Kyle rubbed Crookshanks' head with a chuckle. "Back then, he was actually one of the test subjects for the Tailed Beast project."
Perhaps feeling a bit uncomfortable from being petted so vigorously, Crookshanks reached out a paw and swatted at the demonic hand resting on his head.
"Originally, I intended to use a Wampus cat for the modification. But restricted by my lack of knowledge at the time, it didn't succeed, so I had to settle for second best and modify a Kneazle instead."
Hermione looked down at Crookshanks in her arms. So... this creature was just a mutated Kneazle?
When Kyle had given her Crookshanks back then, she had assumed he was some precious, rare breed and had felt rather embarrassed to accept him.
Listening to Kyle's description, Hermione felt her heart flutter with temptation, though she still harbored a few misgivings.
"Um... since Tailed Beasts are modified from ordinary magical creatures, can I choose the animal to be modified myself?"
"Of course," Kyle replied, knowing exactly what Hermione was worried about.
Hearing Kyle's answer, a bright smile bloomed on the little Beaver's face. "I like cats."
"I know. Then how about a Wampus cat?"
"Alright!" Hermione nodded enthusiastically.
She wasn't as timid now as she had been back when Kyle first gave her Crookshanks. Since she was already Kyle's person, accepting a Tailed Beast was hardly a big deal.
Gazing at Kyle with delight, her voice was filled with deep curiosity. "What is the process of sealing a Tailed Beast like?"
"First, you undergo a bloodline fusion with the Tailed Beast, and then I shove the Tailed Beast into the seal," Kyle said, spreading his hands. "That's it."
"It's that simple?"
"It's that simple."
When it came to bloodline fusion, an unusual gleam flashed in Kyle's eyes.
After a wizard underwent bloodline fusion with a magical creature, their appearance would undergo subtle changes under the influence of that bloodline.
Take Cedric, for instance.
By now, Cedric had transformed into a complete, handsome pretty-boy.
If he hadn't maintained Human Transfiguration every single day, he probably would have been snatched up by the wealthy ladies of Slytherin by now.
Or take Ron, for example.
Although Ron's appearance was far below that of top-tier heartthrobs like Kyle and Cedric, he used to rank somewhere around above-average among ordinary people.
Yet after fusing with the bloodline of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, his looks had steadily declined day by day.
His facial features hadn't changed all that much, but the more one looked at him, the uglier he seemed. Such was the side effect of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki.
If Ron had previously held a sliver of hope to get a girlfriend before graduating from Hogwarts, that hope had completely vanished by now.
Although Ron's magical talent had advanced by leaps and bounds after fusing with Gyūki's bloodline, elevating his strength far beyond what it used to be...
His looks were gone, plain and simple.
See this formidable strength? Traded straight from my looks!
Kyle couldn't help but picture what Hermione would look like after fusing with the bloodline of a Wampus cat.
Unlike Ron's hideously ugly Eight-Tails, Matatabi—the Two-Tails created from a Wampus cat—would certainly be stunning.
With the enhancement of such a bloodline, Hermione's looks wouldn't drop in the slightest; in fact, they would only rise.
Would Hermione sprout cat ears and a cat tail when the time came?
A catgirl Hermione?
Just imagining it in his head made Kyle feel a surge of excitement.
Before long, the carriage ground to a halt beneath the stone steps leading to the massive oak front doors.
As they stepped into the cavernous Entrance Hall of the castle, a loud, clamorous noise rang out from above.
Kyle looked up to see Peeves—wearing a bell-adorned hat and an orange-red bow tie—his broad, mischievous face tight with concentration, a posture that clearly signaled he was locking onto his target.
He was holding a large red balloon filled with water, making a motion as if to pelt them with it.
One wizard and one poltergeist locked eyes, and the air froze instantly.
After staring at each other for a brief moment, Peeves ultimately didn't dare to throw the water balloon at Kyle's head. Letting out a eerie, wide grin, he flew over their heads with a loud whoop.
And now, onto the next unfortunate wizard who stepped into the castle.
This wasn't the first time Hermione had seen Peeves frightened away by Kyle, but no matter how many times she witnessed it, it always struck her as bizarre.
Just how many wicked deeds had her boyfriend committed to make the fearless Peeves look so utterly cowardly?
Kyle read Hermione's mind with a single glance.
"I merely cast a Genjutsu spell on him, that's all."
"Genjutsu?" Hermione's curiosity was piqued. She was currently studying shadow-based Dark Arts under Kyle's guidance and had not yet ventured into the domain of illusions.
Kyle smiled and didn't answer her question, clearly intending not to pursue the topic any further.
After all, was tormenting Peeves for seven days and seven nights in an illusionary world using Tsukuyomi really something he could share with the righteous little Beaver?
While the two were talking, Peeves' water balloon was hurled forcefully at the first student to enter the castle after Kyle and Hermione.
SPLASH!
The bursting water balloon splashed water straight across Neville's face, dragging Harry and Ron beside him down into misfortune as well.
The three had managed to avoid the torrential rain that Kyle had dispersed, but in the end, they still failed to escape the fate of being soaked to the skin.
At that moment, an angry voice echoed through the Entrance Hall.
"Peeves! You get down here this instant!"
Professor McGonagall rushed furiously out of the Great Hall, only to accidentally step directly into the puddle left behind by the water balloon.
An elderly lady in her seventies or eighties like Professor McGonagall hardly possessed agility on par with Kyle's. She performed a sudden power slide, shooting rapidly past Kyle's side.
The speed was so fast that even Kyle, possessing the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, failed to react in time. The hand he reached out to steady Professor McGonagall missed the senior cat-lady completely.
A chaotic crash rang out from behind as Kyle stood there frozen, hand still awkwardly extended.
After plowing over several students walking at the very front, Professor McGonagall climbed up from the floor with an ashen face.
Taking a deep breath, she unleashed the ultimate secret magic accessible only to those who had cultivated the role of Hogwarts' Head of House—the Lion's Roar technique.
"PEEVES!"
Peeves feared Kyle, but he certainly didn't fear Professor McGonagall.
Perhaps in the past, he might have held some measure of awe toward Professor McGonagall's stern demeanor, but not anymore.
Peeves was not a ghost; he was more like a unique aggregation of intent born from the thoughts of the Hogwarts students.
In other words, Peeves' level of mischievous capability depended entirely on the students' capacity to cause trouble.
Ever since Kyle enrolled, Peeves had essentially achieved supreme mastery in his craft.
To illustrate just how formidable he had become...
One need only look at how he now dared to swap out the water balloon for a Dungbomb, hurling it head-on right at Professor McGonagall's head.
"Hurry, let's go," Kyle said, taking Hermione's small hand. "Before we get choked to death by Dungbombs here."
The two bolted through the doors of the Great Hall in a flash.
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