After returning from the greenhouse, Kyle was about to head back to his dormitory when Harry and Ron stopped him as he entered the castle.
"Thanks for the book, Kyle." Harry returned "Origin of Quidditch" to him with excitement, "You were right — it really suited me. I studied the techniques carefully, and during the last training session, Wood said I've improved tremendously. Like I'm a completely different person."
"You finished it so quickly?" Kyle took the book with a smile,. "No wonder Professor McGonagall thinks highly of you. You really are talented, Harry."
"No, no, I just skimmed through it." Harry said, scratching his head embarrassedly, "Maybe it's because I knew nothing about Quidditch before, so the change seems more dramatic."
"No need to be modest, Harry." Kyle shook his head, "It took me a full month to master all the techniques in this book, but you've cut that time in half."
"Is... is that so..." Harry let out a stiff laugh while nervously turning his head away, avoiding Kyle's gaze.
Seeing his reaction, Kyle raised an eyebrow, seeming to guess something.
"Do you need to borrow any other books?" He asked, "I also have 'Quidditch Through the Ages' and 'How to Score Quickly'. I can bring them to the Great Hall for you later if you'd like."
"No need!" Harry blurted out, "Uh, I mean I'm too busy right now with homework and training... I don't have much time to read books."
"Well, whenever you want to read them, just let me know." Kyle nodded.
He had a pretty good idea of what was going on. If he wasn't mistaken, the Boy Who Lived hadn't actually finished "Origin of Quidditch" at all — probably reading half of it at most.
But this was normal. Harry Potter sitting still to read a book... even the thought of such a scene was rather frightening.
For some reason, seeing the thoughtful look on Kyle's face made the poor kid wizard even more uneasy.
In truth, Kyle had misjudged Harry — the boy hadn't even read half of the book.
When Harry first started browsing "Origin of Quidditch", he was genuinely interested. On the first day, he even stayed up until dawn, eventually falling asleep at the table.
But his enthusiasm lasted only that one day. After the initial excitement wore off, the lengthy passages and awkward terminology quickly drained his patience. Coincidentally, around that time, Oliver praised him for his tremendous improvement, saying he was almost on par with Charlie.
Believing this was enough, Harry abandoned the book after completing just a third of it.
Kyle exchanged a few more words with them before leaving.
As Kyle walked away, Ron suddenly said, "If only Hermione could be more like Kyle."
"What?" Harry asked, not immediately understanding.
"Haven't you noticed? Hermione always lectures everyone. Nobody can stand her; honestly, she's like a nightmare." Ron continued, "Kyle is even more brilliant — he's top of the year and the youngest recipient of the Award for Special Services to the School. But whether he's helping us find our way or lending you Quidditch books, he's always patient and never condescending."
"Don't say that, Ron." Harry said quietly, "Hermione can be quite nice sometimes."
"When?" Ron asked skeptically.
Harry hesitated before saying softly, "That day when Filch was chasing us, she helped open the door at the end of the corridor. That's how we escaped."
"Yeah, right into the jaws of that three-headed dog..." Ron shuddered, "Compared to that, I'd rather face Filch."
At this point, even Harry fell silent, his thinking aligned with Ron's.
Filch might be scary, but at least he wouldn't eat them like snacks.
"The Halloween feast is about to start. We should hurry to the Great Hall." Harry said, changing the subject, "They say it's as lavish as the start-of-term feast. Is that true?"
"Even more so." Ron quickly forgot about Hermione and leaned in mysteriously, "I heard from George that last Halloween, Dumbledore invited the Headless Hunt to perform. I wonder who he'll invite this year. It would be great if it's the Weird Sisters — they're the most popular band in the wizarding world."
Harry's eyes lit up with excitement.
He hadn't heard of the "Weird Sisters", but at least he knew what a band was.
Back on Privet Drive, he had never attended a concert or even watched music programs on TV. Dudley didn't like them, so they were forbidden in the Dursley household.
The two boys hurried downstairs toward the Great Hall, eager to join the feast.
✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭
Meanwhile, Kyle passed through the Oliveren barrels in the kitchen corridor and entered the Hufflepuff common room.
Only a few scattered students remained, preparing to leave for the feast as he arrived.
Someone spotted him and called out with a smile, "Kyle? Want to head to the Great Hall together?"
"I'd love to, but not right now. I need to grab something from my dormitory." Kyle replied, "You go ahead — I'll be there soon."
"Alright, but don't take too long." An older student warned, "The Halloween feast is about to begin."
"Don't worry, I've been looking forward to those delicious foods since early morning."
Despite saying this, Kyle had no intention of going to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast. He had more important matters to attend to today.
After everyone had left the common room, he settled onto a sofa and pulled out a large piece of parchment. This was the Marauder's Map he had borrowed from Fred and George before his Herbology class.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
As Kyle recited the password, ink lines spread across the Marauder's Map.
He observed that nearly everyone in the castle had gathered in the Great Hall or was heading there. Only a few individuals remained elsewhere. He scanned the map carefully but couldn't find Quirrell's name anywhere.
A few minutes later, the feast began. Apart from himself, only Hermione on the first floor and Filch on the eighth floor were absent from the Great Hall.
"Still not here?" Kyle frowned, puzzled.
Could Quirrell be abandoning his scheme? No, that seemed unlikely.
Kyle quickly dismissed this thought. The feast had just started; it probably wasn't time yet. He decided to wait a bit longer.
✭✭✭
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