The topic in the third-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class was vampires—a subject Kyle had already studied the previous year. Though Lockhart had proven unreliable, at least the information in his book wasn't entirely inaccurate.
Besides Lockhart's dazzling smile, a weapon of charm that was practically a mass destruction device, the book did contain a few effective ways to deal with those creatures of the night.
"Garlic gives off a sll that vampires hate, kind of like when we sll compost in the greenhouse," Kyle explained to Neville on the way to the library. "You can hang it around your neck or rub the juice on your skin."
"Of course, you can eat it too. If you eat enough to reek like Quirrell, who always had garlic breath, vampires won't even bother to co near you."
"I see..." Neville mumbled, looking dazed. "I rember Professor Lupin ntioning sothing similar."
"But that's only in general cases," Kyle went on. "If you run into a vampire that's been starving for a while or one with a unique taste, turning yourself into a walking garlic clove won't be enough to keep it away."
...
Neville nodded along as Kyle helped him wrap up his Defense Against the Dark Arts howork. After a long hesitation, he looked up and whispered, "Thank you..."
"What?" Kyle asked distractedly, not quite catching what Neville had said as he worked on his Divination howork.
"I an, thank you..." Neville repeated, a bit louder. "Since I lost my password, no one's really wanted to talk to . Besides Hermione, you're the first one."
"That's just because you didn't know the right approach," Kyle replied, glancing up. "For example, if you go to Fred and George and tell them, 'Your pranks aren't funny at all,' they'll pester you for an entire day, maybe even longer. Or, go to Harry and tell him you spotted a really pretty girl in Ravenclaw. He'll chat with you for hours."
"Huh?" Neville blinked in surprise. "Is it really that simple? But Harry doesn't seem to like spending ti with . Just a bit ago, he seed to be looking for any excuse to leave."
"He probably just had sothing else going on," Kyle said, setting down his quill and gathering his completed work. Glancing at the clock, he saw there were less than ten minutes until the ti Snape had specified.
"Just in ti," Kyle remarked as he stood up. Noticing Neville's curious expression, he explained, "The second part of detention is in the Dungeon. Do you want to co along? You're free anyway, and I doubt Professor Snape would mind if I brought soone with ."
"No, no," Neville shook his head rapidly, clutching his quill as his hands moved clumsily, nearly spilling his ink bottle. "I-I've still got loads of howork to do. You go ahead."
"Suit yourself," Kyle said, and without further comnt, he packed his things and left the library. At his table, Neville wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a relieved sigh.
As Kyle made his way through the foyer and down to the Dungeon, the castle felt unusually empty. Most students were out visiting Hogsade, and even the normally bustling foyer was eerily quiet, especially compared to the deserted Dungeon. The only sounds were his own footsteps echoing in the dim corridors.
He reached Classroom 3, located halfway down the corridor, and opened the door. Inside, Snape was already waiting, his expression unreadable as he fixed his gaze on Kyle.
"Why are you so late?" Snape asked.
"It's two minutes to the hour, Professor," Kyle replied.
"Thank you for the reminder, but I think I can read the ti," Snape responded icily.
"Apologies, Professor," Kyle continued smoothly. "I would've co earlier, but I didn't want to intrude if I arrived too soon..."
"How considerate of you," Snape drawled, stretching the words. "Am I ant to thank you for this thoughtfulness?"
"Oh, not at all," Kyle shrugged with a faint smile. "But if the Professor felt inclined to thank with a pint of Felix Felicis, I wouldn't be able to refuse."
Felix Felicis? A pint? Snape's eye twitched. He had never heard of anyone asuring Felix Felicis by the pint... What did this boy think Felix Felicis was—pumpkin juice?
"Looks like I'll have to get Madam Pomfrey to take a look at your brain," Snape said, pointing a finger sharply. "But that can wait. For now, go clean the cauldron and bring it here."
Following Snape's finger, Kyle saw an oversized cauldron with a foul-slling brown potion residue at the bottom.
"Scourgify." Kyle took out his wand, casting the Cleaning Charm.
The potion remnants vanished instantly, leaving the cauldron spotless. Kyle glanced back, half-expecting Snape to insist he clean it by hand, but Snape remained silent.
"What are you waiting for? Bring the cauldron over here."
"Oh, right."
Glad to save so ti, Kyle picked up the cauldron and set it down in front of Snape.
"Professor, am I free to go now?"
"Of course... not!" Snape sneered. "Did you think I'd let you off with just cleaning the cauldron? My detentions aren't that easy."
With a flick of his wand, Snape conjured a large pile of potion ingredients onto the table in front of Kyle.
"Prepare these ingredients. I'll need them shortly."
Snape's lips curled in a nacing smirk. "Rember, I'll only give instructions once. If you make a mistake or handle these items improperly, I won't remind you. And after that, well... you might be without a professor in the future."
"Listen carefully... Lionfish bones, ground into a fine powder. Ginger root, sliced. Three drops of Armadillo bile, three drops of Mandrake root juice, and only the very tips of the Wolfsbane leaves—make sure they're absolutely undamaged."
Snape rattled off the instructions swiftly, almost as if he wanted to test Kyle's mory. Fortunately, Kyle had a sharp mind and absorbed every detail. Without a word, he began preparing the ingredients.
After grinding the Lionfish bones to a fine powder, he was just about to start slicing the Ginger root when Snape spoke up again.
"Now, put the Lionfish bone powder into the cauldron."
Kyle nodded and carefully tipped the powder from its saucer into the cauldron. Almost instantly, the potion turned a vibrant orange.
"Professor, may I ask what potion this is?"
"Oh?" Snape raised an eyebrow. "Our Mr. Perfect can't identify it?"
"It's not sothing we've covered yet," Kyle replied. "Not until seventh year, at least..."
"So you think anything that's not in the textbook is irrelevant?" Snape scoffed. "If you studied potions more thoroughly, you'd know that Lionfish bone powder mixed with Ginger root and Armadillo bile can be used in a potion to keep the mind clear. Mandrake root juice and Wolfsbane, on the other hand, help suppress the effects of a dangerous transformation."
He paused, watching Kyle intently. "After hearing all that, do you still not understand?"
Kyle thought for a mont, then ventured, "The Wolfsbane Potion?"
A potion that clears the mind and counters a dangerous transformation... it could only be that.
"Not entirely dim," Snape said with a faint, aningful tone.
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