After Kyle boarded the train, he found that most of the seats in the first few carriages were already occupied. Since he had boarded a bit late, finding an empty space at this time was challenging.
Kyle used a levitation spell to carry his luggage until he eventually found a relatively spacious compartment at the end of the train. Inside, there was only one boy who seemed to be about his age. As for his looks... though not as handsome as Kyle, he was certainly more appealing than the Weasley twins.
"Knock, knock..."
Kyle tapped on the compartment door and asked politely, "Hello, may I sit here? The other compartments are full."
"Of course, go ahead," the boy replied quickly.
"Thanks."
After entering the compartment, Kyle first placed his luggage on the overhead rack and then extended his hand to the boy.
"Hi, I'm a first-year student, Kyle Chopper."
The boy seemed lost in thought and didn't immediately respond. After a moment, he snapped back and quickly shook Kyle's hand. "Oh... Sorry, I'm Cedric Diggory, a second-year at Hogwarts."
Cedric?
Kyle was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected to meet an "acquaintance" so soon after boarding the train. Cedric was the future Hogwarts Champion, and it was clear why he stood out. Kyle recalled that Cedric's family lived near the village of St. Catchpole, but for various reasons, they had never met—until now.
Kyle had tried visiting Cedric a few times initially, but the Diggorys' door was always closed, so eventually, Kyle gave up. He never imagined their first encounter would be on the train...
Noticing that Cedric seemed preoccupied, Kyle decided not to push further. After a brief introduction, he pulled out the book *Common Spells and Solutions* that he had bought from Flourish and Blotts, and began reading. Cedric, meanwhile, returned to his pensive state.
Outside the window, it began to drizzle without warning—typical weather for the region. Kyle glanced outside but didn't mind. He was used to it and even enjoyed reading in such an atmosphere.
After a while, Cedric also put aside his thoughts and took out a book. Judging by its cover, it appeared to be *Dark Power: A Guide to Self-Defense*. It wasn't unusual for Hogwarts students to brush up on their Defense Against the Dark Arts knowledge before the start of the term, especially since the longevity of the professor in this subject was always uncertain. Preparing in advance seemed wise.
For a while, the only sound in the compartment was the turning of parchment pages, contrasting sharply with the lively chatter in the corridor outside.
But this peace didn't last long.
Before Cedric could finish two pages, the compartment door swung open again.
"There you are, Kyle!"
"We saved a seat for you, but you never showed up. We waited so long!"
"I think you owe us an apology."
Fred and George Weasley leaned against the doorframe, addressing Kyle with mock sternness. They both wore expressions of exaggerated frustration, as if Kyle had committed a grave offense.
"I'll apologize," Kyle said calmly, closing his book. "But only if you swear on a Dungbomb that what you're saying is true."
Fred's faux anger quickly dissolved into confusion. "Well, can I swear on the headmaster's name?"
George chimed in, "Or Professor McGonagall's, maybe?"
"No," Kyle shook his head. "Only a Dungbomb will do."
"Oh, George, I think Kyle's just not familiar with the train layout since it's his first time. That's probably why he didn't find us."
"Yeah, Fred, we should've looked out for him better."
The twins exchanged a knowing look, promptly dropped the subject, and squeezed into the compartment as if nothing had happened.
Naturally, they noticed Cedric as well.
Fred smirked and said, "Well, look who it is. The name slips my mind..."
George raised an eyebrow. "Oh, of course, it's our good friend from Hogwarts, Mr. Cedric Diggory, the shining star of Hufflepuff."
As they finished, Cedric's face flushed a deep red. The teasing nicknames were incredibly embarrassing, making him wish he could disappear into the train's walls. But he couldn't deny them.
The titles "Good Boy" and "Light of Hufflepuff" had been coined by his father, and over the summer, word had spread throughout the Ministry of Magic. Almost everyone knew these nicknames, including the families of other Hogwarts students.
As a result, half of Cedric's summer letters were jokingly signed with variations of "Light of Hufflepuff." The other half came from Muggle-born classmates who hadn't heard the stories.
Because of this, Cedric had intentionally chosen a secluded compartment, hoping for some peace. But fate seemed determined otherwise, bringing him face-to-face with two of the most troublesome people on the train.
"Please, give me a break!" Cedric pleaded with folded hands. "I'll even let you copy my homework."
He placed a stack of neatly written parchment on the table.
The twins were about to continue their jokes, but the offer was too tempting to refuse. Cedric's homework was the best in the grade.
George quickly snatched up the parchment, his expression turning serious. "What are you talking about, Cedric? We knew you didn't mean it. We were just kidding."
"Exactly," Fred nodded in agreement. "Rest assured, we won't make fun of you over this."
Fred and George left the compartment with satisfied grins, looking as though they'd struck gold.
Once they were gone, Cedric let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Kyle, slightly embarrassed, and said, "Sorry, I..."
"No, I should be the one apologizing," Kyle interrupted. "They came looking for me, and you got caught in the crossfire."
Cedric gave a wry smile and shook his head. "It was bound to happen sooner or later."
He could hide on the train, but once at Hogwarts, he'd have to face his peers eventually. It was just a matter of timing.
In a way, the unexpected visit from the Weasley twins turned out to be helpful. It gave Cedric an idea on how to handle the situation—through his homework.
As one of the top students in his year, his homework was highly sought after, as evidenced by the twins' reaction. He realized he could use it as leverage to gain some peace and quiet, at least among his fellow Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors.
As long as he could keep these two houses in check, the rest should fall into place.
He knew Ravenclaw and Slytherin students wouldn't be as interested in teasing him. And even if a few tried, it wouldn't be a big deal.
If the students in his own house remained silent, and the lively Gryffindors stayed out of it, the issue would blow over in just a few days.
With that thought, Cedric suddenly felt that things weren't as bad as he had feared.
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**(End of Chapter)**