than the walls, ceiling, and the corridor outside the bathroom door being blackened by smoke, there wasn't any real damage. Zonkos' exploding textbooks might have caused a loud ruckus, but they were practically harmless; otherwise, Kyle would never have risked setting them up in the school.
Professor McGonagall seemed to realize this too, though her irritation didn't fade.
"Professor McGonagall, I came because I heard a noise," Kyle quickly said.
She nodded, giving him an assessing look. "Was anyone else here when you arrived?"
"There were three of them," Kyle said, gesturing toward the stairs. "They ran down the stairs as I was arriving."
"Who were they?" Professor McGonagall asked, her lips tight.
Kyle pointed to the darkened wall and replied, "Their faces were as black as this wall, so I couldn't see them clearly."
Professor McGonagall glanced from the bathroom wall to the corridor outside, where three distinct human silhouettes had been outlined in the smoke. She seemed to piece something together, and a faint smile softened her usually stern expression.
"One of Zonko's items, no doubt..." She decided not to pursue the culprits further. With a quick flick of her wand, she restored the bathroom to its pristine state, then dispersed the growing crowd of students drawn by the noise, many of whom feared another attack like the one on Filch.
Myrtle remained silent and inconspicuous throughout the process, and it wasn't until Professor McGonagall left that she cautiously poked her head out from her stall.
"So, three annoying people driven off... I didn't think those things you put in here would actually work," she said to Kyle with a hint of admiration.
"What did you think they were for?" Kyle whispered as he walked back toward the Great Hall, glancing at Myrtle.
"Just old books you didn't want..." Myrtle replied. "Will you put more in?"
"Of course," he assured her.
Kyle had picked up quite a haul of Zonko's tricks on his last Hogsmeade trip, including the exploding textbooks. There had only been two copies, but judging by the earlier commotion, they were more than enough.
By the time Kyle returned to the Great Hall, lunch was already underway. Professor McGonagall was at the head table, speaking with Professor Flitwick.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived even later, slipping in with their heads down midway through lunch. They'd clearly changed clothes, and as they walked, they tried to smooth out their still-rumpled hair. Professor McGonagall glanced at them from the head table, a faintly knowing look in her eye.
"The Quidditch match is tomorrow," Harris was saying to Cedric nearby. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin. We'll finally get to see how those new broomsticks perform—and that new Seeker."
He was referring, of course, to Draco Malfoy, the only recent addition to the Slytherin team.
Cedric nodded. "I'll keep an eye on it."
"I just hope he's on the team because of those brooms, and not because he's some kind of Seeker prodigy like Potter," Harris said, a note of unease in his voice.
Seven brand-new Nimbus 2001s were one thing, but if they were combined with a skilled Seeker, the other three teams would be in serious trouble.