Chapter 633: Cedric the Traitor
After leaving the Defence Against the Dark Arts office, Kyle didn't head straight back to the Hufflepuff common room. Instead, while walking along the second floor, he made a detour into an empty classroom. The room was dimly lit, and the faint murmur of voices greeted him as soon as he stepped inside.
"What's up..." Kyle said, shutting the door behind him.
Kanna approached him first, followed by Cedric, Cho, and the Weasley twins, Fred and George.
"It's done," Kyle announced, gesturing broadly. "You can safely teach yourselves Defence Against the Dark Arts now. Just be careful not to get caught."
"Great!" Cedric said, his excitement evident. "We've already worked out a plan. To avoid anyone snitching, everyone will have to sign a magical contract before they're told the location of the Room of Requirement."
"Well done, Kyle," Fred said, grinning from ear to ear. "You fooled Umbridge so easily. Honestly, you deserve to be the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin."
Kyle rolled his eyes, feeling the praise was a bit much. He didn't see how tricking Umbridge was related to earning such a prestigious award.
"But..." George cut in, rubbing his bruised eye. "You might've gone a bit overboard. If we don't get to the Hospital Wing soon, we'll have to walk around like this for at least a week."
"Seriously, it's humiliating," Fred sighed dramatically. "We're avoiding crowded places now."
"And even in class, we have to hide our faces," George added.
"You're the ones who said a little injury would make it more convincing," Kyle said with a smirk. "Turns out you were right. Umbridge believed me because of how you both look."