Chapter 27: First Class
Chapter 27: First Class
Even though Kyle didn't have to worry about sending messages, having his own owl at Hogwarts would be preferable.
In a sense, owls were like telephone numbers in the Muggle world, and they often represented the identity of their owner.
This was quite important.
For example, Kyle's mother, Diana, worked in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic, a department with strict management. Except for special circumstances, incoming letters usually had to go through a rigorous screening process.
From checking the owl's identity, ownership, and condition, to verifying the sender's name, background, and finally inspecting the letter for any traces of dark magic or curses.
Only after everything was deemed safe would the letters be delivered to the Department of Mysteries in the form of paper airplanes.
This was the rule, and even letters from Kyle had to go through the same process, perhaps with a slightly expedited procedure.
Given the Ministry's efficiency, the entire process would take at least a day.
But with a personal owl like Laden, things would be different.
Diana could register it as a special owl, allowing for priority handling of letters and a simplified screening process. They would only need to check the owl's condition, the sender's name, and scan for any dark magic on the letter, which could be done on the spot.
At Platform 9, Diana had specifically instructed him on this, asking him to always use the same owl for sending letters, and if that wasn't possible, to buy one from Diagon Alley.
Of course, buying an owl was out of the question for Kyle. Why would he spend money on that when he already had Laden?
Problem solved.
Kyle took out some owl treats from his chameleon-skin pouch—owl nuts and a few bags of dried moth rats, along with the chestnuts he already had—and offered them to the owls.
He then found some water and mixed in two bottles of owl tonic, pouring the concoction into a stone trough nearby.
This was their payment for all the feathers they had shed.
Taking advantage of the owls' mealtime, Kyle returned to the castle with Laden and made his way directly to the Hufflepuff common room.
Passing through the wooden barrel in the kitchen corridor, he made his way back to the dormitory...
Micel and Ryan were nowhere to be seen, probably already on their way to class.
Without further ado, Kyle placed Laden on the shelf next to his bed and grabbed his textbooks before leaving.
In the common room, Kyle ran into Cedric, who was also on his way out.
"Kyle, I was just coming to find you," Cedric said as he quickened his pace. "What's your first class?"
"Charms," Kyle replied, waving the book, 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1'. "What did you need?"
"Here, take this," Cedric said, handing him a piece of parchment. "This is a map of Hogwarts that a prefect gave me when I first started. It clearly marks the locations of the classrooms and the patterns of the staircases.
I don't need it anymore, so I thought you might find it useful."
Everything about Hogwarts was great, except for its massive size and intricate interior that resembled a giant maze. Most new students got lost, and being late for class was a common occurrence.
Fortunately, the professors were aware of this, and aside from a certain headmaster, the others tended to turn a blind eye or give a mere verbal warning or a symbolic point deduction. They didn't make a big deal out of it.
Kyle examined the parchment carefully.
It was an ordinary map, but it was detailed. Not only did it clearly mark all the routes from the Hufflepuff common room to each classroom, but it also specifically noted when to wait for the staircases to turn before proceeding.
"I have Potions... wait, Potions!"
Cedric suddenly paled and took off running, "I'll see you later, Kyle. Remember, at Hogwarts, the one class you can't afford to be late for is Potions! Don't forget..."
Cedric's voice faded as he sprinted down the corridor.
From his reaction, it was clear that Snape had left quite a traumatic impression on him... or perhaps on many young witches and wizards.
Kyle suspected he wouldn't fare any better.
"It's a shame Harry Potter couldn't have enrolled a year earlier."
Kyle shook his head and then made his way out of the common room as well.
...
The Charms classroom was located on the third floor, and with the help of the map, Kyle found it without any trouble.
Upon pushing open the door, the first thing that caught his eye was a stack of books arranged like stairs, with four portraits of unknown individuals hanging on the wall in front of them.
They were probably famous wizards, but Kyle couldn't recognize any of them.
On the walls to the sides hung the emblems of the four houses, and below them were several long tables.
Kyle arrived five minutes before the class was scheduled to start.
To be honest, this wasn't particularly early, but the classroom was surprisingly sparse, and even Professor Flitwick was nowhere to be seen.
Kyle took a seat.
Across from him were a few young Ravenclaw witches and wizards, with the two houses clearly separated, one on the left and the other on the right.
As nine o'clock drew nearer, students trickled in, panting from their rush to class.
Kyle spotted Connor, but the young witch completely ignored him and stormed past with a huff.
At precisely one minute to nine, Micel and Ryan rushed in.
"Thank goodness we're not late," Micel gasped, still catching his breath as he sat down and began to complain.
"We got lost."
"Hogwarts is like a giant maze! We were supposed to go to the third floor, but when we were on the second floor, the staircase suddenly changed, and we ended up on the fifth floor."
"Then we started going down, and it took us half an hour to realize we were still on the fifth floor."
"Finally, when we managed to get down, we ended up back on the second floor... You know, Kyle, we climbed stairs for half an hour! My legs are killing me!"
Micel's voice grew more and more pitiful, and he looked like he was about to cry.
"Hold on, this doesn't make sense. Let me process this for a moment." Kyle rubbed his forehead, thoroughly confused. He couldn't wrap his head around how they could have ended up back on the second floor after going downstairs.
Even the most directionally challenged person should be able to tell the difference between up and down.
Their experience bordered on the mystical, and it certainly wasn't something that could be explained by magic.
Moreover, the map Cedric had given him didn't mention anything about these shifting staircases.
"Never mind, let's not dwell on that for now." Kyle gave up trying to understand and turned to ask, "So, how did you finally find your way here?"
"Someone led us here." Micel's face turned red, and he pointed across the room. "On the fifth floor, we met a Ravenclaw first-year who pulled us off the rotating staircase. She asked if we were heading to Charms class and offered to bring us along if we were."
Unconsciously, Kyle's gaze followed Micel's finger and landed on Autumn Zhang from Ravenclaw.
(End of Chapter)
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