Professor Babbling's Warning

More than a week had passed since Dumbledore last left the Headmaster's Office. During that time, he had returned to give Harry a lesson before disappearing again.

As for what they had discussed in class, Kyle did not know, though he could more or less guess... It was probably nothing more than a frank conversation with Harry.

It might have involved the Order of the Phoenix, or perhaps Horcruxes... After all, when Harry had yet to learn Occlumency, many things had been kept from him, and he had been brooding over it.

This lesson was, plainly put, meant to help him untangle those knots in his heart. How far it went depended on how much Dumbledore wanted Harry to know.

But that had nothing to do with Kyle.

On Wednesday afternoon, after Ancient Runes class ended, Kyle took a piece of parchment filled with magical rune formulas and found Professor Babbling, who was preparing to flee.

Yes... flee.

Ever since the first class of the school year, when Kyle had asked several questions about the arrangement of runic diagrams, she had not been quite so eager to see this student.

It was not that she feared being stumped and losing face. Professor Babbling's knowledge of Ancient Runes might well surpass even Dumbledore's, and Kyle's questions were nothing to her.

Professor Babbling simply did not want to work overtime. Under normal circumstances, she left as soon as class ended, never delaying even a minute.

But if she answered Kyle's questions, it would not be a matter of delaying one minute. Even half an hour would be considered little.

Unfortunately, Kyle sat by the doorway, and Apparition could not be used within the castle. Her plan to clock out on time had failed the moment she stepped out of the classroom.

Professor