Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 768: Cedric, the Flower Peacock - Novel Cool

Chapter 768: Cedric, the Flower Peacock

Chapter 768: Cedric, the Flower Peacock

Before the Hogwarts Express departed, Connor and Camellia had already left the school in a Thestral-drawn carriage.

As the Thestrals flew higher, Connor poked her head out of the carriage window and waved at Kyle. As they passed by one of the towers, she caught a glimpse of Snape standing there.

But in the blink of an eye, he was gone as if he had never been there.

"What is it?" Fu Rong asked, noticing Connor's gaze fixed on the castle.

"It's nothing," Connor shook her head, wondering if she had imagined it.

The Thestrals flew swiftly, and within less than a minute, the carriage had shrunk to a blurry black dot and vanished from sight.

On the grounds, Kyle lowered his hand and turned to ask, "How are you planning to get back? Are you taking the train? You should still be able to make it if you hurry."

"While it would be nice to relive the school experience, I think I'll just Apparate," Bill shrugged. "The train is just too slow, and ever since I graduated, I find it hard to bear wasting half a day traveling."

"I'll meet you at Grimmauld Place," he said with a cheerful pat on Kyle's back. "Mom's prepared a lavish dinner to celebrate your graduation, and I can hardly wait."

With that, he strode towards the school's main gates.

Kyle, however, hesitated.

To be honest, he was also considering Apparating directly, as it would be more convenient and straightforward. But then he thought that since he wouldn't be returning to school next year, there was no need to rush...

Oh well, he could use the time to relax.

After a moment of indecision, Kyle made his way towards Hogsmeade Station and boarded the train at 8:59 am sharp.

A minute later, all the carriage doors were closed, and with a loud whistle, the train slowly pulled out of the station.

As he had arrived relatively late, the compartments were mostly filled with students.

Qiu (Autumn)

was sitting with a few Ravenclaw girls, exchanging small trinkets.

Kyle didn't want to disturb her, so he made his way directly to the spacious prefect's compartment and took a seat by the window, gazing out at the passing scenery in a daze.

The journey was rather dull due to the absence of many familiar faces. It wasn't until noon that Kyle heard a familiar commotion.

"Ron, you should know that among the duties of a prefect is maintaining order in the carriages. How are you fulfilling that responsibility by letting those younger students run amok?"

"I'm not letting them run amok; they're just chasing the food trolley. You're being too strict."

The familiar trio entered the prefect's compartment. Harry, as always, remained silent, standing by the side.

As a Quidditch captain, he enjoyed the perks of a prefect but held none of their authority. Even if he wanted to exert some control, no one would listen to him.

However, looking at it from another perspective, this arrangement was quite liberating, and he didn't have to waste time arguing with stubborn students.

"Oh, Kyle, you're here too."

As soon as they entered, Harry noticed Kyle sitting by the window and the three of them naturally joined him.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked. "A lot of people outside are looking for you."

"They're looking for me?" Kyle asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, they're mostly seventh-year students. I guess they want to exchange some souvenirs with you."

"Good thing I didn't go out," Kyle said half-jokingly. "I don't have that many things to give away."

Harry laughed a couple of times, guessing that Kyle was here to avoid the fuss.

Just like when he had first started school, Harry had also been popular, but he didn't enjoy that feeling. Most of the time, he preferred to be alone... or with Hermione and Ron.

"Where's Connor?" Hermione looked around.

"She had other matters to attend to and didn't take this train," Kyle replied.

He didn't reveal Connor's trip to France, not because he didn't trust Hermione. If there was anyone who would definitely not side with Voldemort, it was Hermione, Harry's trusted companion. She had even visited the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

It was just unnecessary to share that information, and they weren't truly concerned about Connor's whereabouts. It was merely a casual question out of curiosity.

Indeed, after hearing Kyle's response, Hermione nodded and didn't pursue the topic further.

The three of them chatted for a while longer, mostly with Hermione scolding Ron for not fulfilling his duties as a prefect properly, while Harry remained silent, almost invisible.

Seeming to sense the awkwardness, he got up and left for a while, returning with a large pile of snacks in his hands.

Harry dumped them onto the table.

"We just bought some Cauldron Cakes and chocolate," he said, looking at Kyle. "Have some with us; this is all they have on the train."

Ron, who had been hungry for a while, immediately grabbed a Chocolate Frog and stuffed it into his mouth.

Hermione also took some Cauldron Cakes.

Seeing that Kyle hadn't moved, Hermione thought he was being polite and offered the cake in her hand to him.

"Don't be shy, go ahead," she urged.

"No, you misunderstood," Kyle shook his head. "I actually brought my lunch."

