After March, the weather gradually warmed up, and the ice that had blanketed the Black Lake all winter finally thawed last week.
Lately, the giant squid had taken to occasionally poking its head and tentacles out of the lake's depths to bask in the warm sunlight on the surface. This sight had drawn a crowd of fascinated students.
Although many who'd read Hogwarts: A History knew about the giant squid in Black Lake, sightings were rare. With the exception of Slytherins, whose common room was located under the lake, most students didn't often get a glimpse of it themselves. Now, everyone was eager to see, especially the new students who rushed down to the lake as soon as classes ended.
Suddenly, the Black Lake had become Hogwarts' latest hotspot, like an Instagram-worthy attraction.
Kyle, however, didn't join the crowd. He'd already seen the squid once at the end of last year. To be honest, it was just like any other squid—just much larger. And staring at it too long only made him hungry. Since grilling it wasn't an option, he figured there was no point in watching it again. He might as well spend that time reading a couple more books.
After months of study, he'd nearly mastered the Undetectable Extension Charm. While he still wasn't proficient enough to enlarge spaces as much as he'd like, he had finally overcome the hardest part—the first successful transformation.
Kyle planned to finish transforming his suitcase before his fifth year. He wasn't expecting it to be quite as expansive as Newt's, but he at least wanted it to hold half of the Forbidden Forest.
Over the past two years, Kyle had accumulated quite a few things. The plants in his flowerbed alone could fill the suitcase as it was, not to mention the designated areas for the Troll and the Mooncalf. And there would be new "residents" joining in the future.
So he got to work.
Afterward, Kyle spent every spare moment he could inside his suitcase. Thanks to his efforts, he completed the first major expansion by the third day of the Easter holiday. The internal space was now nearly twice as large as it had been.
Surveying his handiwork, Kyle nodded in satisfaction. The upgrade felt like moving from a cramped apartment to a villa. All his earlier space issues had been resolved at once.
The Troll now had a much larger area to roam, and Kyle could start preparing a new home for the Mooncalfs. Creating a suitable cave for it would require ample space, but now that he had the room, he could finally begin.
The only downside was that the expanded area looked a bit monotonous now, as it was wide open and lacked much detail. But that could be easily fixed.
The next morning, Kyle headed into the Forbidden Forest. He wanted to use the holiday break to find two Rowan trees to transplant into his suitcase. Naturally, he couldn't do this in broad daylight, since Hagrid would surely notice, so this trip was just for scouting—he needed to pick his targets so he could come back under cover of night.
A few minutes later, Kyle arrived at Hagrid's hut. Oddly, the door was closed, and all the curtains were tightly drawn. Even the small window at the top was covered with an old copy of The Daily Prophet.
Kyle knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" came Hagrid's voice from inside, sounding a bit nervous.
The door opened just a crack.
"Phew… it's you, Kyle. What brings you here?"
"I need your help with something," Kyle replied. "May I come in?"
"Of course…" Hagrid said, stepping aside to let Kyle in, then quickly closing the door behind him.
The hut was stiflingly warm, almost like a sauna. Despite the sunny weather, a roaring fire blazed in the fireplace.
And there, sitting with Hagrid, were three familiar faces: Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Hello," Kyle greeted them.
"Hello…"
"Long time no see... Kyle."
"Good morning."
The three stood in front of the fireplace, a bit tense, shifting nervously as they replied. They were like a wall between Kyle and the fireplace, their eyes darting around as they spoke. It was clear to anyone that something unusual was happening with the fireplace.
Fortunately, Hagrid came over just then, carrying a teacup, a brass pot, and a sandwich filled with ferret meat for Kyle.
"You said you needed my help?"
"Yes," Kyle replied, tearing his gaze from the fireplace. "I wanted to go to the Forbidden Forest to collect some Rowan branches. Is that all right?"
"Still making those amulets?" Hagrid asked, grinning. Kyle's Exam-Passing Amulet from last year had been a hit at Hogwarts, and Hagrid had definitely heard about it.
Kyle nodded. "The final exams are in two months, so we need to prepare early."
"That's easy," Hagrid said with a chuckle. "I can bring you as many as you need tomorrow."
"No need to go to all that trouble. I can pick them myself."
"But…" Hagrid hesitated, clearly uneasy with the idea of Kyle going into the Forbidden Forest.
"Don't worry, Hagrid," Kyle reassured him. "The Rowan trees are right at the edge of the forest. It's perfectly safe. Besides, I need to pick as many branches as I can in the right shapes; otherwise, it'll be a lot of extra work to process them."
"Well… all right, then!" Hagrid finally conceded, though he added, "But you can only go as far as the edge of the Forbidden Forest."
"No problem," Kyle agreed readily, since that was his plan anyway.
Hagrid stood up, preparing to go with him.
"Hagrid, are you coming with us?" Kyle asked.
"Of course, I can't let you go to the Forbidden Forest alone," Hagrid replied. "Even if it's just the edge."
"What about the dragon egg?" Kyle asked. "Are you sure you can leave it with Potter and the others?"
"It'll be fine. The egg's not that fragile. Just make sure you don't let the fire…"
"Wait…" Hermione's surprised voice interrupted him. "Kyle, how did you know there was a dragon egg here? You can't even see it from where you're standing."
Hagrid froze, his eyes widening as he turned to Kyle. Yes… how did Kyle know there was a dragon egg?
"You don't think standing in front of the fireplace will hide it, do you?" Kyle said with a grin. "I'd suggest reading the latest edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It clearly states in the chapter on Dragons that dragon eggs emit a faint sulfur smell when exposed to flames. It's subtle, and it can blend with the smell of the fire, so it's easy to miss."
He paused, then added, "If you don't believe me, you might want to check on Fang. I think he's about to pass out."
Kyle gestured to the side, where Hagrid's large black hound lay slumped in the corner, his head drooping. He looked nothing like his usual energetic self, seeming listless and worn out.
"Oh, Fang! What's wrong with you?" Hagrid cried, rushing over to pick up the heavy dog before dashing out of the hut with him in his arms.