Chapter 154: Good Roommates at Hogwarts
Chapter 154: Good Roommates at Hogwarts
Kyle stayed with Hagrid until noon before heading back to the castle.
It was almost lunchtime, after all, and he had to get back.
Hagrid had wanted to keep him for lunch, but Kyle had only hesitated for a second before politely declining. He had just witnessed Hagrid take two long, unidentified creatures from the shelves outside, give them a few quick chops, and toss them into a nearby basin. Then, to top it off, he slathered them with a streaky, yellowish-green goo.
If he stayed any longer, he might have to spend his first weekend of the new term in the school hospital.
Kyle left decisively, ignoring Hagrid's attempts to persuade him to stay, and quickly made his way back to the safety of the castle.
At this time, the Great Hall on the first floor was already bustling with students, and the atmosphere was noticeably livelier than usual, influenced by the Quidditch tryouts.
"I should've flown lower," a Gryffindor student lamented at the entrance. "You won't believe it, but the Golden Snitch flew just a few feet beneath me, and I completely missed it!"
"What a shame..." his companion sympathized. "So, do you still have a chance to make it onto the team?"
"I think so," the student replied. "Most of the others who tried out didn't do very well either. Some even fell off their brooms, so compared to them, I did pretty well."
"That's great news!"
...
As Kyle walked by, he could hear similar conversations everywhere.
Interestingly, at the Gryffindor table, each participant in the tryouts exuded confidence, even those who had tumbled off their brooms, ending up with bruises and scrapes. They all seemed certain that they would make it onto the team.
As Kyle approached the Hufflepuff table, Cedric happened to walk over as well.
"How did the tryouts go?" Kyle asked.
Cedric shook his head and took a long gulp from the pumpkin juice on the table before answering. "A lot of people signed up, but most of them weren't up to par. Some didn't even pass the aerial maneuver test.
Oh, and I saw your two roommates there, by the way."
"Mike and Ryan?"
"Yes."
Kyle asked curiously, "How did they do?"
"Well..."
Cedric's expression suddenly turned peculiar as if he was searching for the right words. After a moment of silence, he continued, "I think... they might not be the best fit for Quidditch."
"It can't be that bad..." Kyle was taken aback.
For Cedric, who was usually easygoing and amiable, to say that someone was "not suited for Quidditch," it could only mean that Mike and Ryan's performance had been truly abysmal.
But Kyle remembered that they had done fairly well in their Flying classes. They might not have been exceptionally dazzling, but they had displayed decent stability in their flying.
"Maybe they were just too nervous and didn't perform at their best," Kyle suggested.
"It's not that," Cedric sighed. "The main issue is that they don't seem to understand the rules of Quidditch at all. Ryan just barged in, paying no attention to the positions of the other players, and he kept passing the ball to the opposing team. Twice!
And the other one... you won't believe it. He mistook the Quaffle for the Bludger and charged toward the goal post, hugging the ball!"
"Oh..." Kyle was at a loss for words.
But they were his roommates, after all, so he tried to find something positive to say. "At least he's got spirit. That's a good quality, right?"
"If only that were enough," Cedric said with a hint of disappointment.
"It was just an accident," Kyle explained dryly. "Aside from Quidditch, they're pretty normal most of the time."
"If I remember correctly," Cedric said thoughtfully, "one of them was the one who blew up the Transfiguration classroom with a Lighting Spell last year, wasn't it?"
"That was due to Mikel's body constitution. He couldn't control his magic output; it was a force majeure!" Kyle said seriously.
"Alright," Cedric thought for a moment and continued, "then what about them copying your homework and putting your name on it as well..."
"Umm..."
Before Kyle could say anything, Cedric continued, "and during the Potions class exam, they told Professor Snape to add water to the crucible..."
"..."
"...and ended up turning themselves blue..."
"..."
"Wait..." Kyle's expression froze, and he asked, "How did you know about that?"
He remembered that when he had brought Mikel back, it was class time, so no one should have seen them.
"The Pendulum Courtyard is right outside the History of Magic classroom," Cedric said quietly, "and you can see the entrance of the school hospital through the window."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Kyle spoke earnestly, "Cedric, you're going too far. Gossiping about others behind their backs is not the way of a true Hufflepuff."
Cedric gave Kyle a strange look but remained silent.
"Alright, I'll let it slide this time, but don't let it happen again," Kyle said calmly as he picked up a piece of toasted bread. "Now, tell me about the other teams. Have they made any changes this year?"
Although Cedric felt that Kyle's topic change was a bit abrupt, he went along with it. "Slytherin cleared the field when selecting their team. All I know is that their new captain is Marcus Flint.
As for Gryffindor, it's the same team as last year. No outstanding newcomers, and Oliver Wood was pulling at his hair the entire morning.
However, Ravenclaw has produced an excellent Seeker. Guess who it is..."
"It's Autumn, isn't it?" Kyle said. "She mentioned wanting to become a Seeker last year."
"Yes, it's Autumn," Cedric smiled. "Out of everyone who tried out for Chaser, she was the fastest to catch the Golden Snitch.
The Ravenclaw captain was overjoyed. If it weren't for the early hour, he probably would have agreed to let Autumn become the new Seeker right then and there."
"You don't know, but Wood's eyes turned red with envy," Cedric took a sip of pumpkin juice and continued, "He even ran to ask Professor McGonagall if first-years could participate in the tryouts, only to be sternly reprimanded."
"Hey, I think I hear someone mentioning our beloved captain."
"Is Wood that popular now?"
Fred and George approached and sat down on either side of Kyle, asking, "What are you guys talking about?"
"About the Quidditch player selections," Cedric didn't hide it and smiled as he asked, "So, did Professor McGonagall agree to let you choose players from the first-years?"
(End of Chapter)
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