When Kyle arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, no one was around.

He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Umbridge's voice came from inside.

Kyle opened the door and walked in.

It's still the same place as the last time I came here, with all kinds of exquisite handicrafts everywhere, but there seem to be a lot more cat plates on the wall.

"I am disappointed..."

When the office door was closed, Umbridge, who had been smiling, immediately looked at Kyle with a strange expression that was hard to tell whether it was disappointment or complacency.

"I was in this office yesterday, waiting for you to tell me something interesting, but you didn't come.

"This may prove that you are not as loyal as you said before, but are still on Dumbledore's side."

"I don't understand what you are talking about, Professor." Kyle said in surprise, "Is there anything I should know?"

"Oh?" Umbridge chuckled, "Well, I can give you a little reminder.

"From what I understand, dozens of people went to the Hog's Head Pub in Hogsmeade yesterday. Can you tell me what they were doing there?"

"Is there such a thing?" Kyle was surprised: "How come I didn't know about this?"

"You're lying!" Umbridge's voice gradually turned cold. "As far as I know, many of those people are your friends. How could you not know? Maybe you were there too."

"That's impossible." Kyle shook his head. "I've never been to the Hog's Head, and I don't know if there's any party there."

"It seems that you are not going to tell the truth." Umbridge smiled again and said in a coquettish voice, "How about lying to the professor and putting you in detention for another week? I think by then, you should be willing to tell the truth."

"Everything I said is true." Kyle's expression remained unchanged. "Yesterday, after I arrived in Hogsmeade, I went to the Elegant Wizard Clothing Store. Miss Daphne Greengrass from Slytherin can testify to this. She was also in the store at the time."

"And then!" said Umbridge. "I remember the party wasn't that early. You could go after you come out of the clothing store."

“I’ve been in the Three Broomsticks ever since and I haven’t been anywhere else,” Kyle said.

Umbridge gave him a skeptical look, "Can anyone prove it?"

"Anyone who's been to the Three Broomsticks."

Kyle said, "I was sitting opposite the door, so a lot of people must have seen me."

Umbridge was slightly stunned, as if she didn't expect Kyle to say that.

"You're not lying?"

"Of course not," Kyle said, "and Madam Rosmerta can attest that I never left the house before noon.

"Or you could ask anyone who was at the Hog's Head that day if I was there."

Umbridge was silent for a moment.

When she raised her head again, the smile on her face became even more fake, making people feel uncomfortable at a glance.

"No need, I definitely believe you." She said in a strange tone, with a hint of mockery: "But your so-called friends don't seem to be like that."

"Oh, yes." Kyle resisted the urge to punch her in the face and said, "I didn't expect that they would hide so many things from me. It's really disappointing."

"Then I need you to help the Ministry of Magic investigate this matter." Umbridge continued with a smile: "Dumbledore chose to hold the meeting at the Hog's Head, and those people also chose the Hog's Head. Perhaps there is some connection between them."

"Absolutely not." Umbridge said firmly, "I don't believe there is such a coincidence. Those people must be a secret force developed by Dumbledore among the students."

Kyle didn't say anything, mainly because he didn't know what to say... He rarely told the truth, but Umbridge didn't believe it.

Dumbledore chose the Hog's Head because he felt that it was safe enough because everyone there was his own people. Cedric and his friends went there simply because there were few people and they would not be overheard by others.

So this is really just a coincidence, nothing more.

And Dumbledore developing students into a secret force?

I have to say that Umbridge and Rita Skeeter should be able to get along well, after all, they both have unpredictable and outrageous ideas.

However, seeing that Umbridge was convinced, Kyle did not say anything, but just nodded and said, "Leave it to me, Professor. I will definitely find out the answer."

"That's up to you," said Umbridge. "Don't let me down."

"I'll look into it," Kyle said. "For the Ministry."

Umbridge's expression immediately turned serious.

"For the Ministry!"

…

"So, you're going to report us?"

Fred asked in the locker room during the afternoon Quidditch practice.

This is the Hufflepuff locker room. Normally, Gryffindors aren't supposed to come here, but since they're the only ones here, it doesn't matter.

"In theory, I should do this." Kyle wiped the broom in his hand and said, "I will hand you over to Umbridge in exchange for house points."

"Tell Umbridge what we're going to do and she'll give you as many points as you want."

"I don't know, but it shouldn't be less than 50 points."

"So little?" George said with some disdain, as if he thought Umbridge was too stingy. "We are Dumbledore's secret army, and it's only worth 50 points? I thought it was at least 100 points."

"No wonder you didn't go to the Hog's Head that day," said Fred. "You knew this was going to happen."

"Not too early." Kyle shook his head. "I only remembered it after I arrived in Hogsmeade."

"Haha, I'll ask you to investigate our party." George couldn't help laughing and said, "She will never know the truth."

"But I still don't understand," said Cedric, "why Umbridge would come to you, and why you seem to have to help her.

Also, what did you mean yesterday when you said you wanted to stand against Professor Dumbledore?"

"This is part of the plan. It's hard to explain it in a few words," Kyle said. "All you have to remember is that we are now against each other... at least make Umbridge believe that."

George rolled his eyes. "So... can we beat you up here? After all, that's what we did when we faced Slytherin."

"That's right." Fred laughed sinisterly, "It's three to one now. You have no chance of winning."

…

(End of this chapter)