Kyle arrived early to the Great Hall on Saturday. He hadn’t gone exploring the night before but had gone straight to bed after dinner and slept through until dawn.
Breakfast that morning included sausages, corn soup, and a big plate of baked potatoes. Kyle was halfway through eating when the others joined him.
“Looks like you got a good night’s sleep,” Cedric said, sitting across from him. “No more strange dreams?”
Kyle smiled. “No, I slept soundly.”
“That’s good.” Cedric picked up a baked potato and began peeling it. “Oh, by the way, I told Professor Trelawney about your situation yesterday. Want to hear what she said?”
Kyle shook his head without hesitation. “No, thanks. I’ve heard her predictions rarely turn out well.”
“Yeah… you’re right,” Cedric nodded, conceding.
According to Professor Trelawney, Kyle would have recurring dreams for seven days, then suffer a nervous breakdown that would land him in the Hospital Wing. After being discharged, he’d supposedly encounter a troll and be sent back to the infirmary with one hit.
In short, it was a pretty bleak prediction.
But from the looks of it, Professor Trelawney had been wrong right from the start, and the rest sounded like nonsense. Encountering a troll in the castle? Impossible! If a troll could break into Hogwarts, Cedric might as well eat his entire plate of baked potatoes on the spot.
Cedric rubbed his forehead, feeling a pang of regret. Just as everyone had said, Professor Trelawney was a complete fraud. He should never have listened to the Weasley twins and signed up for Divination. Wasn’t Arithmancy a perfectly good option?
But it was too late to switch now. He’d have to stick it out until next term. Cedric sighed as Fred and George showed up, looking even more sleep-deprived than usual.
They’d been short on sleep before because of their late-night outings, but today seemed different. Professor McGonagall had denied their request to switch classes and had only agreed to let them add Ancient Runes. With three electives, their schedules were packed. They’d stayed up until the early hours of the morning, working on their Ancient Runes assignment.
“By Merlin’s beard, you actually did your homework early?” Cedric exclaimed in surprise, dropping his half-peeled potato, which rolled under the table.
“You two can’t be real,” Kyle added suspiciously. “Did one of you drink Polyjuice Potion? Quick, what’s your opinion on Percy?”
George frowned. “Of course, we’re real.”
“Percy’s a big prat who’s obsessed with tattling,” Fred added, with an annoyed look.
“Well… that checks out,” Kyle admitted, still suspicious. “But seriously, why did you do your homework early?”
“For the sake of our dreams!” Fred replied with a serious expression. “Ancient Runes is actually really helpful for studying magical artifacts. We came up with two great ideas just during yesterday’s class.”
“It’s just… it’s really tough,” George groaned. “The characters are constantly changing, and different combinations mean different things. No wonder Percy spent the entire summer studying them.”
Cedric nodded in agreement—he’d also chosen Ancient Runes and knew they weren’t exaggerating. It was genuinely hard work.
"Forget it, let's talk about something else," Fred said with a yawn. "Kyle, you’re joining the Quidditch team, right?"
"Yes," Kyle replied. "I talked to Harris the other day, and I'll take the final assessment next week. How about you guys—have you decided on a new captain and Seeker yet?"
"Oliver Wood's the captain. He's definitely the best fit," Fred said. "But we haven’t found a Seeker yet."
Kyle noticed the weariness on Fred and George’s faces grow more intense. Finding a skilled Seeker was proving nearly as challenging as mastering Ancient Runes. There were plenty of candidates, but none were up to par. Many couldn’t even spot bludgers zooming by, which didn’t bode well for the season ahead. If things continued this way, Gryffindor might end up competing with Ravenclaw just to avoid last place.
In recent days, Wood had been so stressed that his hairline seemed to be receding prematurely, despite his youth. With grim resolve, Fred and George finished breakfast at top speed, then trudged off to the Quidditch Pitch, looking completely drained. They were continuing their Seeker trials that day, not expecting a star like Cedric but hoping for someone at least capable.
Even Professor McGonagall planned to attend, as she was deeply invested in Gryffindor’s success. At her suggestion, Lee Jordan had also held off on applying to be the commentator, just in case they couldn’t find anyone suitable and he had to step in.
Once Fred and George left, Cedric gave Kyle a mischievous look and whispered, "Looks like Hufflepuff has a good shot at winning the championship for the second year in a row."
"Not necessarily," Kyle said after a moment’s thought. "They could still find a Seeker in the next few days."
"It won’t make a difference," Cedric replied confidently. "Even if they bring Charlie back, I’m certain I’ll catch the Golden Snitch first."
Kyle chuckled. Cedric was always modest in most things, but when it came to Quidditch, he became a different person, refusing to back down against anyone. And that fierce determination was something Kyle admired.
On that first weekend of the new school year, Kyle and Cedric planned to visit Hagrid’s hut. Kanna wanted to join them, but just as they were about to set off, Professor Snape appeared seemingly out of nowhere and whisked her away for reasons unknown.
Meanwhile, Cedric, like the Weasley twins, headed over to the Quidditch Pitch. All four houses were holding their initial team selections over the weekend, and Cedric wanted to scout for any promising new talent. He’d heard Cho Chang had also signed up for the Quidditch team this year, aiming for the position of Seeker.
Cedric wasn’t sure how skilled she was, but he was eager to find out. Last year, Ravenclaw had fielded such a weak team that the games felt more like a chore than a challenge, with no real excitement. If Ravenclaw had a dependable Seeker this season, it might make for a more interesting match.
As for the possibility of losing to Ravenclaw… Cedric hadn’t even entertained the thought. After all, Hufflepuff had been champions last year, and with Kyle joining the team this year, they were only going to get stronger.