Since joining the Quidditch team, Kael has become quite busy.
He now has classes during the day and goes to the library to read books, while at night he sneaks into the Restricted Area to copy books. Any spare time is devoted entirely to his assignments.
Second-year assignments are a lot more than last year's, and the professors seem to have decided collectively that starting last week, the length of assignments went from inches to feet.
Plus, with three nights of Quidditch training each week, he's very pressed for time.
Harris is very strict about this; every practice is at least three hours long, and they can only return just before the curfew.
But after several training sessions, Kael's coordination with his teammates has become more fluent.
Today, he and Harris were able to skillfully implement the double-sided attack strategy.
This is a classic Quidditch tactic invented by the Wimbourne Wasps, a modified version of the Eagle-headed attack formation.
It involves two Chasers simultaneously flying toward the center goalpost, frequently passing the ball. When reaching the scoring area, they quickly split to both sides, thus confusing the Keeper's judgment.
After the training match ended, Kael and Harris scored sixty goals, leaving Hufflepuff's Keeper almost doubting life, carried back to the dormitory by the others with a dazed expression.
"Cheer up, Fello, you're already one of the best Keepers in the school. Think about it, if even you can't catch it, no one else can either!"
Harris said, holding Fello's right leg, his face red, "Our name will be engraved on the Quidditch Cup again this year, I promise!
"Haha... Why hasn't November come yet? I'm already impatient to start the matches."
The group swaggered back to the castle, Kael carrying his broomstick, following behind them.
As they passed the Auditorium entrance, they happened to encounter Fred and George coming downstairs.
Their pockets were bulging as if full of things.
After Harris and the others walked away, Cedric raised an eyebrow and whispered, "Curfew is soon, are you guys going for a night stroll?"
"No, we just returned from Hogsmeade, planning to grab some snacks from the kitchen." George patted the bulging pocket and laughed, "Zonko's latest products, bought just before they closed."
"You know, for our adorable little brother." Fred winked and handed a leather bag to Kael.
"Here's what you wanted."
"Thanks." Kael reached out and took it.
Fred looked at him, excitedly asking, "So, do you have some new money-making idea? Tell us about it."
"What?" Kael was a bit confused by Fred's meaning.
He had been so busy these days that he didn't even visit the greenhouse, let alone have time to look into any new money-making ideas.
"Don't pretend, what's there to keep secret from us?" George said displeased, "If not for a new idea, why would you buy so much parchment?"
"Don't say it's for making maps; it's been nearly a month since the time for selling maps."
Fred put his arm around Kael's shoulder, showing a look that said he wasn't easily fooled, "Without a new idea, how could you buy a thousand sheets of parchment."
"A thousand sheets, Scrivenshaft's almost ran out of stock."
"Out of stock?"
Kael opened his Transfiguration Lizard Skin Bag and quickly saw stacks of parchment inside, but he couldn't tell exactly how many sheets.
"Well, I'm not in a hurry to use them anyway, it's okay if there's less."
"Almost out of stock," Fred said, smiling, "There are one thousand sixty-three sheets, the extras are a bonus."
"That's all there is; we helped Scrivenshaft's close twenty minutes early today."
"Alright, after saying so much, shouldn't you tell us what your plan is." Fred speculated as he rubbed his chin, "With the parchment, maybe it's a map of secret passages... or perhaps you're planning to provide homework answers for a fee?"
"None of those!"
Kael shook his head, "They're really just for me to use."
"Stop joking, that's a thousand sheets of parchment; just for homework you wouldn't need that much.
Cedric, do you need a thousand sheets of parchment for a term?"
Cedric immediately shook his head.
To be honest, a thousand sheets of parchment would last him almost seven years.
"I know it's hard for you to believe, but that's the truth."
Kael thought about it and said, "I've been transcribing some things lately, requiring a lot of parchment, that's all."
Seeing Kael's serious expression, Fred and George were not as insistent as they were at first.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course." Kael shrugged, "And I can guarantee, if I'm lying, let Cedric start balding this year."
"Hey, what does that have to do with me!"
Cedric glared at Kael, dissatisfied.
"Don't be so stingy." Kael said indifferently, "Don't you trust me?"
"That's not the same thing, okay!" Cedric said helplessly.
His father, Mr. Digory, had hair issues; he didn't want to be like that now.
With Kael saying so, Fred and George dispelled the last bit of suspicion.
Yeah, there's no reason for Kael to lie to them.
Both looked somewhat disappointed, turned away gloomily, and headed toward Gryffindor Tower.
All the way, they guessed eagerly about Kael's new plan, even ready to dive into action.
In the end, they found there was no plan at all, it was just their wishful thinking.
The sense of disparity was hard for them to accept.
"You're going the wrong way." Cedric reminded them, "You need to go down to reach the kitchen."
"Thanks, but we suddenly don't feel that hungry."
"And don't feel like eating anything."
...
After the twins left, Cedric scratched his head, puzzled, "What's wrong with them."
Kael shook his head, "Who knows, probably just entering puberty."
"What period?"
"Nothing, curfew is soon, we should head back."
"Alright."
Late at night, after Kael's roommates fell asleep, he quietly got up, left the dormitory, and went to the library as usual.
Kael walked straight to the third bookshelf in the Restricted Area, opened the leather bag, and skillfully took out a Speedwriting Quill and a stack of parchment, placing them on the nearest table.
"Lumos!"
Then Kael brightened his wand, picked out a carefully selected book, and sat nearby flipping through it.