"Have you heard? Malfoy's been picked up!"
Harry burst through the door of the Gryffindor common room as if he'd just discovered treasure. Hermione and Ron, who were doing their homework, looked up in surprise as he practically radiated excitement.
"What are you talking about?" they asked in unison.
"Malfoy's been pulled from school—he's dropped out," Harry repeated. "I just saw the Slytherin Quidditch team; they're picking a new Seeker."
"That's impossible," Hermione said, barely glancing up from Advanced Transfiguration Guide. She added matter-of-factly, "There's no reason for Malfoy to drop out."
"Isn't it obvious? He must've been caught doing something," Ron said, looking just as thrilled as Harry. "I've always wondered how the Death Eaters managed to get into the school without being noticed. Someone had to have helped them, and who else but Malfoy?"
Harry silently applauded Ron. He had promised Dumbledore he wouldn't tell anyone what had happened in the tower, but he hadn't expected Ron to figure it out on his own.
"Yeah, that's what I think too," Harry said firmly. "Now that the school's investigating, he had no choice but to run. I really should've told the professors earlier and had them keep an eye on him."
"It doesn't matter. At least we won't have to see him anymore," Ron said cheerfully. "I can't even imagine how great Hogwarts will be without Malfoy."
"Is that so?"
Hermione still looked doubtful, but seeing the expressions on Harry and Ron's faces—like they had just gotten an early Christmas gift—she chose not to argue further.
Whether Malfoy had helped the Death Eaters infiltrate the school or not wasn't their concern anymore.
His departure, however, barely made waves at Hogwarts. He wasn't the only student to leave.
Ever since news of the Death Eater intrusion had spread, many parents had rushed to collect their children and take them home. Even Hufflepuff had its own example—Quidditch commentator Zacharias Smith, who had left the castle early one morning with his pompous father during breakfast.
The professors didn't stop them.
They had enough on their hands—fortifying the castle's defenses, patrolling Hogsmeade, and preparing for the upcoming exams. If parents no longer trusted the school's safety, the staff could only respect their decisions.
Of course, some students had insisted on staying, convincing their parents that there was no safer place than Hogwarts.
"Only fools would leave school at a time like this."
The words rang out in the Great Hall as Macmillan, mid-bite, suddenly burst out, "Those self-righteous idiots—do they really think there's anywhere safer than Hogwarts?"
Zacharias Smith and his father happened to be walking through the foyer at that very moment.
Macmillan's frustration was understandable. Just half an hour earlier, he had been confidently telling Seamus that no Hufflepuff would ever leave. And now, with Zacharias gone, it felt like a very public slap in his face.
But Smith and his father didn't even glance back. They strode right out of the castle without acknowledging the comment.
Macmillan fumed, clenching his teeth, but Harry and Ron could barely contain their joy.
First Malfoy, now Zacharias—two of the people they disliked most were gone. It felt like a double victory.
Harry even found himself—however briefly—thanking the Death Eaters. Their attack had, in a strange way, rid the school of its worst elements all at once.
The only downside was that the semester was coming to an end.
If things stay like this next term, that would be perfect, Harry thought vaguely.
…
As if in tune with his mood, the June weather was sunny and beautiful, and even the breeze carried a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Harry and Ron would lean against the window whenever they had a free moment, enjoying the fresh air as they flipped through their books in preparation for the upcoming exams.
That is, until Hermione casually informed them that the scent was actually from Mooncalf manure undergoing fermentation. At that moment, both of them slammed the window shut, their faces pale with disgust.
"Hermione, you should have told us earlier!" Ron muttered.
"If you had paid attention in Herbology, you wouldn't need me to remind you," Hermione replied without even looking up.
Harry's good mood lasted until the first weekend of June.
That day marked the Quidditch final between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.
Just half a month ago, Gryffindor had played their last match against Ravenclaw. Although Harry was no longer the Seeker, Ginny's outstanding performance had led them to victory, placing them at the top of the leaderboard with a total score of 660 points.
Hufflepuff followed in second place with 500 points.
In other words, as long as Hufflepuff didn't score 160 points in this match, Gryffindor would secure their first Quidditch Cup in ten years.
That morning, nearly all of Gryffindor turned up at the pitch, eagerly waiting for the match to begin.
