Ron was well aware of Kyle's impressive academic record, and it made a strong impression on him. In fact, it had caused quite a stir in the Weasley household. Fred and George had endured more than a few scoldings over the holidays, and now they'd take off the mont anyone ntioned the word "results." Even Percy had stayed ho more often, heading straight to his room to study after als.
For once, there had been no pranks to dodge and no endless bragging from Percy to endure.
"But, Hermione..." Ron thought aloud, "I rember Kyle losing a point once, so technically he didn't get a perfect score."
"What difference does that make?" Hermione huffed. "I asked Professor McGonagall, and the only reason Kyle lost that point was because he listed thirteen uses for dragon blood instead of twelve."
"Wait—there are twelve uses for dragon blood?" Ron blurted out. "I always thought it was thirteen. Looks like Kyle and I have sothing in common, then!"
"You think you can just guess your way through an exam?" Hermione shot him a pointed look. "Kyle wrote down all twelve official uses for dragon blood and then added an extra one at the end. I'm sure he did it on purpose!"
"But why would he do that?" Harry asked, frowning. "Wouldn't he want a perfect score?"
Hermione shook her head. "Even Professor McGonagall didn't understand it. But seriously, he suggested dragon blood could be used as food! He must have done it as a joke."
"He's even worse than you, Hermione," Ron muttered.
Hermione looked flustered, rubbing her hair in frustration. "Haven't you noticed? He hardly ever shows up in the Great Hall for als anymore. And neither does Cedric Diggory, who ca in first in third year. I'll bet they're both cramming for exams right now."
"Just think about it: if soone who nearly scored perfectly is putting in all that effort, how can I not study?" she declared, diving back into A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, a book she'd read countless tis.
Despite her skill and knowledge, Hermione couldn't help but compare herself to Kyle. She knew she couldn't match him in everything. On the train, he'd effortlessly dealt with Malfoy and his gang—a feat she wouldn't have managed. And on Halloween, while she'd been frozen with fear, Kyle had taken down a troll in re seconds. Not to ntion those brilliant Quidditch accessories he'd designed—items she couldn't even dream of crafting, at least not with the sa finesse.
But when it ca to academics, Hermione refused to concede. This was the one area where she was determined to keep up.
anwhile, in the Hufflepuff common room, Kyle was busy playing with a Niffler.
"Kyle, the exams are just around the corner. Are you sure you don't want to study?" a voice asked.
"No need," Kyle replied without looking up. "It's just a final, not an O.W.L. You could scribble your way through it and still pass, so why waste ti studying?"
"Am I bothering you?"
"No, not really." Kanna, his friend, shook her head but looked curious. "I'm just wondering why we barely see you at als lately."
"I just haven't been in the common room much," Kyle said. "Our match against Slytherin is coming up soon, so I figure it's safer to eat here for now."
The final Quidditch match was only two days away, and Kyle couldn't understand why Madam Hooch had scheduled it the week before exams, nor why Professor McGonagall had approved it. Hufflepuff was set to face Slytherin first, with Ravenclaw and Gryffindor scheduled to play after exams.
"Slytherin's desperate after losing two matches," Kyle explained, shaking his head. "Just yesterday, Harris ended up in the Hospital Wing after eating a chocolate sent by a Slytherin girl. He's still in there."
"That's awful!" Kanna frowned, visibly angry. "So you're avoiding the Great Hall because you think they'll try to poison you too?"
"No, not exactly," Kyle replied, shaking his head. "Their tricks are too crude. Only honest people like Cedric and Harris fall for them. I'm more worried about Snape poisoning ."
"What nonsense!" Kanna scolded, giving him a playful punch. "Professor Snape would never do that."
"Alright, alright, I take it back," Kyle said, rubbing his arm with a laugh. "It's not Snape I'm worried about, really. Just being cautious."
Kanna glanced at him, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Don't worry. We'll definitely win the championship."
Kyle gave her a small smile but didn't reply.
Victory was almost certain. Hufflepuff was leading the standings with two consecutive wins and nearly 400 points ahead of the second-place team. Losing wasn't even a real concern. What bothered him more were the Slytherin team's antics.
Kyle definitely didn't want to end up like Harris, who'd been escorted to the Hospital Wing after being sick from a tampered treat. Harris was in his sixth year, with only one more left before graduation. But Kyle had five more years at Hogwarts, and he was determined to steer clear of that kind of humiliation.
So, for now, he'd avoid the Great Hall at all costs.
...
And so, two days later, the final Quidditch match of the year finally began.
For many students, this match was a welco break, a flash of excitent in the midst of their monotonous exam preparations. On the day of the ga, Harry and Ron woke up early, montarily leaving all thoughts of exams behind as they eagerly headed to the Quidditch Pitch. Hermione followed reluctantly, grumbling that they really shouldn't be distracted by a ga so close to exam week.
"Just forget about the exams for one day, Hermione," Ron said with a grin as they took their seats in the stands. "It's the last ga of the year! Look, here cos Hufflepuff."
Cheers erupted from the stands as Harris stepped onto the pitch. Although still looking pale from his recent stay in the Hospital Wing, his eyes shone with determination, and the Hufflepuff supporters cheered him on with even greater enthusiasm.
Harry watched the Hufflepuff players with mixed emotions. As much as he wanted to see Slytherin lose, Hufflepuff was already 390 points ahead of Gryffindor, and winning this match would only widen that gap—potentially pushing them past the 400-point mark. Could Gryffindor even catch up at this point?
With his two options being his old rivals or the dominant Hufflepuff team, Harry found himself torn on whom to support.
"Wait..." Hermione suddenly exclaid. "Kyle isn't playing!"
Startled, Harry looked closer at the Hufflepuff lineup. Sure enough, Kyle was missing, and a substitute Chaser had taken his place.
"He must be busy studying for the exams..." Hermione muttered, shaking her head in annoyance. "I really shouldn't have co!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)