Speaking of Quidditch, Hagrid suddenly noticed Kael was wearing his team uniform, and he remembered today was the match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin.
But the game had already started, and Kael, as a Chaser on the team, was here, which meant...
"Sorry, Kael." Hagrid said apologetically, "It's because of me that you missed the final match!"
"It's alright..." Kael waved his hand, "As long as Norbert hasn't been discovered, it's fine. We're leading the second place by over three hundred points, so win or lose doesn't matter that much. I'll just take it as a little laziness."
...
The two of them walked towards the Quidditch Pitch, one after the other.
Due to some inexplicable magical force, by the time they arrived, the match had just ended.
Kael glanced at the scoreboard.
170:70
Hufflepuff won!
Even with Kael absent, the weakened Harris wasn't a match for Slytherin, but they still had Cedric.
When Kael walked out of the tunnel, he saw Cedric standing on the field, raising his arms high.
And between his fingers, a glint of golden light appeared now and then.
A deafening cheer erupted from the stands as everyone celebrated Hufflepuff's early championship victory.
Five hundred and sixty points, like a mountain standing in front of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, it seemed nearly impossible to surpass.
Unless they threw the matches.
Hagrid joined the crowd in cheering too.
Seeing Hufflepuff win, he felt much better.
Kael went to the locker room alone.
He was thinking about how to explain his sudden departure from the team, but nobody even asked.
They just patted Kael on the shoulder friendly, just as usual.
"Don't worry." Harris approached and whispered, "We all know you must have had something more important to do!"
Then he laughed twice,
"Cheer up, we won!"
"Exactly." Fello added with a smile, "Unless Gryffindor and Ravenclaw can score forty goals in the next match, the championship is definitely ours this year!"
This match was the last celebration before the exams.
That night, the party in the Hufflepuff Common Room lasted until midnight before it ended.
Harris, who had boasted about his amazing drinking capacity, claiming he never got drunk, collapsed onto a table after his third bottle of Butterbeer.
Some senior Quidditch players stood up nonchalantly and skillfully carried him back to the dormitory.
Kael watched this and asked in confusion, "What happened to him?"
"Oh, he's drunk." Fello replied calmly.
"You can get drunk on Butterbeer?" Kael asked incredulously, "There must really be beer in there."
He had always thought it was just a drink similar to hot cocoa.
"There is, but the beers are boiled beforehand to add a bit of flavor."
A freshman with braided hair said, "My family makes Butterbeer, I've seen it myself."
"That's right, so if someone can't handle their drink, even Butterbeer can get them drunk." Fello laughed, "Like Harris, he can only handle two cups usually, one sip more and he's done."
"I remember when he first went to Hogsmeade in third year, he just dozed off at the Three Broomsticks without any warning.
Ms. Rosmerta was shocked, she thought there was something wrong with her Butterbeer."
Kael chuckled dryly.
To get drunk on boiled beer, what a tolerance... wouldn't pumpkin juice be better?
After Harris drank himself under the table, the party ended quickly as everyone dispersed and went back to their dorms.
...
After the celebration, endless revision awaited them.
As exams drew closer, the atmosphere in the castle grew tenser. People had no time to think about Quidditch anymore, and almost everywhere you looked, students were studying.
The study atmosphere at Hogwarts reached an unprecedented peak.
Even Harry and Ron temporarily gave up investigating Snape, burying themselves in books with Hermione in the library.
Although Hermione was revising, Harry and Ron were preparing.
In this tense atmosphere, exam week came quickly.
For Kael, second-year exams were not challenging at all; he finished the written test in just over ten minutes.
But Professor McGonagall wouldn't let him hand in his paper early, on the grounds that he might give answers to others.
Yes, Professor McGonagall didn't get to invigilate the senior years again this year, which left her quite dissatisfied and silently grumbling at Dumbledore multiple times.
She raised her head and surveyed the classroom.
How to say this, the students were too well-behaved this year. Before the exam, she only confiscated five cheating devices, much less than last year.
This made Professor McGonagall even more disappointed.
Since there was nothing else to do, she simply came to stand behind Kael and examined his paper.
Many noticed how Professor McGonagall's expression suddenly became serious, and she shook her head while reading.
"Did Kael not do well this time?"
People had various reactions, some nervous, some regretful, and some excited...
However, Kael wasn't much bothered, mainly because he couldn't see Professor McGonagall's expression from his position.
Enduring the written test, the subsequent practical exam was more enjoyable.
Professor Flitwick had charmed a pineapple, asking them to identify the charm and restore the pineapple to its original state.
When it was Kael's turn, he deliberately increased the difficulty.
The pineapple suddenly grew legs, then jumped off the table and started running quickly on the ground.
"You have three attempts." Professor Flitwick said with a smile, "But you have to stay in place."
The legged pineapple was agile, changing direction every time Kael got ready to cast a spell.
Twice his charms missed, and Kael helplessly glanced at Professor Flitwick.
No need to guess, it must be his doing.
But Professor Flitwick acted as if nothing had happened, still smiling peacefully, "Only one chance left..."
"No choice." Kael took a deep breath, then his wand glowed with an orange light...
"Wait, wait..." Professor Flitwick's pupils contracted, quickly stopping him.
"There's a Transfiguration exam next door, that charm will affect others."
"Then the exam..."
"You've passed." Professor Flitwick said with a laugh.
In fact, he had already given Kael full marks, the rest was just for his personal amusement.
...