Chapter 114: A Special Letter
Chapter 114: A Special Letter
Inside the room, Chris sat on the sofa in the living room, chatting with Mr. Weasley.
On their way back, Mr. Weasley had noticed the dejected expressions on Fred and George's faces.
Knowing Molly and the twins well, upon returning to their home, he hadn't even stopped by his own house but had come straight here.
As long as he wasn't at home, there would be no one to speak up for the twins when they got scolded.
Molly had been tense lately due to the incident with the Dark Wizard at Hogwarts, unable to eat or sleep well, and it pained him to see her like this.
Now that the incident was finally over, it was a good opportunity for her to relax by scolding the children, especially since the twins had conveniently provided a reason. It would be a waste not to take advantage of it.
"Oh, dear," Mr. Weasley said with a smile when he saw Kyle, "I haven't had a chance to ask you before, how have you been doing at school?"
"It's been great," Kyle replied. "The professors are all very approachable, and my classmates are friendly. It's exactly the campus life I've always dreamed of."
"That's good to hear," Mr. Weasley said, taking a small sip of his whiskey. "Time really flies. Before you know it, you're already in your second year... Oh, and Ron will be joining Hogwarts this year as well."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Chris smiled. "That should make things easier for you and Molly, right?"
"Yes, you're absolutely right," Mr. Weasley took another small sip of his drink, "But if we're talking about ease, we'll have to wait another year. Ginny is no less trouble than her older brothers."
He then proceeded to share some of Ginny's mischievous stories and how she would wage wars with Ron at home.
Kyle wasn't particularly interested in the latter part of the conversation, so he took his luggage and headed upstairs to his room. By the time he came back down, Mr. Weasley was just about to leave.
"You really won't join us for dinner? Molly has prepared quite a feast."
"Maybe next time, Arthur," Chris declined. "Today is a day for reunions, and since Charlie has graduated, you probably have a lot to catch up on with him.
Later in the evening, I'll come find you for a drink. I brought back some authentic Firewhisky from North America."
"That's wonderful!" Mr. Weasley's eyes lit up. "I've been wanting to try that for a while now."
Like Chris, Mr. Weasley enjoyed indulging in a drink now and then, but they shared a common trait—they never overindulged. They always kept themselves in a sober state, only taking a sip or two.
Unless, of course, there was a particularly joyous occasion, such as the day Ginny was born. On that day, Mr. Weasley had gotten completely drunk and regaled every passerby with tales of his courtship with Mrs. Weasley.
That incident later became his most embarrassing moment, one that he wished he could forget.
Not long after Mr. Weasley left, the kitchen soon echoed with the sounds of clanging pots and pans.
Chicken legs lined up to coat themselves with egg wash and breadcrumbs, while a kitchen knife hovered in mid-air, shredding the cabbage into evenly sized strips.
Beside them, a dough was busy stuffing itself with filling before wobbling into the oven, even greasing itself with oil.
Diana had always preferred to cook the traditional way, using heat instead of magic. She felt that food prepared with magic was somehow lacking.
Soon enough, a sumptuous dinner was prepared.
Coincidentally, both Chris and Diana had completed their tasks a few days ago, allowing them to reunite and celebrate the end of Kyle's school year.
Kyle recounted some of the highlights of his school year, including his fascinating "Curse-Breaker" roommate, the exciting Quidditch matches, and how he and his friends sold maps and small trinkets.
However, he wisely omitted the parts about the Room of Requirement and their midnight excursions to the Restricted Section, especially after witnessing the Weasley twins' earlier ordeal. He didn't want to suffer the same fate.
As Kyle spoke, Chris and Diana listened quietly, but their expressions soon changed.
"Wait a minute..." Chris raised an eyebrow and interrupted, "You sold those Yew tree branches for seven hundred Galleons?"
"That was just for the raw materials." Kyle explained earnestly, "From selecting the right branches... erm, I mean, collecting them, to crafting the final product, the six of us spent half a year working on it. Seven hundred Galleons was just a small compensation for our hard work."
"I see..." Chris eyed him doubtfully, feeling that something wasn't quite adding up, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Nevertheless, the notion of six young wizards earning seven hundred Galleons in half a year was astonishing enough.
He certainly hadn't possessed such skills during his school days.
If Chris had his doubts, Diana was almost certain that Kyle wasn't telling the whole truth.
In her opinion, Kyle wouldn't waste half a year for a mere hundred Galleons. There was definitely some exaggeration involved; perhaps a few months at most.
"By the way, Dad." Kyle suddenly remembered something and cautioned, "I'm not sure if Fred and George have told their family about their earnings. When you go drinking with Mr. Weasley later, be sure not to let it slip."
Kyle had genuinely forgotten about their earlier schadenfreude at the train station.
Chris took a sip of his butterbeer and murmured an unintelligible response.
After dinner, Chris helped clear the table and then left with a delicate bottle of liquor to join Mr. Weasley.
Kyle returned to his room.
Despite being absent for most of the year, the room was surprisingly clean and free from any unpleasant odors, indicating that it had been tidied up beforehand.
His trunk was still on the floor, and Kyle quickly unpacked, placing a stack of parchments on the desk.
Before going to bed, he had one more task to complete—the favor he had promised Connor on the train.
After all, he had accepted a substantial sum of one hundred and fifty Galleons, and he wanted to ensure a job well done to avoid any negative reviews.
Kyle took out a quill and ink, and the room soon filled with the scratching sounds of his writing.
He filled two pages of parchment before stopping to check over his work. Satisfied, he sealed the parchments into an envelope.
Hootler flew in through the window and naturally lifted a leg.
"Just like before." Kyle glanced at the name on the envelope and instructed, "Go to the Owl Post Office in Diagon Alley and send this from there."
...
(End of Chapter)
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