Chapter 32: The Helpful Hufflepuff
On the other side of things, since it was already the end of the lesson when Kyle left the school hospital, he decided not to return to Charms class and headed directly to the library instead. Dumbledore had recommended two books to him earlier, suggesting that they would be highly beneficial for mastering basic Charms—perfect for a young wizard just starting out. Kyle was eager to borrow them and get reading.
The library was on the second floor, easy to find as all it took was climbing a set of stairs.
"Two books? Absolutely not!" Madam Pince, the stern librarian, greeted Kyle with a disapproving look, her feather duster in hand. "Unless you have a professor's note, you may only borrow one book at a time."
Kyle didn't dwell on it and quickly responded, "If it's just one book, then I'll take Gadding with Ghouls."
What he hadn't anticipated was Madam Pince's reaction. At the mention of Gadding with Ghouls, her expression immediately twisted into one of pure disgust, as though Kyle had just uttered a curse word.
"Another Lockhart book," she muttered under her breath.
Madam Pince harbored a strong dislike for Gilderoy Lockhart, or more specifically, his writing style. She found it excessively self-centered and pandering. Though many biographies were written in a similar vein, Lockhart's works in particular left her unsettled. There was something off about the narrative flow in his books—details seemed to be missing, making parts of the story feel incoherent. It wasn't enough to ruin the reading experience for most, but it left her feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
Her already poor impression of Lockhart's books now seemed to extend to Kyle. After a brief silence, her expression stern, she announced, "Gadding with Ghouls has been checked out. If you register for it now, you might be able to borrow it... in about two years."
"Two years... never mind," Kyle said with a shrug. "What about The Troubadour in the Wind?"