The Hogwarts greenhouse was essentially a colossal glass do, but a section of it had been shattered from the inside out.
A thick crowd of students was currently huddled around the jagged opening, peering at sothing with intense curiosity.
Truth be told, seeing this sight gave Kane a profound sense of unease.
He pushed his way through the spectators to see exactly what "neighborhood drama" was unfolding.
To his bewildernt, two plump, living white radishes—roughly the size of toddlers—were chasing the Weasley twins with indignant expressions.
The crowd, including the twins themselves, seed to be enjoying the spectacle. After all, despite their anger, the two "giant radishes" didn't look like they possessed much in the way of offensive power.
Kane, however, was different. He rubbed his face with a weary hand. Why did every abstract, logic-defying event seem to find its way to him?
He half-expected Maxwell to pop out of nowhere and explain why the hell the real-world Mandrakes in this "trench-like" greenhouse had suddenly transford into their Eternal Realm counterparts.
Had the fruit fly's humming and a few bars of music really caused them to gain sentience?
He was nearly finished pondering the taphysical implications when the incessant chatter of the twins and the squeaking of the Mandrake spirits snapped him back to reality.
"Enough."
Kane stuffed his wand into his pocket, stepped forward, and delivered two swift slaps that left the Mandrake spirits dazed. He then proceeded to tackle one, subjecting it to a flurry of disciplinary punches and kicks.
The students, who had just been watching the Mandrakes try to take a bite out of the twins, suddenly found the show getting much more intense.
The circle of spectators doubled in diater as Kane went to work. When the second Mandrake rushed over to help its companion, Kane sent it reeling with a perfectly tid kick to its "solar plexus."
Once both Mandrake spirits were sufficiently subdued and "kneeling" in the dirt, Kane rolled them back into the greenhouse like a couple of oversized tires.
He didn't forget to cast a Reparo on the shattered glass before the gawkers could see more.
The crowd of thrill-seeking students lingered for a mont, sensing Kane's dark mood, and wisely dispersed before they beca the next targets of his "discipline."
The Weasley twins, however, didn't share those reservations. They weren't afraid of the Mandrakes, and they certainly weren't afraid of Kane. Since the glass was fixed, they simply walked around to the main entrance.
They tried the door, found it locked, and began to knock persistently.
Inside, Kane—who had just finished tying the two Mandrake spirits together—heard the knocking and sighed. Of course.
The Mandrakes were still in the greenhouse; he needed to find Sprout and Dumbledore to figure out what to do with these two sentient radishes. And now, he had "fruit-thieving" tourists at the door.
He opened the door with a look of utter exhaustion. Just as the twins were about to greet him, Kane's face suddenly lit up with a joyous expression, as if he'd just found a cold bottle of iced tea in the back of a fridge.
"Seeing that weird look on your face," George said warily, "we're starting to think coming here was a mistake."
"Nonsense! I thought it would be so troublemakers, but I never expected it to be you two!" Kane said, grabbing them and dragging them inside.
In the center of the greenhouse, the two Mandrake spirits were tied back-to-back. Kane pushed the twins toward them with a grin.
"This is perfect. I need you two to do a favor and watch these Mandrake spirits. If they try anything—anything at all—feel free to give them the 'rough treatnt,' just don't kill them."
"I'm going to get Dumbledore and Professor Sprout. I'm counting on you!"
Kane turned to leave, but George grabbed his arm. "Wait, wait! You're just leaving us here with those?"
"You trust us that much?" Fred added, looking genuinely shocked.
"Who else would I trust?" Kane patted their shoulders and sprinted off toward the castle.
Left alone, the twins looked at each other. Ordinarily, their plan involved "liberating" so fruits and vegetables to use as snacks, but since Kane had placed such absolute trust in them, they felt a sudden, rare surge of responsibility. They would stand guard. It was a first for them.
When Kane returned with Dumbledore and Sprout, the scene they found was quite sothing.
The twins had cast Shield Charms on themselves and were standing on either side of the bound Mandrakes like royal guards, holding wands in one hand and transfigured rapiers in the other.
Dumbledore smiled warmly. "When Kane told he left you two in charge, I feared you might be like mice in a grain silo. I am delighted to see you've upheld his trust. Ten points to Gryffindor!"
The twins didn't jump for joy. They kept their "combat faces" stern. "Yessir!"
Dumbledore chuckled as he walked past them. He knelt down and poked the plump, white belly of one of the Mandrakes, then looked up at Kane. "Well, Kane. You always manage to find a new way to surprise ."
"So, what's the plan? Should we just kill them and be done with it?" Kane asked, his eyes gleaming with a dark mischief as he drew his wand.
Professor Sprout imdiately stepped in. "Really, Kane, that isn't necessary. Hogwarts is a school of magic; we shouldn't mind living alongside magical creatures. Even these... Mandrake spirits."
As soon as she spoke, the two spirits looked at her with wide, yearning eyes. She's the nice one. We want to stay with her!
Dumbledore nodded. "Perhaps we should find a place for these two new 'Mandrake Gentlen' to reside?"
"Why not just plant them back in the dirt?" Kane suggested helpfully.
Dumbledore looked at the Mandrakes. "Let's see what they think of that."
The two spirits shook their heads so violently their leaves whipped the air. Clearly, the "dirt life" was behind them.
"So we have to find them a house? Does anyone here know how to build a house?"
Kane finished speaking and suddenly felt a chill. He looked left and then right. Both Dumbledore and Professor Sprout were staring directly at him with expectant smiles.
"Hiss—wait a minute. Sothing's not right here, is it?"
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