Chapter 550: Mr. Diggory Got a Promotion
"Kyle, what are you reading?"
One morning during breakfast, Cedric couldn't help but ask, "You've been staring at that book for days now."
It wasn't unusual for Kyle to read during meals, but it was odd to see him so fixated on the same book for several days in a row. The booklet only had a few pages; how much time could it possibly require? Even more unusually, Kyle hadn't played wizard chess in days, and wherever he went, the booklet was always in his hands.
"What did you say?" Kyle asked, looking up as though coming out of a trance.
"I said, what are you reading?" Cedric repeated.
"Oh, Professor Dumbledore gave it to me," Kyle replied, rubbing his forehead. He didn't bother to keep it a secret and pushed the booklet across the table to Cedric. "I thought I could finish it in a few days, but this is a lot harder than I expected. Looks like it'll take me the whole week."
"Just a few parchments, and it takes that long to learn? What's written on it?" Cedric leaned in curiously.
As his eyes fell on the pages, Cedric fell silent.
There wasn't much text on the parchment; the majority of it was taken up by dazzlingly intricate runes and symbols that seemed to twist and shimmer unnervingly.
"Are you learning Ancient Runes from Professor Dumbledore?" Kanna asked from nearby, her curiosity piqued.
"You could say that," Kyle replied. He took a quick bite of fried egg and ham, washing it down with a large gulp of pumpkin juice before continuing. "What he's teaching me is a bit complicated. I have to master this part first."