Kanna wasn't entirely sure why she had agreed to Kyle's plan. Maybe it was because she really did need some galleons, or perhaps it was the way Kyle had framed it: a chance to prove to everyone that she could handle things on her own, that she had the ability to survive. Whatever the reason, she had found herself reluctantly agreeing.
After dinner, the three of them—Kyle, Cedric, and Kanna—gathered around a table in the common room to go over their strategy for the next day.
"Anyway, Gryffindor has the Weasley twins helping them, so they're covered. The main focus is Slytherin," Kyle said, turning his attention to Kanna. "Tomorrow, find an opportunity to bump into that Rowle... what's-her-name."
Kanna, quietly attentive, whispered, "Rowle and Yaxley."
"Right, those two," Kyle nodded. "Try to casually run into them and say hello."
Kyle thought for a moment before continuing, "The first-floor corridor would be ideal. Both Hufflepuff and Slytherin use it to get to the Great Hall, so it's easy to make it look like a coincidence. Just find an excuse to walk with them."
Kanna nodded, her expression serious as she scribbled down notes.
Once she finished writing, Kyle went on, "I'll be ahead, talking to Cedric, complaining about how difficult it is to find my way around the castle and how easy it is to get lost. Cedric will pull out the regular map to show me. At that point, you step in. Show some disdain for our map and pull out the limited edition."
"Disdain?" Kanna put down her quill and tried a few unimpressive facial expressions, which made Kyle rethink that part of the plan.
"Forget the disdain," he said with a sigh. "Just pull out the map and casually mention that it's a limited edition and that there are only ten of them available. Got it? Make sure to remember that line."
"And if they ask for more details," Kyle added, "tell them you have connections that can get you these maps. Offer to help them out as a friend if they're interested."
"Okay," Kanna said, repeating the instructions silently to herself to commit them to memory.
At that moment, Cedric chimed in, curiosity getting the better of him. "What if they don't ask?"
Kyle shrugged casually. "Then we sell to someone else."
The whole idea of turning regular goods into exclusive, limited-edition items had been Kyle's brainchild, and he knew it would appeal to pureblood families. Adding Kanna to the equation only made the plan more convincing. Rowle and Yaxley, being purebloods themselves, would likely show off the maps if they got them, making them ideal spokespersons for the product. And if they didn't bite, they'd just revert to the original plan—release the limited edition maps and let word spread. Soon enough, the Slytherins would come looking for them.
"The only risk is attracting a professor's attention," Kyle explained. "The maps aren't exactly dangerous, but selling them for five galleons each is bound to get noticed. If it gets too much attention, it might get banned before we can sell them all."
"So we do it quietly," he continued. "Once we have the galleons, it doesn't matter if we get caught. The worst they'll do is dock some points."
Cedric, hearing this, was almost in awe. "Can it really work like that?"
Kyle grinned. "Of course."
Cedric had always understood that pureblood families loved distinguishing themselves from ordinary students. That was why he had gone through the effort of tracing the maps with gold edges. His original plan had been to sell them for just one galleon, but Kyle's idea of multiplying the price by five had suddenly given the maps a whole new allure.
Even if the Slytherin first-years figured out they didn't need the map itself, they wouldn't care. What they truly craved was the prestige of owning a "limited edition."
It wasn't that purebloods were gullible—they were just rich and enjoyed having something different, something special. Cedric himself had always wanted to replace his Fwooper quill with a nicer one, not because it was any more practical than an ordinary quill, but because it was more beautiful, more eye-catching. Besides, it could write an extra two lines before needing to be dipped in ink again.
Cedric smacked his lips thoughtfully and asked, "Kyle, are you sure there are only ten?"
"Yeah, just ten," Kyle nodded confidently. He had done his homework, asking around. Although there were thirteen Slytherin first-years, not all of them came from wealthy pureblood families, so ten seemed like the perfect number. Those who didn't manage to buy one would have a solid excuse to justify why they missed out.
With that confirmed, Cedric and Kyle shifted the conversation to that afternoon's Quidditch tryouts. As expected, Fred and George Weasley had joined the Gryffindor team as Beaters. Additionally, a second-year witch named Alicia Spinnet had secured a spot as a reserve player.
"This year's Gryffindor team is going to be tough to beat," Cedric said, his expression serious. "Their lineup is just too strong. I've seen Alicia train, and she's on par with our Chaser, Matt Brinton. Plus, there's Oliver Wood—the best Keeper in Hogwarts right now. His save rate is the highest among the four Keepers. It'll be hard for us to get past him."
"Really?" Kyle responded nonchalantly. "Then I guess you'll have to cheer up."
Kyle's lack of interest didn't go unnoticed, but Cedric didn't dwell on it. As a first-year without a broom, Kyle wasn't part of the team, so he wasn't as invested. He could only be a spectator, cheering from the stands.
Cedric continued discussing Slytherin's team, this time focusing on the brooms. The Slytherins had five Nimbus 1700s, which gave them a significant edge on the field. When the topic shifted to Ravenclaw, Cedric paused briefly before moving on without much comment.
"We have to give our best in every match going forward, without any mistakes," Cedric said, his tone growing more determined. "Nobody wants to end the semester in third place. That's why Harris has increased our group training sessions from three times a week to five."
His voice grew louder with passion, but Kanna, who sat nearby, seemed entirely unaffected. She stared at the parchment in front of her, lost in thought. The idea of having to approach someone tomorrow made her so nervous that she hadn't absorbed a single word Cedric had said.
In fact, during the planning session earlier, Kanna had thought about quitting countless times. Each time, though, just as the word "quit" reached the tip of her tongue, a quiet voice inside her urged her not to speak it. She didn't understand why, but in the end, she chose to listen to that voice.
Before long, Kyle and Cedric yawned and decided to head back to their dormitory for the night, leaving Kanna alone in the common room. She continued flipping through the parchment, still deep in her thoughts about the upcoming day.