The Failed Prank

After sitting down at the Hufflepuff table, Kyle inexplicably felt a wave of relief.

He'd felt uneasy before the Sorting, but now everything had settled into place, and he had finally become a true member of Hogwarts.

It was a wonderful feeling.

Kyle leaned against the table, propped his chin on his left hand, and watched the rest of the Sorting at his leisure as he waited for the feast to begin.

After the unusually long Sorting, quite a few people in the Great Hall were now looking at Kyle curiously.

Quite a few witches watched Kyle and Cedric sitting together, laughing and chatting. Then they glanced at the classmates beside them, gritting their teeth so hard they nearly cracked them.

Damn it, why did all the handsome guys end up in Hufflepuff? This wasn't fair!

At the Gryffindor table, Fred and George were also grinding their teeth in frustration.

"Why did Kyle end up in Hufflepuff!" Fred thumped his thigh in dismay. "Now we can't use the welcome prank we prepared so carefully!"

"Don't say another word, Fred. Give me a moment to process this." George scratched his head. "Honestly, I could've accepted it if Kyle had ended up in Slytherin, but Hufflepuff... How is that possible?"

"Exactly!" Fred nodded. "Kyle's loyal? Kind? Has the Sorting Hat gone senile?"

Just as Fred and George fell silent, a first-year who'd just been sorted into Gryffindor happened to sit in the empty seat beside them.

The next second...

"Aaah!"

The scream rang through the Great Hall, drawing everyone's attention at once.

The Gryffindor first-year sprang more than three feet into the air like a startled Patronus Frog, then clutched his backside and ran around wildly.

He wailed as he ran.

Only then did everyone notice the round object attached to his behind.

About the size of a Quidditch Bludger, it had a mouth full of sharp teeth clamped tightly onto the first-year's backside.

"Wait, why does that ball look familiar?" Fred, who'd been watching the commotion, seemed to suddenly remember something. He turned to George. "You didn't put away the Biting Ball, did you?"

George froze. "No. I thought you'd already put it away."

They looked at each other, then both turned toward a spot on their left—the seat where the first-year had just been sitting.

It was, without a doubt, empty.

"Oh, damn." Fred clutched his hair, looking heartbroken. "That was all our savings."

The Biting Ball was a new prank item Fred and George had bought for a high price at Zonko's Joke Shop. It could disguise itself as an ordinary cushion and be left anywhere.

It was just a little expensive, costing three Galleons, which was no small sum for Fred and George.

But when they thought about Kyle being sorted that day, they gritted their teeth, spent all their savings, and bought one, planning to give their new little brother an unforgettable surprise.

To make sure no one noticed anything suspicious, they'd set everything up while Kyle was wearing the Sorting Hat, placing the cushion on an empty seat beside them.

That way, if Kyle was sorted into Gryffindor, they could lead him right into the trap.

Even if he ended up in another house, it wouldn't matter. It was just a cushion, and they could easily retrieve it.

Everything had been perfect.

Unfortunately, no plan survived contact with reality. They'd never imagined Kyle would be sorted into the house they considered least likely—Hufflepuff. And in their shock, they'd forgotten to retrieve the "cushion" right away.

And that was how they'd ended up with the scene before them.

"Fred, do you think we can still get that Biting Ball back?" George watched the first-year's retreating back, his heart bleeding.

That had been three Galleons! Enough to buy a whole box of Dungbombs. How could they not feel the loss?

Fred watched Professor McGonagall walking toward the first-year and said helplessly, "I don't think we're getting it back."

With that, they both sighed.

Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall had reached the first-year. She casually removed the Biting Ball, then checked the young wizard over.

He wasn't hurt, and there wasn't a single tear in his robes. It was a textbook magical prank.

Recognizing the familiar method and the tool used, Professor McGonagall immediately identified the culprits without needing to think. She turned and glared at the twins.

But the Sorting wasn't over yet, so she couldn't say much. After announcing, "Gryffindor loses twenty points," she turned and walked back to the platform.

The first-year had been badly frightened. Percy brought him back, and he carefully checked himself three times before sitting down at the table again, satisfied that everything was fine.

Nearby, Kyle watched Fred and George looking crestfallen. He made no effort to hide his amusement, slowly raising his middle finger at them.

Kyle would swear on Ron's honor that the biting ball had definitely been prepared for him by those two.

Now that Professor McGonagall had caught them, he could only say that they'd gotten what they deserved.

"No way, George. Kyle's getting too cocky," Fred said, his face red with anger.

Other people might not know what that gesture meant, but he did.

For the past eleven years, whenever Kyle mocked them, he'd raise his middle finger. Fred knew exactly what Kyle meant just now.

"Don't worry, Fred. As long as Kyle's still at Hogwarts, we'll get another chance."

Like Fred, George was furious. Even his ears had turned red.

But the problem was that they really couldn't do anything to Kyle right now. And with Professor McGonagall's deadly stare fixed on them, they didn't dare cause trouble. All they could do was return Kyle's middle finger in retaliation.

Out of sight, out of mind.

They temporarily suppressed their urge for revenge and both turned away, doing their best not to look at Kyle's infuriating face.

Kyle didn't care about their gesture.

They were just two red-haired losers making one last stand. He wasn't about to take it seriously.

Besides, Kyle knew Fred and George wouldn't let things rest. They were probably already figuring out how to get even.

But so what?

In the past eleven years, he'd almost never lost a battle against the Weasley Twins.

The few times he had lost were when he was still too young, and Charlie had shamelessly used his size to bully him. That was how they'd managed to claw back a win.

Now Charlie was completely tied up with his graduation exams and Quidditch. He didn't have time to look after them.

Without Charlie, who could the twins rely on?

Ron?

If that was the case, dealing with them would be even easier.

With such an impressive record behind him, Kyle had nothing to fear.