"You brought your lunch?" Harry and Ron stopped in their tracks, thinking they must have heard wrong.

If they remembered correctly, this train departed from Hogwarts, so how could Kyle have brought his lunch...?

But the next second, they had their answer.

Unsealing the bags, Kyle revealed an entire roast chicken, fried pork chops, fragrant flatbread, roasted potatoes, and even black pepper and orange marmalade—all of which filled half the table with a mouthwatering aroma.

Harry's Chocolate Frog suddenly lost its appeal.

"You got all this... from the kitchen?" Harry asked, his eyes widening.

"Yep." Kyle nodded. "As I mentioned earlier, there aren't any proper meals on the train, so I made a quick trip to the kitchen before departure. You know how close the Hufflepuff common room is to the kitchen; it wasn't difficult to snag some treats."

"Yeah, that's true," Harry agreed.

He glanced at Kyle's sumptuous lunch and then back at his own pile of snacks, his throat twitching with envy.

"Why don't you join us?" Kyle suggested. "The house-elves were overly enthusiastic, and they sent me enough food for an army. There's no way I can finish all of this by myself."

"Really? Are you sure?" Harry asked, his eyes lighting up at the prospect.

"Of course," Kyle assured him.

With a casual wave of his wand, the food that had started to cool down was once again steaming hot, thanks to a simple heating charm—one of Kyle's handy little inventions that came in especially useful on cold winter nights.

"Thanks," Harry said, immediately tossing aside his half-eaten chocolate. Who could resist fried pork chops?

"So, Kyle, what are your plans after graduation?" Harry asked, following Kyle's lead by stuffing a piece of pork chop into his flatbread, sprinkling on some black pepper, and then taking a hearty bite.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but the combination of flavors seemed to explode in his mouth, and he couldn't resist taking another bite.

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" Hermione interjected, giving Harry a sideways glance, clearly displeased with his table manners. However, seeing that Kyle was eating the same way, she chose to remain silent on the matter. "Kyle will be working at the Ministry of Magic, of course. After all, he was a senior assistant to the Minister himself."

"Yeah, that's right," Ron chimed in. "Don't forget, Kyle was the Minister's right-hand man. He'll definitely be heading back to the Ministry, won't he?"

"Hmm..." Kyle hesitated. "Actually, at this point, the Ministry's decisions are largely influenced by the Death Eaters, and their primary focus is on capturing them. So, what they really need right now are Aurors and Hit Wizards, not someone advising the Minister."

"What about becoming an Auror yourself?" Harry suggested. "I plan to become one as well. Maybe we'll even end up as colleagues next year."

"I haven't decided yet," Kyle shrugged. "But I doubt Fudge would want me in the Auror Office. If I had my way, I'd love to open a shop in Diagon Alley. At least there wouldn't be as many headaches."

Harry and Hermione exchanged incredulous looks, clearly not expecting this response, while Ron seemed less surprised.

After all, Kyle had been working with Fred and George on various projects, like the Marauder's Map, so it wasn't a stretch to imagine him wanting to open a shop after graduation.

Besides, their conversation on the train had been casual, and the others soon joined in, discussing their future plans.

Hermione expressed her desire to work in the Ministry of Magic, preferably in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Harry reiterated his ambition to become an Auror, just as he had stated during his career guidance session.

Ron, on the other hand, wavered between working at the Ministry and pursuing a career as a professional Quidditch Keeper, unable to make up his mind.

...

Although Kyle had brought a substantial amount of food, there were also four hungry mouths to feed, so they only managed to eat about half of it. However, with the addition of snacks, they felt sufficiently full.

After lunch, Hermione dragged Ron off to patrol the corridors, and Harry, after a moment's hesitation, joined them, leaving the prefect's compartment for the regular carriages.

The train continued its journey, speeding past villages that flashed by the window.

Finally, the train began to slow down as it rounded a bend and pulled into the familiar Platform 9.

The students disembarked and made their way through the barrier, arriving at King's Cross Station.

"Here, Qiu, I'm over here..."

On the platform, a nauseatingly obnoxious individual was leaping about, frantically waving his arms to attract someone's attention. From a distance, he resembled a peacock in heat, flaunting his colorful plumage.

"Cedric!"

Qiu, having just gotten off the train, immediately spotted the commotion on the platform and dashed over, throwing herself into the waiting arms.

The two embraced tightly, oblivious to their surroundings.

"Ugh... Disgusting," Kyle muttered, unable to hold back his disgust as he was force-fed a hefty dose of dog food. He spat to the side, his expression twisted in distaste.

"Tsk, tsk, that's quite an ugly expression you've got there," a teasing voice remarked from behind.

