"In short, these are the main things you need to keep in mind. As long as you pay attention to them in your daily life, you won't lose house points. But even if you do lose points once in a while due to negligence, it's no big deal. Here in Hufflepuff, we don't worry too much about that. The most important thing is that everyone enjoys their time at Hogwarts."
Head Boy Harris was speaking confidently to the group, while Kyle sat at the very edge, silent with his head down.
"Kyle, what are you doing here? I've been looking for you everywhere."
Cedric approached and casually handed Kyle a glass of juice. "Fresh orange juice—definitely a good choice before bed."
Kyle didn't take it, nor did he lift his head. He just waved Cedric off to show he didn't want it.
"What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?" Cedric asked, his voice tinged with concern.
"No, I'm just feeling a little sleepy," Kyle responded hastily, still avoiding eye contact. "I don't like drinking anything before bed. You can offer it to someone else."
This odd behavior only heightened Cedric's curiosity. He took a step to the left, trying to get a better look at Kyle's face. But Kyle turned away at the same time, dodging him.
Something was definitely off.
"Alright, I'll ask some of the other first-years then," Cedric said, pretending to walk away. But instead, he moved lightly, circling around and then quickly dropping to the ground near Kyle.
Kyle, lost in his thoughts about when he could return to the dormitory, suddenly found himself face to face with a furry head appearing right in front of him.
Their eyes met.
"Kyle, what happened to your eye? Why do you have such a huge black eye?"
"Nothing!" Kyle immediately raised his hand to cover his left eye and answered seriously, "I just accidentally hit the table. It's perfectly normal to have bruises from something like that."
"How do you end up with a bruise that round?" Cedric sat down, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "It looks more like you got punched."
"No way, you're imagining things!" Kyle shot back. "Even if you don't believe me, surely you believe in Hufflepuff! This is the warmest house at Hogwarts. How could there be anyone violent here?"
"You're right... could it really just be a bruise?" Cedric nodded, partially convinced.
He didn't think anyone from Hufflepuff would punch a first-year on their first day of school either—that was more of a Slytherin thing. But still, it puzzled him. If Kyle had simply fallen, how could his black eye be so perfectly round? Was he exceptionally clumsy?
As Cedric pondered this mystery, Harris finished his speech.
"From today onwards, we're all classmates. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask. Hufflepuff is one big, warm family, and every upperclassman, myself included, will support you. Now, you all must be tired, so I'll take you to your dormitories. Patty, you'll handle the girls."
Kyle sprang to his feet as if he'd been released from a burden and followed the rest of the group without so much as a goodbye to Cedric.
Under Harris's guidance, Kyle soon arrived at his dormitory.
Like the common room, the dormitory was dominated by warm yellow and black tones. Copper lamps cast a cozy glow over the room's four-poster beds, while brass bed warmers hung on the walls, ensuring each bed remained at the perfect temperature.
There were two other boys in his dormitory.
One, Mikel Derrick, was a small, dark-haired boy. The other, Ryan Baggins, was stockier with blonde hair.
Neither of them were particularly remarkable, just two fellow students.
The last bed in the room was empty, likely because there weren't enough new students.
Kyle tilted his head, gave the boys a brief greeting, then climbed into bed without further conversation.
"Hey, this is amazing, isn't it? I'm a wizard!" Mikel exclaimed, sitting on the edge of his bed, beaming with excitement. "No one in my family can do magic. My dad sells drilling rigs, and my mum works in a bank, so when I first got the letter, I thought it was a joke. Haha, Hogwarts... I still can't believe it."
"I'm half-and-half, what wizards call 'half-blood,'" Ryan chimed in, running a hand through his blonde hair. "My dad's a wizard, but my mum's a Muggle. She was completely shocked when she found out."
"Of course she was. Anyone who hasn't had contact with magic would be," Mikel agreed. "You wouldn't believe it—when the Professor came to our house, my parents almost called the police. He just appeared in front of us and started talking about some kind of displacement... Locomotor?"
"Apparition," Kyle corrected quietly from his bed.
"Yeah, that's it—Apparition!" Mikel said, looking over at Kyle with sudden recognition. "Hey, I remember you! You're Kyle Chopper, the one whose Sorting took twenty minutes, right?"
"That's right," Kyle nodded. "Nice to meet you both."
"So, what happened?" Mikel asked curiously, leaning in. "Why did your Sorting take so long—longer than all the other first-years combined?"
"It's nothing," Kyle said after a brief pause. "The Sorting Hat just couldn't decide where to send me, that's all. It was torn."
"I see," Mikel said with awe. "For the Hat to take that long... you must be really talented."
