Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
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Although Kyle never had to worry about delivering mail, it was still helpful to have his own owl at Hogwarts.
In a sense, owls are like Muggle phone numbers; they often represent their owners' identities.
This is quite important.
For example, Kyle's mother, Diana, works at the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries. This department is very strict. Except for special circumstances, all incoming mail must go through a series of screening processes.
From the owl's identity, ownership, and status... to the sender's name, identity, and ownership, and finally, the mail is checked for any unusual substances or curses.
Only after it is deemed safe will the mail be delivered to the Department of Mysteries in the form of a paper airplane.
This is the standard procedure, and even Kyle's mail is no exception; at best, the process is expedited.
Given the Ministry's efficiency, this entire process would take at least a day.
But with Laton, things are different.
Diana could request it be designated as a special owl, giving priority to mail handling and streamlining the screening process. All it needed to do was check the owl's condition, the sender's name, and whether the letter contained any curses, all on the spot.
Diana had specifically reminded him of this at Platform 9 3/4, telling him to try to use the same owl for future mailings, or to buy one in Diagon Alley.
Of course, buying one was out of the question. Why would Kyle waste that kind of money? He already had Laton.
Perfect solution.
Kyle pulled some owl nuts and several bags of Murtlap rat jerky from his lizard-skin pouch, and pushed them, along with the chestnuts, toward the owls.
He then found some clean water, poured two bottles of owl tonic into it, stirred it, and poured it into a nearby stone trough.
These were his rewards for their hard work; he couldn't let their feathers go to waste.
While the owls were eating, Kyle took Laton back to the castle and headed straight for the Hufflepuff common room.
They passed the barrels in the kitchen corridor and returned to their dormitories...
Mikel and Ryan were gone, presumably heading to class.
Without giving it much thought, Kyle placed Laton on the shelf next to his bed, grabbed his textbook, and left.
In the common room, Kyle ran into Cedric, who was also leaving.
"Kyle, I was just about to find you." Cedric walked over quickly and said, "What's your first class?"
"Charms." Kyle waved the Standard Book of Spells, and asked, "What do you want to see me about?"
"Oh, right, here's this for you." Cedric handed Kyle a piece of parchment.
"This is a map of Hogwarts a prefect gave me when I first started. It clearly shows the locations of the classrooms and some of the staircase patterns. I don't need it anymore, so it's perfect for you."
Hogwarts was great in every way except for its vast size. Its interior was incredibly complex, like a giant maze. It was almost impossible for a new wizard to avoid getting lost, and being late was commonplace.
Fortunately, the professors understood the situation. With the exception of a certain headmaster, the others turned a blind eye, either giving a verbal reprimand or a symbolic point deduction. They didn't make a big deal about it.
Kyle took the parchment and examined it carefully.
It was a very ordinary map, but the content was very detailed. Not only did it clearly mark all the routes from the Hufflepuff common room to each classroom, but it also specifically noted where to wait for the stairs to turn before proceeding.
It was a basic version of the Marauder's Map, but it was enough for Kyle.
"Thanks, I really need this." Kyle put the map away and said. "By the way, what's your first class?"
"Potions... Wait, Potions!"
Cedric suddenly started and ran away. "I'm leaving first, Kyle. Remember, the last class you can't be late for at Hogwarts is Potions. Remember..."
Cedric's voice faded, and he soon vanished at the end of the corridor.
From his behavior, it was clear that Snape must have left a deep psychological scar on him... or rather, he had left a deep psychological scar on many young wizards.
Kyle suspected he wouldn't be able to escape.
"What a shame! If only Harry Potter had started school a year earlier."
Kyle shook his head and quickly left the common room.
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The Charms classroom was on the third floor, easy to find using the map.
The first thing he saw upon opening the door was a staircase of books. On the wall in front of him were four portraits of unknown figures.
They were probably famous wizards, but Kyle didn't recognize any of them.
The emblems of the four houses hung on the walls on either side, and further down were several long tables.
When Kyle arrived, there were still five minutes before class.
Honestly, it wasn't that early, but the classroom was still a bit empty; not even Professor Flitwick was there.
Kyle found a seat and sat down.
Across from him sat several young Ravenclaw wizards, the two houses on either side, clearly separated.
As nine o'clock approached, more and more young wizards pushed through the door, breathless.
Kyle even saw Kanna, but the little witch ignored him and angrily walked past him.
At 8:59, Mikel and Ryan arrived, just in time.
"Thank God we're not late,"
Mikel panted as he sat down, complaining to Kyle.
"We got lost."
"Oh my God, Hogwarts is a maze. We were supposed to go to the third floor, but the stairs on the second floor suddenly changed position, and we somehow ended up on the fifth floor."
"Then we started walking down again, but after walking for a long time, we realized we were still on the fifth floor."
"We finally made it down, but ended up back on the second floor... You know, Kyle, we spent a full thirty minutes climbing stairs! My legs felt like they were breaking!"
Mikkel's frustration grew, and he was on the verge of tears.
"Wait a minute, it's a bit confusing, give me some time." Kyle rubbed his forehead, thinking for a long time but still couldn't figure out why the two of them could walk down and still stay in the same place.
Even if you are a person with poor direction, you should be able to distinguish between up and down.
Spinning in place has already touched upon the realm of metaphysics, which is not the same as magic.
And there is no record of this on the map that Cedric gave him.
"Forget it, let's not talk about this for now." Kyle, who really couldn't figure it out, decided to give up and turned around and asked, "Then how did you find this place in the end?"
"Someone brought us here." Mikkel blushed, pointed to the opposite side and said, "We met a first-year from Ravenclaw on the fifth floor. She pulled us down from the spiral staircase and asked if we were going to the Charms class. If so, we could come with her."
Kyle took a subconscious look and realized that Mikel was referring to Cho Chang from Ravenclaw.
[End of the chapter]