After returning from Diagon Alley, Kyle put his worries aside and enjoyed the last stretch of his holiday, eagerly testing out his new broom. Finally, after a year, he had his own. It wasn't the outdated Nimbus 1700 or a budget Cleansweep model, but the Nimbus 2000—a sleek, cutting-edge broom that had only been on the market for a month and was already a sensation across the wizarding world.
The Nimbus 2000 was a birthday gift from Diana and Chris, though Kyle had only recently retrieved it from his room, where it had waited for him during his stay in Dorset. And as soon as he took it for a flight, he could see why professional teams had scrambled to acquire it. Fast, stable, and extraordinarily responsive, it moved with a mere touch, shifting smoothly in whatever direction he needed. With the Nimbus 2000, Kyle even managed to beat the Weasley twins in the St. Catchpole Village Quidditch Tournament—despite being outnumbered two to one.
On the second day, Cedric finally returned from France and eagerly joined Kyle's team. Now it was two against two. Needless to say, Fred and George suffered an inevitable defeat.
"This isn't fair!" George groaned, eyeing the old Cleansweep in his hands. "The broom difference is just too big! If we had a Nimbus 2000… or even a Nimbus 1500, you wouldn't stand a chance."
"That's not the main problem, George," Fred said, patting his twin on the shoulder. "We're starting school soon, and this year, Kyle will definitely be on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Not exactly good news for us Gryffindors."
"Yeah… you're right." George slumped onto the ground, visibly deflated. He understood all too well what Fred meant.
With Kyle on board, Hufflepuff's team could easily maintain its strength. But Gryffindor faced a different situation. With Charlie's graduation, they had struggled to find a skilled Seeker to take his place. The Seeker position was unique—it required extraordinary talent, a rare quality not easily found. Cedric, for example, had shown exceptional promise as early as his second year—a rare case even in all of Hogwarts.
Lee Jordan had some potential, though not at Cedric's level. But Lee was set on becoming a Quidditch commentator, leaving Gryffindor without a replacement Seeker. Sharing a glance, Fred and George let out a mutual sigh, resigned to the challenges that lay ahead.
And with that, summer vacation sped by in no time. On September 1st, Mr. Weasley was once again there to see them off to King's Cross Station. Amid the bustling platform, Kyle cast a few glances around, as if searching for someone specific. He hadn't spotted any bespectacled boys, though. Had he come at the wrong time? He wondered for a moment, then dismissed the thought.
Just then, Mrs. Weasley spoke up. "Alright, now, which platform is it?"
"9 ¾!" Ginny answered eagerly before anyone else. "Mum, can I go?"
"You're still too young, Ginny. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Mrs. Weasley chided gently before glancing to her side. "Percy, you go first."
Percy gave a curt nod and strode confidently toward the platform entrance, disappearing without a word.
"Kyle, your turn."
Kyle nodded and followed them onto the platform, which was already bustling with people. Groups of friends had gathered, chatting in clusters about their summer adventures.
"Sorry, Kyle," Percy, who was leading the way, turned back to him. "I need to head to the prefects' compartment right away. Prefects are responsible for maintaining order on the train, and there's plenty of preparation to do." As he spoke, he adjusted the gold-and-red badge pinned to his chest with a touch of pride. Percy had achieved his ambition of becoming a Gryffindor prefect, and he'd been talking about it non-stop for weeks.
"Of course, go ahead," Kyle replied. "I'll wait here for Fred and George."
"See you at school," Percy said, giving his badge one last polish before heading off toward the train with his luggage in tow.
Kyle waited, glancing around the platform. For some reason, Fred and George were taking longer than expected. When they finally appeared, Fred had a broad grin on his face.
"We got delayed by a young witch who was completely lost," he explained. "Right after you and Percy went through, Mum spotted her asking a Muggle where platform nine and three-quarters was."
George added, "She was absolutely insistent. Kept saying there had to be a platform with a 'nine' on it."
"The Muggle was livid," Fred chuckled. "When we came through, he was muttering about people wasting his time."
A young girl asking for platform nine and three-quarters? Kyle's mind paused, wondering if Harry Potter could be here too. But just then, two more people entered the platform, one after the other.
The first was a man who looked about the same age as Chris. He wore a well-tailored dark suit, his hair meticulously styled, and he surveyed the platform with curiosity, finally settling his gaze on the gleaming red Hogwarts Express. A girl followed him, dragging a large suitcase behind her. She had a mane of thick, slightly untidy brown hair.
The moment he saw her, the man held out his hand. "Here, dear, let me take your case."
"No, Dad, I'm fine," she replied, shaking her head. "I cast a spell on it before we left. It's not as heavy as it looks. I mean, I did pack all my textbooks in here."
"Yes, Hermione, but…" The man glanced at the suitcase, clearly unconvinced. After all, he'd carried it down the stairs at King's Cross, and from the weight of it, it didn't seem her spell had lightened it much.
"Just a sec, Dad." At that, the girl noticed Kyle and the twins nearby. She walked over and smiled at Fred and George. "Thanks for helping me find the platform."
"You're welcome," Fred replied with a grin.
"No problem at all," George added, shrugging as if it were nothing.
"No, really, if you hadn't helped, I'd probably still be wandering around," the girl insisted, shaking her head. "I've memorized all my textbooks, but there's no mention anywhere about how to find the platform. Anyway, I'm Hermione Granger. What are your names?"
"Fred Weasley."
"And George Weasley."