Chapter 236: The Newest Member of the Weasley Clan
Chapter 236: The Newest Member of the Weasley Clan
On the day before the holiday break, the grades were finally released, and Kyle emerged as the top student in his year with a perfect score, an undisputed achievement.
This outcome caught many by surprise, as they had previously assumed that Kyle hadn't performed well on the exams.
And it wasn't just them; even Kyle himself was astonished.
Could it be that Snape had given him a perfect score again? Kyle had wondered if last year's perfect score from Snape was due to him saving Connor from O'Ryan. After all, they were family, and saving a family member's life deserved some recognition.
But what about this year? Was it because he saved Harry?
That didn't seem likely either. Harry didn't have that much clout… Perhaps if it were Haley, there might be a chance.
Kyle was perplexed.
Surely it couldn't be that Snape had a change of heart and decided to become an exemplary professor of wizardry?
That was a stretch, and Kyle would sooner believe that Voldemort was a covert Muggle Intelligence Agent… at least that was somewhat plausible.
However, there were also those who felt that such exceptional grades were only to be expected.
Fred and George had openly expressed their opinions in the common room:
"This is the best joke I've heard all year," Fred declared.
"Honestly, I'd rather believe that our little brother Ron could become a prefect than believe Kyle made a mistake on the exams," George added.
Even Connor shared this sentiment. From the start, she refused to believe that Professor McGonagall's headshake indicated Kyle's poor performance. Instead, she firmly held that there must be another reason for it.
And indeed, she was proven right.
Some curious young witches and wizards couldn't help but inquire about the headshake, only to be scolded by Professor McGonagall. She explained that her gesture merely reflected her disappointment in the vast gap between Kyle's performance and that of his peers.
Of course, this was just the public explanation; no one could truly know Professor McGonagall's thoughts.
Nevertheless, the school year had finally come to a close.
Notices prohibiting the use of magic during the holidays were delivered to everyone, and students made their way home from Hogwarts, either by carriage or boat, boarding the train back to King's Cross Station.
…
"Hermione, you don't need to compare yourself to Kyle. After all, he's the youngest member of the Order of Merlin," Harry said, offering reassurance to a frustrated Hermione in one of the train compartments. "You did amazingly well, and you're the top student in our year..."
"But I didn't get a perfect score!" Hermione exclaimed, tugging at her messy hair in annoyance.
"You just lost some points in Potions," Harry said thoughtfully, lowering his voice. "Snape will find a way to deduct points, no matter how perfect your potion may be, as long as you're not a Slytherin."
"But Kyle isn't a Slytherin either," Hermione frowned. "Yet he still managed to get a perfect score, which means others could have achieved it too.
I must have done something wrong... Maybe I heated it for too long. The book said twenty seconds, but I forgot that extinguishing the flame also takes time.
And the valerian stems too, I feel like the two I chose were too long..."
Hermione kept replaying the steps of brewing the Forgetfulness Potion in her mind, and with each recollection, she seemed to uncover a new mistake.
Harry and Ron's faces grew increasingly uncomfortable, as it was clear they didn't want to discuss this topic any further.
The holidays had just begun, and on this joyous occasion, they really didn't want to hear anything related to grades or exams, especially Potions exams.
Ron was getting irritated, so he turned his head to look out into the corridor, hoping to distract himself.
Ron's face paled as if he had just realized something dreadful.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, puzzled. "Are you hungry? I have some snacks left."
"No, Harry!" Ron exclaimed, his face contorting. "Remember what I told you? Kyle is our neighbor back home."
"Of course, I remember," Harry replied, a hint of envy creeping into his voice. Living in a wizarding village, where neighbors were also classmates at Hogwarts, was something he had always dreamed of.
"Mum must have found out by now..." Ron's voice quivered, his eyes widening in dismay. "I'm doomed!"
He had thought his grades were decent, at least all passes, but compared to Kyle's, his report card now seemed rather unimpressive.
Oh, and let's not forget Percy...
Having the top student of the fifth year as an older brother and the top student of the second year as a neighbor... Ron could already envision the lectures and comparisons that awaited him.
During last summer's break, Fred and George's screams had scared away half the gnomes in the garden. Ron still recalled the nickname he had coined for his older twin brothers at the time - the Weasley Gnoming Choir, the bane of gnomes everywhere.
However, it seemed that he would be joining them in that choir this year.
Harry patted Ron's shoulder, understanding his friend's predicament, and the hint of envy he had felt earlier vanished.
Having an exceptionally brilliant neighbor didn't seem to be all sunshine and rainbows.
At least he, Harry, didn't have to deal with such troubles. The Dursleys never cared about his grades. Even if he brought home a report full of zeros, he doubted they would bother to scold him.
On second thought... they might even be pleased and reward him with an extra slice of bread at breakfast, courtesy of Dudley's leftovers.
Not having to worry about comparisons or poor grades—that was probably the only upside to living with the Dursleys.
Harry felt like laughing at the irony, but his mouth felt glued shut, unable to produce even a hint of a smile.
Meanwhile, Hermione had stopped replaying the exam in her mind. She looked at the despondent Ron, opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, at a loss for words of comfort.
Honestly, she couldn't quite relate to Ron's current predicament, so she remained silent.
"I wish I could be like Kyle..." Ron sighed, his voice heavy with envy.
...
At that very moment, in a compartment not far from theirs, Kyle anxiously asked, "Do you think anyone followed us?"
"We're clear!" Cedric poked his head out into the corridor for a quick look, then shut the door and cast a quick spell to add a privacy charm to the door. "Phew, finally shook them off."
Kyle pulled off his Invisibility Cloak and breathed a sigh of relief. Who would have thought that he'd end up using it on the train ride home more than he ever did while roaming the castle at night?
Those people were a bit too enthusiastic. If not for the Invisibility Cloak, he'd still be surrounded by them.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
