https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-21-Is-the-Sorting-Hat-that-Brave-/12538113/
Chapter 22: Choosing Friends Carefully
Chapter 22: Choosing Friends Carefully
Kyle looked up, following Cedric's gaze, and spotted Connor sitting to his left across the table, tackling a steak on her plate. But with each cut of her knife, she glanced up at Kyle, as if the steak on her plate were him.
The sight made Kyle's teeth ache.
"Wait, why do I feel like her gaze isn't very friendly? She wasn't like this on the train," Cedric said curiously. "I remember that before the Sorting, the new students were all together. Did something happen between you two during that time?"
"I have to admit, it's my fault," Kyle shrugged and briefly recounted what had transpired in the room.
Upon hearing this, Cedric was stunned.
Using the Killing Curse for the Sorting? Who in their right mind would think of that?
"She believed you?" Cedric asked cautiously.
"Of course," Kyle replied with a bitter smile. "Do you think she'd be looking at me like that if she didn't?"
Ugh...
One dared to speak, and the other dared to believe.
Cedric twitched the corner of his mouth, at a loss for words for a moment. He could only stare speechlessly at Connor, then at Kyle, and finally, he silently gave a thumbs up, "You know, you two are truly a match made in heaven."
"I'm only eleven, and you're already sending me to Azkaban?" Kyle retorted in annoyance. "And I suggest you refrain from saying such things in the future. If Professor Snape hears you, you're done for."
"She knows Professor Snape?" Cedric exclaimed in surprise.
Kyle nodded. "I'm not sure, but I think she does."
"..."
Cedric's expression suddenly changed, and he glared at Kyle with contempt. "You went too far. How could you play such a cruel joke on a first-year? If I were a prefect, I would deduct points from your house."
Kyle stared at Cedric in disbelief, as if he were seeing him for the first time.
Hearing that Connor knew Professor Snape, Cedric immediately switched sides. His change of heart was astonishingly fast.
Was this really the Cedric he knew?
However, Cedric remained unfazed by Kyle's gaze and even shifted his bottom away, clearly wanting to distance himself.
Kyle could only silently raise his middle finger in response.
He had chosen his friends poorly. He wondered who had taught Cedric to be so shameless; it had only been a while since they last met, and yet he had changed so much!
However, given the current situation, it was impossible to eat in peace.
Kyle put down his knife and fork and also looked up at Connor.
The little witch did not shy away but held his gaze. Her round face was puffed up, and it was unclear if it was from chewing her steak or from anger.
The two of them remained silent, staring at each other during the start-of-term feast, as if they were engaged in a contest to see who would look away first.
Neither Kyle nor Connor wanted to back down, and at the beginning, they were both determined to outlast the other, as if this contest would continue until the end of time.
However, Connor had overestimated herself.
Soon, her gaze began to wander, and a faint blush appeared on her fair face.
After a few more seconds, her eyes started darting around, her breathing quickened, and her entire face turned crimson.
Finally, Connor could no longer bear it and quickly lowered her head, her nose almost touching her plate as if she wanted to bury herself in it, leaving only her bright red ears visible.
The same principle applied here.
Additionally, with Kyle constantly avoiding her, Connor had pent-up frustration with no outlet, which is why she had continued acting that way until now.
Once that frustration dissipated, she naturally reverted to her previous shy and socially awkward self.
And by staring back at Connor, Kyle had unknowingly provided her with a way to vent her emotions. After all, eye contact is a form of expression, even if it's less efficient.
However, Kyle hadn't expected her to calm down so quickly; it had only been a few minutes, and her mood swing was a bit too drastic.
Ginny Weasley, among the people Kyle knew, already had a fairly good personality. But even when she was angry, she would at least argue face-to-face with Kyle for half an hour.
In comparison, Connor was too soft, and her personality could be a liability in the wizarding world.
While they were at Hogwarts, it was fine because Hufflepuffs were known for their honesty and kindness, and there was little chance of anyone harboring ill intentions.
But if she remained like this after graduation, she would be in serious trouble.
Grogan Stump, a famous Minister of Magic, once said, "Hogwarts is a fairy tale in the wizarding world. Beyond these castle walls lies a ravenous abyss."
In the eyes of those dark wizards who walked the line between life and death, a shy and introverted pure-blood witch was no different from a pile of gold Galleons. They would swarm like hyenas, devouring her until nothing was left but bones.
Kyle wasn't exaggerating; there were precedents, like the disappearance of certain pure-blood families.
After Voldemort's downfall, the Death Eaters lost their backing and faced capture by the Ministry of Magic's Aurors, causing them to become scattered and desperate.
The entire British wizarding community's pure-blood families were thrown into chaos.
The hyenas lurking in the shadows saw this as an opportunity and targeted these disorganized pure-blood families.
They either robbed them directly or used the Cruciatus Curse to force them to reveal valuable information. In short, any lone pure-blood wizard became their prey.
Moreover, they didn't care about the size of one's family, their strength, or the possibility of future retaliation.
As long as there was profit to be made and the target's family didn't include someone like Dumbledore or Voldemort, they dared to strike and take a bite.
It could be said that during that period, the number of pure-blood wizards who perished at their hands increased daily. Several families began their decline and eventually faded into obscurity.
This situation persisted until most Death Eaters were captured, and the Aurors and Hit Wizards turned their attention to these dark wizards.
It was true then, and it remained true now.
Kyle glanced at Connor, who was figuratively sticking her head in the sand, and after a moment of silence, he calmly picked up the black pepper and sprinkled it on the potato chunks before popping them into his mouth.
"Oh well, it's only our first year, and graduation is still a long way off. No point in worrying about that now. Let's just enjoy our meal," he thought to himself. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
