After taking his seat at the Hufflepuff table, Kyle felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him. Before the Sorting Ceremony, he'd been anxious, uncertain about where he might end up. But now, with everything settled and him officially a part of Hogwarts, a true sense of belonging took hold. It was a wonderful feeling.
Kyle rested his chin in his left hand, leaning his arm casually on the table as he watched the rest of the Sorting Ceremony unfold. The anticipation for dinner was growing, but he felt at ease, leisurely enjoying the moment.
Because his sorting had taken so long, many students around the auditorium were curiously glancing in his direction. Several witches, noticing Kyle sitting and chatting with Cedric, exchanged frustrated looks with their classmates.
Why did all the good-looking ones go to Hufflepuff? they seemed to think, grinding their teeth in envy.
Meanwhile, over at the Gryffindor table, Fred and George Weasley were similarly upset.
"Why did Kyle go to Hufflepuff?" Fred groaned, pounding his thigh in frustration. "Now we can't use the welcome ceremony we prepared!"
"Shut up, Fred. I need a moment to process this," George muttered, scratching his head. "Honestly, even if Kyle had gone to Slytherin, I could've handled it. But Hufflepuff? How's that even possible?"
"Yeah!" Fred agreed. "Kyle? Loyal? Kind? The Sorting Hat must've gone senile!"
Before they could continue lamenting, a newly sorted Gryffindor sat down in the empty seat next to them.
The next moment, a loud yelp pierced the hall.
"Oww!"
Everyone's heads turned as the new Gryffindor student leapt into the air, clutching his bottom and looking like a startled Wiggentree Bowtruckle. He bolted from his seat, running around in circles, wailing in pain.
It was only then that the hall realized what had happened. A small, round object—about the size of a Quidditch snitch—was attached to the back of the student, biting down on his bottom with a set of sharp teeth.
"Wait, that ball looks kind of familiar..." Fred mumbled as the scene unfolded. He glanced at George, a sudden realization dawning on him. "George, didn't you put the biting ball away?"
George, wide-eyed, replied, "No... I thought you did!"
The twins exchanged a horrified look before both turned to the seat where the student had been sitting. Sure enough, it was empty.
"Oh, damn it," Fred muttered, scratching his head in distress. "That was our entire savings!"
The biting ball was a new prank item Fred and George had purchased from the Zonko's Joke Shop at a steep price. It could disguise itself as a cushion, lying in wait for an unsuspecting victim to sit on it. The problem? It cost them three galleons—a hefty sum for the mischievous pair.
But they had been determined to make Kyle's sorting memorable. They had pooled all their savings to buy the biting ball, preparing an unforgettable surprise for their younger "brother." During the Sorting Ceremony, they'd stealthily set it up on an empty seat nearby, confident Kyle would be sorted into Gryffindor. Once he was, they'd lead him to sit on the disguised cushion, delivering the perfect prank.
Everything had been set up flawlessly. Even if Kyle were sorted into another house, they could simply retrieve the cushion afterward without much fuss.
But fate had other plans. Kyle had been sorted into Hufflepuff, the last house they ever expected. The shock of it had left Fred and George too stunned to retrieve the cushion in time.
And now, instead of pranking Kyle, they watched helplessly as the biting ball caused chaos in the hall, gnawing at the rear of an innocent Gryffindor first-year.
"Fred, do you think we can get the Biting Ball back?" George asked, his eyes fixed on the back of the unfortunate new student. He felt a pang of regret. Three Galleons—that could have bought an entire box of Dungbombs. How could he not feel sad?
Fred glanced over at Professor McGonagall, who was already heading toward the new student, and sighed. "I don't think we can get it back."
The two brothers sighed in unison, their hopes deflated.
Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall reached the new Gryffindor, casually removed the Biting Ball from his robe, and checked him over. Fortunately, the young wizard was unharmed, and his robes weren't damaged either. It was a standard harmless prank, after all. Recognizing the familiar tricks and the tools used in this sort of mischief, McGonagall didn't need to guess who the culprits were. She shot a piercing glare straight at Fred and George.
However, since the Sorting Ceremony wasn't yet over, she said nothing more than, "Twenty points deducted from Gryffindor," before turning around and heading back to the stage.
The new student, still shaken, was escorted back to the table by Percy. After checking his robes three more times to ensure he was truly safe, he cautiously sat back down.
Across the hall, Kyle, seeing the miserable expressions on Fred and George's faces, couldn't resist a smirk. He extended a middle finger in their direction, his amusement plain.
Kyle knew without a doubt that the Biting Ball had been meant for him. The twins had been planning to prank him for ages, and now their mischief had backfired, caught by Professor McGonagall. Poetic justice, he thought smugly.
"No, George, Kyle's too arrogant," Fred muttered, his face flushing red with anger. While many at Hogwarts wouldn't understand Kyle's rude gesture, Fred knew all too well what it meant. After all, every time Kyle had gotten the upper hand on them, this had been his signature insult.
"Don't worry, Fred. As long as Kyle's at Hogwarts, we still have a chance," George said, equally furious. His ears had turned red with frustration. But there was nothing they could do at the moment. Professor McGonagall's warning glare was enough to make them hold off on any retaliation for now. They could only respond by flipping Kyle off from across the room, a small act of defiance.
For the moment, they suppressed their desire for revenge and tried to avoid looking at Kyle's smug face.
Kyle didn't care about their gestures. To him, it was just the final, pitiful resistance of two sore losers. He didn't take it seriously.
He knew Fred and George wouldn't let this go easily. Even now, they were probably plotting how to get back at him. But so what? In their eleven-year war of pranks, Kyle had almost always come out on top. The only times he'd lost were back when he was younger, and Charlie Weasley, with his seniority and size, had tipped the balance in the twins' favor.
But now Charlie was occupied with his graduation exams and Quidditch, leaving Fred and George without their strongest ally. Without him, they had no real backup.
What are they going to do? Ask Ron for help? Kyle thought with a chuckle. If that was the case, defeating them would be even easier.
With his near-flawless record against the twins, Kyle was unafraid of whatever they might come up with next.