Even Professor McGonagall was in the stands. Her presence surprised many—after all, she hadn't attended Gryffindor's last game against Ravenclaw. Then again, it was possible she had simply been too busy at the time.
Harry and the others found their seats in the stands and waited for the match to start.
"Hermione, can't you put the book down?" Ron groaned. "How can you even read at a time like this?"
"Why not?" Hermione responded calmly, turning a page.
"This match determines whether we win the Quidditch Cup!" Ron pressed. "We haven't won it in over ten years!"
"Compared to the Quidditch Cup, I think you should be more concerned about the final exams next week," Hermione said without looking up.
"I know, but that's completely different! We—"
Before Ron could finish, a deafening roar erupted from the stands.
He turned his head instinctively and saw the entire Hufflepuff section on their feet, cheering wildly.
Then he realized why.
Kyle was in the starting lineup, playing as a Chaser.
"Oh, no…" Ron groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Kyle took time off, didn't he? Why is he playing?"
"You still don't know?" Hermione finally looked up. "Kyle returned to school after the last Death Eater attack."
At that moment, Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and the game began.
"It's fine," Harry said, though whether he was reassuring Ron or himself was unclear. "Quidditch isn't a one-man game. Even Kyle can't guarantee a win for Hufflepuff…"
"Goal!"
The commentator's excited scream drowned out the rest of Harry's sentence.
"Kyle scores the first goal of the match! The Ravenclaw Keeper didn't even have time to react!
"10-0, Hufflepuff takes the lead!"
The stands erupted in cheers once more, with several Hufflepuff supporters breaking into celebratory dances. They hadn't seen such an aggressive play in over a year.
"It's fine…" Harry's voice was dry. "It's just one goal. We're still ahead by 150 points."
Five minutes later…
"It's fine. It's only three goals."
…
"We're still leading by 100 points."
…
"It's okay, Gryffindor still has a fifty-point advantage."
Twenty minutes later...
"It's okay, it's just a tie now. Maybe Cho will catch the Golden Snitch soon."
Harry's voice grew quieter, his expression more and more dazed.
When Kyle launched yet another long shot and sent the Quaffle soaring through the goalpost, something inside Harry finally gave out.
The entire Gryffindor stand fell silent.
"It's okay..." Harry forced the words out. "We'll have another chance next year. I mean, Kyle will have graduated by then, won't he?"
Ron didn't respond. He just sat with his head down, as if all the energy had been drained from him.
Hermione shook her head and continued reading. The moment she'd seen Kyle in the lineup, she'd known exactly how this would end.
And she had been right.
Only Ron and Harry refused to accept it.
Half an hour later, the match was over.
Cho, with all her experience, had managed to catch the Golden Snitch by a margin of two inches. But it hardly mattered—Kyle had scored so many goals—twenty-eight in a single game, nearly one per minute—that he had shattered the school's record.
Incidentally, he had also set the previous record.
So even though Ravenclaw had gained 150 points, they were still hopelessly behind in the final tally.
As the spectators began to file out of the stands, Harry kept his head down, unwilling to meet Professor McGonagall's gaze.
"Don't dwell on it," Hermione said, setting her book aside for a rare moment and patting him on the shoulder in consolation. "Like you said, there's always next year—when Kyle graduates."
Somehow, even though Hermione was right, and Harry knew she was, it only made him feel worse.
"You could try looking at it from a different perspective," Hermione continued.
"Change my perspective?" Harry looked at her warily. "What do you mean?"
"The exams are coming up soon," Hermione said softly. "I heard Professor McGonagall mention that most people's final grades in sixth year are nearly identical to their N.E.W.T. results when they graduate. If you get an Acceptable in any subject now, odds are you won't qualify for the certificate later."
She paused, letting that sink in. "The exams are less than a week away. Are you ready?"
"I thank you, Hermione," Harry said bitterly.
Well, compared to the upcoming exams, missing the Quidditch Cup really did seem like a minor setback.
After all, his dream was to become an Auror after graduation, and everyone knew that Aurors had stringent academic requirements—he couldn't afford to miss out on certain key qualifications.
"It's okay. It's what I should do—a friend's obligation," Hermione said with a small smile before heading toward the castle.
