( Free trial available in patreon )
After Professor McGonagall left the Great Hall, the atmosphere at the Hufflepuff table quickly shifted. The previously well-behaved students burst into laughter, transforming the once quiet table into a lively scene. Groups of students mimicked Fred and George Weasley's pitiful expressions from earlier, unable to contain their amusement as they slapped the table in laughter. Even the usually shy Kanna couldn't help but hunch over with giggles, her shoulders shaking.
Kyle found himself marveling at the drastic change in his housemates. If anyone ever told him again that all Hufflepuffs were quiet and obedient, he'd gladly give them a reality check. Well, except for himself, of course.
After lunch, as the students began trickling out of the hall, Kyle was once again stopped. This time, it wasn't Fred or George but an Asian girl who looked familiar.
"Hi, I'm Cho Chang from Ravenclaw," she introduced herself confidently, offering her hand. "Do you have a moment?"
"Kyle Chopper," he replied, shaking her hand briefly.
Kyle glanced over at Cedric, expecting some sort of reaction, but his friend remained calm and simply introduced himself, stepping aside to let the conversation unfold.
"What can I do for you?" Kyle asked Cho, curious.
"I was wondering if I could get a copy of your map? I'm willing to pay for it," she asked directly.
Kyle blinked. "A map?"
He turned to Cedric, seeking his opinion. Cedric shrugged, indicating it was Kyle's call to make. Kyle inwardly chuckled at Cedric's lack of subtlety, but kept a neutral expression.
"You don't have to pay," Kyle said, pulling out the map and handing it over. "Consider it a thank you for helping Ryan and Mikel earlier. They're my roommates."
Cho smiled in recognition. "So they're your roommates! They were... interesting, to say the least. I watched them earlier, and for five minutes straight, they couldn't find the right staircase. It was like they were trying to get lost!" She laughed, recalling the scene.
Kyle blushed slightly, diverting the conversation away from his perpetually confused roommates. "Well, just so you know, this map mainly covers routes connected to the Hufflepuff common room. It might not be all that useful for Ravenclaws."
Cho waved it off, "It's fine! As long as we have the classroom locations, it'll help a lot. Thank you!" She then waved her wand, performing the duplication spell to copy the map. It took her a few tries, but she eventually succeeded.
"Phew! I was worried I might mess it up," she said, beaming with pride. "I've been practicing the spell for a while, but this is the first time I've gotten it right!"
Kyle couldn't help but be impressed by her determination. Unlike his Hufflepuff roommates, Cho had taken the time to learn and perform the spell herself rather than asking him to do it for her. That kind of self-reliance was rare among first-years.
"By the way," Kyle said, changing the subject, "does Ravenclaw have something similar? A map, I mean?"
Cho thought for a moment. "Maybe, but I haven't seen one yet."
"Interesting," Kyle mused. "This map was actually a gift from Cedric." He paused, glancing at her before continuing, "Do you think other Ravenclaw first-years would want one too?"
Cho raised an eyebrow, catching on. "Are you planning to sell the maps?"
Kyle nodded, "Yes. I was thinking of making a few copies and selling them to other first-years. What do you think?"
Cho considered it, then said, "It could work, but the price shouldn't be too high. Ten Sickles is probably the most anyone would pay. Any higher, and people will lose interest."
"Ten Sickles is fine," Kyle replied with a shrug. "It's not much work for me, just some extra pocket money."
Cho added, "But you'd better act fast. For most students, these maps will only be useful for the first week of school. After that, everyone will have figured out their way around."
Kyle smiled. "You're right. I'll get on it." He then hesitated before asking, "Would you be interested in helping? I can handle making the maps, but you could help with advertising and handling the sales. We'd split the profits fifty-fifty."
Cho blinked, clearly surprised, but she quickly recovered and shook Kyle's hand. "I'm in! That sounds like a great deal."
They quickly worked out the details. There were 16 first-year Ravenclaws in total, including Cho. Even if only a fraction of them bought the maps, it could still amount to a nice sum of money. For Cho, it was easy work—just a matter of talking to her housemates. And for Kyle, it was a perfect way to make some extra cash with minimal effort.
"Great," Kyle said, shaking her hand. "You handle Ravenclaw, and we'll split the profits evenly."
"Deal," Cho agreed, before dashing off excitedly to start spreading the word among her housemates.
(End of this chapter)
----------------------------------------------–-------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Johnwick007
Extra Content Already Available.