Hogwarts: I'm Truly a Model Wizard

It seemed he didn't want to confront those letters from the parents. Even though Madam Pomfrey kept insisting that his injuries weren't fully healed, Lupin was determined to leave the hospital. He went to his office, gathered a few belongings, and left the castle, alone and quietly.

Lupin didn't allow anyone to see him off. Only a large black dog accompanied him to the carriage.

With the office now empty again, many students felt a sense of loss. As Harry had once said, Lupin had been one of the best Defence Against the Dark Arts professors they'd ever had.

No one cared whether Lupin was a Werewolf. A whole school year had passed without incident, proving he wasn't a threat and wouldn't harm anyone intentionally.

But there was nothing they could do. It wasn't their decision to make.

"I wonder who they'll assign us next year!" Cedric said, a hint of resignation in his voice. "These days, it's hard to find a good Defence Against the Dark Arts professor."

"Maybe... a Vampire?" Fred suggested with a grin.

"A Zombie wouldn't be bad, either," George added.

Cho's request was simpler: as long as it wasn't a Dementor, she'd accept almost anyone else.

When afternoon arrived…

Lupin had been right. During dinner, hundreds of owls suddenly swooped into the Great Hall, each one clutching an envelope. Most were ordinary letters, but several were the dreaded red Howlers.

The owls circled a few times, but when they couldn't find their intended recipient, they turned and flew back toward the Headmaster's office.

Still, the owls didn't capture much attention, because the students' exam results were also out. Grades on the report cards were now more pressing than the shrieking Howlers, as they would determine whether students could look forward to a carefree holiday.

Cedric had done exceptionally well in his O.W.L.s, earning the highest marks in the school. Since morning, Professor Sprout had been spotted around the castle, occasionally chatting with Professor McGonagall or joining Professor Flitwick for a celebratory drink at The Three Broomsticks.

Fred and George had also passed respectably—not quite at Cedric's level, but enough to keep Mrs. Weasley off their backs. As they put it, they didn't need top scores, but it was important to "leave some room to improve for the N.E.W.T.s."

"Next year's your turn," Fred said knowingly, giving Kyle a pat on the shoulder.

George snickered. "Fifth year is brutal. Hope you can survive it."

Kyle just shrugged and handed them his report card.

The neat rows of high marks made Fred and George wince, and they fell silent.

Everyone laughed, including Fred and George, who could appreciate the joke at their own expense.

By evening, Slytherin's scores still hadn't caught up, which meant the Great Hall was decorated in black and yellow. The Hufflepuff table was the most animated, filled with cheers and celebration... this was their fourth consecutive House Cup win.

"What a shame…" Mikel said with a sigh, turning to Kyle. "You didn't win the Special Award for Services to the School this year. I really thought you'd win it seven years in a row."

"You shouldn't think like that," Kyle replied with a smile.

The Special Award for Services to the School at Hogwarts wasn't something one could win easily, especially after earning it three years straight.

If he could've postponed his vacation a bit, perhaps until Sirius's innocence was revealed, Dumbledore might've considered giving him another trophy for his efforts. But with vacation starting tomorrow, there wouldn't be time to brew a Mandrake Restorative Draught.

The celebration of Hufflepuff's fourth consecutive championship continued well into the night, and the next morning, the Hogwarts Express departed from the station on schedule.

Kyle, Kanna, and Cedric secured a large compartment, and soon Cho, Fred, and George joined them.

George, the last to enter, shut the compartment door behind him with an excited grin. "So, how's the plan for the Quidditch World Cup going?"

"Everything's on track!" Cedric replied with a smile. "Just the other day, I ran into Professor Babbling in the corridor and asked her about an enchantment formula to make our decorations move."

"Professor Babbling!" Cho exclaimed in surprise. "You actually saw her outside of class?"

As Hogwarts' most elusive professor, Professor Babbling was rarely spotted around the castle, appearing only once a week for her Ancient Runes of Egypt class. Cho had tried several times to find her, but it had never worked out.

"It was pure luck," Cedric said. "I ran into her on the eighth floor—looked like she was heading to the Headmaster's office."

He turned to the others. "So, how are your preparations coming along?"

"You bet we're ready..." George said, pulling out a handful of colorful fireworks. "We've improved these so that the patterns last a full ten minutes!"

Kanna and Cho also revealed the decorations they'd been working on, each more creative than the last. Then, all eyes turned to Kyle.

Kyle's main job was making the badges, a task he was more than familiar with by now. He gave them a reassuring nod—all was in order, and they just had to wait for the Quidditch World Cup to begin.

Cedric could barely hold back his excitement. "I can't wait for it to start!"

"You've got that right," Fred laughed. "But we need time to make more products, so let's not rush things!"

"Stick to the normal schedule," George agreed, grinning.

The train chugged along toward King's Cross Station, and though they all wanted to use the time to make a few more items, the atmosphere was too lively to focus. Every now and then, the compartment door slid open: sometimes it was Lee Jordan, sometimes Ginny. Harry, Ron, and Hermione even stopped by once.

Ever since Lupin had hinted at what he knew in the Hospital Wing, the trio had been trying to get Kyle to spill more details.

But Kyle wasn't one to let anything slip so easily. Despite their best efforts to steer the conversation, he remained tight-lipped.

After a while, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the compartment, looking dejected and none the wiser. They'd barely stepped out when Neville appeared at the door...

Having written the same enchantment wrong three times, Fred finally stowed the fireworks and pulled out Exploding Snap and wizard chess.

"Stop mucking about in the corridor and get back here!" Percy's voice echoed outside, followed by the scuffling of feet.

"Percy won't be Head Boy by the time the train arrives," Fred smirked as he shuffled his cards. "Probably just trying to have one last hurrah."

"Percy's graduated," George said, his excitement barely hidden. "I can't imagine how much more fun school will be without him."

"For the first time," Fred added with a wink, "we're actually looking forward to the start of term on the holiday train."

With chatter and laughter filling the compartment, the train finally pulled into King's Cross.