This secret passage seems to be designed especially for night wanderers. Its exit isn't far from the castle, just behind the shrubbery near the Quidditch Pitch.
Once everyone came out, Fred and George quickly moved to the front and spread their arms: "Welcome to Hogwarts at night."
"It feels completely different from the daytime, enjoy it."
Cedric and Conna looked a bit excited.
For them, this kind of night tour experience was something they had never had before. It felt novel and exciting in a way they couldn't describe.
Kael didn't feel anything special, but it was his first time seeing Hogwarts at night, and he couldn't help but curiously look around.
Hogwarts at night was extraordinarily tranquil. The stars in the night sky emitted soft glows, like little night lamps hanging on the castle.
Beautiful as a dream, yet quiet and peaceful.
They stood there for a moment until Fred reminded them, and they remembered they still had business to attend to. Coming back to their senses, they headed towards the Forbidden Forest.
On the way, they took a wide detour to deliberately avoid Hagrid's cabin.
Though Fang was a bit timid, he was still a proper hunting dog, with keen hearing and smell. If they got too close, he might notice them.
Spending a little extra time was better than being dragged back to the castle by Hagrid.
After bypassing the cabin, they arrived at a broad woodland area. The Moonstruck Beast's lair wasn't hard to find, and under Kael's guidance, they soon saw the lush Wiggentrees.
At this moment, the Moonstruck Beasts happened to emerge from their lair.
They raised their long necks to the sky, with a distinct contrast between their big heads and thin, slender legs.
They looked like miniature llamas.
Quite adorable, really.
In the moonlight, they slowly lifted their front legs while their somewhat sturdier rear legs began to move awkwardly.
"It's the Moonstruck Beast Dance… this is the Moonstruck Beast Dance!" Cedric excitedly said, "I've only seen it in books before; the live version is so much better!"
"Don't get too excited; if they notice us, we won't get to see it," Kael gently reminded.
The Moonstruck Beast is a very shy magical creature. If it notices other people around, it'll hide back in its lair out of shyness.
But Cedric was right too.
The live dance is far more beautiful than the pictures in books.
But this was natural; Newt was just a socially awkward magizoologist, what did he know about taking photos? It's bearable to look at.
The Moonstruck Beasts danced for a while, seeming to get warmed up; their moves became more complex and captivating.
Moreover, as they moved, tiny silver-white specks gradually appeared on the ground behind them.
These specks increasingly covered the ground like a stage beneath them.
The silver-white "stage" combined with the moonlight elevated their dance to another level.
"How beautiful…" Conna's eyes were sparkling, completely entranced.
"Ahem…"
Though it spoiled the mood a bit, Kael thought for a moment and whispered in her ear, "Those silver things are their droppings."
"…"
The stars in Conna's eyes disappeared at a visible rate. She turned her head, looking incredulously at Kael.
"It's true," Kael said calmly. "If you don't believe me, you can check the book 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' it's written there."
Conna: "…"
After knowing that the Moonstruck Beasts were dancing on their own droppings, she could never see it the same way again.
The graceful and complex dance in front of her seemed to become tasteless.
Conna felt a burst of frustration.
She couldn't comprehend why Kael had to tell her this now—couldn't he wait until they'd finished watching?!
The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became, so she turned and punched Kael's arm.
Next to her, Fred and George were almost the same; they also gave Kael a punch, telling him there are times to keep his mouth shut.
Only Cedric was a bit better, as he already knew these things.
Seeing he had offended everyone, Kael quickly raised his hands in surrender, admitting defeat, "I was wrong!"
But it was useless; everyone still stared daggers at him, even Cedric joined in.
No help for it, nonconformity is no option.
"Alright, let's put it this way," Kael continued, "That stuff is silver, Sickles are also silver, you know what that means?"
Let me say it like this, if you're diligent, you can collect about five of them in one night."
Fred and George sucked in a breath and stopped berating Kael, huddling together to do the math.
Five Galleons a night, thirty-five a week, and a semester would be…
The twins were dizzy from the math, but they were sure it was a significant sum.
And they still had six years to spend at Hogwarts.
With this windfall, even if they split it evenly with Kael and the others, they could open their own joke shop upon graduation.
Is the dream realized just like that?
The twins hugged each other joyfully, almost jumping up with excitement.
After that, they couldn't focus on anything else; they just stared at the Moonstruck Beasts, waiting for the silver specks to stop increasing, and then they dashed out.
The Moonstruck Beasts got scared and ran back to their lairs, while Fred and George collected their droppings there.
Perhaps finding the pace too slow, Fred urged Kael and the others to join.
However, Kael and Cedric didn't move, though Conna hesitated, she was pulled back by Kael.
"Uh, aren't you going to tell them the truth?" Honest Cedric was a bit conflicted.
The Moonstruck Beast droppings were indeed valuable, but only when fresh, and it wasn't like Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans; selling them required stable sales channels and buyers.
Fred and George couldn't even get out of Hogwarts, so Cedric couldn't see to whom they could sell the collected Moonstruck Beast droppings.
Moreover, and even more importantly… this is Hogwarts.
Neither Hagrid's pumpkin patch nor Professor Sprout's greenhouse would need tons of fertilizer.
These fertilizers surely wouldn't be bought from outside, would they?
"What truth, I don't understand your meaning," Kael innocently said, "What I just said is true, that stuff is indeed expensive."
Cedric pursed his lips, glancing at the twins with some sympathy.
After a while, Kael suddenly felt a bit sleepy and called the twins, who were happily shoveling away, despite their fierce protests. He and Cedric forcibly dragged them out of the Forbidden Forest.