Adolescent Wizards' Physical and Mental Health Issues (Seeking Collections, Seeking Recommendations)

The incident in Defense Against the Dark Arts spread like wildfire, yet no one seemed particularly interested.

A first-year accidentally injuring a professor might have caused quite a stir in other classes.

For instance, people were still talking about the first day of Charms class.

But when it came to Defense Against the Dark Arts... it just didn't have the same appeal.

To put it this way, their previous professor was a deeply hidden Dark Wizard who was hauled off by Aurors right in the middle of a lesson after someone—no one knew who—exposed him.

The professor before that was a potion enthusiast who loved experimenting with strange concoctions. One day in class, he showcased his latest achievement: the Omniscience Potion, claiming it was on par with Felix Felicis and that one sip could solve all life's troubles.

And then... there was no "then."

To prove the potion's effectiveness, he took a sip on the spot and was still lying in St Mungo's to this day.

By comparison, Professor Oren's little mishap didn't even qualify as gossip.

Just like that, the first weekend at Hogwarts arrived quietly.

Kyle slept until nearly nine, and it was only when Cedric came over to pound on his door that he finally woke up.

"What's the meaning of waking me up so early?"

After washing up, Kyle threw himself onto the sofa in the common room and stretched comfortably.

"Early? It's almost time for lunch!" Cedric looked at Kyle, speechless, and handed him a pie he'd just brought from the kitchen.

It was potato and beef with onions, and it tasted quite good.

While Kyle ate the pie, Cedric continued, "The Quidditch tryouts start today. I'm planning to go give it a shot in a bit. You coming? If the two of us join, we'll definitely win the Quidditch Cup this year."

"I'll pass," Kyle said, shaking his head. "First-years aren't allowed on the house team. It's the rules."

Ever since the flying lesson yesterday, Kyle had already abandoned the idea of joining the Quidditch team.

Because Diana had strictly forbidden him from buying a broomstick in his first year, if he joined the team now, he would be forced to use the school's... antiques, which Kyle found unacceptable.

Those brooms were truly ancient, lacking even the most essential features. For example, the most important one: the Cushioning Charm carved into the handle.

This feature had only become standard after 1930, because the Quidditch World Cup final that year had lasted for seven days. Afterward, eleven players from the two finalist teams had retired for the exact same reason.

Since then, the Cushioning Charm had become a mandatory feature for all brooms.

The brooms at school were clearly from before 1930.

Those antiques were fine for an occasional joyride, but long-term use could potentially affect the physical and mental health of a young wizard.

In any case, Kyle couldn't accept it. As for Cedric...

Kyle patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "If you get in, I suggest you save up for a new broom."

Cedric nodded. "True, the school brooms are too slow. But if I do make the team, my dad will probably get me a Shooting Star."

"Then that settles it," Kyle nodded.

Although the Shooting Star was a model from ten years ago, it had all the necessary configurations and would be more than enough for the house team.

"Oh, one more thing," Cedric said, pulling out two maps. "I've finished the maps for Gryffindor and Slytherin. What's the plan? Do we promote them ourselves, or should we find someone to partner with?"

"Let's find partners," Kyle thought for a moment. "Promoting them ourselves is a waste of time and inefficient. It's not ideal."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too," Cedric nodded. "For Gryffindor, we could ask the Weasley twins; they'd probably agree to help. But what about Slytherin? Do you know anyone there?"

Kyle shook his head.

As it happened, out of the four houses at Hogwarts, he was least familiar with Slytherin; he really had no connection to them at all.

"That's a problem," Cedric sighed. "I don't know anyone either."

Having made his first pot of gold, Cedric was at the peak of his enthusiasm and clearly didn't want to give up on Slytherin, the largest market.

To that end, he had even tweaked the Slytherin map, using the finest parchment and adding a gold-leaf border.

The design was perfectly tailored to their tastes.

Of course, the price would also be slightly higher. You get what you pay for; that was only natural.

The only problem now was how to sell these maps. If they relied solely on two Hufflepuffs, it was unlikely many people in Slytherin would bite.

Besides, if Snape found out, it would be trouble. Given his personality, he would likely confiscate the maps and dock Hufflepuff twenty points.

After thinking it over, they really needed an intermediary.

The two discussed it for a while longer, but still couldn't come up with a good solution.

Cedric wanted to ask the Weasley twins if they knew anyone in Slytherin.

Although Kyle thought it was unlikely, there wasn't a better option, so they decided to give it a try.

By nearly ten o'clock, the two left the Hufflepuff common room together.

Cedric was heading to the Quidditch pitch for the tryouts, while Kyle was going to the library to return a book.

He had finished reading The Bard in the Wind last night and planned to borrow another one.

Since they were heading in different directions, they parted ways near the Great Hall.

"Good luck with the Quidditch tryouts," Kyle said with a smile.

"Rest assured!" Cedric gave a confident thumbs-up. "It definitely won't be a problem."

Afterward, the two parted ways.

Inside the library, Madam Pince took the books Kyle handed over. After a thorough inspection to ensure they were in good condition, she handed him the other book he wanted to borrow.

"The usual rules, you know them."

"Of course, no damaging the books," Kyle said with a smile. "I know."

"That's good."

After obtaining the book he wanted, Kyle did not return to his dormitory immediately, but instead found a seat right there in the library to start reading.

Detailed Guide to Asian Magical Plants

This was a book about herbology. Kyle flipped through the pages quickly, scanning them, and soon found exactly what he needed.

"Chinese Biting Cabbage, an extremely dangerous and aggressive plant, first discovered in..."

Kyle took out a piece of parchment he had prepared in advance and used the Gemino Curse to copy all the information onto it before leaving the library.

However, he did not return the book immediately, intending to take it back to finish reading it first. Who knew what new varieties Professor Sprout might introduce next time?

It would be too much trouble to have to borrow it again later.