As soon as Kyle finished speaking, everyone in the compartment turned to Cedric with amused, suspicious expressions.
Fred, sitting beside him, slid away theatrically and said in an exaggerated tone, “Well, well, Cedric, I didn’t expect it—you, of all people, with those bushy eyebrows and big, innocent eyes, actually thinking like this.”
Fred, who had been entertaining the same idea as Cedric, couldn’t resist the chance to add fuel to the fire. After all, long train rides called for some fun, and it was always better when the laughs came at someone else’s expense.
“Oh, stop that, it’s not like that!” Cedric protested, squirming uncomfortably as the others stared at him. “I was just saying what you all were probably thinking too.”
Kyle’s tone took on a teasing drawl. “Fred, George, were you two thinking that?”
“Absolutely not!” Fred replied, with feigned indignation.
George nodded, looking mock-serious. “I’m an upstanding businessman; I’d never dream of doing such a thing.”
“Kanna, what about you?” Kyle asked, turning to her.
“No way!” Kanna said, shaking her head emphatically, her hair accessory nearly coming loose.
“And you, Cho?” Kyle asked, keeping up the act.
Cho quickly shook her head. “No… I would never.”
“See? No one else,” Kyle said, raising an eyebrow. “It’s just you, Cedric, our unscrupulous merchant.”
Cedric’s face turned red as he stared at his friends, feeling utterly betrayed. That’s not true. That’s not what happened, he thought, dismayed, as if his world had suddenly shifted.
“Give it up, you greedy merchant,” Kyle teased, then handed the stack of damaged maps to Fred. “When we arrive, you’ll dispose of them in front of everyone.”
Fred took the stack solemnly, adopting the serious expression of someone accepting a high office, as though he’d just been appointed Minister of Magic.
“Make sure you do it before Hagrid arrives,” Kyle reminded him. “That way, the first-years can witness it too.”
Fred, initially agreeing out of habit, suddenly sensed something amiss. Kyle’s expression hadn’t changed; he looked entirely serious.
“Wait a second…” Fred hesitated, licking his lips nervously. “Kyle, we were just kidding around with Cedric. Look, he’s embarrassed enough.”
Kyle shook his head. “No, I’m not joking. They have to be destroyed—every last one.”
Seeing the serious expression on Kyle’s face, the laughter evaporated, and the others fell silent. George muttered, “But... these are worth Galleons.”
“I know,” Kyle replied, shrugging. “But I’ve already committed, and if we don’t want any trouble, we need to see it through.”
He continued, “Besides, the actual cost is minimal. Unicorn hair is easy enough to come by, and the Fire Crab fragments were just leftovers from a fight. Including the parchment, each one costs less than two Galleons.”
Fred and George exchanged a look, barely containing their exasperation. Less than two Galleons? they thought incredulously. Really?
“Can’t we find another way?” Cho asked, clearly uncomfortable with the waste. “Maybe we could just Transfigure ordinary parchment…”
But Kyle cut her off. “No, it needs to be convincing. Just hearing my words won’t convince everyone. Destroying these is the only way to make people genuinely value the 20-Galleon maps.”
“I get the logic,” Fred said with a sigh, staring at the stack in his hands. “But it still feels wrong to destroy something worth over ten Galleons.”
He felt like he was about to toss Galleons to the wind—an unbearable thought after a childhood of scrimping.
At that moment, Cedric, who’d been uncharacteristically silent, leaned over and looked directly at the maps in Fred’s hands. “If it’s too hard for you, I’d be happy to handle it myself.”
“No, I’ll do it,” Fred said quickly, clutching the maps protectively. Though he was struggling to accept the decision, he wasn’t about to let someone else take over this peculiar and valuable task.
In a few short minutes, the mood in the carriage had taken a complete shift. Everyone sat listlessly, lamenting the ten Galleons they’d be sacrificing. Only Cedric seemed immune, grinning as if he’d downed a bottle of Elixir to Induce Euphoria.
As evening settled in, the passing villages and fields gave way to mountains and forests. They were nearing their destination. After changing into their robes, Fred seemed to grow more and more anxious, rummaging through his suitcase as if searching for something to steady his nerves.
At that moment, two new students knocked on their compartment door—it was Hermione, whom they’d met earlier, accompanied by a nervous-looking Neville.
After listening to their request, Kyle asked, “So, you’re asking me to help find your toad?”
“Yes,” Hermione replied earnestly. “We’ve searched the whole train, and it’s nowhere to be found. Do you have any ideas?”
“Not too difficult,” Kyle said thoughtfully. “If you haven’t left it on the platform, all it needs is a simple spell.”
With that, he raised his wand. “Accio Trevor!”
A croak sounded from a luggage rack down the hall, and in a flash, a toad soared into the compartment.
“Trevor!” Neville exclaimed in relief, reaching out to catch his lost pet.
“Neville, I’d suggest learning the Summoning Charm yourself,” Kyle said with a smile. “That way, you won’t have to worry about misplacing keys, books… or toads.”
Neville nodded, sniffling slightly. “Maybe, but I don’t know if I can learn it. I’m…not exactly the best student. I mess things up all the time.”
“Give yourself some credit,” Kyle encouraged him. “You never know until you try, and I’d be glad to help.”
“And me too,” Hermione chimed in. “Learning charms isn’t too difficult—I even picked up a few over the summer.”
“Thank you,” Neville mumbled, his face pale but relieved.
Just then, the train came to a gradual stop. Fred took a deep breath, stepped around Hermione and Neville at the doorway, and announced with a determined expression, “All right, I’m off.”
“Don’t dawdle,” Kyle reminded him. “Make sure you’re done before Hagrid takes the new students away.”