Special Award for Services to the School

Although Kyle repeatedly assured her that he was fine, Professor McGonagall insisted on taking him to the Hospital Wing.

Although Madam Pomfrey did not find any injuries on Kyle, after hearing what had happened, she insisted that Kyle stay there for the night.

After Professor McGonagall left, Madam Pomfrey took a bottle from the cupboard and poured Kyle a large glass of light blue potion.

"Drink it!"

Lying on the hospital bed, Kyle said with a pained expression, "No, no need, Madam Pomfrey."

The medicine from the Hospital Wing is, well, very effective, but also very unpleasant to drink.

Cedric had taken Pepperup Potion drink once when he had a cold, and in his words, it was like dishwater that had been left to dry in the sun for three days; just swallowing it required immense willpower.

Kyle didn't want to drink the dishwater.

Moreover, his most serious injury right now is a tooth mark on his arm, which doesn't require medication at all.

But Madam Pomfrey wouldn't listen. She stood there and said sternly, "This Potions will help you quickly restore your energy and strength. You must drink it all, or you won't be leaving the hospital!"

Upon hearing that he couldn't be discharged, Kyle's face immediately fell.

The Hogwarts Hospital Wing is the place with the most power. Even if Dumbledore came, he would have to listen to Madam Pomfrey and wouldn't dare to say a word against it.

If Madam Pomfrey doesn't let Kyle leave the hospital, he really can't leave, and no one can help him.

Kyle picked up the cup and resignedly drank the medicine.

"Ton ton ton..."

The taste wasn't great, but it was better than Pepperup Potion; it was like dishwater that'd been left out in the sun all day.

After drinking the medicine, Madam Pomfrey left.

Kyle lay in bed, not knowing whether it was from exhaustion or the effects of the medicine, but his eyelids felt unusually heavy, and he quickly fell asleep.

Kyle didn't know how long he slept, but in his hazy state, he only felt a rustling sound in his ear.

It's like someone is eating.

Hmm, want to eat something?

Thinking about it, he suddenly felt a little hungry... and this feeling became more and more pronounced.

Kyle struggled to lift his eyelids; the sunlight was a bit too bright, and it took him a while to adjust.

Before me was the ceiling of the Hospital Wing, and... Albus Dumbledore's smiling face.

"Good afternoon, Kyle," Dumbledore mumbled, seemingly chewing on something, with an open box of Bertie Bott's Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans beside him.

Once Kyle regained his senses, he quickly understood the situation.

The greatest white wizard in front of me, the Hogwarts Headmaster, is actually stealing my snacks!

"There's simply no room on the table." Dumbledore seemed to have guessed what Kyle was thinking and said with a smile, "And I suggest you don't eat this box. I ate three, and they all tasted awful. I think they probably packed the wrong ones."

"Principal, you can try that golden brown one," Kyle said instinctively, then turned to look at the table, which was piled high with various snacks, like a small mountain.

And it wasn't just one table; I don't know who was so clever as to move the table from the next hospital bed over there, and it was piled high with snacks too.

"These are all gifts from your friends. I suspect they probably bought out Honeydukes," Dumbledore a smile, casually popping the bean Kyle had mentioned into his mouth.

"Oh, it's champagne... This flavor is quite rare."

"Principal, how long have I been asleep?"

"Three more hours and it will be a whole day," Dumbledore said.

Kyle sat up in bed and stretched his stiff neck.

I didn't realize I slept for so long; it's already the afternoon of the next day. No wonder I'm hungry... Wait! The afternoon of the next day?

"Headmaster, Quidditch Match."

"It's a shame you missed out," Dumbledore said. "But the Hufflepuff won; they think a Quidditch Cup will help you recover faster and give you a lot of fighting spirit."

"Damn Oren!" Kyle pounded his pillow in frustration; this was the game he had been most looking forward to.

"Speaking of Oren... Kyle, do you know why he's been causing you trouble?"

"He said it was because of my dad," Kyle said.

"But as far as I know," Dumbledore's blue eyes flickered, "Twelve years ago, if it weren't for Chris, Oren would have died at the Death Eaters. It was your father who saved his life."

"That's impossible. If my father saved Oren, why would he do this? Is he repaying kindness with enmity?"

Kyle stated definitively, "He genuinely intended to kill me. If the centaur hadn't arrived in time, he might have even used the Killing Curse on me."

"This is indeed somewhat perplexing; perhaps only Oren himself knows the reason," Dumbledore said softly. "However, he's already escaped, and catching a bard is no easy task."

"A wandering poet?"

"Yes," Dumbledore explained, "After that brush with death, he left for France and began traveling the world as a troubadour."

As for when he started getting involved in smuggling Fantastic Beasts, I have no idea."

"Then why did he come to Hogwarts?" Kyle asked, puzzled. "Just to kill me?"

"Of course not, child." Dumbledore shook his head and said, "I understand that the Ministry of Magic received an anonymous tip in mid-August, which detailed the smugglers' routes."

Looking back now, the sender was probably Oren, which is why he applied to me two months in advance for the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

But I also don't understand why he did that. Maybe he wanted to use Hogwarts to escape something, or maybe he was short of money, or something else. Bards are always so unpredictable."

After listening to Dumbledore's words, Kyle realized that he understood Oren less and less. All he could do was plant more Biting Cabbage and invite Oren for a plant bath the next time he saw Oren.

Regardless, it's a fact that he almost got himself killed; this was the first time he'd ever suffered such a huge loss.

Kyle has already decided that one hundred Biting Cabbage will be Oren's return gift.

"Let's change the mood and talk about something happy."

Dumbledore said in a light tone, "Because of your composure in the face of danger, your successful use of Broomstick to send Kanna Prince out of the Forbidden Forest at the most perilous moment, and your noble spirit in facing two dark wizards alone to buy her time, we have unanimously decided to award you the Special Award for Services to the School."