The only advantage of being the Ancient Runes professor was probably having more free time than the other professors.
After the first day of term had passed, Kyle followed this subject's tradition and vanished somewhere within Hogwarts Castle.
Except at mealtimes, of course.
The office Professor McGonagall had assigned him was practically just for show. It did not even have a chair inside; it was completely bare, and Hermione, who had come by with questions, had once thought she had gone to the wrong place.
But that was an old tradition too. When Professor Babbling had been here, her office had looked exactly the same.
Heavy snow fell outside, and now and then, a series of dull thuds came from Black Lake... the Giant Squid was smacking the solid ice. To scare the students playing on top of it, it did this every day, never seeming to tire of it.
In a wooden cabin nearby, Kyle poured two cups of tea and handed them to the two identical people sitting across from him.
"So, your memories have returned?" Kyle looked at the two Draco Malfoys before him. "Sorry to ask, but which one of you is the real one?"
Kyle had been in the garden earlier. He had only learned that Malfoy had returned from St Mungo's after receiving Dumbledore's letter.
And while delivering the letter, Dumbledore had thoughtfully brought both of them along.
"It's him!" The 'Malfoy' on the left immediately pointed at the one on the right. "I drank Polyjuice Potion just before coming here. It'll probably take more than an hour before I change back."
Malfoy said nothing, only looking at Kyle with a complicated expression.
"Does our deal in Knockturn Alley still stand?"
"It seems your memories really have returned," Kyle said.
"Yes, I remember everything,"