Hogwarts: I'm Truly a Model Wizard

Chapter 601: Changes, and the New Prefects

Chapter 601 - 601: Changes, and the New PrefectsKyle stayed for the next few days, drawn not only by the library but also by the food—Mrs. Weasley's cooking was a far cry from the bread and smoked sausages he was used to at home. During this time, he also met many new people.

There was Kingsley Shacklebolt, a Ministry of Magic employee; Dedalus Diggle, who seemed reckless and a bit scatterbrained; and Mundungus Fletcher, whose popularity left much to be desired.

These individuals were equally curious about Kyle, surprised to find him here. Yet, Kyle offered little explanation, merely mentioning during meals that he was a friend of Harry's.

Most of Kyle's time was spent in the underground library, where few ventured—even Hermione. She avoided it because Kreacher's constant presence made it hard for her to concentrate. Instead, she had Sirius bring books to her room. Ron, unsurprisingly, couldn't understand why anyone would want to read during the holidays.

Harry, however, thought reading could be beneficial and initially tried joining them. His enthusiasm, unfortunately, waned after a day, and the book he'd chosen was quickly abandoned on the corner of the table. He struggled to focus, distracted by even the faintest sounds outside.

When the Hogwarts letters arrived, his attention wandered further. This time, the owl brought not only the usual booklist but also a surprise: Hermione had been made a Prefect. Her badge was tucked into the envelope alongside her booklist.

Harry wasn't shocked—Hermione was an obvious choice for fifth-year Prefect. But what caught everyone off guard was Ron being named the other Prefect.

"A house full of Prefects!" Fred exclaimed loudly, his voice echoing through the room. "Isn't that wonderful?"

"If you don't count us," George quipped.

"And don't forget me!" Ginny chimed in, disgruntled. "I'm only in fourth year! Maybe they'll send me a badge next year, too."

"Only a fool would think so," Fred said, his tone a little sour.

At any other time, Mrs. Weasley might have scolded him for such a remark, but not today. She was too overjoyed, practically glowing as she admired Ron's Prefect badge. Promising him a new broomstick, she was already figuring out how to budget for the expense. While good flying brooms were costly, a basic new one was within reach with some thriftiness.

"We could get our own brooms," George muttered. "And buy them ourselves."

"Exactly," Fred agreed.

After her initial surprise, Hermione offered Ron her congratulations. But as she looked across the table, it seemed she remembered someone else in the room who wasn't a Prefect.

"Harry?" she asked hesitantly. "How are you?"

"Fantastic, Hermione," Harry replied, his enthusiasm overly cheerful. "Congratulations on becoming a Prefect. And, of course, Ron."

He then busied himself packing his things to avoid letting Hermione see his face.

Harry couldn't fully articulate how he felt. He didn't want to admit he was jealous of Ron, but he couldn't deny the pang he felt when he heard the news.

He didn't think he was any less deserving than Ron—perhaps, in some ways, he might even be more so. He was an excellent Quidditch player, the youngest member of the school team.

But I didn't lead the team to win the Quidditch Cup, Harry thought bitterly.

Most of their school adventures had been accomplished together. Still, Harry didn't want to feel envious or begrudge Ron his first moment of outshining him. He tried convincing himself that perhaps Ron truly deserved it. After all, Ron had been at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters earlier in the summer. Maybe Dumbledore had made up his mind then.

Yet, the more Harry tried to justify it, the worse he felt. He forced a smile for the rest of the day, hiding his turmoil.

Unaware of Harry's struggles, Kyle remained engrossed in the library. One book in particular, Secrets of the Darkest Art, captured his attention. It offered a detailed explanation of Horcruxes, including the methods for creating them.

To Kyle's surprise, the magic was not as complex as he had imagined. He felt confident that if he wanted to, he could enlist any Death Eater and use the book before him to create a Horcrux on the spot.

But that wasn't Kyle's goal. His study of Horcruxes had begun with a thought he'd had after meeting the Longbottoms. What started as a fleeting idea had grown into a determination to bring change—not just to save a few lives but to reshape certain perceptions within the wizarding world.

For instance, Kyle dreamed of reducing the number of Unforgivable Curses from three to two. The Cruciatus Curse was deemed unforgivable because of the irreversible damage it caused to the soul. But if Kyle's theory succeeded and could be refined further, could it not become a counter-curse instead?

He wasn't sure, but it was worth exploring.

However, there was a problem. The methods described in Secrets of the Darkest Art were sufficient for personal use. But modifying the process to work on someone comatose was far beyond Kyle's current capabilities. The inability to actively draw out a soul was a significant obstacle.

To overcome this, Kyle enlisted Kreacher to

"And thank you for your kind words, Professor," Fred added with a grin. "This is one of our latest creations, available for only two Galleons at the Weasley Joke Shop. Of course, members of the Order of the Phoenix get a nice discount."

Unfazed by the situation, Fred and George took the opportunity to advertise their product, showing their characteristic boldness. Ron, however, remained frozen.