Hogwarts: I'm Truly a Model Wizard

"Did you do that on purpose...?" Kanna asked in a low voice once Kyle returned to his seat.

Kyle spread his hands with an innocent look.

Of course he had done it on purpose. There was no way he was going along with Lockhart's idea of putting on a play—especially just to play a supporting role. But watching the young wizard now performing as the Vampire, hopping around the stage with enthusiasm… it looked like he was having fun. And that, at least, was good enough.

The bell rang, and Lockhart stood up to announce, "For homework: Write a hymn celebrating my heroic conversion of the Vampire! The best one will receive a signed copy of Magical Me!"

"I'd rather write a three-foot-long essay," Kyle muttered under his breath as he packed up to leave the classroom.

Kanna nodded in agreement. Ever since she'd met Cedric, her opinion of Professor Lockhart had only soured. And the latest lesson hadn't helped, with a pop quiz thirty minutes into class and Lockhart fumbling through his endless self-promoting photographs.

It wasn't hard to guess their next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson would be equally tedious.

"I kind of miss Professor Oren…" Kanna murmured as they walked toward the Great Hall.

"Oren?" Kyle looked at her in surprise. "Maybe you should head over to the Hospital Wing," he said, reaching out to feel her forehead. "You were nearly killed in the Forbidden Forest, and you're thinking about him?"

"I've already figured it out," Kanna replied with a small smile, brushing his hand away. "Oren was after you, and I just happened to be there by accident. If he ever comes back, I'll just steer clear of you."

"Oh, brilliant plan!" Kyle said sarcastically. "Have you thought about what I'm supposed to do if he shows up again?"

"I'm sure you'll come up with something," Kanna replied confidently. "You're the cleverest person I know, after all."

"Oh, thanks," Kyle said with a wry smile. "But honestly, never mind—I think I'm suddenly quite fond of Lockhart. At least his plays aren't trying to kill anyone."

The two arrived at the Great Hall, chatting and laughing. After a few minutes, Cedric joined them, looking fresh in a clean set of robes and with the dirt washed from his hair.

"So, how was Lockhart?" Cedric asked, settling down next to them. "I have Defense Against the Dark Arts first thing tomorrow."

"Brace yourself," Kanna said, shaking her head. "It's pretty much like last year."

Cedric immediately understood. Another reading lesson, then.

If that was the case, he thought, they might as well let the Fat Friar teach it instead—it would save on the cost of Lockhart's expensive books. Or maybe they could bring in Nearly Headless Nick; with the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, his head might finally come off, fulfilling his long-time wish.

"Oh, by the way, here's this," Kyle said, handing Cedric a piece of parchment.

"What's this?"

Cedric looked down at the parchment and was immediately bewildered.

"What's Lockhart's favorite color?" he read aloud. Why would he need to know something like that?

"It's for a class quiz," Kyle explained. "Seems like every year gets one in their first lesson. Look it over in advance—if you get all the answers right, it'll earn some points for our house."

"How many points?"

"Ten," Kyle replied. "But he'll probably call you up if you score well."

"The points are good, I suppose… but maybe he'd drag you into one of his plays instead."

"Well, we Hufflepuffs certainly don't lack for points!" Cedric quipped.

...

Maybe it was because of Kyle's pointed questions in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he didn't see Professor Lockhart once in the days that followed. When class resumed, Lockhart didn't call on him either. It seemed like he was purposely avoiding Kyle—which, honestly, felt pretty great.

But while Kyle enjoyed Lockhart's absence, Harry was having a very different experience. Lockhart seemed to be channeling all his energy toward him. They'd bumped into each other multiple times in the corridors over the past few days. Harry found himself constantly on alert, ducking into side passages the moment he spotted Lockhart approaching.

And it wasn't just Lockhart he had to avoid; there was also the new student, Colin Creevey, who seemed to have memorized Harry's entire schedule. Colin appeared in nearly every class and around every corner, greeting him enthusiastically each time with a "Hi, Harry," to which Harry had to respond, "Hello, Colin," at least six or seven times a day.

And so it went until the weekend.

Over breakfast that Saturday, Kyle suddenly asked, "Are there going to be any new recruits for the Quidditch team this year?"

"No, but we'll need to start finding replacements for next year," Cedric replied. "Including Harris, three of the guys are in their seventh year. You're on the team, too; haven't you been paying attention?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be asking," Kyle replied, taking a sip of milk. "But with twelve classes and all this homework, I don't have time to think about anything else."

"That's fair," Cedric said with a shrug. He'd seen Kyle's packed schedule; though Kyle could skip overlapping classes, the sheer amount of work and self-study meant his homework load was much heavier than anyone else's.

"But when you put it like that…" Kyle frowned. "Our team really has three seventh-years?"

"Yep, the two Chasers and the Keeper," Cedric confirmed. "They're all graduating next year. But there's some good news—Harris seems to have an offer from the Vratsa Vultures to go pro."

"Really?" Kyle was surprised. "Did Harris tell you that? I haven't heard a word about it."

"No, he didn't," Cedric replied, shaking his head. "Remember the Quidditch match I went to over the holiday?"

"Vratsa Vultures against the Chudley Cannons?"

"Exactly," Cedric laughed. "My dad's friends with a Vultures player, and they mentioned it in passing. When they found out I was a Hufflepuff, they even asked if I knew Harris."

"That's fantastic news," Kyle said. "Harris didn't say anything to me."

"He's probably worried he won't pass the final assessment," Cedric said. "It's a tough spot, wanting to keep it quiet until he's certain."

"Maybe this year we can win another Quidditch Cup," Kyle said thoughtfully. "Three years as captain of the winning team would look great on his résumé."

"That's what I was thinking, but Harris doesn't seem to care at all," Cedric said with a helpless smile. "The Gryffindors were out training at the crack of dawn, but Harris went to Hogsmeade with some of the others."

"Well… that sounds like Harris," Kyle chuckled. "But with his skills, I'm sure he'll have no trouble making it into a professional team."