Chapter 325: The Lost Diary
With Mrs. Norris's piercing scream, the crowd of young wizards swarmed the scene. Hidden under his Disillusionment Charm, Kyle watched silently from the back as events unfolded just as he remembered: Filch and Harry were found near the scene and suspected of being tied to the attacks. Professors soon arrived, escorting Filch and Harry away while prefects began herding the rest of the students back to their common rooms.
When the corridors finally emptied, Kyle realized an awkward truth—he had nowhere to go. He couldn't just waltz back to his dormitory; he was months behind his time. Living incognito in the castle for that long seemed impossible.
With no other options, Kyle wandered down to the eighth floor. Myrtle was still in the bathroom, and a return to the Chamber of Secrets was out of the question for now. Perhaps the Room of Requirement... It seemed the only safe place he could possibly stay.
"I need a place to rest," he murmured as he walked along the blank wall.
A door appeared, and Kyle stepped inside, his worries melting away as he took in the room. It was magnificent. A massive four-poster bed, triple the size of his dormitory bed, sat at the center, soft and plush. In front of it was an expansive desk, stocked with parchment, quills, and ink. Beyond, he found additional rooms—a dining room, a bathroom, a study—each thoughtfully equipped with everything he could need.
In another room, he discovered an assortment of magical pastimes: a crystal wizard chess set, Exploding Snap cards, even a selection of broomsticks. Though the models were a bit dated, with the Cleansweep Five as the best option, it didn't matter. Who needed a broom indoors anyway?
The ceiling was enchanted like that of the Great Hall, but here he could control it. He could fill the room with endless sunlight, gaze at stars from his bed, or listen to the gentle patter of rain while reading. It was perfect. Meals, he discovered, were easily arranged; the House-elves could deliver food directly here.
With everything so ideally arranged, Kyle began to think a few months might pass too quickly. If possible, he would have loved to stay in this room until graduation—perhaps even return as a professor and live here indefinitely. Though that, he admitted, was a far-fetched fantasy.
Feeling reassured with his new setup, Kyle decided to search for the diary. He eventually found Peeves on the sixth floor, gleefully painting turtles on a suit of armor.