Kyle smiled but didn't respond. He was talented, sure, but that had little to do with the Sorting Hat's dilemma. If Mikel knew the real reason for its hesitation, he probably wouldn't have been so impressed.
For the next several minutes, Mikel kept up a stream of enthusiastic chatter. He jumped from talking about his first visit to Diagon Alley to Gringotts, and then from Gringotts to choosing a wand, barely pausing for breath in between. It was clear that becoming a wizard had made him incredibly happy.
At first, Kyle and Ryan managed to join in here and there, but eventually, the only voice in the dormitory was Mikel's. The other two just couldn't keep up. After a long day of travel and excitement, exhaustion had finally caught up with them.
Kyle wanted to keep talking with his new roommates and get to know them better, but the bed was so comfortable that he fell asleep without even realizing it. Next to him, Ryan had drifted off even faster and hadn't stirred for the past five minutes.
/////
Early the next morning, Kyle was forced out of bed by the bright sunlight streaming through the dormitory's round window. Since he hadn't drawn the curtains the previous night, the sunbeams hit him squarely in the face like a spotlight.
How was anyone supposed to sleep like that?
Grudgingly, Kyle got dressed and stretched, then walked over to the window. Although Hogwarts Castle is partly underground, the dormitory was situated in a sunny part of the structure. From the circular window, he could see the grass and dandelions swaying outside in the morning breeze.
Kyle glanced at his two roommates, who were still fast asleep, and without a second thought, opened the window as wide as it would go.
There were only five years until the OWLs exam—how could they still be sleeping at a time like this? Besides, it was already half past seven, which might as well have been eight-fifty in his mind, with only a few minutes left before classes began at nine o'clock. Since this was their very first day of lessons at Hogwarts, they couldn't afford to make a bad impression on the professors by being late.
And what better way to wake up than with the fresh morning air, with its hint of moisture?
"I'm really considerate," Kyle nodded to himself in satisfaction.
He was genuinely thinking of his roommates. It wasn't that he wanted them to get up early with him—after all, a Hufflepuff like him would never do something like that.
After a quick wash, Kyle left the dormitory and made his way through the passage toward the common room. As everyone knows, the stairs at Hogwarts have a mind of their own. They seem to move at the most inconvenient times, often leaving students stranded or extending to unexpected floors, all while silently enjoying the wizards' despair.
Kyle was ready to make several trips around the castle, anticipating that the stairs might cause trouble. But, much to his surprise, the stairs stayed in place the entire time. He walked from the common room to the Great Hall without a single shift or jolt. The entire journey was eerily quiet.
To be honest, Kyle was a little disappointed. He had kind of been looking forward to experiencing the infamous moving stairs for himself.
Even though it wasn't yet eight o'clock, the Great Hall already had quite a few students seated for breakfast. The Ravenclaw table, in particular, was nearly full, while a few older students from other houses were scattered around. Only the Hufflepuff table remained mostly empty—except for Kyle.
As soon as he sat down, a steaming breakfast appeared on the plate in front of him: a glass of milk, two sausages, and a piece of bread. It wasn't much, but it was just right, and he could always have more if he wanted.
Kyle ate his breakfast slowly, savoring the quiet. Before long, two familiar figures appeared in the doorway of the Great Hall, walking in one after the other.
"Hey, Kyle, what are you doing up so early?" Mikel and Ryan hurried over to join him.
"I didn't want to get up early either," Kyle said calmly, cutting into his sausage. "But the window in our dorm room was open, and the wind was blowing in, so it got too cold to sleep." Without missing a beat, he asked, "What about you two? Why are you up so early?"
"We're in the same boat," Mikel said with a bitter expression. "I was wondering if you were the one who opened the window."
"The window was open when I left," Kyle emphasized the words "when I left."
"Oh, I see. Then it must've been the wind," Mikel said, taking a large bite of bread. "But I guess it was a good thing in the end. I didn't fall asleep until the early hours of the morning. If the window hadn't been open, I definitely wouldn't have woken up before nine. Imagine being late for the first class... I shudder to think what would've happened. I probably would've been expelled right on the spot."
Ryan, who was eating beside him, nodded in agreement. He usually got up around eight at home, but only because his mother dragged him out of bed. If he'd slept in until he naturally woke up, he likely wouldn't have made it to their first class either.
Kyle smiled slyly and said, "Then you two should really thank the kind person who helped open the window."
"Yes, definitely," Mikel said, nodding sleepily as he chewed on his breakfast, not noticing anything unusual in Kyle's comment. "It really helped a lot."
Kyle took his final sip of milk, then stood up. "Well, you two enjoy your breakfast. I'm going to go explore the area a bit."
