"What was that sound just now... tell me, what was that sound..."
Snape, who had only just managed to recover, struggled to his feet. His left hand braced against a nearby tree, his eyes remained fixed on Kyle... more precisely, on something Kyle had hidden behind his back.
"What sound? You must have misheard it." Kyle looked perfectly calm.
"I would never mishear something." Snape had just as much faith in his own judgment.
Though he had been too weak to even stand a moment ago, when that sound rang out, instinct had made him turn around.
And in that instant, he had happened to see Kyle hide something he had been holding behind his back.
"Maybe an owl flew past." Kyle's expression did not change in the slightest. "You know, Hogwarts has always received a lot of letters. And it's a special time now—people staying in the castle and those outside all want to know how the others are doing. Naturally, there are even more owls."
"Then take your hand... out..." Snape had originally intended to simply snatch it, but he had yet to fully recover. The moment he removed his arm from the tree, his body began to topple sideways beyond his control.
Even so, Snape kept his eyes locked on Kyle.
He thought of the time in the trunk, when Kyle had given Grindelwald several photographs.
Though Snape had not seen what was in those photos, he remembered the series. The sound he had heard just now was far too similar to a camera shutter.
"Why don't you believe me?" Kyle said helplessly, bringing out the hand he had hidden behind his back and waving it before Snape.
"See? There's nothing there."
Snape eyed Kyle suspiciously, then staggered around behind him and stood there, frowning.
There really