The situation had changed so swiftly that, in the blink of an eye, the hooded wizards who once held the advantage were now sprawled across the ground, utterly defeated and incapable of fighting back.
Mr. Weasley, along with Bill and Charlie, felt as if they were in a dream.
"Did reinforcements arrive?" Charlie asked, turning his head to look around in bewilderment.
Mr. Weasley remained silent, his gaze fixed on the spot where the last hooded wizard had fallen, his brow furrowed slightly.
Just then, the air around them rippled, and Kyle, having lifted the Disillusionment Charm, waved at them and asked, "How are you? Nobody's hurt, I hope?"
"Why did you come here?" Mr. Weasley said sternly. "It's dangerous; go back to the forest!"
"Dangerous?" Kyle glanced at the seven squirming wizards on the ground. "I don't know... looks to me like there's no problem."
"You did all this?" Bill asked, incredulous.
"Call it luck... They were dreadfully unprepared," Kyle replied with a nod, bending down to gently pry the Chomping Cabbages from the wizards' legs.
Thanks to Mr. Weasley's swift intervention, the wizards had been knocked out with little resistance, leaving the Chomping Cabbages relatively undamaged, only causing minor abrasions. Not bad at all—good enough to use again next time.
Mr. Weasley watched Kyle's movements, his mouth twitching slightly. While Chinese Chomping Cabbage isn't classified as a non-tradable substance like Venomous Tentacula, it isn't something just anyone can cultivate; it requires a great deal of paperwork and registration with the Ministry of Magic. Tossing seven or eight of them around casually, as Kyle had done, is—strictly speaking—definitely not allowed.
But, seeing as there was no one else here to witness it, Mr. Weasley simply turned his head and pretended not to notice. Bill and Charlie followed suit, and the three of them lowered their heads in unison and began gathering the wands scattered across the ground.
A rope materialized and securely bound the unconscious wizards together.
When they picked up the last wand, the one with the snakehead decoration, Mr. Weasley's eyes brightened. He recalled that only one person used such an ostentatious wand design. He quickly moved to remove each captive's hood and mask.
"Yaxley... Crabbe... Rookwood..." Mr. Weasley called out their names one by one.
"Goyle... and Malfoy!"
When he reached the final name, a triumphant smile broke across his face, despite the fact that the crisis wasn't entirely over.
"Let's see you try and wriggle out of this one!" he said with satisfaction.
He had suspected from the start that Lucius Malfoy was among them, but until now, he had lacked the proof. Caught in the act, Malfoy was as good as done! Mr. Weasley hadn't felt such elation in ages. If only the timing were better, he'd be inviting some friends over to celebrate this moment.
Thud, thud...
At that moment, a heavy footfall echoed nearby, and a towering figure over three meters tall approached at a run. With each step she took, Kyle could feel the ground tremble slightly.
"Gabrielle… Nova… Caslow… thank goodness you're all here!"
"Headmistress Maxime!"
The young wizards, who had been huddling together in terror, suddenly came alive at the sight of the arrival. They rushed to Maxime, hugging her legs, chattering in French, and frequently glancing at Kyle and Mr. Weasley. Maxime then guided the group over to join them.
"Thank you!" she said sincerely. "I am Olympe Maxime, headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Thank you for saving these children."
"It's nothing, really; anyone would have done the same," said Mr. Weasley, stretching his neck.
Truthfully, when Mr. Weasley first saw Headmistress Maxime, he couldn't help but wonder if she was related to Hagrid. She was enormous… Though he was quite tall himself, standing next to her, he barely reached her waist.
"Oh, I hadn't noticed…"
Maxime's gaze shifted to Kyle. "I had thought we'd meet again, but I didn't expect it under these circumstances… I heard everything Gabrielle said. Thank you for protecting them."
"No, that was mostly Mr. Weasley's doing," Kyle replied with a smile. "I only happened to arrive in time to lend a little help."
"That's very admirable," said Madam Maxime, her tone tinged with irritation. "Unlike some people who are usually so arrogant they can't handle anything unexpected, even if it means abandoning their classmates! I should have brought Fleur—at least she wouldn't have brought disgrace to Beauxbatons."
As Maxime spoke, her anger visibly grew, and before anyone could react, she vented it on the tied-up group. She delivered a slap to one of the men's faces.
You can imagine the consequences of a slap from a half-giant.
The powerful blow sent the bound men flying, and after landing, they toppled a nearby tent and rolled a good distance away.
"Oh… Merlin!" Mr. Weasley rushed after them.
"My apologies…" Maxime said, looking more composed. "Don't worry, I know my strength. They won't die."
Kyle glanced at a few teeth scattered on the ground, feeling somewhat skeptical of her assurances. But he shrugged it off and asked casually, "Didn't Fleur come to watch the match?"
"She's otherwise occupied… preparing for another major event," Maxime replied with a smile. "But you'll see her soon enough."
Kyle nodded.
Maxime didn't stay long; she needed to get the children to safety. After thanking the Weasley family once more, she departed.
The chaos around them continued. Mr. Weasley found an empty tent and tossed the bound wizards inside, instructing Charlie and Kyle to keep an eye on them.
As for him, he had to return to help elsewhere. With at least two hundred rioting wizards, the Ministry's manpower was spread far too thin.
"Wait!" Kyle tried to call after him, but Mr. Weasley didn't pause, disappearing from sight as he ran out of the tent.
Charlie wanted to help as well, like Bill, but he didn't feel right leaving Kyle alone. He stood by, clearly anxious.
Kyle, however, appeared far more at ease. After glancing outside the tent, he relaxed. If Charlie had observed the scene more closely, he might have noticed that the surrounding battle was starting to lose intensity. Fewer spells flew through the air, and the scattered groups of rioters seemed disorganized. The absence of leadership had turned a coordinated assault into a chaotic scramble.
And as for who the leader had been…
Kyle glanced toward the tent, where the bound wizards were lying. The answer was obvious.
Even more crucially, backup from the Ministry had finally arrived.
Not far off, a large number of Hit Wizards and Aurors were charging into the camp from every direction. At the forefront was Auror Office Director Scrimgeour, who looked like an enraged lion, his wand raised high as he advanced.
The Aurors and Hit Wizards behind him followed suit, casting a flurry of Stunning Spells and Disarming Charms, subduing the remaining rioters who dared to resist.