Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
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Kyle took out his wand and held it under the trapdoor.
"Lumos!"
In a blinding white light, Kyle vaguely saw a cluster of green vines curled up directly beneath the trapdoor.
"It really is a Devil's Snare."
Kyle put away his wand and called to Fluffy.
"You stay here. If Dumbledore comes with his men later, shout for me."
"Woof..."
Fluffy, who had just finished eating jerky, obediently nodded his head. Kyle patted its big head and jumped down from the trapdoor.
"Thump..."
The soft Devil's Snare, like a hammock, caught Kyle steadily.
Feeling the snake-like tendrils on his body, Kyle didn't struggle at all, just lying there quietly.
Three seconds later, the tendrils loosened, and Kyle touched the ground. He rolled over and stood up, looking at the Devil's Snare in front of him with a strange expression.
I really don't know what Professor Sprout was thinking, choosing this thing as a barrier. Even a Venomous Tentacula from Greenhouse Three would be better.
The Devil's Web sounds intimidating, but its weaknesses are too obvious: it's afraid of light and fire, and a simple Illumination Charm can render it ineffective.
I don't know what Professor Sprout was thinking either; a barrier meant to stop others from advancing, yet they've placed a Devil's Web as a cushion; what a waste!
Kyle looked around, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Whose Devil's Snare is this?"
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Silence reigned, broken only by faint echoes.
Whose Devil's Snare...
Devil's Snare...
Snare...
Hearing the noise, Kyle curiously poked his head out and glanced down.
"None of your business, go back!" Fluffy whimpered, sullenly shrinking back.
Kyle cleared his throat and continued shouting,
"Ahem... Whose Devil's Web is this? If nobody wants it, I'll take it!"
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Still no one answered.
Having completed the procedure, Kyle nodded, took a box from his leather bag, and laid it out on the ground.
A dozen seconds later, an entire Devil's Snare, pot and all, was stuffed into the box.
After doing this, Kyle clapped his hands, picked up the box, and headed to the next level.
Along a stone corridor, Kyle arrived at a brightly lit room.
However, the room was empty, devoid of anything. Further ahead was a heavy wooden door.
Kyle pulled the handle, and the door opened with a click.
"..."
This... Professor Flitwick must have been feeling lazy.
Looking at the dark room before him, Kyle hesitated, wondering whether to continue.
Judging from the current situation, it's not hard to guess that apart from Fluffy and the Devil's Snare, the other levels are probably still incomplete.
But if we go back now, wouldn't this trip be a waste?
"Oh well, we're already here, let's see what happens," Kyle shook his head and took a step forward.
The moment he stepped inside, the previously dark room was instantly illuminated.
Looking at the chessboard at his feet and the pieces around him, all taller than him, Kyle's mood improved considerably.
It had to be Professor McGonagall; her initiative was far superior to Professor Flitwick's. Otherwise, how could she be the Deputy Headmistress?
The only way to move forward now was to win the game.
To be honest, Kyle was quite nervous.
He didn't play wizard chess much; usually, he'd only play a couple of games with Fred or George to pass the time. It was fine for casual fun, but he was no match for true masters.
Kyle casually walked to a black castle, reached out and touched its black stone piece, intending to replace it.
"Let's try it. If it doesn't work, I can always go back the way I came."
He waited five minutes, but the piece didn't move an inch.
Kyle walked to the knight, somewhat puzzled… and the same thing happened with the knight.
The bishop… the pawn… the king… all of them were the same.
He walked around to the exit, but the pieces remained unresponsive.
Clearly, they were just for show; Professor McGonagall hadn't completed her challenge either.
The rooms were empty the rest of the way.
Kyle could only return the way he came, leaving disappointed.
It seemed he had indeed arrived too early.
Perhaps Dumbledore and the professors thought that one Fluffy was enough to drive away the intruders, and there was no need to rush through the challenges.
After leaving the fourth floor, Kyle went to the underground classrooms before returning to the Hufflepuff common room.
"Thank goodness, you're finally back."
Cedric, who had been in the lounge, immediately came over when Kyle entered and asked curiously, "Where did you go?"
"The third floor," Kyle replied. "Didn't we go together?"
"I'm asking where you went after we ran back from the third floor."
"I didn't run…" Kyle thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I saw Fluffy at Hagrid's last year… Oh, right, Fluffy is the name of the three-headed dog in that room."
Kyle sat down in a chair and placed a jug of pumpkin juice and some biscuits he had just brought from the kitchen on the table in front of him.
Even in the dead of night, there seemed to be just as many house-elves in the kitchen as during the day. When Kyle went in, they had even turned on the stove, preparing a sumptuous feast.
However, that would take too much time, and Kyle only wanted a small snack, so he declined.
At this moment, Cedric finally reacted and said incredulously, "Wait...you just said you know that Cerberus?"
"Yeah, I met it last year," Kyle said. "It's not even two years old yet, still a puppy."
"But...why didn't you tell us earlier?"
"I did," Kyle shrugged. "But you guys ran too fast, you disappeared in the blink of an eye."
Cedric's face suddenly turned a little red.
When he saw the Cerberus, his mind went blank, his first reaction was to run away, he didn't care what others said.
Kyle pushed the plate of cookies toward Cedric.
"Want a cookie? It's cheese-filled, it tastes pretty good."
"Okay...thank you."
Cedric also felt a little hungry, so he took a cookie and put it in his mouth.
"Have you been on the third floor all this time?"
"Yes," Kyle nodded.
Cedric took another cookie and curiously asked, "Did you notice the trapdoor under the Cerberus?"
"I saw it, but unfortunately..." Kyle sighed, "We probably arrived too early; the professors haven't had time to set it up yet. It's just a few empty rooms there now."
[End of the chapter]