"When friends are reunited after a long separation, shouldn't we offer our sincere blessings?"

Fred and George appeared on either side of Kyle, grinning mischievously.

"So, where are our blessings, then?" Kyle asked, not bothering to turn around.

"We've got just the thing," Fred replied, his voice tinged with amusement. "Introducing—Weasley's Super Strong Magical Glue! Our newest product can even be used to stick wands together."

"While Cedric was busy craning his neck, looking around," George continued, "we took the opportunity to smear some of our magical glue on that peacock's clothes. After all, they love their hugs, don't they?"

"Indeed, we're all in the same boat," George added with a smirk.

The trio shared a laugh.

"Congratulations," Fred said, clapping a hand on Kyle's shoulder. "From today onwards, you're finally free from the shackles of homework and exams. You can sleep in as late as you want..."

"...and indulge in drinking whenever you please..."

"...and visit Hogsmeade every day if you feel like it..."

"...and do whatever your heart desires!"

The two brothers laughed heartily, painting a rosy picture of life after graduation.

However, Kyle took their words with a pinch of salt, given the dark circles under their eyes. It was obvious they hadn't been getting much rest lately, most likely due to their involvement with the Order of the Phoenix.

The three chatted for a while longer until Cedric finally realized something was amiss. He and Qiu were stuck together, their clothes seemingly glued firmly in place, no matter how hard they pulled.

"Damn it, Fred, George, what did you two do?!" Cedric exclaimed, instantly recognizing the culprits without needing any evidence.

"Just a little trick to enhance your affection for each other," Fred explained with a mischievous grin.

George raised a thumb, "A friend in need is a friend indeed. No need to thank us."

Cedric was about to blow his top, feeling all eyes on him, including Qiu's parents, and his face burned with embarrassment.

"Hurry up," he glared at the Weasley brothers. "Get this mess undone, now!"

"Sorry, mate," Fred shrugged innocently. "It's a new product, and at the moment, it can only stick things together; we haven't figured out how to unstick them yet!"

"Don't you dare try to pull a fast one on me," Cedric narrowed his eyes. "As far as I know, there's never been a one-way, half-baked product from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."

"Thank you for the compliment, sir!" George chuckled. "But since this isn't officially on sale yet, it doesn't count as... Ouch!"

Before he could finish his sentence, a large hand had smacked him on the ear.

Fred, on the other hand, didn't fare any better, receiving a smack on his other ear.

"Now, boys," Mrs. Weasley grabbed each of them by an ear, her tone stern. "Apologize to Qiu's parents immediately."

"Ow, Mom... let go... we'll apologize!" Fred hopped on one foot, wincing in pain.

He pulled out a blue bottle from his pocket and tossed it to Cedric, who promptly sprinkled the powder on the glued parts of their clothes, freeing them.

"Quickly, apologize," Mrs. Weasley dragged the twins in front of Qiu's parents.

"Sorry!"

"I apologize!"

"Oh, it's quite alright," Qiu's parents generously forgave them.

In fact, they had known about Cedric for quite some time and approved of him.

They had even discussed meeting with the Diggorys once the threat of Voldemort and the Death Eaters was no more.

"However..." Qiu's father turned to Fred. "Could I buy a bottle of that glue from you? Some of our windows have come loose, and they rattle noisily whenever there's a strong wind."

"Of course, not a problem!" Fred quickly retrieved the magical glue from his pocket and handed it over.

"Consider it a gift, no charge."

"If you ever need anything else, feel free to visit Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. Everything will be half-price for you."

"Why, thank you. That's a wonderful discount," Qiu's mother smiled.

With that, they bid farewell and left with Qiu.

Mrs. Weasley continued scolding Fred and George as they walked.

Just then, Hermione, Harry, and Ron emerged from the wall, having finally made their way through.

She immediately let go of the twins and embraced each of them warmly.

Kyle also noticed that when Harry appeared, a few idle bystanders nearby tensed up, their hands instinctively reaching into their pockets.

From Mr. Weasley's calm demeanor, Kyle guessed they were Ministry personnel.

"Come along now, let's get going," Mrs. Weasley urged as they exited the station. "It's not safe out here, and we should get back as soon as possible."

"Where's Sirius?" Harry scanned the area, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"He's waiting outside," Mr. Weasley explained. "You remember the Ministry's wanted poster of Sirius that was circulated among Muggles, right? With so many people coming and going at the station, it's best to avoid any potential trouble."

Hearing this, Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

At least it was only that.

...

Be sure to keep a close eye on your luggage at the high-speed rail station! We waited six hours just for those documents!

(End of Chapter)

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