Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
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After sitting down at the Hufflepuff table, Kyle felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
He had always felt uneasy before the sorting, but now that everything was settled, he had finally become a member of Hogwarts in the true sense of the word.
This feeling was amazing.
Kyle leaned on the table, supporting his chin with his left hand, and leisurely watched the upcoming sorting while waiting for the dinner to begin.
Because of the extremely long sorting just now, many people in the hall were now looking at Kyle curiously.
Many witches looked at Kyle and Cedric who were sitting together, talking and laughing, and then turned to look at the classmates around them, and they almost bit their back teeth off.
Damn it, why do all the handsome guys go to Hufflepuff? This is not fair!
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And at the Gryffindor table, Fred and George also almost bit their back teeth off.
"Why did Kyle go to Hufflepuff?" Fred pounded his thigh in frustration. "That way, we'll have to go through with all our elaborate welcome!"
"Stop it, Fred. Give me a break." George scratched his head. "Honestly, I could accept Kyle going to Slytherin, but Hufflepuff... how could that be possible?"
"Yeah!" Fred nodded. "Kyle is loyal? Kind? Has the Sorting Hat lost its mind?"
Just as Fred and George fell silent, a first year who had just been sorted into Gryffindor took the empty seat next to them.
The next moment...
"Ouch!"
A scream echoed through the hall, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
Like a startled guardian tree frog, the Gryffindor first year leaped over three feet high and began running around, clutching his butt, wailing as he ran.
Only then did everyone see that something round was hanging from his back.
About the size of a Quidditch Bludger, its jaws, studded with sharp teeth, were firmly clenched on the first year's butt.
"Wait, that ball looks familiar," Fred, who was watching the show, seemed to suddenly remember something and turned to ask,
"George, didn't you put the biting ball away?"
George paused. "No, I thought you did."
The two exchanged glances, then simultaneously glanced to the seat to the left, where the first year had just sat.
Unsurprisingly, it was empty.
"Oh, damn," Fred scratched his hair with a look of distress. "That's all our savings."
The biting ball was a new prop Fred and George had bought at great expense from Zonko's Joke Shop. It could be placed anywhere, disguised as an ordinary cushion.
It was a bit pricey, costing three Galleons, a considerable sum for Fred and George.
But with Kyle's Sorting scheduled for today, they gritted their teeth and spent their entire savings on it, ready to give their junior a memorable surprise.
In order to avoid being discovered, they even arranged everything in advance when Kyle put on the Sorting Hat, and placed the cushion on an empty seat next to him.
This way, if Kyle was sorted into Gryffindor, they could naturally lure him into the trap.
Even if he was sorted into another house, it didn't matter, it was just a cushion, they could easily take it back.
Everything was so perfect.
Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. They never expected that Kyle would be sorted into Hufflepuff, which they thought was the most unlikely house. Because of the shock, the two did not take the "cushion" back immediately.
As a result, the scene before them happened.
"Fred, do you think we can get that bite ball back?" George's heart ached as he watched the first year's back.
That was three Galleons! If it were exchanged for dung balls, it could buy a whole box. How could he not feel bad?
Fred looked at Professor McGonagall, who was walking towards the first year, and said helplessly, "I guess we can't get it back."
With that, they both sighed.
Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall had already reached the first year. She casually removed the bite ball, then examined the young wizard.
There were no injuries, and no signs of damage to his robes. It was a standard magical trick.
Seeing the familiar technique and tools, Professor McGonagall instantly identified the culprit and glared at the twins.
However, since the Sorting wasn't over yet, she couldn't say much. She simply said, "Twenty points deduction from Gryffindor," and returned to the stage.
The first year was also terrified. After being brought back by Percy, he carefully checked himself three times, only returning to his seat at the table after being sure everything was alright.
Not far away, Kyle watched the scowling Fred and George, his laughter barely concealed as he slowly raised his middle finger.
Kyle swore on Ron's integrity that the biting ball had been 100% prepared for him by those two.
Now that Professor McGonagall had discovered it, it was all just comeuppance.
"No, George, Kyle's being too arrogant." Fred's face flushed in anger. While others didn't know what the gesture meant, he did.
For the past eleven years, Kyle had always raised his middle finger whenever he taunted them, so he knew exactly what Kyle meant.
"Don't worry, Fred. As long as Kyle's at Hogwarts, we still have a chance."
Like Fred, George was furious, his ears red.
But the problem was that they really couldn't do anything to Kyle right now, and they didn't dare to provoke him under Professor McGonagall's death stare. They could only retaliate by giving Kyle the finger.
Out of sight, out of mind.
The two men suppressed their desire for revenge for the moment, turning their heads away, trying not to look at Kyle's infuriating face.
Kyle paid them no mind. It was just a last-ditch stand by two red-haired losers; he wouldn't take it seriously. And Kyle knew Fred and George wouldn't let it go. They were probably already plotting revenge .
But so what?
For the past eleven years, he'd almost never lost his battle with the Weasley twins.
The few times they'd won were due to his own youth, and Charlie's shameless bullying had allowed them to pull off a comeback.
Charlie was already swamped with final exams and Quidditch, so he had no time for them.
Without Charlie, who would the twins turn to for support?
Ron?
If that were the case, then dealing with them would be even easier.
So, with his glorious record before him, Kyle had nothing to fear.
[End of the chapter]