In what felt like an instant, the students' wardrobes were emptied, and the dormitories fell silent, no longer filled with the chatter and laughter of young wizards. Yet, unlike at the beginning of the school year, the walls now displayed photos the students had chosen to leave behind. The Quidditch players in these pictures continued their routines, repeatedly throwing the ball, celebrating, and cheering, as though they knew their owners would be back soon.
Each student received a notice warning them not to use magic over the holidays. With Hagrid still at St. Mungo's, Professor McGonagall took over the duty of leading the students onto the flotilla that would ferry them across the lake.
On the Hogwarts Express, Kyle politely declined the Weasley twins' invitation to join them in their compartment. They wanted to discuss future plans—how to earn Galleons next term and brainstorm ideas for selling their products outside Hogwarts. Enchanted by the prospect of making even more money after their recent windfall of a hundred Galleons, the twins hadn't even bothered looking for the password to the Marauder's Map in the last days of term. They'd been too busy planning.
I hope they come up with something good, Kyle thought.
As he walked along the train, he reached the last compartment and pushed the door open. Inside, there was only one person. Kanna was curled up on a seat, gazing out the window at the orderly wheat fields passing by. Kyle sat down across from her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Are you still upset about Pocky?" he asked gently.
...
"Her name wasn't Pocky," Kanna replied softly after a long silence. "Her name was Rattrey, and she was sort of my great-aunt."
...
Kanna seemed ready to talk, and she shared a great deal. Outside, the countryside grew greener and more orderly as the train passed through one Muggle town after another. Gradually, Kyle pieced together what had happened.
It was, in essence, a story he'd heard versions of before.
Eleven years ago, Kanna's father had carelessly uttered Voldemort's name while drunk, and Death Eaters had arrived in response, killing him. Fortunately, Kanna and her mother hadn't been home at the time and had escaped. However, shortly before the school year began last year, Kanna's mother had died in an accident, leaving Kanna as the last member of the Prince family. Although the Prince family wasn't as prominent as the Sacred Twenty-Eight, it was still a distinguished Pureblood family, and this turn of events drew considerable attention.
That was when Rattrey, or "Pocky" as Kanna had known her, appeared.
After arriving, Rattrey quickly discovered that the Prince family's estate had long since been divided among other Pureblood families. So, she turned her attention to the family's Gringotts vault, aiming to steal the key by using her Animagus form. She planned to find a way to eliminate Kanna afterward and claim the vault's contents as a distant relative of the Prince family.
Rattrey did manage to locate the key. However, like many Pureblood families, the Princes had hidden treasures that were heavily protected, and the box containing the vault key could only be opened by a direct descendant. To complicate matters further, Rattrey didn't know the Imperius Curse, nor did she dare seek a partner for fear of betrayal.
Just as she was struggling to figure out a solution, Kanna—lonely and grieving—grew attached to the rat that had always been around, taking it to Hogwarts as her pet. Seeing this as an opportunity, Rattrey manipulated Kanna, subtly encouraging her to withdraw money from the vault and attempting to make her leave Hogwarts at the first opportunity.
The plan might have succeeded; if nothing had interfered, Kanna would have gone home over Christmas to access the vault. But Kyle's intervention had saved her life.
According to Kanna, after Rattrey was given Veritaserum, she had spent the entire interrogation muttering curses about "the meddling boy."
Kyle stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So, I saved your life?"
"That's right," Kanna nodded, feeling noticeably lighter after getting it all off her chest.
"Then you really should thank me," Kyle said with a grin. "And now that you don't have a pet mouse, I've lost a big tonic order, you know."
"I'll just buy more," Kanna replied, reaching into her Mokeskin pouch and placing it on the table. "Same deal as before—one bottle a month until it's used up."
The pouch was filled with Galleons. In addition to the original 100, it contained the stolen ones that had been recovered, totaling around 150.
"And the mouse?"
"I can just go to Diagon Alley and buy another one."
"Are you sure…you still want a mouse?" Kyle asked, giving her a doubtful look.
"What does it matter to you?" Kanna's face darkened slightly, clearly reminded of what had happened in the Forbidden Forest. "Are you taking the deal or not? Otherwise, I'm not buying it!"
"Who'd turn down Galleons if they're offered?" Kyle said quickly, slipping the pouch into his pocket. "By the way, like with Ra—uh, your previous mouse—are there a lot of people after your family's vault?"
Kanna turned her head to the side, remaining silent, but her expression gave Kyle all the answer he needed. In a world as small as theirs, any Pureblood family had no shortage of distant relatives eyeing their wealth. No wonder Kanna seemed reluctant to go back after exams.
"Tell you what," Kyle began thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on the table. "Forget the tonic. Since you're paying me anyway, how about I help you handle this little…situation?"
"What do you mean?" Kanna tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"Leave it to me," he replied confidently. "I promise, no one will bother you over the summer."
"Really…" Kanna eyed him skeptically, clearly doubting he could deliver. "You don't have to try to reassure me; I can deal with them."
"Just wait and see. I won't let you down." Kyle didn't elaborate further. Instead, he pulled out a pile of snacks, placing them on the table. He was starting to get hungry, and with little else available on the train, he had to make do.
At that moment, Cedric and Cho Chang appeared, pushing open the compartment door.
"Kanna, I've been looking for you," Cho said as she sat down beside Kanna, her tone full of concern. "Are you alright? Feeling any better?"
"Much better," Kanna replied with a small smile.
Actually, Cedric and Cho had been by earlier but hadn't come in.
"Kyle, what are your plans for the summer?" Cedric asked, opening a bag of Chocolate Frogs. "My dad's taking me to France. You should come along."
France? Kyle considered the idea. It was a tempting thought—he'd always been curious about Beauxbatons Academy. But it was quite far.
After a moment, Kyle shook his head. "Maybe next time, Cedric. I've got other plans this summer."
"Shame," Cedric said, sounding disappointed. "I'll bring you back a present."