Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 292: A Strange Experience

Filch’s office was on the first floor, close to the Entrance Hall. Located just left of the library and down the corridor, it lay directly beneath an empty classroom. Kyle headed to the second floor, running down the corridor in that direction. But as he passed by the entrance to the library, something strange happened. He felt a sudden sense of distraction, a curious fog clouding his mind.

An odd memory floated up, something Voldemort had mentioned in the dungeon last year—the process of creating a Horcrux. Before, Kyle had avoided thinking about it too deeply, worried Voldemort might have twisted the information. But now, out of nowhere, he felt a sense of complete clarity. Concepts that once felt arcane and difficult became simple and obvious, as though he had studied them for years. He could see clearly why each step in the process was done a certain way, understanding every detail with a newfound intuition.

This is incredible, Kyle thought. Not even the famed knowledge of Ravenclaw’s Diadem could compare to this.

The information in his mind solidified, as though it were taking form on a piece of parchment covered in intricate diagrams and instructions. The process of creating a Horcrux… The images were vivid, each paragraph of instructions detailed, as if one glance alone could reveal the entire secret.

But suddenly—

“Bang!”

A loud noise echoed through the corridor, startling Kyle out of his trance. The knowledge that had just filled his mind dissipated instantly, vanishing without a trace. No matter how he tried to recall it, it was as if the thoughts had never been there at all.

And then, out of nowhere, a water balloon dropped right on his head, bursting with a splash of cold water that drenched him completely.

Kyle shivered, the icy water snapping him fully awake.

“What are you daydreaming about, Kyle, you rascal?” Peeves cackled, swooping past him. “Better run—Filch the idiot is coming!”

Then Peeves disappeared around the corner just as Filch came stomping up the corridor. He took one look at Kyle, who stood there soaked with water still dripping from his hair, and spotted the remnants of a burst balloon on the floor.

“Peeves did this?” Filch growled.

Kyle nodded.

“Which way did he go?” Filch demanded.

Kyle pointed down the hall. But Filch hardly needed directions—Peeves had left a trail of dripping water stains and splattered portraits in his wake.

With a look of furious determination, Filch ignored Kyle and charged down the corridor after the poltergeist. “Peeves! I’ll catch you this time, and then you’re out of this castle for good!”

Kyle watched Filch disappear around the corner, then glanced back at the library entrance, confused. What had just happened? Was it some odd coincidence, or something more unusual? And could it happen again? If so, what would trigger it?

It couldn’t be as simple as just passing by the library… Kyle frowned and took a few steps backward, attempting to recreate his route.

A few minutes later, Harry emerged from Filch’s office, looking disheartened, only to stop in his tracks at the strange scene before him. There was Kyle, pacing back and forth in front of the library door—sometimes walking slowly, sometimes running or even leaping, as if testing each movement in a bewildering pattern.

It was a sight both bizarre and slightly unsettling.

“Kyle,” Harry called out instinctively, “what are you doing?”

“Er…” Kyle paused, then turned around smoothly. “Oh, I was waiting for you—and just doing a bit of exercise in the meantime.”

“Exercising?”

“Yes,” Kyle replied calmly, “a special training method for Chasers. Not surprising you haven’t heard of it, being a Seeker and all.” Then, changing the subject, he asked, “So, how did it go with Filch? Did he give you a hard time?”

Harry brightened. “No, he just sent me on my way!”

Getting out of Filch’s office without a punishment was practically a miracle.

“You have Sir Poppington to thank for that,” Kyle said with a grin.

At that moment, Nearly Headless Nick floated over, emerging from a nearby classroom, followed closely by a golden and black cabinet that crashed to the floor behind him.

“I convinced Peeves to drop it on top of Filch’s office,” Nick said proudly.

“So it was you!” Harry exclaimed, relieved. “Just in time, too—no detention or anything! Thanks, Nick!”

Kyle’s attention drifted to the cabinet, his gaze sharpening with interest. He stepped into the classroom and examined the intricate golden lines etched into its surface.

“What’s up with that cabinet, Kyle?” Harry asked, following him. “Is there something unusual about it?”

“It’s a Vanishing Cabinet,” Kyle murmured, his fingers tracing the golden runes.

“Vanishing Cabinet?”

“Yes, a rare piece of alchemical craftsmanship,” Kyle explained.

“But it’s not… vanishing,” Harry pointed out, confused. “It’s right here.”

“You misunderstand,” Kyle replied, a hint of excitement in his tone. “A Vanishing Cabinet is linked to another cabinet somewhere else. Anything placed inside it will vanish from here and reappear in the other cabinet, as if by magic.”

Harry stared at the cabinet, something clicking in his memory. “I feel like I’ve seen one of these before… Oh, right! There was a cabinet just like this in that dark magic shop in Knockturn Alley.”

Harry’s voice trailed off, and he glanced warily around, only relaxing when he saw that Nick had drifted to the far side of the room, appearing to inspect the walls with sudden fascination.

With a sigh of relief, Harry continued, “Remember how I accidentally ended up in Knockturn Alley using Floo Powder? I hid in that cabinet at Borgin and Burkes to avoid Malfoy and his father… but I didn’t disappear. So are you sure you’re right?”

“Did you close the door completely?” Kyle asked.

“Yes,” said Harry, thinking back. He’d initially left it cracked open, but he’d shut it all the way when Lucius Malfoy had reached for something nearby.

“Then one of the cabinets must be broken,” Kyle concluded. “Either this one, or the one at Borgin and Burkes. I’ve seen Vanishing Cabinets before—last year in Paris. I wouldn’t mistake it.”

“Oh, that explains it,” Nearly Headless Nick said, floating back over. “The utility room stores things that are already damaged. This cabinet’s been here a long time—at least fifty years. I believe Dumbledore put it here himself, right after he received the Order of Merlin, First Class. The whole castle was buzzing with excitement.”