It was nearly noon, and apart from them, the vast campsite was practically deserted.
Even so, Kyle and his companions took their sweet time finishing lunch at the camp before preparing to set off.
"Do you want to come back to France with us for a few days?"
Outside the camp, Konan affectionately ruffled the little Beaver's hair, which had only just been managed into some semblance of smoothness.
At Konan's suggestion, Hermione's body went instantly rigid, a subtle blush creeping onto her cheeks.
With her small frame, what would happen if she went to France?
She'd essentially be a sheep walking into a tiger's den, delivering herself right into Konan's hands on a silver platter.
Lowering her head, she squeezed out a sentence through her teeth with great effort, "Um... I haven't been home in a really long time..."
This summer, she had been invited by Ginny to visit the Weasleys, spending more than half her vacation at the Burrow.
Fortunately, the Weasleys had a Muggle contraption like a telephone, allowing her to speak with her parents every day so she didn't get too homesick.
Hearing Hermione's answer, Konan didn't press the matter.
Either way, she would have the chance to stay at Hogwarts for a while this year. It wouldn't be too late to have some fun "playing" with Hermione then.
"You don't know how to Apparate yet, right?" Konan took Hermione's small hand into hers. "I'll take you back."
Standing nearby and listening to their conversation, Kyle had a look of complete bewilderment.
???
When on earth did the two of them become this close?
Kyle could hardly believe that merely sharing a bed for one night could transform two slightly antagonistic people into best friends.
Besides, the little Beaver was usually quite bold and straightforward—she was hardly the shy, introverted type.
How had she turned into such an obedient, quiet little creature in front of Konan?
The little Beaver's current demeanor was something even he, her official boyfriend, had never witnessed.
So, during that hour or so in the morning after he woke up later than the two of them, what in the world had happened between them?
Kyle recalled the strange scene he had witnessed when he opened his eyes that morning—A Cigarette After the Deed.
It couldn't be... that Konan had pinned Hermione down and run wild, could it?
Er... actually, that seemed surprisingly plausible.
Kyle internally screamed in utter shock!
After taking the little Beaver home, Kyle and Konan did not return to France as they had previously mentioned.
It was already August 23rd, leaving only a single week before the start of the Hogwarts term. Going back to France meant having barely a few days to rest before having to trek back, which was far too much trouble.
Well, for an Obscurial like Kyle, the distance between Britain and France was basically nonexistent.
He had merely used that excuse as a pretext to begin a blissful life of cohabitation with Konan on their own.
During this week spent in Dorset, Kyle finally came to understand why Nagato had been reduced to such a scrawny skeleton back in the day.
He suddenly felt a twinge of regret over why he had ever taught Konan taijutsu.
Generally speaking, wizards relied on magic for long-range exchanges. Unless one reached the caliber of Kyle or Hagrid, taijutsu had little practical effect when it came to killing enemies.
However, that didn't mean taijutsu was useless to a wizard.
Superior physical conditioning and lightning-fast reaction speeds allowed a wizard to react swiftly to enemy attacks—for instance, dodging an incoming strike through agile footwork if their body could keep up, rather than having to rely on defensive magic.
Thus, when facing his future wife, Kyle had unreservedly taught Konan the Lightning Release body-tempering method.
Though it wasn't her primary focus, after several years, Konan's physical capabilities far surpassed those of average wizards.
As a result, Konan's combat power and endurance were exceptionally strong!
In just one short week, through their fierce martial arts sparring and intense calorie-burning sessions, Kyle's weight plummeted accordingly.
By the time Hogwarts' opening day arrived, Kyle had dropped from his original hundred and fifty-some pounds to less than a hundred and forty.
And that was only after maintaining a ravenous appetite on par with Hinata Hyuga, devouring three massive meals a day just to barely hold his weight steady.
Where others ate three meals a day, Kyle practically ate three tons of food a day.
If his nutrition had fallen short by even a fraction, he truly would have turned into a scrawny skeleton like Nagato by now.
Fortunately, the Grindelwald family was wealthy enough that Kyle couldn't possibly eat them into poverty. Having lost just a little over ten pounds, Kyle's physique didn't look much different from before.
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. A deep crimson steam engine was parked alongside the platform.
Billowing clouds of thick smoke poured from the locomotive's chimney, enveloping the platform in a hazy mist. Looking through the dense smoke, many Hogwarts students and parents on the platform resembled dark, ghostly shadows.
"If nothing unexpected happens, Hogwarts should be hosting a major tournament this school year."
Beside the train, Kyle listened to Konan's words with a touch of curiosity. "What tournament?"
"The Triwizard Tournament," Konan said nonchalantly. "The Ministry of Magic is preparing to revive it."
