HP: Hogwart's Model Wizard

 With all his worries gone, Cedric seemed to have brightened up significantly. He even put his book aside and initiated a conversation with Kyle. "Hi there. Can I call you Kyle?" 

"Of course," Kyle replied with a nod. "Actually, my father works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, just like your dad." 

"Your father?" Cedric paused, looking puzzled. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he asked tentatively, "Is he Mr. Chris Jobar?" 

"Yes, that's him," Kyle confirmed. 

Cedric's face lit up in understanding. "Oh, now it all makes sense! You're Kyle Jobar, and you know the Weasley twins… Oh, I should have guessed! We're neighbors too!" 

With this newfound connection, the two quickly became more familiar with each other. Their interactions felt easy and natural, as if they had been friends for years—even though they had only met for the first time that day. 

"By the way, Kyle," Cedric said, a hint of curiosity in his tone. "I remember looking for you once, but you weren't home. My dad mentioned that you've been learning from Mr. Newt Scamander since you were very young, and he said you'd do great things someday. Is that true? Have you really been studying under Mr. Scamander all this time?" 

Cedric was genuinely curious—after all, they were talking about Newt Scamander. 

Though there were many renowned figures in the British wizarding world, most of them were only famous within their own circles. For example, some textbook authors or Order of Merlin Third Class recipients might enjoy some recognition at Hogwarts, but step outside the UK—say, to Ilvermorny or Beauxbatons—and no one would know their name. 

Only a select few had achieved worldwide fame within the wizarding community. Even fewer managed to have their portraits printed on Chocolate Frog cards during their lifetime. 

Newt Scamander was one of those few. 

Getting this close to a legendary figure for the first time, Cedric couldn't help but be curious. 

--- 

On the other hand, Kyle found Cedric's story hard to believe. He had looked for him and found him away from home? That was quite the coincidence. And Mr. Diggory—wasn't he sharing an office with Chris? Where did he even get such rumors? There was no way Kyle had been learning from Newt Scamander all along. 

Kyle rubbed his temples in exasperation and explained, "First of all, I do hope to accomplish something great in the future, but my dad is the one who was Mr. Scamander's student. I was just a kid who visited for fun." 

Newt was nothing like Dumbledore. He had severe social anxiety. In his younger years, it was manageable—though reserved, he could still make friends, duel dark wizards, or take on a few students to teach them about magical creatures. 

But after Grindelwald was imprisoned in Nurmengard Tower, Newt rarely participated in social events. He poured himself entirely into studying magical creatures. Over the last thirty years, he had barely spoken to strangers, and his social anxiety had only worsened. 

You couldn't expect someone like Newt to be a Hogwarts-style professor, lecturing young witches and wizards, reviewing their progress, and grading assignments. That was simply not in the cards. 

Newt himself understood he wasn't suited to be a teacher. In his opinion, a proper educator should be someone like Dumbledore. Chris was likely his last official student, and despite numerous requests—some even involving Dumbledore himself as an intermediary—Newt consistently declined to teach anyone else. 

He didn't want to fail his students, even if they didn't mind. Newt simply couldn't reconcile it within himself. 

As for Kyle, his visits to Newt's home started because Chris and Diana were too busy with work to take care of him. At that time, Newt's wife, Tina, heard about the situation and volunteered to take Kyle in. It helped Chris and Diana, and it gave Tina something to do. 

Living with a husband who rarely spoke and was obsessed with magical creatures must have been tough for Tina. Taking care of Kyle gave her some relief—otherwise, she might have gone stir-crazy. 

Kyle was six at the time, which Tina joked was the "most exasperating age" for kids. She hoped Kyle's liveliness might even help Newt overcome some of his social anxiety. 

Her hope wasn't unfounded. Though Kyle wasn't a troublemaker, his boundless curiosity and excitement about magical creatures kept him asking Newt endless questions. 

Maybe it was because Kyle's questions all revolved around magical creatures, but Newt, despite being reserved, always answered earnestly. Over time, Newt began to speak more willingly—though still only about magical creatures. 

In the end, it worked out for everyone. Tina found something to do, Newt spoke more, and Kyle got to learn about magical creatures firsthand. 

Even after Chris and Diana became less busy, Kyle continued to spend some time at Newt's place every year. 

--- 

Of course, Kyle wasn't about to share all this with Cedric. Newt's image as a reclusive yet legendary Magizoologist was worth protecting. "Eccentric master of magical creatures" sounded far better than "an old man with social anxiety." 

After a brief explanation, Kyle deftly changed the subject to avoid giving anything away. "By the way, Cedric, what do you think of Hogwarts professors? Are they easy to get along with?" Kyle glanced at the [Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection] book beside Cedric and added, "You know this is my first time attending school. I don't want to accidentally offend a professor and get expelled." 

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that," Cedric said with a smile. "Most of the professors are great. Well… most of them. Even the strictest ones wouldn't expel a student unless they broke some major school rules." 

At this, Cedric's expression grew serious, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say more but hesitated. 

Noticing this, Kyle quickly waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I'm not a Weasley. I won't go breaking school rules." 

Hearing this, Cedric sighed in relief. "Sorry… I didn't mean it like that." 

"It's fine, I know what you meant," Kyle said with a grin. 

With the topic of Hogwarts on the table, Cedric eagerly shared more details, like how the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor changed every year, the Transfiguration professor was the most authoritative, and the Potions professor was notoriously stingy with points. 

It was all stuff Kyle had already heard before—nothing particularly new or surprising. 

(End of Chapter)