Hogwarts: I'm Really a Model Wizard

If it was just adding a course, Professor McGonagall would likely not refuse, but switching courses... honestly, Kyle thought the chances were slim.

However, seeing the hopeful expressions on Fred and George's faces, he just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. Let them try. Maybe if she was in a good mood today, she might agree.

The first class of the year was still Charms. After leaving the Great Hall, Kyle said goodbye to the Weasley brothers and Cedric, then headed alone to the fourth floor of the castle.

When he reached the second floor, he spotted two new students wandering around the stairs: Harry and Ron.

They were circling around two fake staircases, pacing back and forth on the second floor, anxiously going in circles.

After watching them for a while, Kyle couldn't help but call out, "What are you doing... exercising?"

Ron whipped his head around and, as if seeing a savior, pulled Harry and ran over.

"We need to get to the Transfiguration classroom, but we're lost." He said breathlessly, "Can you tell us how to get there?"

"Come with me." Kyle said, "I'm heading to the fourth floor too."

"Thank goodness!" Ron's face showed relief.

"Th-thank you." Harry said, looking at him somewhat nervously.

"It's nothing, I'm going that way anyway." Kyle led the two to the correct staircase and asked, puzzled, "Haven't you bought Hogwarts maps?"

Hearing this, Ron's face immediately turned red, and he lowered his head without saying anything.

Harry also replied with embarrassment, "Twenty Galleons is too expensive. I — we can't afford it."

Although his vault was full of gold, he hadn't brought much with him to school. After buying his wand and books, he had just over twenty Galleons left.

School had just started and there was still a long year ahead, so Harry naturally didn't want to spend all his money on a map.

"That's not what I meant." Kyle said as he led them around a corner, "There are two types of maps. Besides the twenty-Galleon one, there's also a budget version for ten Sickles... What, didn't Fred and George tell you?"

Harry and Ron were both stunned.

With this reminder, Harry suddenly remembered that there had indeed been a flyer about maps posted on the common room door. However, he and Ron had both assumed it was the same type they'd seen on the train, and neither had looked closely.

Realizing this, Harry's face crumpled with regret. If only he had looked more carefully — he could have afforded ten Sickles.

"We're here. The Transfiguration classroom is that way." After reaching the fourth floor, Kyle pointed in one direction, then took something from his pocket and stuffed it into Harry's hand, "Consider this a welcome gift."

Harry looked down and discovered he was holding two maps and a package of... dried fish?

"What's this?" Ron asked.

"It looks like cat food." Harry said, "Does Kyle have a cat?"

Ron thought for a moment and replied, "His family does have one."

Harry quickly looked up and called out, "Kyle, you gave us a pack of cat food!"

"Keep it!" Kyle called back without turning, seeming in a hurry to get to class, "I have plenty of that stuff. You can feed it to your owl."

As he spoke, he turned a corner and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

This... Harry stood there holding the dried fish, dumbfounded.

"Let's go, Harry. Class is about to start." Ron urgently pulled his arm, "That's Professor McGonagall's class. We'd better not be late."

"R-right."

Coming back to his senses, Harry put the dried fish in his pocket and followed Ron in the other direction.

By this time, Kyle had already entered the Charms classroom.

For the first lesson of the new school year, Professor Flitwick didn't immediately teach new content but instead had them review the charms they had learned last year.

He spent half the class checking everyone's Levitation and Softening Charms. Only after confirming that most students could cast these two spells proficiently did he return to his platform built of books.

"Today we'll be learning the General Counter-Spell, which can cancel the effects of ordinary spells... Watch my movement carefully. When waving your wand, you must be firm, and your voice must be clear... Finite Incantatem!"

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After Charms, Kyle attended History of Magic.

In the afternoon, he had two consecutive periods of Potions with Snape.

Just like last year, Snape didn't show Kyle any kindness.

"Who told you to chat while brewing potions?" Snape stood beside him with a gloomy face, "If you don't want to learn, don't distract others. Hufflepuff loses one point."

Then he turned to look at Kanna.

"Well-prepared lionfish spine. Hufflepuff gains one point."

Kyle looked at Snape with a calm expression.

He was already used to this professor's double standards, and compared to last year when Snape had started by deducting five points, this year wasn't so bad.

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The first day of the new school year passed like this. Though some classes weren't very pleasant, overall it was quite fulfilling.

Night.

The library on the second floor of the castle was completely silent. Tall bookshelves blocked the moonlight streaming through the windows, making the space even darker than the rest of the castle.

Creak...

The door suddenly opened a crack, just wide enough for one person to slip through.

Tap Tap...

After the door closed again, clear footsteps echoed through the library.

"Tsk, Filch is way too dedicated to his job." Kyle dispelled the Disillusionment Charm and patted his chest in relief.

Earlier on the stairs, Filch had suddenly appeared from a corner, nearly brushing against Kyle's shoulder as he passed by.

Kyle had noticed that Mrs. Norris paused strangely when passing him, looking questioningly in his direction. She must have detected something unusual but couldn't quite identify what it was.

Fortunately, Filch seemed to be chasing someone else at the time, and at his urging, Mrs. Norris quickly left.

"It seems that just using a Disillusionment Charm isn't very safe for nighttime wandering. I need to find a spell that can mask scents."

Kyle composed himself and headed straight for the Restricted Section.

He remembered that the book with detailed information about Horcruxes was called "Secrets of the Darkest Art" — or was it?

Kyle suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Although the Restricted Section occupied only a small part of the library, it still contained about a thousand books. Without using magic, finding that specific copy of "Secrets of the Darkest Art" wouldn't be an easy task.

"Hope I can find it tonight."

Kyle sighed, then lit his wand and walked into the rows of bookshelves.

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