In the Hospital Wing, Cedric and Kyle locked eyes, an awkward silence filling the air. It was Cedric who felt the weight of the moment more. If he weren’t lying in bed, he might have tried to dig a hole right there to escape the embarrassment.
“I’m glad that’s not the case,” Cedric muttered, turning his head to the side in an attempt to appear calm.
Kyle cleared his throat, his tone suddenly serious. “Cedric, why on earth would you want to duel them? We’re Hufflepuffs, the most honest and model students at Hogwarts. That kind of thinking is dangerous.” He leaned in slightly. “Think of Professor Sprout—how disappointed she’d be if she found out you’d become so impulsive, reckless, and disobedient.”
“I didn’t, I haven’t thought about it!” Cedric shot back, annoyed.
The truth was, when he was brought to the Hospital Wing, he’d overheard some of the others talking about confronting the Slytherins for a proper one-on-one fight. Quite a few were fired up about it. At the time, his head and leg had hurt too much for him to protest, and he had been too out of it to stop them. Now, as Kyle spoke, he’d assumed his friend was thinking the same way.
“You don’t need to explain,” Kyle said, not even glancing at him, his voice calm and reflective. “I understand. You were seriously hurt, and it’s only natural to say something rash when you’re emotional. Just be more cautious next time. Here, have a Chocolate Frog.”
Before the young badgers left the Hospital Wing, they had left some snacks—mostly treats they’d brought to enjoy during the game. Kyle picked up a Chocolate Frog, unwrapped it, and handed it over.
“I’m telling you, I didn’t think like that! You—wait a second.” Cedric paused mid-sentence, suddenly noticing the card in Kyle’s hand. “What are you holding?”
Kyle calmly slid his hand into his pocket. “Just an ordinary card. Nicolas Flamel. I don’t have him yet.”
“No,” Cedric said, sitting up straighter. “That’s not Nicolas Flamel—it’s Agrippa!”
Though he’d only caught a glimpse, Cedric had seen the golden sheen of the card, something that made it unmistakable. The Chocolate Frog Company had commissioned a renowned alchemist to create a unique protection for this rare card. It was a failsafe against people using Doubling Charms to duplicate it or Accio to steal it. The protection charm was far superior to the one on Galleons.
There was only one card in the entire Chocolate Frog set that used this enchantment—Cornelius Agrippa, the rarest of them all.
Realizing this, Cedric immediately reached out. “Give it back! That was my Chocolate Frog, so the card inside is naturally mine too!”
Kyle, seeing he’d been caught, stopped pretending. “But I’m the one who opened it! If it had been yours, you’d have gotten a Dumbledore at best.”
“It doesn’t matter who opened it! The card is Cornelius Agrippa, and it’s mine!” Cedric retorted, getting increasingly frustrated. “I just need this one to complete my collection!”
Kyle clutched his pocket defensively. “I need this one too!”
Just like on the train, they were back to staring each other down, the tension in the air thick. But this time, Kyle clearly had the upper hand. He shot Cedric a defiant look, then walked toward the door of the Hospital Wing, opened it... and stepped outside.
But then he came back in.
Cedric was at his wit’s end, staring incredulously as Kyle teased him. He couldn’t believe his friend would stoop so low as to taunt a patient with a broken leg.
"Okay, no more jokes." Seeing Cedric practically gasping for breath from frustration, Kyle walked back to his bedside and pulled the Agrippa card from his pocket. "I really can't give it to you. I need it," Kyle said, his expression unusually serious. "I have to admit, Slytherin is really lucky. I was wondering what to do next, and then this card showed up right on time."
"Slytherin?" Cedric put down the shoe he'd been holding threateningly and gave Kyle a puzzled look. "What does your plan have to do with this card?"
“This is Agrippa,” Cedric muttered, his face filled with longing and worry. "If I could get my hands on an Agrippa, I'd be willing to fall off my broom a few more times."
Kyle shot him a look of disdain. "It's just a card. Look at you—completely hopeless. This isn't about a card. We're talking about venting your frustration. On a small scale, sure, but on a larger scale, it could decide whether Hufflepuff wins the Quidditch Cup. Now tell me—what's more important: an Agrippa card or the Quidditch Cup?"
Cedric paused, Kyle’s words sinking in. "That's true..." he mumbled, feeling torn between his collection and his House's victory.
"Exactly!" Kyle declared, sensing he was making headway.
But Cedric couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Kyle was acting way too serious for his usual self. The more Cedric thought about it, the more convinced he became that Kyle was pulling one over on him—that the Agrippa card had nothing to do with Kyle's so-called plan.
"Why don’t you just let me have the Agrippa, even for just one night?" Cedric suggested cautiously. "That way, I can at least say I had him once. I’ll give it back to you tomorrow when I’m discharged, or we could carry out the plan together."
Kyle shook his head, standing tall as though he were preparing for battle. "No, no, leave the dirty work to me," he said with exaggerated bravado, patting his chest. "Your task right now is to rest and heal properly."
Cedric just stared, deadpan. He was sure now—Kyle was definitely fooling him.
Narrowing his eyes, Cedric bent down to pick up his shoes again, intending to confront Kyle. But by the time he looked back up, Kyle had already darted out of the Hospital Wing, quick as lightning. Cedric fumed, watching as Kyle made his escape. At that moment, Madam Pomfrey appeared, carrying a tray.
“What are you doing with your shoes?” she asked, frowning at him. “Your bones need time to heal properly. You’ll be staying here overnight.”
“I’m sorry, Madam,” Cedric mumbled, forcing a smile as he sheepishly put his shoes back down.
Madam Pomfrey sighed, shaking her head as she began rebandaging Cedric’s leg. “Honestly, young wizards these days are so unreliable.” She finished up and then reached over, placing something on his bed. "I found this by your bedside. Remember to keep your belongings tidy."
Cedric's heart skipped a beat, his eyes widening in surprise. He looked down at the card Madam Pomfrey had placed in front of him.
It was a bearded old man, gazing kindly at him from the card.
Cedric’s heart, which had been burning with excitement moments earlier, sank like a stone as he read the description:
“Nicolas Flamel, widely regarded as the most famous living alchemist, is known for his contributions to...”
“Kyle!” Cedric growled, gritting his teeth as he glared at the Hospital Wing's entrance. He desperately wanted to leap out of bed, track Kyle down, and give him a well-deserved punch. But one glance at Madam Pomfrey bustling nearby quickly put an end to that thought.
Resigned, Cedric sighed heavily and reached for the two remaining Chocolate Frogs. Maybe there was still hope of finding another Agrippa. He unwrapped them with growing anticipation... but a minute later, he sighed again. Two Dumbledores stared back at him. Defeated, he slipped the cards under his pillow.