Madam Pomfrey, a tall witch renowned for her expertise in healing, potions, and medicinal herbs, was a figure of both respect and mystery at Hogwarts. Rumor had it that St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries had extended an invitation to her three times, offering her the role of vice-president if she accepted. However, she had always refused, insisting on staying at Hogwarts. Though the rumor was widespread, neither she nor St. Mungo's had ever confirmed or denied it, leaving it as one of Hogwarts' minor unsolved mysteries.
As Kyle entered the hospital wing, he saw Madam Pomfrey bustling around, tending to her patients. She handed a green potion to a young wizard in one of the beds. “This is the last bottle of scabies medicine. Apply it regularly, and stop drinking any more potions,” she instructed sternly before turning to another bed.
Muttering under her breath, she complained, “Why are so many young wizards getting sent here this time of year? What are those professors doing? So irresponsible!”
It was clear she was in a foul mood, and Kyle hesitated, unsure how to approach her with Mikel’s condition. But Madam Pomfrey caught sight of them before he could decide what to say.
“By Merlin’s beard! What happened to this child?” she gasped, rushing over to gently place Mikel onto an empty bed. Without looking up, she asked briskly, “Potions mishap? Defense Against the Dark Arts? Why is he unconscious?”
“Neither, Madam,” Kyle replied quietly. “It happened during Charms class. Mikel cast a Lighting Charm, and... that was it. Professor Flitwick said he must have overused his magic.”
“Yes, clearly he’s drained... Wait, what did you say?” Madam Pomfrey suddenly spun around, staring at Kyle in disbelief. “A Lighting Charm?”
Her expression was one of utter incredulity, as though she had just witnessed Dumbledore pole dancing on the Astronomy Tower. The absurdity of what Kyle had said made her doubt the truth of it.
These young wizards are getting more ridiculous by the day, she seemed to think. If they were going to make up a story, at least they could have come up with something believable. Overdraft from a Lighting Charm? Why not just say Filius Flitwick had been knocked out by it as well?
“It’s true! The first-years from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw all saw it happen, and Professor Flitwick can confirm it,” Kyle explained earnestly, giving her a brief account of the incident in the Charms classroom.
Hearing this, most of Madam Pomfrey’s doubts subsided. If both houses had witnessed the event, word would soon spread throughout the school. It wouldn’t make sense for Kyle to lie about something so easily exposed, especially when he brought Professor Flitwick’s name into it.
Still, she turned to look at Mikel with a mix of bewilderment and curiosity, as though he were some rare magical creature. Never before had she seen a young wizard with such poor control over his magic. From Kyle's description, the magnitude of the Lighting Charm resembled something closer to accidental magic—powerful but entirely unrestrained.
Yet, as she examined Mikel earlier, she had found no evidence of accidental magic. His condition seemed to be nothing more than simple magical exhaustion.
"It's really... an eye-opener," Madam Pomfrey muttered, almost unconsciously.
Kyle nodded vigorously in agreement, fully understanding her disbelief. He felt the same way. If casting a charm were like driving a car, Mikel had essentially floored the gas pedal, burning through all the fuel in a matter of seconds, sending the car rocketing off at 200 kilometers per second. It might seem impressive, but it was anything but good.
It was fortunate that Mikel had only cast a Lighting Charm. Kyle shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if it had been Incendio. He made a mental note to sit as far away from Mikel as possible in future classes—as far away as possible. The explosive genius who would be joining Hogwarts next year seemed outrageous enough, but now they had a "forbidden spell wizard" already in their midst.
Hogwarts certainly does not raise idle people, Kyle thought.
A few minutes later, Dumbledore arrived, having been informed of the incident, and with him was Professor Snape, who had been pulled out of his lesson. Madam Pomfrey guided them to Mikel's bedside, whispered a few words to them, and then stepped aside.
Dumbledore leaned in to inspect Mikel, tapping him lightly with his wand here and there as he assessed the situation. After a while, he put his wand away and turned to Kyle. “Good morning, Kyle. You brought him to Madam Pomfrey, correct?”
“Yes, Professor,” Kyle confirmed with a nod.
“You did well,” Dumbledore said with a warm smile. “I’ve heard what happened. If you hadn’t helped those students who fell, there would be more than just Mr. Mikel lying here.”
Kyle waved his hands in protest. “It was the right thing to do, Professor, and I wasn’t the only one who helped.”
“But you were the first to act,” Dumbledore winked. “Many older students—and even adult wizards—struggle to remain calm in an emergency. You did, and you did a fine job. Your bravery and humility have earned Hufflepuff twenty points.”
As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, Snape, who had been inspecting Mikel up until that point, suddenly turned his gaze toward Kyle, as if only just noticing him standing there.
Kyle, however, didn’t notice Snape’s shift in attention. Instead, he looked at Dumbledore and asked, “So, Professor, how is Mikel? Will he be able to continue his lessons?”
Dumbledore smiled reassuringly. “Yes, of course. There’s a bit of an issue, but it’s easily handled. A potion to suppress his magical overload should do the trick. Our Potions professor will be able to prepare it in no time.”
“One day,” Snape interjected coldly, stepping closer. “I’ll have it ready before tomorrow’s Potions class for the Hufflepuffs. But before I go, Mr. Chopper, there’s something you should remind your friend about.”
Snape paused, his lips curling into a mocking smile. “Tell him to keep his feeble brain and his wand in check. Frequent magical overdrafts can leave a wizard severely weakened, almost like a Squib. And I believe you know what that is, don’t you?”
“I do, Professor,” Kyle replied quickly, his tone respectful but uneasy.
“Good,” Snape said, without further comment. He turned and left the hospital wing without another glance at Kyle.
Dumbledore watched him go, then turned back to Kyle. “I think we should leave too. Mikel needs to rest. I suggest you visit him later this afternoon,” he said, his usual twinkle in his eye as he guided Kyle toward the door.