Chapter 532: Listen, Is That Even Human?

"Animagus... no wonder she can write so many exclusive articles."

On the way back, Kanna couldn't help but remark, "After all, beetles are really common and don't arouse suspicion. She must have overheard a lot of people's secrets this way."

"That's for sure," Kyle nodded thoughtfully.

Just now, Rita Skeeter had acted so nervously—it must be because she knows too much. Or perhaps if the news that she could turn into a beetle got out, plenty of people with guilty consciences would lose sleep.

Like the names she mentioned earlier.

Ludo Bagman... Kyle could guess that it had something to do with Galleons. During the Quidditch World Cup, Mr. Weasley bet on Ireland to win but never received the prize money. Yet, Mr. Weasley himself didn't seem to mind and never pressed Bagman for it, saying it was just the price of the tickets.

But as for the other two names Skeeter mentioned... the story involving Fudge and Dolores Umbridge, Kyle had no clue. Still, the secrets of a Minister of Magic and a Senior Undersecretary must be pretty explosive.

To be honest, Kyle was quite curious. If he got the chance, he wouldn't mind digging around to learn more.

Of course, first, they had to deal with Hagrid's situation...

"By the way, Kyle, how did you know Rita Skeeter was the beetle?" Kanna asked curiously as they approached the kitchen corridor.

"It's simple..." Kyle gestured at his robe. "Because I'm in regular contact with Norbert, my clothes always carry the scent of dragons. Insects would normally avoid me... unless they're Animagi."

"Also, if you look closely, the patterns on the beetle's shell are very similar to Rita Skeeter's hairstyle."

"I noticed that too," said Kanna. "Professor McGonagall once mentioned that Animagus-turned animals always retain some features of the wizard. Like when she turns into a cat—her eyes have those distinct frame-like markings."

"Exactly," Kyle agreed. "But usually, people don't notice, especially with smaller animals. And even if they do, it's hard to connect those features back to a specific person..."

When they returned to the Hufflepuff common room, it was already bustling with activity. Students filled the soft armchairs, chatting and playing wizard chess. The lively atmosphere made the place almost unrecognizable.

Kyle, who had never experienced such a lively Christmas holiday, found himself feeling a little out of place.

"Where were you just now?" Cedric asked, approaching them. "Cho and I were just discussing ways to cheer Hagrid up. Got any ideas?"

"Maybe we won't need to," Kyle said, exchanging a glance with Kanna before explaining everything that had just happened, a small smile on his face.

Cedric's eyes widened in surprise when he heard that Rita Skeeter was an Animagus.

"I see. Lucky you caught her," Cedric said, though his brow furrowed slightly. "But are you sure Rita Skeeter will write something favorable about Hagrid in the paper?"

For some reason, Cedric instinctively glanced around as he spoke, as if checking for eavesdropping beetles.

"She will," Kyle replied confidently, shaking the camera in his hand.

After all, he'd made it clear that whether the photograph of her transformation remained secret depended on his mood. And his mood would largely hinge on how Skeeter covered Hagrid in the next Daily Prophet.

Kyle trusted that Rita Skeeter was clever enough to take the hint. She wouldn't have been able to recover so quickly after writing such outrageous articles if she wasn't.

"Great, everyone's here," Fleur said as she and her younger sister Gabrielle arrived.

Since moving into Hufflepuff's quarters with Professor Sprout's approval, Fleur had realized it was even better than she had imagined.

Initially, she had moved in only because of Kanna, but she had since made many new, genuine friends. Gabrielle, who joined later, also took to the place quickly. Now, they only returned to the Beauxbatons carriage when absolutely necessary.

This time was no exception—they'd come back as soon as Christmas was over.

"Kyle, how's the research going on those stones?" Fleur asked as she settled into a chair. "The second task is about to start soon. Have you discovered the secret in the stones yet?"

Cedric and Cho perked up at the question, their attention shifting to Kyle.

"No," Kyle shrugged. "Believe it or not, I haven't touched the stones since the first task. They're probably still lying around somewhere."

"What do you mean?" Fleur asked, clearly surprised.

If it had been someone else, like Krum, she might have doubted the claim, assuming it was a tactic to withhold information. But with Kyle... it did seem plausible. She couldn't recall ever seeing him work with the stones. In his spare time, he was usually playing wizard chess with Cedric or hanging out with his roommates.

"Why are you suddenly asking about this?" Kyle inquired. "There are still two months until the second project begins. What's the rush?"

"It's Madam Maxime," Fleur admitted after a brief hesitation. "She told me that you might already know the clue to the stones, and that you left the school with a professor to prepare for the competition."

"She must've been talking about Professor Black," Kyle said after a moment of thought. "We left school to take care of some personal matters—it had nothing to do with the competition."

"I believe you," Fleur replied sincerely. "It's just that Madam Maxime insisted I ask, so I did."

"But Kyle, are you really not going to study the stones? We've got some free time now—we could work on it together."

"Yes, we can help," Kanna chimed in, with Cedric nodding in agreement.

"I'll pass," Kyle said with a wave of his hand. "You guys study. I think it's good to add a bit of difficulty—it makes the competition more interesting. Otherwise, it's too easy. Cedric, fancy a game of wizard chess?"

The moment the words left Kyle's mouth, the room went completely silent.

People chatting stopped mid-sentence, chess players froze with their pieces in hand, and all eyes turned toward Kyle in shock.

Fleur, in particular, looked as though she couldn't believe her ears. She rubbed at them, almost as if checking they were working properly, and asked, enunciating each word carefully, "You said... the competition is easy?"

"Yeah," Kyle said nonchalantly as he began setting up the chess pieces. "It's pretty easy, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think so," Fleur said, her tone clipped as her teeth clenched tightly.

Her complexion was difficult to describe. Suffice it to say, it wasn't pleasant. If the Half-Veela could shift forms in moments of frustration, Fleur might very well have sprouted a pointed beak and feathers then and there.

She thought back to her experiences:

In the second level, she had barely survived the barrage of Bludgers, exhausting nearly all her magic just to destroy enough of them to scrape through.

And the third level—don't even start. A tail swipe from the Hungarian Horntail had broken her arm, and her hair, which she took such pride in, had been scorched by dragonfire, leaving nearly a third of it burnt away.

If she hadn't reacted quickly, she could've been the first Champion to outright fail a task.

And now Kyle had the audacity to call this easy?

Fleur felt her temper rising and forced herself to take a deep breath. Barely suppressing the urge to lash out, she stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor, and stormed out without a word.

Her mind raced with indignation. Yes, Kyle had performed impressively, nearly earning full marks in the challenges, but to call them easy outright? It was infuriating beyond measure.

Fleur silently vowed that if Kyle ever approached her again to discuss the stones, she'd play the Leprechaun—the ugliest one imaginable.

"What's wrong with her?" Kyle asked, watching Fleur's retreating figure in confusion.

"Well... I think..." Cedric hesitated before continuing, "sometimes you could be a little more tactful. She went through a lot just to pass those three tests."

"Oh... I forgot," Kyle admitted, smacking his forehead. "Do you think it's too late to apologize?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Cedric said with a grimace. "She probably won't listen, and honestly, she might even punch you."

"Good point," Kyle said, scratching his head awkwardly.