With Kyle's help, Hagrid managed to bring the final Christmas trees to the Great Hall just before dinner. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were already waiting.
"Hagrid, there you are—these must be the last two... Oh!" Professor Flitwick's eyes lit up as he noticed Kyle beside Hagrid, wand in hand. "Excellent Levitation Charm, Mr. Chopper. Five points to Hufflepuff."
Realizing Kyle's spell had made the task much easier for Hagrid, Professor Flitwick smiled at him. "If the final exam were on the Floating Charm," he said with a wink, "I'd give you an 'O' right now."
Flitwick raised his own wand, smoothly guiding the two fir trees into their designated spots. Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall wove the mistletoe into a hanging garland, filling the last empty space on the wall.
Minutes later, students began flooding into the hall, and the festive Christmas dinner commenced.
At the Hufflepuff table, Cedric glanced at Kyle in surprise. "You're not going home for Christmas?"
Kyle nodded. "Yeah. No one's at home right now, so it wouldn't make much sense to go back. I might as well stay at Hogwarts."
Chris was traveling the world with Lord Newt, helping return captured Magical Creatures to their natural habitats. His mother Diana, from the Department of Mysteries, had recently written to him, saying she wouldn't be home for Christmas but had already sent his presents.
With both of them away, Kyle felt there wasn't much point in going home. At Hogwarts, he'd at least have things to keep him busy. He could check in on Fluffy or water the two ornamental plants he'd been tending to.
"Why don't you come to my house?" Cedric suggested. "My dad would really like to meet you."
Kyle shook his head with a polite smile. "Maybe next time. I've already promised Hagrid I'd help him look after his animals over the holidays."
Cedric looked a little disappointed. Kyle, however, was secretly relieved. The idea of meeting Mr. Diggory—let alone spending two weeks with him—was a bit much. Just the thought made Kyle's head spin; he figured it was enough that his mother had to deal with Mr. Diggory alone.
To shift the conversation, Kyle turned to Kanna, who was sitting nearby. "What about you? Are you going home for the holidays?"
Kanna simply shook her head, not saying a word. Kyle took the hint and didn't press further.
...
With the semester over after the Christmas feast, students began boarding the train back to King's Cross Station. Mikel and Ryan had also gone home, leaving Kyle alone in the dormitory. The once lively common room was now far quieter—a solitude Kyle found rather pleasant.
He sat on one of the sofas near the fire, roasting a potato in its skin, surrounded by some flatbread, mushrooms, and thinly sliced beef. When he'd gone to the kitchen for ingredients, the House-elves had offered to help, but Kyle had refused. The enjoyment was in the process; eating was secondary.
After patiently waiting for the potato to blacken slightly, Kyle took it off the skewer. Once it cooled, he peeled the skin and took a bite. The potato was sweet and soft, though he discovered the center was still a bit raw. Using a spoon, he scooped out the undercooked part and tossed it toward a mouse not far away.
"Kyle…" Kanna glared at him. "Don't give Pocky that strange stuff!"
"It's just a potato. What's strange about that?" Kyle shrugged. "Besides, who doesn't like potatoes?"
But as if deliberately mocking him, Pocky the mouse sniffed the undercooked potato and turned away, not even tempted to try it.
"Good grief, a picky mouse," Kyle muttered, a bit embarrassed. "You should try starving it for a few meals," he suggested to Kanna.
Kanna ignored him, taking Pocky and leaving the common room. Since it was holiday break and Filch's cat wouldn't be lurking about, she figured it was a good time to let her pet explore the castle freely. After all, it had been cooped up in the dormitory for ages.
With Kanna gone, Kyle was the only one left in the common room. Feeling a bit restless, he finished his food, then decided to head up to the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor.
Over the past three months, Kyle had transformed the room into a miniature greenhouse. Alongside Chomping Cabbage, he had cultivated Dittany, Rue, Belladonna, Mistletoe, Sneezewort... and even a beautiful Golden-banded Hydrangea. The first three were common magical plants, and he had easily procured their seeds from Hogsmeade. The Golden-banded Hydrangea, however, had been a little trickier to obtain.
One night, he couldn't resist and snipped a tiny branch from the lush golden hydrangea plant in the Hufflepuff common room. It had been a mere inch long, and he doubted anyone would miss it. To his surprise, the cutting had taken root and was now growing steadily, albeit still small. Kyle was satisfied; as long as it survived, it would flourish.
He went straight to the center of the room, where his Chomping Cabbage plants had grown significantly. In just three months, they had shot up from seeds to the size of a Bludger, each with a mouth lined with two rows of sharp teeth that looked strong enough to snap anything unfortunate enough to get too close.
Kyle loosened the soil around the plants, shooing away a Billywig that had been buzzing around his head. "Busy right now—go play over there," he told it.
A few days ago, he'd rescued the little Billywig from Mrs. Norris, who had nearly turned it into lunch. It still had a faint scar from where the cat had grabbed it. After Kyle treated the wound with Dittany, the little creature had started following him everywhere. Thankfully, it was well-behaved, and at Kyle's words, it fluttered off to a corner of the room where it could explore in peace. The room's spaciousness and the lack of that leaping, lurking cat seemed to be a paradise for the little creature.
Once Kyle finished with the Chomping Cabbage, he looked around the room. Although he had quite a few Dittany and Rue seeds left, he thought it would be a waste to fill this remarkable space with only the more common magical plants.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he gazed at the large empty area he'd purposely left on one side of the room. If he remembered correctly, they'd soon be learning about Devil's Snare in Herbology class.