Chapter 32: The Helpful Hufflepuff

On the other side of things, since it was already the end of the lesson when Kyle left the school hospital, he decided not to return to Charms class and headed directly to the library instead. Dumbledore had recommended two books to him earlier, suggesting that they would be highly beneficial for mastering basic Charms—perfect for a young wizard just starting out. Kyle was eager to borrow them and get reading.

The library was on the second floor, easy to find as all it took was climbing a set of stairs.

"Two books? Absolutely not!" Madam Pince, the stern librarian, greeted Kyle with a disapproving look, her feather duster in hand. "Unless you have a professor's note, you may only borrow one book at a time."

Kyle didn't dwell on it and quickly responded, "If it's just one book, then I'll take Gadding with Ghouls."

What he hadn't anticipated was Madam Pince's reaction. At the mention of Gadding with Ghouls, her expression immediately twisted into one of pure disgust, as though Kyle had just uttered a curse word.

"Another Lockhart book," she muttered under her breath.

Madam Pince harbored a strong dislike for Gilderoy Lockhart, or more specifically, his writing style. She found it excessively self-centered and pandering. Though many biographies were written in a similar vein, Lockhart's works in particular left her unsettled. There was something off about the narrative flow in his books—details seemed to be missing, making parts of the story feel incoherent. It wasn't enough to ruin the reading experience for most, but it left her feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

Her already poor impression of Lockhart's books now seemed to extend to Kyle. After a brief silence, her expression stern, she announced, "Gadding with Ghouls has been checked out. If you register for it now, you might be able to borrow it... in about two years."

"Two years... never mind," Kyle said with a shrug. "What about The Troubadour in the Wind?"

Madam Pince's demeanor softened noticeably at this request. "We have that," she said, her tone far more pleasant. She instructed Kyle to wait and headed toward a nearby shelf.

As she disappeared among the rows of books, Kyle couldn't help but observe the infamous librarian with curiosity. Madam Pince was a thin, elderly woman with a vulture-like appearance, as though she had been malnourished. The young wizards quietly reading nearby seemed terrified of her, not daring to make the slightest sound as she passed. One unfortunate student, too nervous to control himself, let out a sneeze—and was promptly expelled from the library for it.

Kyle smirked to himself. It was no wonder people rumored that she and Filch were a perfect match. They were both sticklers for rules and seemed to share a mutual disdain for students.

Before long, Madam Pince returned, handing Kyle a thick, hardcover book along with a note.

"It must be returned within a week," she warned in her stern voice. "If it's overdue, or if there's any damage to the book, you will never be able to borrow anything from this library again."

"I'll remember that," Kyle promised, tucking the book under his arm and heading out.

...

Since there was only one morning class for first years, Kyle decided to head straight back to the Hufflepuff common room after leaving the library. He was eager to find a quiet, comfortable spot to dive into the book he'd just borrowed. But the moment he stepped through the barrel door, he was surrounded by a crowd of his fellow Hufflepuff first-years.

Nearly all of them had gathered in the common room, anxiously awaiting Kyle's return.

"What's up, Kyle?" Ryan rushed over first, concern etched on his face. "Is Mikel okay? We tried to visit him in the hospital, but Madam Pomfrey threw us out as soon as we got there!"

The other young wizards nodded in agreement. Even though they had all suffered from the accident in Charms class, their concern for Mikel's well-being was evident. This was typical of Hufflepuff—loyal and always looking out for one another.

"Don't worry," Kyle reassured them, smiling as he patted Ryan on the shoulder. "Professor Dumbledore has already seen him. He'll be discharged tomorrow after taking some medicine."

"That's a relief," Ryan said, visibly relaxing. After a moment of thought, he added, "Has Mikel woken up yet? Has he said what he'd like to eat? We can't take him anything now, but we could prepare it in advance so he'll have it when he's discharged. He'd love that!"

The idea quickly gained approval from the rest of the group. Generously, they began offering up their most treasured treats.

"I've got some candied raspberries!"

"I can bring nougat!"

"How about some cookies? My mum made them herself—they're delicious."

"I think he'd like some liquorice..." another suggested.

...

For a moment, Kyle was deeply moved by the overwhelming sense of camaraderie among his classmates. With their eager eyes on him, he lowered his voice and said, "Mikel didn't mention what he wanted to eat, but I don't think snacks are what he needs most right now. What he really wants is to keep up with his studies!"

"Keep up with his studies?" Ryan scratched his head, clearly puzzled by Kyle's words.

"Exactly," Kyle replied seriously. "You all saw what happened in Charms class. Mikel was falling behind and got impatient, which led to the accident, right?"

Ryan nodded slowly. Though he hadn't fully understood how the blinding flash occurred, he did recall that Mikel had struggled with the spell. Kyle's reasoning seemed solid enough.

"That's right," Kyle continued. "Mikel's really competitive. There's no way he'd want to miss two lessons. So, here's what we need to do: in this afternoon's Transfiguration class and tomorrow morning's History of Magic, we need to pay close attention, write down everything the professor says, and compile it into detailed notes for Mikel. I'm sure he'll be moved to tears!"

A hush fell over the Hufflepuff common room. The young badgers looked at one another, then back at Kyle, unsure of what to say. The idea that anyone might prefer study notes over snacks was hard to believe. But after considering Kyle's argument, they realized they couldn't find any flaws in his logic. It was structured, logical, and entirely plausible.

Maybe... Mikel really does love his studies that much, they thought to themselves, gradually convincing themselves that Kyle was right.

Soon, volunteers stepped forward to take on the task of note-taking. Some offered to take notes in Transfiguration, while others would handle History of Magic. A few took on the responsibility of organizing the notes into a comprehensive format for Mikel.

The few students who didn't manage to grab a task but were eager to help huddled together and began brainstorming. After some discussion, they realized there was one important thing Kyle had overlooked: homework.

At Hogwarts, homework was a crucial part of every subject, and they knew Mikel wouldn't want to fall behind on that either. So they decided to make sure Mikel received all the homework assignments from each class. Not only that, but they also resolved to inform their professors that Mikel, despite being in the hospital, was still dedicated to his studies. They would proudly tell the teachers that Mikel was an exemplary Hufflepuff who wouldn't let his hospitalization stop him from completing his homework.