Meanwhile, the victorious Hufflepuffs had already started celebrating.
In their common room, Mikel was bouncing atop a table, holding a cake-shaped trophy aloft to mark their sixth consecutive Quidditch championship.
And, of course, they could also count seven straight House Cups—after all, winning the Quidditch championship had earned them a substantial number of points, and with Kyle's additional hundred, they were now more than two hundred points ahead of second-place Ravenclaw.
Not even Voldemort himself could have dampened their spirits at that moment.
The revelry stretched late into the night. Eventually, Kyle managed to break away from the crowd and collapsed into an armchair in the corner, finally taking a moment to breathe.
Kanna handed him a bottle of Butterbeer.
"Thanks," Kyle said, taking it and taking a sip. "They're crazy—throwing a party that lasts three hours."
"That's understandable," Kanna said with a smile. "After all, Hufflepuff has never been this well-represented before, and everyone's been pretty down for a while. It's nice to have something to celebrate."
Kyle nodded and took another sip of his Butterbeer.
"So, what are your plans next?"
"Waiting for the exams," Kyle said.
"I meant after graduation. What are you going to do for work?"
"I don't know," Kyle shrugged. "For now, I'm going to check out Diagon Alley first, remember? Sirius gave me a shop before, and it wouldn't be good to just leave it empty."
"You want to open a shop?"
"It's just a temporary idea," Kyle said. "But I can't say for sure what I'm going to do yet. After all, there are still Death Eaters and Voldemort out there, and no matter what I do, I have to deal with that first."
"So, you'll join the Order of the… Phoenix? Is that the name?"
Kyle didn't answer right away.
"I'm not really sure," he said after a moment's thought. "There's something I've been wondering about. Professor Dumbledore hasn't officially invited me yet, and I have no idea what he's thinking."
"But you took me to their headquarters before, didn't you?"
"That's different," Kyle shook his head. "Fred and George told me that before they graduated, they signed a very formal magical contract, which serves as proof of their official membership in the Order of the Phoenix."
"According to them, that contract allows members of the Order to sense each other's general location, making it easier to provide support when needed."
"Something like that exists?" Kanna asked. She had always assumed Kyle was already a member of the Order.
"I'm not sure either. I can't rule out the possibility that Fred and George were just messing with me," Kyle said. "But Professor Dumbledore never mentioned it to me."
"By the way, why did you suddenly ask?"
"No, it's nothing," Kanna said. "I was just a little curious."
"What about you? What are you going to do after graduation?"
"Professor Snape bought a potion shop in Paris," Kanna said softly, "and he wants me to go there and set it up."
"That's great," Kyle said thoughtfully. "Potion shops are quite profitable, and if it's in Paris, I know a few people there. So if you run into any problems, I can help sort them out."
Kyle was referring to Madam Maxime. As the headmistress of Beauxbatons, she still had considerable influence in France. If they ever ran into trouble, she would definitely be someone they could turn to for help.
"Is that what you think?" Kanna asked, looking at Kyle.
Kyle met her gaze and nodded.
For once, his thoughts happened to align with Snape's.
Kanna was undeniably capable—one could even say exceptionally so. Her grades were second only to Kyle's and Cedric's in the entire Hufflepuff house. It wasn't that she couldn't have done better, but she took eight classes and earned Outstanding marks in all of them.
But their enemy was Voldemort. No matter how outstanding Kanna's grades were, she was still only seventeen. On the day of the final battle, no one could predict what would happen, and the safest place for her was far from the battlefield.
France was a good option—not too far away, with plenty of familiar faces. Even if the Death Eaters' influence eventually spread there, she would still have people to rely on.
"Okay then."
Without anger or resentment, Kanna agreed.
Kyle was taken aback. Normally, wouldn't she be upset at being underestimated?
Why was she so calm? Too calm.
"You're not angry?" he asked cautiously.
"Why would I be angry?" Kanna smiled at him. "Or do you think I should storm off in a huff or argue about staying here? If that's what you're expecting, I can accommodate you."
As she spoke, she cleared her throat and raised her hand as if she were about to slap the table.
"No, that's fine, really," Kyle said quickly, stopping her.
In any case, it was a relief that Kanna wasn't angry. If she had started arguing, that would have been a real problem.