On Monday's Potions class, Snape was limping, and his hostility towards all Gryffindors was heightened. Ron guessed it was because the Troll hadn't smashed Harry's head.
Taking advantage of Snape's leg weakness when he turned around, Kevin slipped some potion ingredients into his Dimensional Belt every time Snape turned his back.
"I'm not stealing. It's just that it's a waste to throw these expensive materials into the crucible. I'm saving resources and protecting the environment," Kevin Goldsmith convinced himself.
That's why as long as you have a sufficiently flexible moral compass, you can remain in the neutral camp.
These materials not only supplemented Kevin's spellcasting materials but could also serve as raw materials for the creation of magical items.
"Make way for the invincible Troll killer!" Fred shouted in an aria as Kevin and Hermione climbed into the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room after their last class.
"Now the invincible King of Destruction has arrived!" George picked up the tune. And then somehow they started singing. (To the tune of the Disney movie Prince Ali.)
"Clean up this ancient Hogwarts path."
"Hey, make way for us."
"A dazzling new star has arrived."
"Come and see the mystery of the greatest explosion."
"Oh, you'll fall in love with him."
"Quickly bow and kneel on one knee to show respect."
"Oh, remember to stay calm and composed."
"Exceptional and radiant temperament."
"A burly and strong man who can take on ten men."
"I have faced terrifying and valiant Trolls."
"They blew up the fascinating girls' bathroom."
"The Great Lord of Destruction".
"The pioneer who rushed into the girls' bathroom."
"We are waiting for you, and we are holding fast here waiting for you to come."
The twins bowing, one on each side, seemed to be drawing down an invisible curtain.
"Not a single word in this song is accurate," Kevin tried to deny, but his voice was drowned out by a sudden burst of cheers. It seemed the entire Gryffindor House had come to celebrate their… near defeat of the Troll.
"Harry and Ron insisted that we wait until you two are discharged before we celebrate," George said. "Harry said the main credit goes to you two."
"Madam Pomfrey revealed that you two are being discharged today," Fred said.
"Hermione Granger is mentioned in Magical Self-Defence courses all over Britain," Fred said, "because some handsome villain leaked it to the Daily Prophet."
"Thank you for the compliment," George said.
"That was Kevin's idea," Hermione protested, but her voice was drowned out by cheers.
"Think about it," Lavender said to Parvati, "I always thought she was just an unbearable know-it-all!"
"She doesn't seem so awful now," Parvati responded.
"And she also gave Gryffindor so many points."
After November arrived, the weather turned extremely cold. The mountains surrounding the school were shrouded in a grey haze, covered with ice and snow, and the lake was as cold and hard as quenched steel. Every morning, frost would appear on the ground.
The Quidditch season has begun. After several weeks of training, Harry will play his first ever match on Saturday: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.
"This isn't how the plot is going!" Kevin said to Harry after he returned from Wednesday's pre-match practice covered in mud. "We shouldn't be playing Slytherin in the first match."
"We should encounter the Slytherin team last, after a series of challenges that increase in difficulty proportional to your Quidditch skills."
"Do you need to tell me?" Harry said irritably. He had seen the Slytherin Captain a few days ago. Flint, Harry thought, probably a distant relative of the Halloween Troll or something.
And the gorilla, with a malicious grin, pointed at his fingers and told him that the Gryffindors would better hold up the mattress and run after him to prevent him from being too badly injured when he was knocked down.
"And if Gryffindor had won back then, we would have been ranked number one in the House Cup. You were about to lose, but you turned the tide with the cheers of the girl you had a crush on."
"There's no girl at all," Harry retorted. At the same time, he very gentlemanly made way for the Ravenclaw Seeker, who was also returning from training.
"Perhaps the plot is that we will face a strong opponent and fail in the first match, and after a series of painful blows, you will rise up and finally defeat your nemesis in the final."
Should I thank you for wishing me a loss in my first match?
Harry repeatedly reminded himself that Kevin was a patient and he shouldn't argue with him.
"Don't mention the match in three days," Harry said. "Please."
"Oh, okay." Kevin's enthusiasm was dampened. "I just wanted to say that I think I have a spell that can prevent you from getting too badly beaten by the Bludger tomorrow. Let's not talk about it."
Harry's eyes lit up briefly.
"Where were we? I was just about to hear your valuable opinion. Why don't you just start casting the spell?"
"Mage Armor," Kevin gestured. "Alright. You're enveloped in an invisible magical field. You can't feel it."
"Don't try to fool me, I'm not well-educated," Harry said, highly suspicious.
"Absolutely true. Do you remember that Flying lesson? The one where Neville crashed?"
"When? Neville falls down every day." (In the background sound, Neville whispers, "Hey! I was listening right there!", but no one notices.)
"It was the time Neville broke his arm that I cast Mage Armor on him to protect him."
"You just meant that he broke his arm while protected by your spell." Harry suddenly felt incredibly stupid.
"Occasional major failures are inevitable; without that spell, he might have broken his neck."
"I'll… trust you this once? I'm enveloped in an invisible magical field; hopefully it will stop the accelerating ball and prevent my neck from being broken. I'm going to sleep." Harry headed towards the stairs leading to his dormitory.
"Don't worry, I'll release it for you before the match."
Harry thought the other person meant well, but unfortunately was quite ill.
Saturday morning was sunny and chilly. The Great Hall was filled with the enticing aroma of grilled sausages.
At the Gryffindor table, Harry stared blankly into thin air, his right hand automatically stuffing unimportant food into his mouth, completely oblivious to what it was. You could probably replace the food in front of him with a lump of mud, and he wouldn't even notice.
Most people were eagerly anticipating a thrilling Quidditch match, chatting excitedly and cheering for Harry incessantly.
Hermione was in the minority: "Why should Quidditch points count towards the House Cup? So many House points are awarded for just one game. What about all our hard work?"
"If Quidditch scores don't count towards the House Cup, then probably nobody will care about House Points," Kevin Goldsmith calmly pointed out.
"And the House Cup will become a niche competition, only for you and Ravenclaw's students. Its influence won't even be as great as the Gobstones Cup," Kevin added.
"Alright, let's go cheer for Gryffindor." Hermione realised they had no choice. She pulled out an old bed sheet and tried to conjure the Gryffindor Lion on it.