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In a quiet corner of the Hufflepuff common room, Cedric sat, watching the crowd of eager first-years surrounding Kyle with a look of disbelief. He couldn't wrap his head around it—why were the new students so blindly following Kyle's lead, and how were they not seeing through the nonsense he was feeding them? This was Hufflepuff, after all, not Ravenclaw. Cedric couldn't imagine any scenario where he, or any other reasonable wizard, would be pleased if their classmates gifted them with notes and homework while they were recovering in the hospital.
Especially not homework.
The very idea of using homework as a kind gesture was absurd to Cedric. It wasn't something a normal wizard would come up with, and even someone as evil as Voldemort wouldn't be that cruel. Cedric's moral compass nudged him to step in and expose Kyle's ridiculous suggestion. Mikel deserved better, and it seemed Cedric was the only one who could help save him from this bizarre act of "kindness."
But Cedric hesitated.
Despite how absurd Kyle's suggestion was, there was an unexpected benefit: it motivated the first-years to take their studies more seriously. In that sense, Kyle's words were actually doing some good. Cedric found himself in an unusual dilemma—on one hand, he felt obligated to step in and tell the truth, but on the other, he didn't want to disrupt the positive influence Kyle was having on the younger students.
He weighed his options, torn between his conscience and his responsibilities as a senior student. For the first time in his life, Cedric found himself caught in a conflict he didn't know how to resolve.
Meanwhile, another freshman, Connor, watched the unfolding situation with a completely different mindset. Unlike the other first-years, Connor wasn't swept up by Kyle's persuasive nonsense. In fact, she was the only one who had remained fully awake during the entire discussion. But Connor's thoughts weren't on exposing Kyle's scheme or worrying about Mikel. Her thoughts were focused solely on one thing: staying as far away from Kyle as possible.
Connor had made a vow to herself—once she got her hands on the special rat tonic she needed, she would make it her mission to steer clear of Kyle. Even if transferring to another house wasn't an option, she'd do whatever it took to avoid him. In classes, she'd choose a seat as far from Kyle as possible.
While Cedric and Connor were lost in their own thoughts, the other Hufflepuffs were still bustling with excitement, discussing the intricate details of their grand plan to help Mikel. Meanwhile, Kyle, who had already accomplished his goal, quietly slipped away from the crowd. Now that everyone was focused on what they needed to do, Kyle, the mastermind behind the plan, was no longer the center of attention.
Finding a quiet sofa in a secluded corner of the common room, Kyle settled in with his book, The Bard in the Wind. The book, recommended by Dumbledore himself, was a fifty-year-old biography about a wandering bard who traveled the world, encountering various challenges along the way. Unlike the self-centered style of Gilderoy Lockhart's books, this biography focused less on the bard himself and more on the fascinating things he witnessed during his travels. The book included descriptions of many regional spells, each with its own unique characteristics, which gave Kyle a refreshing new perspective on magic.
Kyle was completely engrossed in the book, reading it intently until Cedric approached him at noon to remind him it was time to eat. Reluctantly, Kyle closed the book, feeling as though he could have read for hours more.
"What are you reading?" Cedric asked with curiosity. "I called your name several times, but you didn't hear me."
Kyle handed Cedric the book. "It's called The Bard in the Wind. Dumbledore recommended it. It's a really fascinating biography."
"Dumbledore recommended it?" Cedric's eyes lit up with interest. "I'll have to check it out myself."
Kyle paused, thinking for a moment before replying. "Well, I just started it, so you'll have to wait a few days. Or you could check with the library to see if they have another copy."
Cedric shook his head and handed the book back to Kyle. "No need to rush. I'll borrow it after you finish. The library rarely has multiple copies of biographies anyway."
With that, the two Hufflepuffs left the common room and made their way to the Great Hall. By this time, word had already spread throughout Hogwarts about the incident in the Charms classroom earlier that day. Everyone was talking about how a Hufflepuff first-year had blown up the classroom during a spell-casting exercise.
As soon as Kyle entered the Great Hall, he was ambushed by Fred and George Weasley, who were eagerly waiting for him.
"There he is!" Fred called out, slinging an arm around Kyle's shoulder. "I knew Hogwarts would be more exciting with you around. Come on, tell us—how exactly did you blow up the Charms classroom?"
"Yeah, we heard even Professor Flitwick left the classroom limping," George added. "First class of the year, and you already managed to blow up the professor. Kyle, you're definitely going down in school history."
The twins' voices were loud enough to attract the attention of other students, and soon a crowd began to form around Kyle, all waiting for him to explain the details of the explosion. Kyle sighed, clearly exasperated by the rumors.
"First of all," Kyle began, "it wasn't me who blew up the classroom. The Illumination Charm can't cause explosions—that's common sense. Professor Flitwick just tripped and hurt his leg."
"And secondly," Kyle continued, "the student responsible for the accident is currently in the school hospital. I was only helping out. If you keep spreading this nonsense, I'll write to Mrs. Weasley."
Fred and George were visibly surprised. "It wasn't you?" they asked in unison, clearly not expecting that answer.
"Of course not," Kyle said, gesturing to Cedric beside him. "You can ask Cedric if you don't believe me."
Cedric immediately nodded. "Kyle's telling the truth. He wasn't the one who caused the accident."
Kyle pushed past the twins and added, "Honestly, where did you two even get this information? It's completely unreliable."
Fred shrugged. "We heard it from some Ravenclaw first-years. They said you sent someone to the hospital."
Kyle could hardly believe what he was hearing. "You're kidding me, right? I was there to help, and Dumbledore even gave me twenty extra points. Did they say anything else, or was that the whole story?"
"We don't know," George said casually. "We overheard it while passing by."
Kyle took a deep breath, trying to keep his frustration in check. It was becoming clear to him that the real culprits for spreading half-baked rumors were Fred and George, not the Ravenclaws. They hadn't even bothered to hear the full story, and now Kyle had to deal with the fallout.
With a resigned sigh, Kyle patted the twins on their shoulders. "You two are wasting your talents here at Hogwarts. You should apply for jobs at the Daily Prophet. Rita Skeeter would love you."
(End of Chapter)
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