At noon, Kyle was laughing so hard his body was rocking back and forth after hearing about the morning's Potions class.
The twin brothers were also slamming the table furiously.
"Honestly!" George laughed until tears streamed from his eyes.
Fred clutched his stomach. "Ten points to Gryffindor!"
Ignoring the death glares cast from the staff table, the three burst into loud laughter. "Hahahahahahaha!"
Ron looked at Kyle with burning eyes: "Kyle, next Potions class, please do my makeup too! Please!"
Hearing Ron's request, Kyle burst into another fit of laughter, nearly falling under the table.
Fred and George had already knocked over several plates on the table.
"I never thought our little brother had a desire to crossdress!"
"George! We already have two sisters!"
"Ronnie Weasley! Hahahahahahaha!"
Ron couldn't stand being mocked by his two older brothers any longer and slammed the table as he stood up fiercely.
"Fine! I'd rather be tormented to death by Snape! Die in the Potions classroom! Jump off the Astronomy Tower! But I am not wearing makeup!"
Hermione covered her forehead helplessly. "Boys!"
She really wanted to remind the few people around them to be mindful of their image.
Feeling the strange looks and chattering discussions frequently cast their way by surrounding students, compounded by the demonic laughter of the twins and Kyle, Harry felt completely ill at ease.
"Kyle, please help me take off the makeup." Harry patted Kyle, who was sprawled on the Hufflepuff table, trying hard to stop laughing.
(Note: In the movie, the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables are adjacent)
It took Kyle a great effort to stop laughing. He turned around, took the makeup removal tools out of his ninja pouch, and prepared to change Harry back into his male appearance.
A voice entered his ears: "If you don't wish to attend your afternoon Potions class then…"
Snape didn't finish his sentence, but Kyle knew exactly what the old bat was trying to say.
Kyle turned his head to look at the staff table and silently mouthed with his lips.
"Next week's Gryffindor Potions class, I'll help you change Harry back to a female appearance again."
Snape stared at Kyle and slowly nodded.
In the afternoon, it was Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw's Potions class.
Before class started, and before Snape arrived, all the students were chattering excitedly about what had happened during the morning's Potions class between the Lion and Snake Houses.
Kyle narrowed his eyes; these young wizards really had no fear of death.
If Professor Snape were to arrive and see this scene of chaos, he would probably give them a fierce scolding.
Thinking of this, Kyle stood up and cast a Sonorous Charm on himself — "Silence!"
His voice drowned out the small wizards in the classroom.
When the old bat appeared at the door, this was what he heard:
"You are here to learn the precise science and exact art of potion-making."
"Can you truly appreciate the sheer beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering vapours, the delicate perfume?"
"Can you truly understand the power of the liquid that streams through people's veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses?"
"Professor Snape will teach you how to bottle glory, brew fame, and even put a stopper in death!"
"Therefore!" Kyle looked around. "Now, let us calm down, maintain the respect due to a Potions Master, and patiently await Professor Snape's arrival."
The entire class was silent.
Snape strode in. He showed absolutely no good will toward Kyle for stealing his opening speech and changing Harry back into a male appearance. "Get back to your seat."
"Oh." Kyle sat down next to Hannah, completely unbothered.
He thought that when he later threw out news of the Philosopher's Stone, they would see how Snape would beg him.
During the rest of the Potions class, a distracted Hannah kept frequently casting curious glances at Kyle.
She really wanted to know why Kyle was so brave when faced with the terrifying old bat.
"Hannah Abbott!" Snape's roar sounded above the young witch's head, startling the blonde little girl, and the porcupine quills in her hand nearly fell into the still-hot cauldron below.
"Why do you keep looking at Kyle? Does Kyle's face have the steps for potion-making written on it?"
An hour later, the young wizards left the dungeon classroom.
Everyone wore an expression of relief as they left the gloomy and frightening Potions classroom, distancing themselves from the terrifying old bat.
After separating from Hannah, Kyle left the castle, walked across the grounds, and headed toward Hagrid's cabin near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
As he knocked on the door of Hagrid's cabin, Kyle heard conversation inside.
He couldn't really be blamed for eavesdropping; it was just that Ron, who was complaining about Snape's preferential treatment toward girls, was speaking too loudly.
Hagrid opened the door a crack, revealing his large, bearded face.
"Oh! Good afternoon, Kyle! Come in quick." Hagrid stepped aside from the doorway.
Hagrid's small wooden cabin had only one room.
Hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling water in the fireplace, and a large bed with a patchwork quilt lay in the corner.
This was not Kyle's first time visiting Hagrid's cabin as a guest.
He skillfully blocked the excited leap of Fang the hound, looked up at the hospitable half-giant, and asked, "Hagrid, where's Fluffy?"
Hagrid was busy pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a platter.
Hearing Kyle speak Fluffy's name, Hagrid looked a little awkward.
He had lent Fluffy the three-headed dog to Headmaster Dumbledore to guard a very important item, and this news couldn't be let known to Harry and Ron.
Kyle noticed Hagrid's expression and immediately realized he had said something he shouldn't have.
If he guessed correctly, it must be related to Fluffy.
At the beginning of the school year, old Dumbledore had said at the Welcoming Feast that students who didn't want to suffer a horrible death should avoid the third-floor corridor on the right side. Fluffy might be in that very location.
Ron asked in confusion, "Who's Fluffy?"
Hagrid laughed it off and quickly glossed over the matter with a few words.
Harry told Hagrid about the incident in Snape's class, and he was genuinely confused by Snape's attitude toward him.
Ron was even more confused because his five older brothers had all mentioned Snape; Snape had never liked any student, and it was impossible for him to treat a student like that.
Hagrid scratched his cheek; this was the first time he had heard of Snape acting this way.
"You just said Kyle put makeup on Harry and made him look like a girl?" Hagrid asked, surprised.
If he hadn't guessed wrong, Harry cross-dressed would look extremely similar to his mother, Lily.
Hagrid knew a few things about Snape and Lily.
He just didn't know how to tell Harry.
That your father, James Potter, formed a gang of four delinquent students at school and bullied the lonely Snape?
And James Potter stole Snape's dream girl, Lily Evans, by cutting in?
Hagrid didn't know whether he should tell Harry the truth. Judging by the things James did, he didn't seem like a good person at all.
He also wondered if Harry's image of his father would crumble once he knew.
Finally, Hagrid could only shake his head helplessly, saying he didn't know anything himself.
But Harry couldn't shake the feeling that Hagrid was deliberately avoiding his gaze when he said that.
"How's your brother Charlie?" Hagrid turned to Ron, abruptly changing the subject. "I like him a lot, he has a way with animals."
Harry suspected Hagrid was intentionally changing the topic, but he was helpless.
While Ron was telling Hagrid about Charlie working at a dragon sanctuary in Romania, studying dragons, Harry spotted a small clipping of paper tucked under the teapot cozy.
It was a report cut out from the Daily Prophet — Latest Report on the Gringotts Illegal Break-In:
The investigation into the illegal break-in at Gringotts on July 31st is still ongoing. It is generally believed to have been carried out by unknown dark wizards and witches. The Goblins at Gringotts reiterated today that nothing was stolen. The underground vault searched by the intruders had, in fact, been emptied earlier that same day. A Gringotts Goblin spokesperson said this afternoon: I can only answer you with one sentence—no comment. You unscrupulous media outlets must not spread rumors. If there are errors in your future publicity and reports, you will be held responsible.
Harry carefully examined the report. He realized that the underground vault that was broken into was Vault 713, which was the other vault Hagrid had gone to before taking Harry to get his money that day.
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