For Kyle, who was used to traveling by plane or high-speed train, riding the old steam train known as the Hogwarts Express was quite an ordeal. The charm of the nostalgic ride quickly wore off, and its flaws became glaringly obvious.
Firstly, it was slow—really slow. Kyle estimated that it could only manage a speed of 80 at best, which was nothing compared to modern cars. The ride was also bumpy and uncomfortable, leaving him feeling nauseous and questioning his life choices.
Reading to pass the time was out of the question, given the constant jostling. Luckily, Cedric, who shared the compartment with him, was quite the conversationalist, which made the journey more bearable.
After discussing the Hogwarts professors, Kyle asked Cedric about other things, and Cedric was happy to share interesting tidbits about Hogwarts and some amusing portraits. Kyle found many of these details fascinating, as they were things he didn't know. In return, he generously shared his snacks with Cedric—plenty of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and Cauldron Cakes.
The only thing that left Kyle speechless was that Cedric continued the usual Hogwarts tradition of teasing new students about the sorting process.
"We have to catch the Golden Snitch in the Great Hall within ten minutes to get sorted into a house?" Kyle asked with a polite, skeptical smile.
At least this story about Quidditch was more believable than the one about dragons—it was very Cedric.
"By the way, Kyle, have you thought about which house you want to be sorted into?" Cedric asked, popping another Bertie Bott's bean into his mouth. "It would be great if you joined Hufflepuff, but a smart kid like you might prefer Ravenclaw."
Before he could continue, Cedric's face twisted into a comical grimace. "Ugh, this one tastes like liver. I hate that flavor." Despite his distaste, he managed to swallow it.
"I've thought about it," Kyle replied, trying a bean himself. "But I'm not dead set on any particular house. And honestly, my ball-catching skills are average. I'm not sure I could catch a Snitch in ten minutes. I'd be happy to end up in any house that'll have me." He tasted the bean—black pepper steak, surprisingly pleasant.
"Don't worry, you'll do fine," Cedric reassured him. "It's not as hard as it sounds."
As they were chatting, the door to the compartment suddenly slid open. Kyle and Cedric turned to see a familiar figure with red hair—but it wasn't one of the twins. It was another Weasley.
Percy stepped inside. "Kyle, Fred mentioned you were here... Oh, you must be Cedric Diggory. I'm Percy Weasley, nice to meet you."
Cedric, caught off guard by the formality, nodded politely, unsure of what to make of the situation. "Nice to meet you too, Percy."
Kyle, holding back a smile, waited until the introductions were over before addressing Percy. "So, Percy, what brings you here?"
Although Kyle knew all the Weasley siblings, he didn't often interact with Percy.
Percy cleared his throat and pulled out a large rat from his pocket. "It's about Scabbers. He hasn't been doing well lately, so I was wondering if you still had any of that rat tonic you gave him before. I'd be willing to buy some from you."
Kyle glanced at the gray rat missing a front paw, and a smile tugged at his lips. "Sure, I have some. Give me a second."
He retrieved a small bottle of red liquid from his bag and handed it to Percy. "Three drops, once a week. This bottle should last quite a while."
"Thank you," Percy said, taking the tonic. He hesitated, then pulled out three silver Sickles, his face reddening. "I know this isn't much, but it's all I have right now. I'll pay you the rest later."
"You don't need to pay that much," Kyle replied, taking only one Sickle and pushing the other two back. "It's just rat tonic, not some rare elixir. One Sickle is plenty."
Percy's face flushed as he looked at the coin in his hand. After a moment, he sighed softly. "Thank you, Kyle."
Kyle shrugged. "It's just a transaction, nothing more."
Percy shook his head and smiled, though there was a trace of bitterness in it. "No, I know what this really means. If this was just regular rat tonic, it wouldn't have kept Scabbers alive for eleven years. This must have been made by Mr. Scamander himself. Only someone like him could make a tonic that keeps a common rat alive for so long. On the market, this would be worth at least ten Galleons."
Kyle clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to tell Percy the truth—that Scabbers' longevity had nothing to do with the tonic, and that the tonic wasn't worth ten Galleons. But he knew that discussing Peter Pettigrew was a dangerous subject, and at eleven years old, he wasn't ready to draw Dumbledore's attention.
That didn't mean he hadn't tried to help in other ways. He'd once advised Percy that unlike other pets, rats could be sensitive to a wizard's scent and might reject their own kind if they got too accustomed to human smells.
Initially, Percy was skeptical. But when Kyle attributed this insight to Mr. Scamander, Percy accepted it without question and treated it as wisdom. He took great care of Scabbers, creating a special little home for him and minimizing direct contact whenever possible, letting Scabbers roam freely most of the time.
Seeing that Kyle wasn't going to say anything further, Percy thanked him again. "If you ever need help with your studies, feel free to ask me. And after I graduate, I'll make sure to repay you properly."
With that, Percy left the compartment, leaving Kyle and Cedric to exchange puzzled glances.
Finally, Cedric broke the silence. "So, uh... do you really get rat tonic from Mr. Scamander?"
Kyle shrugged. "More like I know how to make it. It's not just for rats, either—I can make tonics for almost any kind of pet. It's not that difficult, just a bit tedious, so most people don't bother to learn."
---
(End of this chapter)