Nothing at Hogwarts was easy—except for the Quidditch match, where Hufflepuff had swept Ravenclaw effortlessly.
The moment Cedric captured the Golden Snidget, the Ravenclaw students in the stands were left utterly stunned. They sat there in silence, lost in their thoughts, unable to say a word. Professor Flitwick had made an appearance during the game but had only stayed a few minutes before leaving with his arms crossed tightly over his chest.
Less than half an hour later, the scoreboard read 320 to 0. Although Ravenclaw was used to finishing at the bottom in Quidditch year after year, such a drastic score was still hard for them to accept. That glaring "0" on the board stung—just one goal would have made a difference.
"Why were you in such a rush, Cedric?" Kyle whispered after they returned to the ground. "We were going to win anyway, so there was no need to catch the Golden Snitch."
"I'm a Seeker, Kyle," Cedric replied, shooting him a disgruntled look. "My job is to keep an eye out for the Golden Snitch constantly. How could I focus on the score at the same time? And have you ever seen a game where the Seeker just lets the Snidget go? Giving up on it means giving up on honor—no Seeker would ever do that!"
"But you guys..." Cedric's voice lowered as he grit his teeth. "I took my eyes off the field for just a moment, and by then it was already 17–0! This score is absurd. Couldn't you have let up a little... What, are you guys not planning to go the Charm Class anymore?"
"I didn't mean to either," Kyle said with a wry smile. "It was just too easy, and before I knew it, the game was over."
They exchanged a look and sighed in unison.
In the days that followed, Ravenclaw's morale was at an all-time low. The friendly relationship they once shared with Hufflepuff had shifted dramatically. Although there were no outright conflicts, tension hung heavily between the two Houses. Even when a Hufflepuff student occasionally tried to greet them, the Ravenclaws would turn away as if they hadn't heard.
In this atmosphere, Kyle and Cedric found themselves actively avoiding Cho, too embarrassed to speak to her. But Cho herself didn't seem too bothered, and as the days went on, any hard feelings she might have had gradually faded. In her view, Hufflepuff had won fairly, and Ravenclaw's loss simply reflected their own lack of skill.
After a Transfiguration class, Cho spotted Kyle, who was just about to dash out of the room. She rolled her eyes with a sigh and called out, "Hey, Kyle!"
"Uh..." Kyle froze mid-step, turning stiffly as though he had only just noticed her. "Oh, Cho… Ahem, I didn't realize you were here."
Cho laughed at his awkward excuse, shook her head, and took a deep breath. "I missed some notes in class—could I copy yours?"
"Sure, of course!" Kyle quickly pulled a black notebook from his bag and handed it to her. "Take as long as you need...or you know, you could just keep it if you want."
"Thanks," Cho replied, taking the notebook.
"No problem," Kyle said, smiling sheepishly before hurrying off.
After he left, Cho slipped the notebook behind her textbook. As a Ravenclaw, she hadn't really forgotten to take notes; she'd just made up an excuse to spare Kyle and Cedric from feeling awkward around her.
Watching Kyle's obvious relief as he left, Cho rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Honestly… silly boys."
Kanna, who sat beside her, nodded in agreement.
...
Across the Great Hall at lunchtime, Kyle recounted his encounter with Cho to Cedric. Once they finished eating, he left the castle and made his way toward the Forbidden Forest.
Yesterday, Dumbledore had successfully healed Fluffy, the Three-Headed Dog, and Kyle had visited the restricted area to check on him.
The moment he entered, Fluffy bounded over, all three heads eagerly nuzzling into his arms, showing no signs of his recent ordeal with dark magic. The dog was carefree, as if nothing had happened—a likely benefit of not being particularly bright.
Today, Kyle wanted to see how Hagrid was doing. While Fluffy was under treatment, Hagrid had faithfully guarded the entrance to the restricted area, barely eating and keeping everyone away. Each day, Kyle had brought him food, but it was always left untouched. Kyle figured that if Dumbledore had delayed much longer, Hagrid might have starved himself.
When Kyle reached the hut, he saw Hagrid cooking something over the fire. Though he looked thinner, he seemed well.
"Kyle, you're here!" Hagrid greeted him warmly.
"I just finished class and thought I'd stop by to check on you." Kyle smiled, then glanced toward the fire. "Are you making lunch?"
He leaned over to peek inside the pot but instantly regretted it. Inside was a thick, strange-looking soup—a murky brown with hints of red and purple. Bubbles surfaced occasionally, and as he got closer, a strong, fishy odor wafted up.
"Hagrid, are you…making potion?" Kyle asked hesitantly. He had only ever seen liquids of this color and texture in Potions class, or more specifically, in Mikel's cauldron during his failed attempts.
"Potion? Not a chance," Hagrid replied, shaking his head. "This here's for Fluffy! Got dragon's blood and dragon liver in it…all his favorites. Poor little thing must be shaken after all he's been through, so he needs some proper nourishment."
Realizing it was for Fluffy, Kyle said nothing more. Judging by the tastes of the massive, three-headed creature, this failed potion—or rather, soup—was probably quite the feast.
Hagrid gave the pot a few vigorous stirs, then brought out some rock cakes and tea, placing them in front of Kyle.
"Fluffy's all right now. Livelier than ever. I couldn't be more grateful," Hagrid said, wiping away a tear. "That poor little fella! If I ever find out who used dark magic on him, they'll regret it!"
As he spoke, Hagrid's grip on a rock cake tightened, crushing it in his hand. The larger crumbs fell into the pot, clinking against the side.
Kyle laughed awkwardly. Only Hagrid would call a terrifying, ten-foot-tall, three-headed dog a "little fella"…
Ignoring Hagrid's affectionate wording, Kyle asked, "So, has Professor Dumbledore found out who's responsible?"
"No," Hagrid replied with a sigh, "but he will. There's nothing that happens at Hogwarts that Dumbledore doesn't find out about. Otherwise, he wouldn't have put the Philosopher's Stone in—oh, I shouldn't have said that."