The map sales were an undeniable success — young wizards found them convenient, professors were in better spirits since tardiness had disappeared, and Kyle and his friends earned a tidy profit. Everyone was satisfied.
Everyone except Filch, that is.
Once Fred and George had secured enough funds, the corridors began reeking of dungbombs.
Filch, driven nearly mad with rage, tried following the twins all day to catch them in the act. But the pair always managed to slip away.
Cho and Kanna grew closer to Kyle through these ventures, particularly Kanna, who no longer avoided sitting near him in class.
Her social anxiety had eased considerably — now when professors awarded her points, she could respond with a composed "thank you" like her classmates.
Hogwarts' first-year course schedule was quite relaxed, with typically just three classes per day.
The homework, however, was another matter entirely. Students spent all their free time in the library struggling to complete the feet-long assignments.
They dared not make their writing too large — the last clever student who tried that trick not only lost five points from Professor McGonagall but had their workload doubled, resulting in weeks of exhaustion.
Minerva eventually lifted the punishment, fearing the student might faint during class.
After that, no one attempted such shortcuts again.
However, there are always exceptions. The assignments that others found nightmarish came easily to Kyle.
Essays were familiar territory for him, and since first-years weren't subject to plagiarism checks, he wrote freely. He would borrow passages from relevant books, add connecting sentences, and craft a conclusion.
Within twenty minutes, he'd produce a perfect assignment, earning praise from professors for his apparent extensive reading.
All except for a certain unnamed Potions professor.
Kyle noticed Snape watching him with growing displeasure, finding any excuse to dock points.
Unable to do much else, Kyle avoided the brooding professor while steadily collecting bottles of Potter's Sleekeazy's Hair Potion after each point deduction, planning to anonymously send him a whole crate once he had enough.
✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭
On Halloween, Kyle was in the library as usual, reading his copy of "Great Dueling Masters" until just before the feast. He brought the unfinished book to Madam Pince.
"How many days this time?" Irma asked without looking up.
"One day."
"Mm."
Being a frequent borrower, Kyle was so well-known to her that she simply noted his name and the time before finishing up.
The Great Hall had been transformed for Halloween with colorful decorations. Carved pumpkins of various shapes floated overhead, setting a festive mood. A thousand bats fluttered around the walls and ceiling, with a thick cloud of them swirling above the dining tables.
The Hall buzzed with activity before the feast, with half the students clustered around the Gryffindor table.
Fred and George, their heads adorned with pumpkins, were performing the Headless Hunt's signature moves to everyone's delight.
Even the professors at the high table watched with amusement, and Dumbledore cheerfully offered sweets to his colleagues.
Yet no one accepted his offer — even the good-natured Professor Sprout politely declined his Cockroach Clusters.
"Been to the library again?" Cedric asked as Kyle sat at the Hufflepuff table, "A dueling book... what are you reading that for?"
"For Charms homework." Kyle passed him the book, "I need to make up for the points I lost in Potions somehow, and Professor Flitwick loves seeing practical applications of basic spells."
Cedric, knowing how Snape had been targeting him lately, gave the kid a sympathetic look, "Have you found anything useful?"
"Don't even ask." He sighed, "Obviously, no wizard would ever use an Alohomora in a duel."
Cedric pressed his lips together, suppressing a laugh. He'd assumed Kyle was researching the Levitation Charm from their last class, not the Unlocking Charm.
Forget master duelists — even first-years wouldn't use an Unlocking Charm in combat.
The thought made him press his lips even tighter.
Kyle shot Cedric a suspicious look, sensing the other boy was thinking something discourteous. But before he could speak, an owl landed nearby, extending its leg to place a note on his plate.
"For me?" Kyle opened the note curiously. Though the handwriting was messy, he could still read it.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Dear Kyle Chopper,
I've collected some Mooncalf dung, and if you have time, could you come by on Friday (I remember you don't have afternoon classes that day).
Hagrid
— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Kyle stared at the note in surprise — he hadn't expected Hagrid would invite him to his hut.
Cedric, having composed himself after his quiet laughter, leaned over, "Who's the letter from?"
"Hagrid." Kyle said.
"The gamekeeper by the Forbidden Forest?" Cedric asked after a moment's thought.
"Yeah, that's right."
"What does he want? Have you met him before?"
"He's collected some Mooncalf manure. I visited him once when I was growing ornamental plants."
"Could I come with you?" Cedric asked, "I'd love to see his place."
"Sure, why not?" Kyle took out his quill and wrote on the back of the note, "Alright, I'll come by tomorrow afternoon with my friend."
After feeding the owl some nuts and watching it fly away, they turned their attention to the feast that was beginning right on schedule.
The Halloween spread was more abundant than usual, featuring fragrant roasted beef, pumpkin pies, and toffee apples.
Various sweets covered the table, and Kyle was relieved to see no Cockroach Clusters among them — clearly, the headmaster's unique tastes hadn't influenced the kitchen.
✭✭✭
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