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Chapter 690: King's Cross Station, Tense Aurors
Chapter 690: King's Cross Station, Tense Aurors
Due to Dumbledore's words at the end of the dinner the night before, the usual cheerful atmosphere was absent as everyone boarded the Hogwarts Express to return home. Instead, a sense of heaviness filled the air.
However, there were exceptions.
"Help us decide which of these jackets to wear!"
On the train, Fred and George Weasley held up two jackets of different colors, debating which to wear.
"We bought them in Hogsmeade..."
"We plan to wear them for the grand opening of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes..."
"...to make a good impression."
"They're made of the finest dragon leather; they cost us a pretty Knut!" Fred said, a bit ruefully. It was clear that the outfits were quite expensive.
"How about the black one?" Kyle suggested, looking up. "Black is more solemn."
"But we like the green one," George hesitated, "We're opening a joke shop, so we don't need to be too solemn, right? Black seems more suitable for attending banquets and business negotiations..."
"You've thought this through," Autumn raised an eyebrow, surprised.
Their shop hadn't even opened yet, and they were already considering attending banquets and business meetings?
"It's only a matter of time," Fred said confidently. "Who knows, maybe we'll even acquire Zonko's and open another branch in Hogsmeade."
"Best of luck to you then."
Cedric unconsciously twitched the corners of his mouth, then pretended nothing had happened. "Still, I think black is a better choice. You'll definitely have opportunities to wear it."
"Is that so?" Fred and George looked a bit puzzled, but since both Kyle and Cedric had given the same suggestion, they put on the black jackets.
As expected of high-quality clothing, the jackets looked much better than their school robes. Fred and George seemed to exude a different aura after putting them on.
Somewhat... well, like elite office workers.
"Why are you laughing, Kyle?" George frowned, glancing at Fred across from him. The jackets fit well, so he couldn't see any problem with them.
"Just thought of something funny," Kyle tried to suppress his amusement.
"I think you should also ask Mr. Weasley for his opinion. Perhaps he can give you a more pertinent answer."
"Ask Dad?" Fred pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "Never mind, he's always busy at the Ministry. He hardly gets to Diagon Alley more than once a year. How would he know what to wear for a joke shop?"
"But he knows what to wear for the Ministry," Kyle pointed out.
"Ha, yes, just do the opposite of that!"
Fred and George took it as a lame joke and didn't pay it much mind, changing back into the other jacket.
Cedric, who knew the truth, had to pinch his thigh to keep from laughing out loud.
Suddenly, a loud banging noise came from outside the compartment, interrupting their conversation.
"Oh, what are those little rascals up to now!" Fred exclaimed in mock exasperation.
Cedric had already gotten up and opened the compartment door.
Although he had graduated, he was still the Head Boy of Hogwarts until they reached King's Cross Station, and it was his duty to maintain order on the train.
"It's nothing!" George suddenly patted Kyle's shoulder, as if he had thought of something.
"After the next school year starts, you'll be the only Head Boy."
"Huh?" Kyle blinked, suddenly remembering that when he became the Senior Assistant Minister, he had also gained the title of Head Boy.
However, since he hadn't actually taken on any of the responsibilities and the school hadn't removed Cedric from the position, he had almost forgotten about it.
"I really wish Cedric could postpone his graduation for a year," Kyle said sincerely, rubbing his forehead.
Over the past two years, he had delegated his duties as Head Boy to Cedric, not to mention the even more demanding responsibilities of Head Boy.
He regretted not stopping Cedric from working at the Ministry now.
"Hehe..." Fred snickered, enjoying Cedric's predicament. "...If Cedric gets 'T' on all his N.E.W.T.s, maybe he'll have to delay his graduation for a year."
George joined in, "But even little Ron wouldn't be able to get such terrible grades."
"Maybe he could..."
The two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.
Kyle ignored them and left the compartment as well.
It was easy to find where the commotion was coming from—wherever there was a crowd.
Not far from them, a group of people had gathered.
