Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 489: All of This Was Gifted by My Godfather

“Were Fred and George really in the entrance hall all afternoon?” Kyle thought to himself after hearing Harry’s words. He quickly guessed that the twins must have been waiting there for him. Too bad he hadn’t come through the main entrance.

“I’m not here to see them,” Kyle said, shaking his head. “Sirius Black asked me to bring you something.”

“Sirius?” Harry’s eyes widened. “Is he here at Hogwarts? No, that’s too dangerous! I’ll go find him right now!”

He started rushing toward the common room door, but Kyle stopped him just in time. “No, he’s not here. And even if he was, it would be perfectly safe. The Ministry just finished his retrial, and he’s been officially cleared of all charges.”

Harry blinked, and then his face lit up with sheer joy. He grabbed Kyle’s arm, his voice filled with excitement. “Really? You’re not joking?”

“Why would I joke about that?” Kyle said, smiling. “The whole story’s complicated, so it’s better if you just read about it. There was a special reprint of The Daily Prophet this afternoon. By now, loads of people should have seen it.”

Harry looked around at his classmates, hoping to spot someone with the latest paper, silently regretting that he hadn’t subscribed himself.

“Don’t worry,” Kyle reassured him, “your copy’s already on its way by owl. In the meantime, how about you check out the things Sirius sent?”

Reaching into a Mokeskin pouch, Kyle began pulling out items one by one: a top-tier wand maintenance kit, gold-edged parchment, Siren-brand ink, Fwooper-feather quills, dragon’s blood, dragon’s liver, a sapphire-encrusted astrolabe, a massive tub of sweets, another filled with chocolates, and, finally, a solid gold cauldron.

Each new item made Ron’s jaw drop further. He recognized these as some of the most lavish and expensive goods from Diagon Alley—the sorts of things usually flaunted by the wealthiest Slytherins, like Malfoy. Never in his life did he expect to see them here, in the Gryffindor common room, intended for Harry.

When Kyle took out the gleaming sapphire astrolabe and the solid gold cauldron, the entire common room seemed to sparkle. The warm, golden glow drew a crowd of onlookers, all staring in awe.

Kyle clapped his hands once the last of the items was displayed. “That’s everything.”

“All of this… is for me?” Harry asked, still a bit stunned.

“Partially,” Kyle replied, thinking for a moment. “Sirius did want you to share some of it—stationery, sweets, chocolates—with your friends. He bought way more than you’d ever use alone.”

That had been Sirius’s exact thought, in fact. He had purchased twenty quills with Fwooper feathers, which even Harry would be unlikely to use up in a decade.

Unless, of course, he suddenly developed an overwhelming interest in his studies… but somehow, that didn’t seem very likely.

Harry hadn’t fully processed everything, but as he noticed the eager, sparkling eyes around him, he pushed the items forward. “Oh, right… help yourselves!”

“Bless you, Potter!”

“Potter is our hero!”

The crowd erupted with gratitude, each person picking out their favorite quills and handfuls of sweets. However, the more exclusive items—the sapphire astrolabe and the solid gold cauldron—were respectfully left untouched.

Ron was grinning ear to ear as he carefully chose a red Fwooper feather quill, some gold-edged parchment, and a sizeable stash of sweets. He couldn’t imagine ever using the elegant parchment for homework—it would be a waste.

Hermione, meanwhile, tucked the gold-edged parchment neatly into a large book, saving it for a special occasion, perhaps for a future letter to the Ministry of Magic. With about a dozen students in the common room, everyone managed to get something, and there were still a few quills and ink bottles left, along with half a bucket of sweets. Harry set them aside, planning to share them later with Ginny and Neville, who hadn’t arrived yet.

While the group was busy divvying up the goods, Kyle quietly slipped out of the common room. His task was done, and if he lingered much longer, he’d likely get roped into an endless string of questions. Better to let Sirius handle the follow-up—this kind of interaction was a rare gift.

Just as he closed the door, Kyle noticed someone standing awkwardly in the corridor.

“Neville…” Kyle said with a grin, “Did you forget the password again?”

“No, I’ve got it this time—Balderdash…” Neville replied, holding up his hand, where the password was written. He looked a bit frustrated. “But the Fat Lady isn’t here.”

Kyle glanced at the empty portrait frame, mumbling, “Are they still beating up Phineas? Seems like they’ve been at it for a while…”

“Huh?” Neville tilted his head, looking confused.

“Oh, nothing.” Kyle smiled. “I just meant the Fat Lady might have popped over to another portrait. Hurry up and get in while the door’s still open.”

“Thanks…” Neville said gratefully, slipping inside.

Once the door shut, he let out a relieved sigh. “Good thing Kyle was here, or who knows how long I’d be stuck out there… Wait, Kyle?”

Realizing something, Neville looked around the familiar golden-red common room, the soft chairs and tapestries just as he remembered them. But wasn’t Kyle in Hufflepuff? Why had he been in Gryffindor’s common room?

“Neville!”

Just as Neville was puzzling over this, Harry hurried over to him. “Did you just see Kyle?”

“Yeah, he’s the one who opened the door for me,” Neville replied.

“When was that?”

“Just a minute ago.”

“Oh…” Harry sighed in disappointment. “I didn’t get a chance to ask him all my questions.”

“What’s going on?” Neville asked, curious. “Why was Kyle here?”

“He came to give me something,” Harry said, smiling as he handed a quill and ink to a bewildered Neville. He also offered him a handful of sweets from the large bucket. “You’re just in time. Help yourself! These are from my godfather.”

“Oh… thank you,” Neville said, still a bit dazed, as he accepted the gifts.