The Triwizard Tournament?
Hearing the name of this event, the top-student Beaver's eyes instantly lit up. She had previously read about the definition of the Triwizard Tournament in a book—
The Triwizard Tournament was established approximately seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest magical schools in Europe.
These three schools were Hogwarts in Britain, Beauxbatons in France, and Durmstrang in Germany.
The core of the tournament involved each school selecting a champion to compete in three magical tasks.
Kyle was somewhat puzzled. "Hasn't the Triwizard Tournament been discontinued for over a century because the casualty rate was too high? Why did the Ministry suddenly decide to reboot it?"
And more importantly, the incident at the Quidditch World Cup had just happened last week. Where did the British Ministry of Magic get the nerve to host the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts?
Er, wait.
The chaos at the Quidditch World Cup was Fudge's blunder.
Whereas Hogwarts was his Albus-Dad's turf, having no direct or necessary connection to the British Ministry of Magic.
Instability in Britain didn't equate to instability at Hogwarts, so Hogwarts remained a rather fitting venue.
However, Grindelwald was still running rampant outside right now. Were Durmstrang and Beauxbatons really so brazen as to bring their students to compete in the territory of Grindelwald's old flame, without fearing that something might go wrong?
"It wasn't a sudden decision. As early as several years ago, the Department of International Magical Cooperation and the Department of Magical Games and Sports from all three countries' Ministries were already looking into reviving the Triwizard Tournament," Konan explained.
Light dawned on Kyle. So this was something the three Ministries had agreed upon long ago. Although Grindelwald's sudden comeback had caused a slight stir, it wasn't a major issue?
Indeed, it wasn't a big deal. With Dumbledore around, could he possibly stand by and watch the students come to harm?
Kyle grinned, turning to the little Beaver beside him. "Hermione, are you going to enter?"
Hearing the topic shift to her, a thoughtful look crossed Hermione's face. "Me?"
After a moment, she shook her head. "I'll pass. Even if I entered, I wouldn't be able to beat you."
Kyle burst out laughing. "I might not necessarily enter. Otherwise, the tournament would be far too boring."
With his current strength, he dared to trade blows even against peak figures like Dumbledore and Grindelwald before making a calm escape upon being outmatched.
If he were placed in the Triwizard Tournament to fight against students who hadn't even graduated yet, it would be downright bullying.
Setting aside the immense power boost he gained after his Obscurus erupted, even without becoming an Obscurial, the talent Kyle inherited from his two Dads put his strength far beyond ordinary people.
While others were still managing ordinary chakra, Kyle—even without an Obscurus—already possessed massive reserves.
Not to mention that others could only learn magic through classroom instruction, while those with slightly better family backgrounds might learn a few hereditary spells at most.
And what about Kyle? How many people in the wizarding world possessed broader knowledge than Dumbledore and Grindelwald?
One had to remember that Dumbledore was hailed as the strongest Hogwarts Headmaster in history besides the four founders—a absolute ceiling bearing the title "Doctor of Magic."
Meanwhile, Grindelwald's mastery in the field of Dark Arts was on par with Dumbledore's accomplishments in Light Magic.
Under the painstaking tutelage of these two Great Dark and Light Lords, which peer could Kyle not completely obliterate?
Taking the little Beaver's hand, Kyle gently kissed the back of it. "If you decide to enter the Triwizard Tournament, then I won't."
"This..." A flicker of temptation flashed across Hermione's face.
"Ahem." A slender, delicate hand reached over, interrupting their intimate interaction.
Kyle looked up to see Konan's tsundere expression. Amused, he held Konan's hand and gently kissed the back of hers as well.
Without changing her expression, Konan pulled her hand back and checked the time. "Alright, hurry up and board. The Hogwarts Express is about to leave."
She suddenly stepped closer to the little Beaver, pulling her into a gentle embrace and bringing her lips to Hermione's ear.
"When the Beauxbatons delegation travels to Hogwarts, I'll be coming along as well. I'll find you then so we can have some fun playing together."
As she said this, Konan placed special emphasis on the word "playing," causing the little Beaver's body to instantly stiffen.
It brought back memories of that unbearable morning from a week ago.
Although Konan lacked the natural tools, she possessed the Dance of the Shikigami.
Under the influence of wandless Transfiguration, the sheets of paper peeling from Konan's body could take whatever shape she desired, so she didn't need to worry about tools at all.
The consequence of this was...
Two rosy clouds instantly bloomed on Hermione's cheeks, and she bolted onto the Hogwarts Express as if fleeing for her life.
Watching her flee in panic, Konan found it quite amusing.
Kyle's bewildered gaze darted back and forth between the two of them.
What in the world happened between those two?
Can somebody please tell him?
————
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