Meanwhile, Kyle and the rest of the Hufflepuff team had just returned to the castle after leaving the Quidditch Pitch when Harris stopped them.
"Wait a moment," Harris said, patting his head. "Wood interrupted me earlier, and I almost forgot to mention something important." His tone grew serious. "We need to be on alert. The referee for our next match is going to be Professor Snape…"
The moment he said it, everyone's gaze landed squarely on Kyle. Thanks to Mikel and Ryan's chatter, nearly every Hufflepuff knew about Professor Snape's tendency to single Kyle out. Hearing this news, the team's first thought was that Snape had grown tired of mere point deductions and wanted a new way to cause trouble for Kyle. And Quidditch, they figured, was the perfect opportunity.
"Are you certain, Captain?" one of the players asked, frowning. "Professor Snape's never been a referee before. Are you sure this isn't some prank?"
"Madam Hooch told us herself," Harris confirmed. "All four team captains were informed."
"Then why don't you just skip this game?" Cedric blurted out. Realizing what he'd said, he quickly looked at Harris, embarrassed. Urging Kyle, one of their key players, to bow out of the match right in front of their captain... such a suggestion would be enough to stir up the whole Quidditch world. Harris was easygoing, but if it had been anyone else, Cedric might have found himself in the Hospital Wing already.
Cedric laughed awkwardly, trying to explain. "What I meant was… if Snape targets Kyle during the match, we'll effectively be down a player, which will make things even harder for us."
To Cedric's surprise, Harris didn't look upset; instead, he turned to Kyle with a serious expression. "Cedric has a point. If you don't want to play in this match, I'd support that decision."
Harris had thought it over carefully. Hufflepuff was already leading in the House points, well over a hundred points ahead of Slytherin in second place, so even if they lost this game, it wouldn't jeopardize their overall standing.
Encouraged by Harris's words, the rest of the team chimed in.
"Then we'll just need a reason for Madam Hooch to allow a substitution."
"How about pretending to break your leg?"
"Or actually breaking your leg!"
Everyone began offering their ideas, each more extreme than the last. Kyle felt increasingly uneasy. If they kept going, he'd probably be stuck in the Hospital Wing for the rest of the term.
"Hold on…" Kyle interrupted, exasperated. "When did I ever say I was quitting?"
"But…" someone started to protest.
"There's no 'but,'" Kyle insisted, shaking his head. "If I sit out this time, what's to stop Snape from being the referee again in the next match, and the one after that? Should I just stop playing altogether?"
Harris looked thoughtful, frowning slightly.
"So, there's no need for all this worry," Kyle said, smiling. "Besides, Snape might not even focus on me. Don't forget, Gryffindor has Harry Potter on their team, and he's probably even less popular with Snape than I am."
"Harry Potter?" Harris paused, looking surprised. He hadn't heard anything about that.
"Yes," Kyle confirmed. "You can ask around—everyone in his year knows it."
Harris's expression softened, clearly reassured. "Alright, if you're sure it's okay… then it's settled."
Back inside the castle, Kyle parted ways with his teammates and headed to the library to finish his Transfiguration homework before curfew.
In the second-floor corridor, Kyle ran into Neville, who didn't appear to be in great shape. Someone had cast the Leg-Locker Curse on him, causing his legs to stick together so tightly that he could only hop along the corridor like a rabbit.
"What happened?" Kyle asked, frowning as he helped Neville break the charm.
"Malfoy…" Neville replied in a shaky voice. "I ran into him outside the library. He said he'd always wanted to try that charm on someone."
"You didn't resist?" Kyle asked, and Neville shook his head.
"No… there were too many of them."
"That's not good, Neville," Kyle said, "You need to try to be braver."
"Yeah, you're right…" Neville said, choking back tears. "Malfoy said I'm too weak to be in Gryffindor." He wiped his nose. "But I just… I can't do it. I can't even manage the most basic charms, and they're right—I don't deserve to be learning magic."
"No, Neville, you have to believe in yourself." Kyle gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. "Getting an acceptance letter to Hogwarts means you have the potential to become a wizard."
"Thank you for saying that, Kyle," Neville replied, his voice quavering. "But I'm just hopeless. I can't learn anything."
"Maybe you just haven't found the right direction yet." Kyle smiled, then added, "Could you do me a favor?"
"Of course!" Neville answered quickly. "But… I don't know if I'll mess it up. I mess up everything—even the simplest stuff."
"It's fine; I believe in you," Kyle said, handing Neville a few seeds.
"What are these?" Neville asked, staring at the tiny seeds in his hand.
"Lady's Mantle seeds," Kyle explained. "I've been meaning to grow a few of these, but with all the Quidditch practices, I haven't had the time to care for them." He paused. "Could you help me with that?"
"I don't know if I can…" Neville said nervously, holding the seeds as though they might break. "I've never grown anything before, and I even forget to feed Trevor sometimes."
"Just give it your best shot," Kyle replied with a shrug. "Anyway, they're not very costly—just ten Galleons each."
Neville's hands shook, and he almost dropped the seeds. "How… how much?" he stammered.
"Ten Galleons," Kyle repeated.
Neville's trembling intensified. He looked down at the five seeds in his hand, realizing he was now holding fifty Galleons' worth. Fifty Galleons… more than he could imagine repaying.
"Oh, and one more thing," Kyle added casually. "These seeds have been with me a while, and they got a bit soaked during Quidditch practice, so they're not in the best shape. You'd better plant them quickly if they're going to have a chance."
At this, Neville's eyes widened, near tears. Regret surged through him as he clutched the seeds, hoping he could just hand them back and pretend nothing had happened. But when he looked up, Kyle was already halfway down the corridor, standing on a moving staircase, being whisked to the other side.
Neville hurried after him, but he was too afraid to run fast while holding the precious seeds. By the time he reached the corridor, Kyle was already gone.
Just as Neville stood there, bewildered and uncertain, he heard faint voices from a nearby room. Without a second thought, he opened the door… only to find no sign of Kyle, just two older students huddled together, whispering.