"Okay," they both replied in unison, still groggy.
...
After bidding farewell to his roommates, who were still focused on their breakfast, Kyle made his way straight to the castle gates. It was just past eight o'clock, so he had plenty of time before class started. While he still had some time, he decided to deal with his "pet problem" first. There was already a cat and a toad in the dormitory, and he couldn't afford to be the only one without a companion.
Stepping out through the castle gates, Kyle raised his arm skillfully. In an instant, seven or eight owls swooped in from all directions, landing neatly on the stone steps in front of him.
"This time, it's not about sending a letter," Kyle said, addressing the group of owls. "I'm going to be at Hogwarts for quite some time, and I'd like to hire one of you as my personal messenger during my stay. In return... well, meals will be included—at least one package of owl nuts per day, three packages of Murtlap-dried rat meat per week, and one bottle of owl tonic per month... for now. If you need anything else, just ask. Oh, and this arrangement will continue even after I graduate, until the day you can no longer lift your wings."
Kyle paused, letting his offer sink in. "So, how about it? If any of you are interested, just fly up onto my shoulder."
Owls in the wizarding world had a natural affinity for magic, especially those trained to be special messengers. With a bit of body language and Kyle's clear instructions, the owls were able to understand about 70 to 80 percent of what he said.
Almost immediately, chaos broke out. The owls scrambled to reach Kyle's shoulder, with some of the slower ones even attacking the others in their haste. Feathers flew everywhere as the owls fought for position, and Kyle found himself scratching his head, trying to calm the frenzy. But it was too late—the situation had spiraled beyond his control.
Thankfully, the chaos didn't last long. A large brown fishing owl, towering over the others with its imposing size, easily overpowered the competition. It stood proudly on Kyle's shoulder, victorious.
Kyle recognized the owl immediately.
About three years ago, Chris had found this owl near death, battered and covered in wounds, clutching an undelivered letter in its claws at the entrance of the Ministry of Magic's mail collection counter. Chris had acted quickly, taking the owl home and nursing it back to health over the course of more than half a month. Despite his best efforts, however, the owl was left with a long, narrow scar across its face—a permanent reminder of the dark magic that had injured it. Neither Chris nor Newt had been able to remove or conceal the scar, which made the owl look somewhat...ugly compared to its peers.
But Kyle didn't care about appearances. He reached out and scratched the brown fishing owl's neck feathers, grinning. "Hello, Ratton."
The owl tilted its head, gently rubbing Kyle's finger with its beak.
Ratton was the nickname Kyle had given him early on, back when he didn't know the owl's real name. It had stuck, and Ratton had even come to recognize it. Kyle remembered when Hagrid came to fetch him one time and had spent over half an hour calling "Saban, Saban" in the nearby woods without getting a response. But the moment Kyle quietly whispered "Ratton," the owl had flown out leisurely, much to Hagrid's shock.
Hagrid had been so stunned that he stood there, speechless, unable to recover for a long time. It was as if Kyle had stolen the owl that Hagrid had worked so hard to care for, leaving the gentle giant looking thoroughly devastated.
/////
Although Kyle never had to worry about delivering letters personally, having his own owl at Hogwarts was still a good idea. In the wizarding world, owls served a similar function to phone numbers in the Muggle world—they often represented the identity of their owner. And that was still quite important.
Take, for instance, Kyle's mother, Diana, who worked in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. This department had very strict security protocols, and letters sent there were meticulously screened. The Ministry would check everything—from the identity and status of the owl, to the sender's details, and even the letter itself, ensuring there were no hidden Jinxes or magical substances. Only after everything was confirmed would the letter be delivered to the Department of Mysteries, often in the form of a paper airplane. Even Kyle's letters weren't exempt from this process, though they were expedited due to his connection.
With the efficiency of the Ministry of Magic, this entire screening process could take at least a day. But with Ratton, things were different. Diana could apply to have him registered as a special owl. This status would grant priority processing, and the screening could be simplified. Instead of the full inspection, they would only need to verify the owl's status, the sender's identity, and perform a basic check for Jinxes, all of which could be done on the spot.
Diana had reminded Kyle of this when they were at Platform 9¾, telling him to use the same owl consistently for his letters, or else he'd need to buy one from Diagon Alley. Naturally, Kyle had no intention of buying an owl when he already had Ratton. Problem solved.
Kyle took some owl nuts from his Mokeskin pouch, along with a few bags of Murtlap-dried rat jerky, and offered them to the group of owls.
He also grabbed some water, added two bottles of owl tonic, stirred it well, and poured the mixture into a stone trough nearby. This was their payment for the trouble—they couldn't be expected to lose their feathers for nothing.
