Chapter 35: The Deal
Chapter 35: The Deal
Professor McGonagall didn't linger long in the Great Hall and soon returned to her office.
No sooner had she stepped out of the Great Hall's doors than the Hufflepuff badgers began to let loose, transforming the once quiet tables into a bustling marketplace.
They gathered in twos and threes, mimicking the pitiful expressions of the Weasley brothers, and laughed so hard they slapped the tables.
Even the usually shy Conna couldn't help but giggle, her small shoulders rising and falling.
Kyle was left dumbfounded.
These kids were all such great actors. From now on, if anyone told him that Hufflepuffs were all honest and straightforward, Kyle would give them a good whack to wake them up.
Of course, he excluded himself.
...
...
After lunch, the young wizards began to leave the Great Hall one after another, but Kyle was once again stopped at the entrance.
This time, it wasn't a Weasley, but an Asian girl he vaguely recognized.
"Hello, I'm Cho Chang from Ravenclaw. May I have a moment of your time?" Cho said, extending her hand.
"Kyle Johnson," he replied, shaking her hand briefly.
He glanced at Cedric, but the latter showed no reaction, simply introducing himself and stepping aside to wait for Kyle.
It was similar to when he had met the Weasley brothers earlier.
After all, they probably didn't know each other yet, and Cho was only eleven. Cedric wouldn't make a move on her at this age.
Azkaban had no age restrictions.
Kyle shook his head with a hint of amusement and turned to Cho, asking, "What can I do for you?"
"Can I make a copy of your map?" Cho asked. "I can pay for it."
"The map?"
Kyle looked at Cedric, who stood by his side, as if seeking his opinion.
Cedric understood, but not being skilled in nonverbal communication, he simply shrugged, indicating that the map was no longer his concern and that Kyle could handle it.
Tsk, such a good student, but he couldn't even communicate nonverbally.
Kyle mocked Cedric for his lack of learning in his mind, but his expression remained unchanged.
"No need to pay," Kyle said, handing the map to Cho. "After all, you helped Ryan and Michael, and they're my roommates. Consider this a token of appreciation."
"They're your roommates?" Cho asked, remembering the two boys she had met earlier. She took the map and smiled, saying, "I must say, your roommates are quite unique. They managed to perfectly miss every correct path.
Honestly, I watched them for five minutes, and not once did they take the right route. They kept going up the wrong staircases."
As she spoke, Cho couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth. "Sorry, I don't mean to mock. I just find it... well, magical."
Kyle's face turned red, and he didn't dare continue the conversation. He awkwardly pointed to the map and said, "These routes are mostly related to the Hufflepuff Common Room, so they might not be very useful for Ravenclaw."
"That's fine," Cho shook her head. "Knowing the exact locations of the classrooms will make finding the routes much easier."
She waved her wand a little awkwardly but successfully duplicated the map.
"Phew, thank goodness I didn't embarrass myself." Cho handed the original map back to Kyle with a hint of pride. "I kept failing during practice, but I succeeded this time without any issues."
So, even knowing she might fail, she still wanted to try it herself? Are all Ravenclaws this competitive?
If it were Ryan... Well, there's no need to imagine that. Ryan had been pestering Kyle since dinner, saying he didn't want to copy the map anymore and also wanted a duplicate," Kyle thought to himself.
This was the difference between them.
Moreover, most of the new Hufflepuffs were like this. Before Kyle's arrival, Cedric, the undisputed top student in the second year, was probably the only Hufflepuff who could be considered a decent wizard and a representative of the house.
Kyle had reason to suspect that Professor Sprout might have bribed the Sorting Hat during the Sorting ceremony.
The error-free version is available at 69shu.com! 6=9+shu_ba.
Of course, it could also be herbs that were stuffed into the hat.
But speaking of Cedric...
Kyle casually asked Cho, who was beaming with joy after receiving the map, "Do you Ravenclaws have a similar map?"
Cho thought for a moment and replied, "Maybe, but I've never seen one."
"Oh, I hadn't seen one either. Cedric gave this to me," Kyle glanced to the side and continued, "Besides you, are there any other new Ravenclaws who need such a map?"
Hmm?
Cho seemed to understand Kyle's intention and tentatively asked, "Do you want to sell the map to them?"
"Yes, I was thinking about it," Kyle replied straightforwardly. "What do you think? Is it feasible?"
"It's feasible, but the price probably won't be too high." Cho held out her hands. "Ten Sickles is the highest price I can afford. If it's even one Knut more, I won't buy it, and I guess the other new students would feel the same."
"No problem, ten Sickles is fine." Kyle shrugged. "It doesn't take much effort anyway. Consider it a way to earn some pocket money."
"Then you should act quickly." Cho reminded him. "For Ravenclaws, this map is only valuable for the week before school starts. The longer you wait, the lower the price. By tomorrow, it'll probably be worth only nine Sickles."
"That's enough," Kyle smiled and extended his hand to Cho. "Are you interested in joining? I'll provide the maps, and you'll handle the promotion and transactions. As for the profits..."
Cho was a bit surprised but quickly understood. She shook Kyle's hand and said, "Of course, I'm very interested."
Cho did a quick calculation. There were a total of 16 new Ravenclaws, and with her included, that made 15. Even if only a third of them bought the map, she could still get 25 Sickles.
For a new first-year student like her, this was already a significant sum, and she didn't want to miss out on it.
Moreover, it was just a matter of running errands and saying a few words, which was very easy for her.
Kyle nodded and said, "Then it's settled. You take care of the Ravenclaws."
"No problem. I'll head back to the Common Room now. There should be quite a few new students there at this time."
Concerned about her pocket money, Cho naturally took this seriously. After bidding farewell to the two, she hurried back to Ravenclaw Tower.
(End of Chapter)
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