Chapter 530: Rolling in the Snow
When Kyle and Sirius returned to Hogwarts through the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron, they found the Headmaster's Office empty.
Fawkes, perched lazily on his stand, raised his head briefly to glance at them before tucking it back under his wing, disinterested.
As Sirius muttered something about Dumbledore's mysterious absences, a nearby portrait made an irritated remark. Sirius ignored it entirely, which only prompted the portrait to grumble angrily.
By the time the portrait launched into a full tirade, Kyle and Sirius were already walking out of the office, oblivious to its complaints.
In the foyer, a tense scene caught their attention: two groups of students appeared to be in the middle of a standoff, glaring at each other.
Sirius, in his role as a professor, sighed and stepped forward to intervene. "I'll handle this," he said to Kyle.
Kyle nodded in understanding and left the castle alone.
Outside, the snow remained untouched in many places, blanketing the grounds in white. Long tracks crisscrossed the landscape—evidence of students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang enjoying the snow.
Kyle followed the well-trodden path leading to Hagrid's hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Normally, Hagrid would have cleared the snow from the stone steps by this time, but today the snow lay undisturbed, except for a series of messy footprints indicating recent visitors.
As Kyle approached the hut, he heard voices inside.
"Listen to me, Hagrid," came Hermione's voice, calm but firm. "You don't need to be so sensitive about being a half-giant. Prejudice like that—it's no different from how people treat werewolves. It's just a misconception. The truth isn't what the newspapers are saying, is it?"