After settling in at the Hufflepuff table, Kyle felt a wave of relief wash over him. The nervousness he'd felt before the sorting had dissipated. Now, as an official member of Hogwarts, he could finally relax.
It felt fantastic.
Leaning on the table with his chin propped on his left hand, Kyle watched the rest of the sorting unfold while waiting for the dinner to begin. Because of the unusually lengthy sorting process, many in the Great Hall were curiously observing him.
Several witches eyed Kyle and Cedric, who were chatting and laughing together, then glanced at their own housemates, biting their lips in frustration.
"Why do all the handsome ones end up in Hufflepuff? It's just not fair!"
---
Over at the Gryffindor table, Fred and George Weasley were feeling equally frustrated.
"Why did Kyle end up in Hufflepuff?" Fred muttered, slapping his thigh. "There goes our perfectly planned welcome prank!"
"Yeah, Fred, I still can't believe it. I could've accepted him being sorted into Slytherin, but Hufflepuff? Seriously?" George replied, scratching his head in disbelief.
"Exactly! Kyle, loyal and kind? Has the Sorting Hat gone senile?" Fred lamented.
As the twins sulked, a new Gryffindor freshman sat down in an empty spot next to them.
A moment later, a loud yelp echoed through the Great Hall, drawing everyone's attention.
The Gryffindor student leaped up like a startled tree frog, clutching his backside as he ran around the hall, wailing in pain. A strange, ball-like object was clamped to his rear, roughly the size of a Quidditch Bludger, with a toothy mouth firmly biting down.
"Wait, doesn't that thing look familiar?" Fred suddenly remembered, turning to his brother. "George, didn't you put the biting ball away?"
George paused, realizing what had happened. "No, I thought you took care of it."
They both turned towards the freshman's seat, noticing it was now empty.
"Oh, no," Fred groaned, running a hand through his hair. "That's all of our savings down the drain."
The biting ball was a new prank item the twins had bought at Zonko's Joke Shop for three Galleons, which had taken all of their pocket money. They planned to use it for Kyle's sorting as a special surprise. They placed the disguised cushion near where Kyle would likely sit, hoping to catch him if he was sorted into Gryffindor.
But when Kyle was unexpectedly sorted into Hufflepuff, they were so stunned that they forgot to retrieve the biting ball. Now, it had targeted an unsuspecting freshman.
"Fred, do you think we can get the biting ball back?" George asked, watching the freshman flee while feeling a deep sense of loss.
Fred glanced at Professor McGonagall, who was already striding towards the commotion. "I doubt it," he sighed.
They exchanged a look of shared regret.
Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall reached the unfortunate student and swiftly removed the biting ball. After ensuring he was unharmed, she shot a withering glare at Fred and George, immediately recognizing the culprits. But with the sorting still in progress, she merely declared, "Twenty points from Gryffindor," before returning to her position.
The shaken freshman, now more cautious, inspected himself multiple times before gingerly sitting back down.
Not far away, Kyle noticed Fred and George's glum expressions and couldn't help but smirk. He raised a middle finger at them, making no effort to hide his amusement.
Kyle was certain that the biting ball had been intended for him. But with Professor McGonagall catching them red-handed, justice had been served.
"No, George, Kyle's just too smug," Fred growled, his face reddening with frustration.
The twins understood the gesture well—over the years, Kyle had often used it to mock them during their sibling rivalries.
"Relax, Fred. As long as Kyle is at Hogwarts, we'll have other chances," George assured, though his own face was flushed with anger.
Though they both wanted payback, they dared not try anything under Professor McGonagall's stern gaze. So, they reluctantly returned the gesture to Kyle before turning away, hoping to ignore his triumphant expression.
Kyle, for his part, was unbothered. To him, their response was the final, defiant act of two sore losers.
He knew Fred and George wouldn't let this go, likely already plotting their next prank against him. But he wasn't worried. Over the past eleven years, he had almost always come out on top in their prank wars.
The few times he had lost were due to being too young and because Charlie Weasley had interfered on the twins' behalf. But now that Charlie was busy with his final exams and Quidditch duties, he couldn't come to their aid.
Without Charlie, who would the twins rely on? Ron? That would make things even easier.
So, with his past victories in mind, Kyle felt no fear.
---
(End of Chapter)