The adults' usual attempts to pull the wool over someone's eyes definitely wouldn't fool Kyle, but they hadn't come away empty-handed. At the very least, they'd thoroughly frightened Ron and Ginny.
Ron especially. When the topic first came up, he'd been quite interested, listening eagerly and hoping to get some experience under his belt before starting school next year.
But the more he heard, the worse his face looked.
Trolls, ghosts, Hippogriffs, and things like that were one thing. They might sound absurd, but if he just turned and ran when the time came, he'd probably have a chance of surviving. After all, the Hogwarts professors weren't there for decoration.
But what was this about a Dragon?
A XXXXX-level Fantastic Beast! Even an adult wizard might not survive an encounter with one, let alone an eleven-year-old. The professors probably wouldn't even have finished casting their spells before it sneezed him into ashes.
Was this really school?
Ron was utterly despondent. He even briefly considered running away from home. He didn't want to go to Hogwarts anymore. He really didn't. He just wanted to stay alive.
Ginny wasn't much better.
Her little face had gone deathly pale, and even her lovely red hair seemed to have lost some of its brightness.
"What's wrong, Ginny?"
Seeing this from across the table, Kyle asked with concern, "Why aren't you eating? Don't you feel well?"
"N-no, I'm fine."
Ginny clearly didn't want to admit to her family that she'd been frightened. When Kyle looked her way, she quickly shook her head and said, "I'm just full."
A nine-year-old girl didn't have much of an appetite to begin with, and she'd already eaten half a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Ginny really had eaten just about as much as she could manage.
She was about eighty percent full, at the point where she could take it or leave it. But the sudden talk about the Sorting Ceremony had wiped out what little appetite she had left.
"Oh, I see. What a shame."
Kyle didn't think anything of it. He simply stood up and calmly transferred the untouched grilled fish from Ginny's plate to his own.
Grilled fish wasn't like other food. If it sat for too long, it lost much of its flavour, which would be a real waste. He might as well eat it himself.
It was also worth mentioning that Mrs. Weasley was an excellent cook when it came to grilled fish. It was one of her signature dishes.
But she had a whole family to look after every day, and picking bones out of fish was a bit of a nuisance. So usually, they only got to enjoy her cooking on important holidays.
Of course, part of the reason was that fish was rather expensive in the Wizarding World.
In any case, Kyle had been craving it for ages. There was no way he'd let such a delicious dish go to waste.
Ginny knew that too, so she didn't stop him.
She'd originally planned to save the grilled fish for last and savour it slowly. But after learning that she'd have to face a Dragon in just two years, how could she possibly feel like eating? All she could do was watch, heartbroken, as Kyle stuffed her fish into his mouth.
In the end, she simply turned away so she wouldn't have to see it.
At the same time, Fred and George sighed in unison beside them.
They'd had their eyes on that grilled fish for ages too, but Kyle had moved so fast that they hadn't even had a chance to make a grab for it.
The disappointed twins turned their attention to Ron.
Unfortunately, Ron didn't have Ginny's habit of saving food. His grilled fish had long since been reduced to bones, and he'd picked them clean enough that even a Flobberworm would have slipped on them.
"What's wrong, Ron? Are you scared of Dragons?" Fred narrowed his eyes. While hiding his true intentions, he even showed some rare concern for Ron's state of mind. He patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. They only have Dragons for one year. By the time you start school, they'll probably have switched to another Fantastic Beast."
"I think it'll be spiders," George added at once. "I saw some in the Forbidden Forest. Every one of them was about as big as a Gnome. Maybe Hagrid's getting them ready for the Sorting Ceremony."
"No!"
Ron was beside himself. Panic surged in his eyes, and he instinctively dropped his cutlery and screamed as he ran back to The Burrow.
Ron had clearly been scared out of his wits. He didn't even notice how wickedly the twins were grinning as he fled.
Still, the twins didn't get off scot-free.
"George, what were you doing in the Forbidden Forest?"
Mrs. Weasley had immediately spotted the crucial detail. She looked sternly at the twins. "I don't remember Hogwarts allowing first-years into the Forbidden Forest."
"Mum, I can explain..."
Fred and George tried to run, but as second-years, they clearly weren't a match for Mrs. Weasley. She caught them in no time.
Then came the familiar scene of motherly love and filial devotion.
This had happened countless times over the past eleven years, but Kyle still watched with great interest. It even improved his appetite.
Kyle had no doubt that the twins had been to the Forbidden Forest, but the bit about the spiders had probably been made up to scare Ron. He just hadn't expected to accidentally hit the mark.
After all, the Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest were hardly harmless little critters. If the twins had really run into them, they'd probably have settled down in the forest by now.
Besides, Kyle remembered that the Acromantula colony was deep in the Forbidden Forest. Fred and George couldn't have gone that far.
The twins weren't Harry Potter. They liked pulling pranks, not tempting fate.
Another twenty minutes or so passed, and dinner was nearly over. There'd been a little interruption along the way, but all in all, everyone had enjoyed themselves.
At least Kyle had.
After tidying up the table, Percy went upstairs to study.
Ron, who'd packed a little bundle and tried to run away from home, had been caught red-handed. He'd taken the twins' place and was now being chased around the yard by Mrs. Weasley.
Meanwhile, Mr. Weasley and Chris had moved elsewhere to continue their conversation.
"Chris, you were laying it on too thick earlier."
Inside The Burrow, Mr. Weasley said regretfully, "It's only the Sorting Ceremony. How could there possibly be a Dragon? Little Kyle's so clever; he must have known we were trying to fool him."
"No, Arthur, you're wrong. In fact, this plan was doomed to fail from the start."
Chris shook his head and said helplessly, "Ever since he was three, Kyle has spent at least two months a year with Mr. Scamander. Do you think he'd be afraid of Trolls and Hippogriffs?
"Besides, Arthur, haven't you forgotten that Kyle's surname is Chopper too?"
"Uh..." Mr. Weasley froze for a moment, then scratched his head awkwardly. "You mean he can talk to Fantastic Beasts, just like you?"
"Of course." Chris nodded. "So he couldn't possibly be afraid of Hippogriffs. I suppose only Dragons could make him nervous."
Mr. Weasley glanced at Chris and said enviously, "What an incredible ability. I wish I could talk to those Muggle objects too."
"???"
Chris was momentarily at a loss for words. He gave an awkward laugh. "It's not as impressive as you think. That talent only works with Fantastic Beasts. It doesn't work with ordinary animals like rats, toads, and owls. You can only guess what they mean based on experience."
Chris's meaning was clear: even if Mr. Weasley somehow used some bizarre magic to change his surname to Chopper one day, he'd still only be able to exchange a few words with things like Floo Powder or the Golden Snitch.
As for a bread maker or a car... give it up. It's impossible. Don't even think about it!
Before you continue