Professor McGonagall didn't stay long. She soon returned to her office.
But the moment she stepped out of the Great Hall, the Hufflepuff badgers let loose. The quiet dining table instantly turned into a bustling marketplace.
They gathered in groups of two and three, imitating the pitiful expressions the Weasley brothers had worn earlier, then laughed so hard they slapped the table.
Even Kanna, who was usually shy and introverted, had her head lowered and her little shoulders shaking. She clearly couldn't hold it in either.
Kyle was dumbstruck.
Good grief, they were all such good actors. If anyone ever told him again that Hufflepuffs were all honest, simple kids, Kyle would give them a good slap to knock some sense into them.
Of course, he himself was an exception.
After lunch, the little witches and wizards began streaming out of the Great Hall, but Kyle was once again stopped at the entrance.
This time, though, it wasn't the Weasleys. It was a familiar-looking Asian girl.
"Hello, I'm Cho Chang from Ravenclaw. Could I have a moment of your time?"
Cho offered her hand openly.
"Kyle Chopper."
Kyle offered his hand too, and they briefly shook.
Afterward, he instinctively glanced at Cedric, but Cedric showed no reaction. He simply introduced himself before stepping aside to wait for Kyle.
Just as he had when they'd run into the Weasley brothers earlier.
That made sense. They probably didn't know each other yet, and Cho Chang was only eleven. Cedric wouldn't make a move on her at a time like this, no matter what.
Azkaban had never had any age restrictions.
Kyle shook his head, amused, then turned to Cho. "What can I do for you?"
"I'd like to copy your map. Would that be all right?" Cho asked. "I can pay for it."
"The map?"
Kyle looked at Cedric, as if asking what he thought.
Cedric understood, but since he hadn't learned the skill of communicating with his eyes, he could only shrug to show that the map had nothing to do with him now, and Kyle could decide for himself.
Tsk. Good students really were good students. They didn't even know how to communicate with their eyes.
Weak.
Kyle mocked the "unlearned" Cedric in his mind, but his expression didn't change in the slightest.
"No need to pay." Kyle took out the map and handed it to Cho. "You helped Ryan and Mikel earlier, and they're my roommates. Think of this as a thank-you."
"So they're your roommates."
At Kyle's words, Cho recalled the two first-years she'd met that morning. She took the map and smiled. "I have to say, your roommates are really something. They somehow managed to miss every correct staircase.
"Seriously, I watched them for five minutes, and they didn't get it right once. They just kept going around in circles on the three wrong staircases."
As she spoke, Cho couldn't help covering her mouth and laughing. "Sorry, I'm not making fun of them. I just think it's, well... amazing."
Kyle's face reddened. He didn't dare continue the topic, and awkwardly pointed at the map. "The routes on this map are all connected to the Hufflepuff Common Room. It might not be that useful to Ravenclaw."
"That's fine," Cho said, shaking her head. "Once you know the exact locations of the classrooms, the routes are easy to find.
"Geminio Charm."
Her wand movement was a little clumsy, but she still managed to copy the map.
"Phew, thank goodness. I thought I was going to embarrass myself." Cho returned the original map to Kyle, looking rather pleased with herself. "I kept failing when I practiced before. I can't believe it worked on the first try this time."
She knew she might embarrass herself and still tried it anyway? Were all Ravenclaws so determined?
If it had been Ryan... Well, there was no need to imagine. Ryan had been pestering Kyle throughout lunch, saying he didn't want to copy the map and wanted a duplicate too.
Just look at the difference.
And most Hufflepuff first-years were pretty much the same.
Before Kyle arrived, Cedric—the undisputed top student in their second year—was probably the only little wizard Hufflepuff could show off as its poster child.
Kyle had reason to suspect that Professor Sprout had bribed the Sorting Hat during last year's Sorting.
Of course, she might have bribed it with herbs instead.
But speaking of Cedric...
Kyle glanced at Cho, who was happily holding the map, and casually asked, "Does Ravenclaw have a similar map?"
Cho thought for a moment. "Maybe, but I've never seen one."
"I see. I hadn't seen one before either. Cedric gave this one to me." Kyle deliberately glanced to the side, then continued, "Are there any other Ravenclaw first-years who might need a map like this?"
Hmm?
Cho seemed to have guessed what Kyle meant. She asked tentatively, "Are you thinking of selling the maps to them?"
"Exactly. I was thinking about it." Kyle made no attempt to hide his intentions. "What do you think? Would it work?"
"It could work, but the price probably can't be too high." Cho held up her hands. "Ten Sickles is the most I can afford. If it costs more than that, even by a single Knut, I won't buy it. I expect the other first-years will feel about the same."
"That's fine. Ten Sickles it is." Kyle didn't mind. "It's not much effort, so I'll just treat it as pocket money."
"Then you'll have to hurry," Cho warned him. "For Ravenclaws, this map is only valuable during the week before term starts. And the longer you wait, the lower the price. By tomorrow, it'll probably only be worth nine Sickles."
"That's plenty." Kyle smiled and held out his hand to Cho. "Interested in joining me? I'll provide the maps, and you can promote them and handle the actual sales. We'll split the profits."
Cho was surprised, but she quickly understood. She shook Kyle's hand. "Of course. I'm very interested."
Cho did a quick calculation. Ravenclaw had sixteen first-years, fifteen besides her. Even if only a third of them bought a map, she'd still make twenty-five Sickles.
For a first-year like her, that was already a small fortune. Of course she didn't want to miss out.
Besides, all she had to do was run around and say a few words. That couldn't be easier.
Kyle nodded. "Then it's settled. I'll leave the Ravenclaw side to you."
"No problem. I'll head back now. There should be plenty of first-years in the common room at this hour."
Since her pocket money was at stake, Cho took it very seriously. After saying goodbye to the two boys, she hurried off to the Ravenclaw tower.
Before you continue