Chapter 175: No Comparison, No Harm
Chapter 175: No Comparison, No Harm
Twenty galleons...
Fred and George simultaneously looked up, hesitating as they glanced at Kyle.
To take, or not to take...that was the question.
If they accepted and Kyle guessed correctly, they wouldn't just lose all their previous earnings, but also a significant amount more.
However, with twenty shiny galleons glinting before them, they couldn't bring themselves to refuse.
George licked his dry lips and asked, "Twenty galleons...are you sure?"
Kyle raised an eyebrow, "It's a gamble, but I can tell you my guess now if you want."
As he spoke, he leaned closer to the twins and whispered in their ears.
"Kiro will stay until after the end-of-term exams, and the outcome..."
Upon hearing Kyle's words, the twins gasped.
They exchanged a glance.
"You won't tell our mom about this, will you..." Fred asked suspiciously.
No matter how they looked at it, Kyle's offer sounded too good to be true, as if he was just giving away galleons.
Kyle assured them, "Of course not, I promise."
George took a deep breath, "Alright, we accept!"
"A wise choice." Kyle gave them a meaningful look and then took a sip from his cup of pumpkin juice.
Cedric and Connor beside them were stunned, only now realizing what was happening.
Twenty galleons was no small sum; it was more than most students' allowance for an entire year.
Just as Cedric was about to advise Kyle against being so impulsive, Fred and George had already snatched the galleons from the table and dashed back to the Gryffindor table, as if afraid that Kyle might change his mind.
"Kyle, you're being too..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a strange voice interrupted.
"What you're doing is wrong!"
A girl with brown hair stood at a distance, watching them.
Cedric recognized her and asked, "You're...a Gryffindor first-year?"
"Yes, I'm Hermione Granger," she introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Cedric Diggory," he replied politely.
Hermione nodded at him and then turned to Kyle, her expression serious. "What you just did is wrong. Gambling is prohibited at Hogwarts."
"I know..." Kyle said nonchalantly, "That's why I want to help them break this bad habit."
"What?"
Hermione was taken aback, clearly not understanding Kyle's intention.
"But you just..."
"Don't worry about the details," Kyle cut in, "It's hard to explain in a sentence or two. Just know that I'm trying to help them."
Changing the subject, he asked, "What brings you here?"
"I've been thinking about it for days, and I felt I had to come and thank you," Hermione said earnestly. "Thank you for saving my life the other day."
"It wasn't that big of a deal, I just..." Kyle trailed off, a bit exasperated. "Fine, if you insist, you're welcome."
He had been trying to avoid Hermione lately, but it seemed like she still remembered the incident after all this time.
"Is there anything else?" he asked.
"Yes!" Hermione was blunt. She took out a book titled "Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration" and flipped through it...
Kyle noticed the book was filled with notes in every available space.
Hermione listened intently.
These were concepts she hadn't fully grasped in class, and she had intended to ask Professor McGonagall about them. Somehow, she had ended up asking Kyle and Cedric instead, and they had provided her with clear answers.
Regardless, her questions had been answered.
With just a few words, Kyle and Cedric had resolved all her doubts.
Only after the last question did Hermione reluctantly close the book.
By then, her previous skepticism towards Kyle had completely vanished.
As expected of the top student in the year, he had effortlessly clarified concepts that had troubled her for a long time. Cedric, being a year above, was equally impressive.
For a moment, Hermione regretted being sorted into Gryffindor. Hufflepuff would have been a paradise for studying.
Just look at the setup here—with Kyle and Cedric's explanations, it was almost like receiving private tutoring from a professor. As for her own house...
"Hey, Hermione, let me copy your homework!"
"What was the Charms assignment again...?"
Hermione suddenly heard two voices in her head, causing her to shudder involuntarily.
She pushed those thoughts aside.
After expressing her gratitude once more, Hermione hurried away with her book clutched to her chest.
Watching her leave, Cedric asked curiously, "Why did she say you saved her life?"
"It was a long time ago," Kyle waved dismissively. "I didn't really do much; I just helped out a bit. She's making it sound more dramatic than it was."
Cedric nodded, only partially understanding, and sensing that Kyle didn't want to discuss it further, he let the matter drop.
"By the way, Harris asked us to gather at the Quidditch pitch today, right?"
"Yeah, he told me last night," Kyle confirmed.
Mentioning this piqued Kyle's interest.
After the Halloween break, the Quidditch season would begin, signaling the end of their vacation and the resumption of practice matches.
Fortunately, their first opponents were Ravenclaw, and neither Harris nor the rest of the team seemed overly worried about the match.
This was evident from the relaxed atmosphere during today's practice session.
With the matches approaching, the other teams were scrambling to secure more practice time on the pitch.
Marcus Flint of Slytherin had even gone as far as to book the pitch for an entire day through Snape, ensuring they could train extensively over the weekend.
Wood had wanted to do the same, but Professor McGonagall hadn't granted his request.
Out of the four teams, Hufflepuff was the only exception, with Harris assigning them the standard two-hour practice session.
While this might seem unfair to Hufflepuff, it was simply a reflection of the current state of affairs.
Quidditch was a team game that relied on coordination and teamwork to win. Ravenclaw, having been the underdogs for so long, wouldn't suddenly transform into a formidable force just by adding a new Seeker.
Ravenclaw's chances of victory were slim, unless their new Seeker could catch the Golden Snitch within five minutes of the game starting.
Of course, if that were to happen, then no amount of training would make a difference anyway.
After leaving the Great Hall, the two boys headed back to their dormitory to grab their brooms before making their way to the Quidditch pitch.
(End of Chapter)
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