Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 630: The Snitch

The gathering at The Hog’s Head lasted longer than Kyle had expected—nearly two hours before anyone began to leave.

The first to emerge were Fred, George, and their friend Lee Jordan, who hurried out of the pub and headed straight for Zonko’s Joke Shop.

Following them, Colin from Gryffindor, Angelina, Ryan, and Mikel from Hufflepuff, Justin, and three Ravenclaw boys whose names Kyle couldn’t even pronounce filtered out.

Their departure drew the attention of bystanders, who seemed stunned by the sheer number of students leaving the least popular pub in Hogsmeade.

Finally, Cedric and the others, who had been among the last to arrive, exited together.

From his vantage point at the window of The Three Broomsticks, Kyle could see Cedric standing on the main road, his expression tense as he scanned the crowd with a frustrated look, as though

“Umbridge found out that quickly?” Kanna asked, suspicion dawning on her face. “Someone must’ve snitched!"

“Last night, I heard Letty say that Zacharias Smith kept questioning Harry’s story about You-Know-Who being back. He even called Cedric stupid for believing him.”

“Zacharias?” Kyle repeated, immediately recognizing the name.

Zacharias Smith, a sixth-year from Hufflepuff like himself, had always been… difficult. Back in their second year, he had competed against Kyle for the position of Chaser. But Kyle’s performance during the trials had been flawless, leaving no room for anyone else to shine. Zacharias and the other hopefuls had all been eliminated.

Kyle knew Zacharias’s personality well—arrogant, condescending, and perpetually eager to draw attention by opposing others. Many believed he didn’t belong in Hufflepuff at all; Ravenclaw or Slytherin would have suited him better.

Kyle wasn’t surprised to hear that Zacharias had been critical. The boy had often said that Harry and Dumbledore needed to provide concrete evidence of Voldemort’s return.

“And Terry Boot from Ravenclaw,” Kanna added. “Letty mentioned he was smirking the whole time, like he thought the meeting was some kind of ridiculous stage play."

“It’s very likely one of them snitched on us.”

“That wouldn’t be surprising,” Kyle said evenly. “With that many people involved, there was bound to be a mistake—or someone with ulterior motives watching closely."

“And let’s be honest: more than fifty students all showing up at a bar like The Hog’s Head—where no one normally goes—is guaranteed to draw attention.”

“She’s not going to make things difficult for you, is she?” Kanna asked, her worry evident.

“Don’t worry, I can handle it,” Kyle reassured her. “Don’t involve any other professors, though—they’ll just cause unnecessary trouble if they step in.”

With that, he told Kanna to go ahead to the Great Hall, then turned toward the stairs.