As Kyle approached, he heard Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones explaining something to Cedric.
"They started it..." Justin said excitedly, "I heard them in the compartment. They were planning to cause trouble for Harry. As members of Dumbledore's Army, we couldn't just ignore it."
"You're right," Hannah added angrily. "They're despicable. They even said they'd knock Harry out and leave him on the luggage rack."
Kyle subconsciously looked up at the luggage rack as he walked by.
Kyle recalled that she had mentioned wanting to teach a lesson to a few Slytherins a while back.
"Who are they?"
"Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle..." Mikael immediately answered.
"And Pansy and Millicent," Susan added.
Well, the truth was out, and the culprits were as expected.
When Voldemort's return was first announced, these individuals were the most visibly pleased, laughing the loudest.
And it was this behavior that had enraged Mikael and Susan, leading them to contemplate teaching them a lesson by stuffing them into their robes.
Kyle glanced up at the tightly wrapped figures once more... they had certainly kept their word on that promise.
On the other side, Ron and Harry, who had come to check on the commotion, were laughing so hard they had to lean against the wall for support.
"I bet Lucius was there that day at the Ministry as well," Harry asserted.
As Kyle re-entered the compartment, Harry and the others followed, and Harry continued, "I saw him, he had the same platinum blond hair as Malfoy."
"Malfoy must be seeking revenge because of that... that coward," Ron added.
"I wish he would come after me," Kyle said, "but unfortunately, he won't."
"Unless Malfoy has gone mad," Harry chuckled, glancing at the luggage rack in Kyle's compartment, but not spotting the familiar trunk.
Understandably so, as Kyle wouldn't leave such a dangerous item lying around.
"Speaking of which, what happened that day?" Ron asked curiously. "Why do I feel like Malfoy and his gang have been avoiding Kyle these past few days?"
When Kyle had rushed over, both he and Hermione had already passed out, so Ron hadn't witnessed anything. By the time he came to, they were already in the hospital wing.
"Nothing much..." Harry glanced at Kyle furtively, "Just that the Headmaster and Kyle arrived in time to save us."
It wasn't that he wanted to hide anything from Ron and Hermione, but Kyle had asked him not to say anything. Moreover, if Ron knew that he had been unconscious alongside a dragon and a three-headed dog for so long, he might faint again.
"I see," Ron nodded, "It's a shame Dumbledore didn't catch Malfoy, otherwise, we could have sent him straight to Azkaban."
"It wouldn't have mattered," Hermione shook her head, "The Dementors can't be relied upon anymore, a large number of them have defected to the Death Eaters."
"Even if it was just for a few days," Ron said, and then his attention turned to Fred and George's new outfits. "Hey, what's that made of?"
"The finest dragon leather," Fred replied, raising an eyebrow. He gently pulled the zipper, revealing a scaly texture that shimmered in the sunlight, evoking Ron's envy once more.
With a few more people in the compartment, the return trip became even more lively.
Kyle noticed that whenever Harry played wizard chess with Cedric, he would steal glances at Autumn, only to quickly avert his gaze a second later.
It was apparent that he hadn't given up yet.
Kyle stroked his chin thoughtfully, considering whether he should remind Cedric that someone was trying to poach his girlfriend.
However, he soon discarded the idea.
While it might be considered disloyal to Harry, he couldn't think of any qualities Harry possessed that exceeded Cedric's.
Perhaps being the chosen one was something, but Autumn clearly didn't value that title.
Meanwhile, Hermione had found Connor with a thick book titled "Advanced Potion-Making" and a bottle, asking her some questions about potions.
With just a glance, Connor pointed out the issues.
"You used too few sunflowers, and the brewing time was insufficient by a minute."
"But the book says three sunflowers are enough," Hermione frowned, "I counted, and it's correct."
"Oh, this book is missing a step," Connor said without even looking at it. "You should crush the petals first so that the juice blends into the potion faster. If you don't crush them, adding an extra petal would have the same effect."
Hermione glanced at the book again, her brow furrowed.
