In the days that followed, Gilderoy Lockhart was nowhere to be seen around Hogwarts, a development that made Kyle feel his life had become significantly more pleasant.
The same could not be said, however, for the Savior, Harry Potter.
While he was no longer being harassed by Lockhart, he still had the "paparazzi" Colin Creevey trailing his every move. It seemed as though the boy had memorized Harry's entire class schedule; after every period, Kyle would spot Colin lurking by the classroom door to waylay Harry.
Colin had one undeniable talent: no matter where in the world Harry went, he could get there faster than a seasoned news hound. But his questions never varied, consisting of nothing but—
"Harry, can I take your picture?"
"Harry, can I be in a photo with you?"
"Harry, can you give me your autograph?"
Harry struggled through the week, hoping for a peaceful weekend. Since there were no classes, he figured he could finally evade the persistent Colin Creevey.
What he didn't expect, however, was for Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, to drag him out of his warm bed before dawn for a practice session.
Harry felt utterly drained.
While the Gryffindor players sat yawning in the locker room, listening to Wood drone on about their new Quidditch tactics for the term, a different scene was unfolding on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Hurry up, hurry up!" the young Hannah Abbott urged impatiently.
Ever since the "skipping History of Magic" incident a while back, Kyle had promised to take her to ride Buckbeak. But Kyle, the "King of Procrastinators," had stood her up so many times that he had never actually followed through.
In truth, Kyle had forgotten the promise entirely. At the time, he had only tossed the idea out as a random excuse to distract Hannah so she wouldn't nag him about skipping class. It wasn't until Hannah cornered him in the Great Hall today and brought it up that Kyle finally remembered...
Actually, even after she mentioned it, Kyle still couldn't recall exactly when he had told her about Buckbeak.
Standing at the forest's edge, Kyle put two fingers to his lips and let out a sharp, loud whistle.
Since Hagrid had introduced him to Buckbeak, Kyle had frequently ventured into the forest to pet the creature. After spending so much time together, the bond between man and beast had become quite strong. Now, whenever Kyle whistled at the edge of the woods, Buckbeak would come trotting out eagerly.
Soon, a rustling sound emerged from the bushes before them, and a magnificent creature appeared.
"Long time no see, Buckbeak."
Kyle opened his arms to the Hippogriff. Buckbeak gave a loud snort, trotting forward to nuzzle and shove against Kyle affectionately. The sheer force of the gesture forced Kyle back several steps.
Hannah watched the interaction with a mix of nervousness and intense anticipation. Soon, she would be riding a Hippogriff. She was certain that very few students at Hogwarts had ever experienced such an adventure. When she got back, she was definitely going to brag to Hermione about this.
Kyle pulled a piece of meat from a small bag and waved it in front of Buckbeak. The Hippogriff's eyes lit up; he gently took the meat from Kyle's hand and began to tear into it happily.
A few minutes later, a piercing eagle-like cry echoed through the Forbidden Forest.
Buckbeak reared up on his front talons, unfurled his massive wings, and took off into the sky with Hannah on his back.
Kyle didn't follow. Instead, his hands blurred as he wove a series of hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof!
A large, six-winged bird covered in golden feathers was summoned forth.
In just under two months, Arashi's size had grown significantly; his wingspan now neared two meters. His feathers were becoming fuller, and his appearance was starting to resemble the legendary Thunderbird, complete with a burgeoning "Lightning Cloak."
Perhaps in the near future, with Arashi's help, Kyle would be able to perform the technique he had always dreamed of.
Forbidden Jutsu: Lightning Release: Kirin!
"Go on, have some fun," Kyle said, patting Arashi's large head.
Arashi let out an excited chirp in response, flapped his wings, and soared into the sky after them.
A long while later, Buckbeak returned with Hannah. Arashi followed close behind, obediently shrinking back into Kyle's specialized suitcase.
As she hopped off Buckbeak's back, Hannah still looked unsatisfied. An excited flush made her already rosy face turn even redder. It was clear she had found the flight exhilarating.
"Can I come back and play with Buckbeak again?" the young girl asked, her eyes full of hope.
"Of course. You and Buckbeak are friends now. But next time you want to visit, it's best if you have me or Hagrid bring you," Kyle said, shrugging. "After all, a Hippogriff's danger rating isn't exactly low."
Hearing this, Buckbeak nudged Kyle's head reproachfully, nearly knocking him over. Hannah's eyes crinkled into crescents of laughter.
Kyle gave Buckbeak's head a rough, playful rub before turning back to Hannah.
"Come on, let's head back."
As they walked toward the castle, Kyle glanced toward the Quidditch pitch in the distance. He remembered seeing the Gryffindor team heading there in full gear during his morning workout. They were supposed to be training, but why were there no figures on broomsticks in the sky?
Curious, Kyle cast an Eagle Eye spell on himself. He saw a large, rowdy crowd gathered on the pitch. Judging by the colors of their ties, it looked like a confrontation between the Lions and the Snakes.
"Come on! Let's go see the show! Gryffindor and Slytherin are at it!"
Kyle led Hannah toward the distant stadium. As they pushed through the crowd to the front of the onlookers, he heard a sharp voice:
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in!"
It was Ron. He was standing next to his two Beater brothers, staring at the brand-new Nimbus 2001 in Malfoy's hand, his voice dripping with jealousy.
Seeing that every Slytherin player held a Nimbus 2001, Kyle could guess exactly what had happened. It was obviously Malfoy trying to get closer to his dream... no, his best rival. To ensure he could have some intense physical contact with his dear friend Harry on the pitch, Malfoy had paid a high price to sponsor the Slytherin team, securing his spot without a single tryout.
The only thing Kyle couldn't guess was which position Malfoy was playing.
Hearing Ron's remark, Malfoy's smug expression darkened, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What did you say?! You filthy little blood traitor!"
At Malfoy's words, Ron immediately drew his severely damaged wand and pointed it menacingly at him. Before Malfoy could react, Ron fired a jinx.
"Eat slugs!"
A loud bang echoed through the stadium. A jet of green light shot out from the back of Ron's wand, hitting him squarely in the stomach and knocking him backward onto the grass.
"Ron! Are you okay?" Harry rushed forward to help his friend.
Ron didn't answer. His face slowly turned a sickly shade of purple and green until he finally couldn't hold it in anymore—
"BLECH!"
Several slimy, wriggling slugs tumbled out of his mouth.
Impressive. The Slug Sage! Kyle commented inwardly from the front row.
The Slytherin team collapsed with laughter, Malfoy most of all. But his triumph was short-lived.
One had to remember: Ron was currently learning Taijutsu from Hagrid.
Enduring the foul sensation in his throat, Ron scrambled up from the ground and lunged at Malfoy with a Hogwarts Strong Whirlwind!
CRACK!
The arch of Ron's foot connected heavily with Malfoy's pale face in a spinning kick.
Malfoy went flying sideways, one of his cheeks instantly swelling like a balloon. Lying on the ground, he clutched his face in disbelief. "You hit me? Even my father never hit me!"
He scrambled to his feet, rolling up his sleeves and reaching for his wand to fight back. The rest of the Slytherin team began to close in; after all, Ron had just struck their "Golden Sponsor."
Hermione stepped forward, blocking the path of the aggressive Slytherins.
Seeing the situation, Kyle knew he couldn't just keep watching. He stepped forward, placing himself in front of Hermione to protect her. He looked at the surrounding crowd with disdain, cracking his knuckles with a series of audible pops.
"What's this? Thinking of winning through numbers?"
————
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