While the owls feasted, Kyle took Ratton back to the castle and headed straight for the Hufflepuff common room. Passing the barrels in the kitchen corridor, he returned to the dormitory, but Mikel and Ryan were already gone, likely off to class. Not giving it much thought, Kyle placed Ratton on the shelf beside his bed, grabbed his textbooks, and left.
In the common room, he ran into Cedric, who was also getting ready to head out.
"Kyle, I was just about to look for you," Cedric said, approaching quickly. "What's your first class?"
"Charms," Kyle replied, shaking the Standard Book of Spells, Beginner's Level in his hand. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, right! Here," Cedric said, handing Kyle a piece of parchment. "This is a map of Hogwarts that the class rep gave me when I first enrolled. It marks the classrooms and some of the stairway changes. I don't need it anymore, so I figured you could use it."
Hogwarts was impressive in many ways, but it was undeniably huge and confusing. The interior was like a maze, and it wasn't uncommon for first-years to get lost. Being late to class, as a result, was a common issue. Fortunately, most professors were understanding of this, and aside from one strict dean, they tended to either turn a blind eye, give a light verbal warning, or deduct a point or two, without taking it too seriously.
Kyle unfolded the parchment and examined it closely. Though it was just an ordinary map, it was incredibly detailed. It clearly marked all the routes from the Hufflepuff common room to each classroom and even indicated where to wait for the stairs to shift before continuing. It was like a simplified version of a live map, but good enough for Kyle's needs.
"Thanks, I really needed this," Kyle said as he tucked the map away. "By the way, what class do you have first?"
"I have Potions... Wait, Potions!" Cedric's eyes widened in sudden realization, and before Kyle could say anything more, Cedric took off running. "I'll go ahead, Kyle! Just remember—never be late for Potions class! That's the most important thing at Hogwarts!"
Cedric's voice faded as he disappeared down the corridor, his panic clear from his hurried departure. Kyle couldn't help but think Snape must have left a deep psychological scar on Cedric—or perhaps on many young wizards. He suspected he might not be able to escape Snape's wrath either.
"Too bad Harry Potter didn't enroll a year earlier. That would've been great," Kyle muttered to himself, shaking his head. With that, he left the common room, heading to his first class.
...
Charms Classroom was on the third floor, and it was easy for Kyle to find, thanks to the map Cedric had given him. As he entered the classroom, the first thing he noticed was a stack of books arranged in the shape of a staircase, with four portraits of wizards hanging on the wall. Though they were likely famous figures, Kyle didn't recognize any of them. On either side of the room, the emblems of the four Hogwarts houses were displayed, while further inside were long tables for the students.
When Kyle arrived, there were still five minutes before class began. He wasn't early, but surprisingly, there weren't many students in the room yet, and even Professor Flitwick was nowhere to be seen. Kyle found a seat, noting that the room was divided between Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, with the latter sitting opposite him.
As nine o'clock approached, more students rushed in, panting from their sprint to class. Kyle spotted Kanna among them, but unfortunately, she stormed past him without a word. At exactly 8:59, Mikel and Ryan stumbled in, just barely on time.
"Thank goodness, we're not late," Mikel panted as he collapsed into his seat next to Kyle. He was out of breath, but that didn't stop him from launching into a complaint. "We got lost."
"My goodness, Hogwarts is a real maze," he continued, shaking his head. "We were supposed to head to the third floor, but the stairs shifted when we were on the second floor, and somehow, we ended up on the fifth floor!"
Ryan nodded in agreement, chiming in, "Then we started walking back down, but it took us forever to realize we were still stuck on the fifth floor."
Mikel threw his hands up in frustration. "We finally made it down, but we ended up back on the second floor! Kyle, we climbed those stairs for thirty whole minutes—my legs are about to give out!"
As Mikel became more and more agitated, he was practically on the verge of tears.
"Wait a minute, this doesn't make sense. Give me a second," Kyle said, rubbing his forehead, trying to make sense of their story. Even if someone was lost, it should still be easy to tell whether they were going up or down. What they were describing seemed more like some bizarre metaphysical phenomenon than magic. And there hadn't been anything about this in the map Cedric gave him.
"Forget it, never mind," Kyle eventually said, giving up on figuring out the mystery. "So how did you guys end up here?"
"We were brought here," Mikel admitted, his face turning red as he pointed across the room. "We bumped into a first-year Ravenclaw on the fifth floor. She helped us down the revolving staircase and asked if we were headed to the Charms Class. She said we could follow her."
Kyle glanced in the direction Mikel was pointing and saw the student sitting with her classmates and realized Mikel was referring to Ravenclaw's Cho Chang.