When Harry returned from his first Quidditch practice, he became the first Hogwarts student in nearly a century to make a House team in his first year.
The news spread quickly through the school.
Harry eagerly shared the news with Kevin, Ron, and Hermione, who all congratulated him warmly. The four of them decided to visit Hagrid's hut to share the news and have a small celebration.
They had barely agreed to set off when—
"Mr. Kevin, I don't believe you have time for a leisurely party. Come to my office at once."
Professor Snape had appeared silently behind them, making all four jump. Without waiting for Kevin to respond, Snape seized him by the arm and marched him away.
"Hey—wait! What's this about?" Kevin protested, bewildered.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged puzzled looks, unsure what Kevin had done to upset Snape this time. Left with little choice, they went to Hagrid's hut without him.
Snape led Kevin into his dimly lit office, said nothing, and handed him a long list of potion ingredients.
"Sort and prepare all of these," Snape ordered. "If you can't finish before dinner, you won't be eating at all tonight."
With that, he swept from the room, leaving Kevin staring after him in confusion. Revenge? Punishment? Or something else?
The office floor was piled high with jars, sacks, and bundles of herbs. Kevin glanced at the list.
"Mermaid scale powder…" He frowned—he could only see whole scales, no powder. Did Snape expect him to process them by hand?
Sighing, Kevin kept reading. Some items needed grinding, others slicing, juicing, or even combining into semi-finished potion bases. It was exhausting work, but he realized it was also valuable practice.
Every step—grinding, slicing, juicing, sorting—was a skill every Potions Master needed. The list even explained each ingredient's properties and the correct mixing procedures.
Snape must think I have potential, Kevin thought reluctantly. If I finish this properly, my skill in Potions will skyrocket.
And so he worked. At first, it was tedious. But gradually, he found himself absorbed—almost enjoying it. His talent for Potions, combined with his sharp mind, allowed him to work quickly and precisely.
Unbeknownst to him, Snape was watching from the shadows, both impressed and faintly disturbed by Kevin's… enthusiasm.
"Oh, a unicorn horn… look at that shine!" Kevin murmured to himself.
"And here's Soul-Loving Grass—one sniff makes you dreamy, two will banish fatigue, three will kill you. Lovely!"
"Ah, porcupine quills for courage, blueheart grass for wisdom, and just a dash of dragon heart's blood for irresistible love… hehehe! Answer my call, Lord of Darkness!"
The mutterings grew so odd that Snape was forced to cast a soundproofing charm around his office.
By the time Kevin finished, curfew had long passed. Exhausted, he collapsed to the floor and promptly fell asleep.
Snape found him still there later that night. With a twitch of his mouth, he levitated Kevin out and deposited him in the hospital wing.
The next morning, Kevin awoke in the infirmary, confused. Madam Pomfrey explained that Snape had carried him in, saying he'd been "sleeping like a log in the corridor."
Kevin muttered darkly about the "old bat" but gratefully ate the hearty breakfast she brought.
Snape had even arranged for him to have the day off classes. Since the only lesson was History of Magic, Kevin didn't mind.
Instead, he took the annotated ingredient list from last night and went to the library, determined to master the potion theory behind it.
By lunchtime, he joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the Great Hall.
"Kevin! You're back!" Hermione said in relief.
"We tried to find you last night," Harry added, "but Snape wouldn't let us in."
"Yeah," Ron said, "and today he's nowhere to be found."
Kevin explained what had happened. Hermione bristled at the idea of Snape forcing him to do unpaid work, but Kevin insisted he had actually learned a lot.
Then Harry leaned in. "We've got something important to tell you…"
He described how, the night before, the moving staircase had taken them to the forbidden third-floor corridor.
They'd been chased by Filch's cat and ducked into a locked room—only to find it guarded by a massive three-headed dog standing over a trapdoor. Harry was sure it was guarding whatever Hagrid had taken from Gringotts.
Kevin shrugged. "Why worry about it? It's not like you're going to steal it."
The boys looked deflated, but Hermione sternly told them to stop worrying about such things and focus on their studies.
The days slipped into routine. Harry had Quidditch practice, Ron liked to watch, Hermione spent hours in the library, and Kevin often joined her. Snape periodically summoned Kevin for more potion work, which only improved his skill.
As October drew to a close, the weather turned cold, and everyone bundled into scarves and winter robes.
On the day before Halloween, Professor Flitwick's class was learning the Levitation Charm—Wingardium Leviosa.
Hermione demonstrated perfectly, but Ron, embarrassed at his own failed attempts, mocked her afterward: "She's Leviosa, not Leviosar. No wonder she hasn't got any friends."
Hermione overheard. Eyes shining with tears, she pushed past them and ran off. Kevin, who had been talking with her moments earlier, glared at Ron.
"She's trying to help you because she considers you a friend," Kevin said sharply. "You should apologies."
Remembering the story from the books, Kevin hurried after Hermione, knowing she would end up in the girls' bathroom.
That evening, as the Great Hall buzzed with the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron noticed both Hermione and Kevin were missing. Then Professor Quirrell burst through the doors, looking terrified.
"Troll! Troll in the dungeons!" he gasped. "Thought you ought to know."
And with that, he collapsed.