"Are you guys taking this too far?" Ron interjected, "It's the holidays, do you really need to be studying now?"
"Why not?" Hermione retorted, "Even Headmaster Dumbledore has said that we need more knowledge to protect ourselves. During the holidays, when we can't use magic, potions are our only option. It's always good to have extra healing potions prepared."
"I think my mum would disagree with me brewing potions at home," Ron muttered.
"No, you're wrong," Fred cut in, "If you suggested it, your mum would be delighted. She might even tear down the kitchen to give you more space for your potions."
There were even more people waiting for them than the year before.
Chris and Diana were there, along with the Weasley couple, Moody, who had returned early the previous night, Tonks, Lupin, Sirius, and even Auror Kingsley.
Of course, the latter group was most likely there for Harry, and had nothing to do with him... Well, perhaps they were also there to keep an eye on another individual.
Newt Scamander.
For some reason, he was also present, standing there with a smile as he watched Kyle.
"Oh, dear." Diana hugged Kyle. "How have you been at school?"
"I'm doing well," Kyle replied, noticing the increased number of Aurors and Hit Wizards surrounding King's Cross Station, all of them warily eyeing Newt as if bracing for a battle.
"How did you get here?" Kyle asked, curious, as he looked at Newt.
"I went to help Dumbledore with some trouble..." Newt replied with a smile, "...and I happened to pass by here on my way back, so I dropped by."
"Oh, those guards?" Kyle inquired.
Newt nodded, smiling.
Behind Kyle, Hermione, who had been talking to Mr. Granger, kept her eyes fixed on Newt and suddenly lowered her voice to exclaim, "I remember now, he's Mr. Newt Scamander! Oh my, I can't believe I'm meeting the legendary Magizoologist in person."
"Scamander?" Mr. Granger asked, puzzled. "Is he famous?"
"He's a household name in the wizarding world," Hermione said excitedly as she opened her trunk and rummaged through it. "I want to ask him for an autograph... Where's my copy of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'? I remember putting it in my trunk... Ah, here it is."
As Hermione walked over with her book, Newt happily signed his name on it.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Weasley tightly hugged Fred and George, looking extremely pleased.
Moody, Lupin, and Sirius, on the other hand, were sternly instructing Vernon Dursley about something.
Vernon's face turned red with anger, and just as he was about to explode, Moody removed his hat, revealing his ever-rotating magical eye.
Vernon jumped back in fright, bumping into a luggage cart and immediately losing his temper.
"Don't play dumb, we'll find out," Lupin said amicably. "Also, if you don't allow Harry to use the phone, you'll be sorry."
"It's called a telephone," Harry whispered.
"Yes, that's what I meant," Lupin nodded. "If we can't get in touch with Harry, you'll be in big trouble."
Whether it was due to their intimidating presence or the gold-colored bottle cap in his hand, Vernon finally grunted his assent, albeit grudgingly.
"Alright, it's not safe here, let's head back." Mr. Weasley suggested.
"Where are you guys going?" Chris asked.
"To the square," Mr. Weasley replied vaguely. "Aren't you?"
"No, we need to make a stop at home first." Chris shook his head.
"Do you need a ride?" Mr. Weasley offered. "We have three cars this time."
"No, we'll Disapparate."
"Well then, see you tomorrow." Mr. Weasley and Sirius left with the children.
Kyle looked around, intending to bid Connor farewell, but strangely, he couldn't find her anywhere.
"Didn't she get off the platform?" Kyle wondered aloud.
"She did," Autumn replied. "I was with her."
"Then where is she now?"
Just as Kyle was puzzled, Diana seemed to spot an acquaintance and waved, calling out, "Hey, Severus, is that you?"
Following her gaze, Kyle spotted a figure in a black cloak. With that greasy hair, it could be no one other than Snape, and Connor was by his side.
However, Snape acted as if he hadn't heard Diana's voice and quickened his pace instead.
Connor turned back and shrugged helplessly at Kyle.
...
(End of Chapter)
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