The Hit Wizards searched the office and took almost everything, including the portrait and the signed photograph.
"Goodbye, Professor McGonagall, we'll leave you to it," said Hadd, almost whispering.
"Sorry, Professor, but there's nothing I can do about it," Hadd added with a slight smile. "Soon enough, I'll be an Auror, and I don't think I'll be coming back here then. Unless, of course, the school hires another Death Eater as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
He was joking, but Professor McGonagall couldn't even muster a smile.
Death Eaters? Yes, there were last year... and even the master of the Death Eaters had come...
After a few brief words of farewell, Hadd turned and left the office, followed by two Hit Wizards carrying Lockhart.
"Hey, where are you taking me? Slow down, don't walk so fast... Oh, this is beautiful..."
Lockhart's voice echoed down the corridor. Kyle watched them leave, feeling an inexplicable sense of having been tricked.
Could it be that Lockhart had received news in advance and had actually been waiting for the Ministry? The more Kyle thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. No one would typically use a Memory Charm when the target was prepared; it was usually deployed in ambushes... surely Lockhart knew this. Whether it was cleverness or just plain desperation, wiping his own memory to avoid punishment was a drastic measure. After all, it was a steep price to pay, hardly worth it for petty issues, and likely useless in serious ones.
After Lockhart was taken away, word of his deceit quickly spread throughout the school. Lockhart wasn't a legendary adventurer at all—he'd merely stolen the stories of others and claimed them as his own. He was a complete fraud.
Some of his admirers refused to believe it, but many others accepted the truth without much resistance. It was unexpected, perhaps, but not unreasonable; his questionable class performances had always been a hint.
"I told you he was a fraud," Ron said smugly to Hermione at the end-of-year feast. "You wouldn't believe me, but now I've been proven right."
Hermione ignored him, turning her head away.
But Ron couldn't resist rubbing it in. For the first time, he'd been right about something that Hermione hadn't seen through, and he was thrilled.
So thrilled, in fact, that he didn't notice Hermione's face growing darker and darker. Harry tried several times to signal Ron to stop, but Ron was oblivious.
"Ron..."
At last, Hermione spun back around in exasperation and snapped, "You'll never see my homework again!"
She then angrily swapped seats with Parvati Patil.
Ron sat there, mouth open, turning to Harry and mumbling, "Do you think it's too late for me to apologize?"
Harry gave a dry laugh, saying nothing. He had seen this outcome coming from a mile away.
Soon, Dumbledore entered the Great Hall.
Due to the events surrounding the Chamber of Secrets, Kyle was once again awarded the Special Award for Services to the School and earned 200 points for Hufflepuff. This hefty score pushed Hufflepuff past Ravenclaw, winning them the House Cup.
The cheers of the young Hufflepuffs nearly shook the ceiling. They had never imagined that one day, their house would achieve the treble.
Professor Sprout's face was flushed with excitement as she shook hands with the other professors, proudly adjusting her new robe. She'd gone all the way to Hogsmeade to buy the finest fabric and craftsmanship, wanting to look her best for this momentous occasion. Today, with Hufflepuff winning the triple crown, Professor Sprout didn't mind spending a bit to look her finest.
...
After the feast, everyone enjoyed the most carefree time of the year. It felt like in the blink of an eye, exam results were out.
Kyle hadn't managed a perfect score this time due to a few slip-ups in his Muggle Studies exam, but he still placed first in his year by a substantial margin. Fred and George also received commendable results, with nearly half a dozen O-levels between them, which would keep Mrs. Weasley content over the holidays.
The next day, it was time to board the Hogwarts Express and head home. As Kyle was about to board, Professor McGonagall approached and handed him a note.
"This is from Professor Dumbledore," she said.
The note contained just a single, brief sentence: "Your things have been sent off, but Professor Snape doesn't seem very happy about it."
Kyle was a bit surprised; he had half-expected Dumbledore to be so absorbed in his research on the Time-Turner that he might forget about such details.
"The Headmaster also asked me to tell you that the matter of the Chamber of Secrets is now closed," said Professor McGonagall. "He said you know what that means."
"I understand, Professor," Kyle replied, nodding. Dumbledore's message was clear: he didn't want the Basilisk to resurface at the school in any form.
"That's good," Professor McGonagall said, studying Kyle. Though somewhat puzzled, she refrained from asking further questions. Dumbledore was always enigmatic, and she was used to it by now.
"Don't forget your essay—and make sure it's thorough," she added before heading back toward the castle.
By the time Kyle boarded, Kanna, Cedric, and the others had already secured a compartment. Ginny was there too, with Fred and George pestering her about something.
"What did Percy just tell you…" Fred was saying.
"What's he hiding from us, and why aren't you allowed to tell anyone…" George added.
"It's nothing…" Ginny hesitated. "You must've heard wrong."
"Two tins of Tooth-Splintering Strong Mints!" Fred held up two fingers.
"But I promised Percy I'd keep his secret…"
"And a bag of Pepper Imps!" George threw in. "The new ones that breathe blue fire—we're the only ones with them."
Ginny gave in quickly. "Fine, fine—it's just that Percy has a girlfriend."
Fred dropped his Exploding Snap cards on George's head. "What?"
"It's the Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," Ginny said. "Percy's been writing to her all holiday, and yesterday I caught them meeting in an empty classroom."
"No wonder he wouldn't lend us his owl," Fred said, grinning.
"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Ginny asked, looking nervous.
"Absolutely not!" George replied, though he and Fred exchanged secretive laughs.
Once Ginny left, the twins huddled together, whispering for over half an hour before joining the others to play Exploding Snap and wizard chess.
The Hogwarts Express gradually slowed, rolling through fields of wheat and past small villages, until it finally came to a stop at King's Cross Station.