The following day, Kyle had to head to the second floor of the castle to attend History of Magic with the first-year Gryffindor students.
There wasn't much to say about the class itself. As the most tedious subject at Hogwarts, Kyle found himself dozing off almost the entire time. He never thought a lesson could be this dull.
As a ghost, Professor Cuthbert Binns wasn't the type to engage or even acknowledge his students much. His teaching method involved floating through the wall and monotonously reading from a textbook, with no interaction whatsoever. His flat, unchanging tone didn't help matters either.
After just ten minutes, Kyle was struggling to keep his eyes open. It felt as though a swarm of bees were buzzing incessantly around his head. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make sense of what Professor Binns was saying.
A glance around the room told him he wasn't alone. The Gryffindor students had given up completely. They were slumped over their desks, drooling, some grinding their teeth in their sleep. They seemed to have settled into a much deeper nap than he had.
The Hufflepuff students were faring slightly better, particularly those with a strong sense of duty to take notes for the rest of the class. Despite Professor Binns' soporific presence, they persisted in jotting down names and dates—at least at the start.
However, even the most determined Hufflepuffs couldn't hold out for long. They soon discovered that everything Binns was reading was straight out of the textbook. Nothing he said deviated in the slightest from what was already in the text. Once they realized this, they, too, surrendered to sleep, putting away their parchment and quills for good.
...
If there was any class at Hogwarts more dreaded than the lethargic History of Magic, it was undoubtedly Potions. While History of Magic was merely boring, it at least allowed the students to catch up on their sleep. Potions, on the other hand, was pure agony.
The reason for this torture was none other than Professor Snape's infamous favoritism. His bias toward Slytherin was so blatant that students from other houses dreaded attending his classes. Gryffindor bore the brunt of Snape's antagonism, often finding themselves unfairly deducted points for reasons that barely made sense.
In Potions class, Gryffindor suffered more than the rest. Snape had an uncanny knack for deducting points from Gryffindor for the smallest infractions—be it for taking notes too slowly, not following instructions to the letter, or even reading the textbook instead of watching him demonstrate. This constant point loss was a key reason why Gryffindor often finished last in the House Cup standings.
Fred and George Weasley hated Snape so much that they frequently joked about sending him to the hospital wing. They weren't entirely joking, though; their disdain for him ran deep.
That afternoon, Hufflepuff was scheduled for their first Potions class, and they would be paired with the Slytherins.
The class leaders had been extra careful to warn everyone about Snape's reputation, so the Hufflepuff students left their common room early to ensure they arrived at the dungeon classroom well ahead of time. All except for Kyle, who had been summoned to the hospital wing by Dumbledore.
"Kyle, you're finally here!" Mikel exclaimed when he saw Kyle arrive. His relief was palpable. "You've come to take me out of this place, right? Please tell me you're here to take me out!"
"You have no idea what I've been through! This place is terrible. The nurse tied me to the bed, wouldn't let me move, and didn't even let me snack! And then, this greasy-haired guy forced me to drink some awful potion. It was worse than eating dirt!"
Kyle couldn't help but glance between Madam Pomfrey, who was fuming, and Snape, who stood by the door, looking equally enraged. He realized then that Mikel had severely underestimated the situation. Not only had Mikel insulted the hospital wing, but he'd also called Snape "greasy." Surely, the Sorting Hat must have been intoxicated when it placed Mikel in Hufflepuff. With wit like that, shouldn't he have been sorted into Gryffindor?
Without thinking, Kyle's instincts kicked in. He quietly made his way over to Dumbledore, keeping his head down and pretending he had nothing to do with this situation. The tension in the hospital wing thickened to the point of suffocation.
Meanwhile, Mikel, completely oblivious to the glares directed his way, continued complaining about his recent ordeal. It wasn't until he turned to grab a drink of water that he noticed Madam Pomfrey's strained smile.
Mikel shrieked in surprise and immediately pulled the covers over his head, pretending to be asleep.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. "What strange weather we're having! So chilly for September, don't you think?" He rubbed his arms as if feeling the cold. "Kyle, as you can see, Mr. Drake has been given a dose of magic suppressant potion and will soon be discharged. Professor Sprout will also be helping him learn to control his magic in the future. But, Kyle, the professor's time is limited. Mr. Drake will need the support of his friends more than ever."
Kyle nodded seriously. "I understand, Professor. I promise, what happened in Charms class won't happen again."
Even without Dumbledore's encouragement, Kyle wouldn't have left Mikel to struggle alone. They were roommates, and Hufflepuffs took care of one another. There was no way he would stand by and let Mikel's uncontrolled magic get the better of him. Hogwarts didn't need another Filch.
Dumbledore gave him a reassuring smile. "No need to look so serious, Kyle. Our Potions professor knows what he's doing. As long as Mr. Drake takes his suppressant potion on time, there should be no further issues with his magic. You might want to keep a few treats on hand for him though. I recommend cockroach clusters."
Kyle remained silent, as Snape's expression grew even darker at the mention of the candy.
"Alright, take Mr. Drake back to class. You shouldn't be late," Dumbledore advised.
"Hold on, Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey interjected. "His treatment isn't quite finished yet. Just a quick check-up to ensure everything is in order. It won't take long, and it won't delay their class."
Dumbledore nodded, leaving quickly, while Snape gave a haughty snort and stormed out of the hospital wing.
Kyle, wanting nothing more than to leave, stepped into the corridor to wait. He could still hear Mikel's desperate protests from behind the door.
"I don't want to drink that stuff! Ugh, it's worse than the blue potion! Help!"
Standing in the hallway, Kyle couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for his friend. He wanted to help but knew there was nothing he could do. Even Dumbledore had fled the scene. What could a first-year student like him possibly accomplish?
With a sigh, Kyle closed the hospital wing door. Mikel's cries were instantly muffled, and peace settled over the corridor once more.
"Much better," Kyle muttered to himself.
(End of the chapter)
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