"Wait, you can also brew others pet tonics?" Cedric's eyes lit up at Kyle's revelation. "Then could I leave my owl's tonic to you in the future?"
"Of course," Kyle replied, glancing at the gray wood owl perched on the shelf. "But owls need more complex tonics than rats. I'd have to charge nine Sickles. And don't say it's too expensive—that's the market price. My recipe comes straight from Newt, and the tonic is much better than what you'd find in Diagon Alley. It's definitely worth it."
"Hmmm..." Cedric nodded thoughtfully. It was true that in Diagon Alley, even the cheapest owl tonic cost around nine Sickles, with higher-quality ones reaching a Galleon. If Kyle's tonic was really based on a recipe from Scamander, it was certainly a fair price.
"Can't you make it a bit cheaper?" Cedric asked, a little sheepishly. "We're friends, right? There's got to be a discount."
Truth be told, Cedric really wanted to buy several bottles right away, but as a second-year student with limited pocket money, he was strapped for cash. While Hogwarts covered room and board, the cost of school supplies like quills, ink, and parchment added up. Throw in personal expenses, and there wasn't much left by the end of each term. Sure, he could scrimp and save, but no one wanted to be known as the cheapskate.
Facing Cedric's hopeful gaze, Kyle rubbed his chin, pretending to think. "Well, you're right. We're friends, so I can't exactly charge you the full market price."
Cedric's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Right?"
"Tell you what..." Kyle paused dramatically, holding up one finger. "You only have to pay this much."
"One Sickle?" Cedric asked, eyes wide with hope.
Kyle shook his head. "No, one Galleon."
Cedric's smile froze, and his tone became incredulous. "One Galleon?! Is that supposed to be a discount?"
"Yep, a 20% discount," Kyle said, completely serious. "Think about it—apart from those rich Slytherin kids, who else at Hogwarts is willing to pay Galleons for owl tonic? My market's small, Cedric. Now that I've got a loyal customer, I'm sure to rake in some real profit."
Cedric stared at Kyle, dumbfounded. His eye twitched as he tried to process the sheer audacity of the situation. How could Kyle be so shameless? And say it so boldly, with justification? Did he even have a moral compass as a wizard?
Cedric was trembling with frustration. He took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "Kyle, you'll end up in Azkaban someday."
"I hope so," Kyle replied, completely unfazed, raising an eyebrow. "So, do you still want the owl tonic?"
"Yes..." Cedric muttered, nearly choking on the word.
Just as he was about to pull out the money, the carriage door slid open once more.
A small figure entered the compartment nervously—a very pretty young girl with brown hair tied into two pigtails. Her round face still had a touch of baby fat, and she looked like a fellow first-year student.
Kyle and Cedric exchanged glances.
Is she here to see you? Cedric's expression seemed to ask.
I don't know her! Kyle's look answered back.
Without saying a word, they somehow managed to communicate perfectly, as their thoughts mirrored one another.
After catching on to Cedric's teasing look, Kyle turned his attention back to the girl and asked doubtfully, "Did she get on the wrong train?"
The girl seemed nervous, visibly shrinking back at the question. For a moment, it looked like she was about to run off, but she held her ground, shaking her head. "No, I didn't get on the wrong train. I... I was looking for you."
"For me?" Kyle was even more confused now. He was sure he had never met the girl before. Ignoring Cedric's growing amusement, Kyle asked, "What do you need me for?"
He took a closer look at her, still trying to figure out if there was any chance he knew her. She didn't resemble anyone from his family, especially not Chris, so he quickly ruled out any wild ideas—like suddenly discovering he had a younger sister he didn't know about.
The girl's voice was soft and hesitant. "I overheard your conversation in the hallway just now..."
Her cheeks flushed as she hurriedly continued, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop! It was an accident—the red-haired senior forgot to close the door."
Kyle waved it off. "It's fine. Go on."
The Hogwarts Express wasn't exactly known for its soundproofing. Even if the door had been closed, you could still hear the noise from the corridor, and they hadn't been particularly quiet when Percy had shown up. It wasn't surprising at all that someone might overhear them.
The girl sighed in relief, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a large, gray rat.
Kyle blinked, feeling a sudden sense of déjà vu. Didn't I just see this happen? It was exactly how Percy had pulled out Scabbers a few minutes ago. The same movement, and even the same species of rat.
Is this déjà vu, or am I stuck in a loop? he wondered, his thoughts spinning as he instinctively inspected the rat to make sure it wasn't another Animagus. Thankfully, it had all its paws and seemed like a regular rat, so he relaxed.
Kyle mentally shook himself. Not every rat is an illegal Animagus like Peter Pettigrew, he reminded himself. There's only one lunatic like him.
After calming down, Kyle had a pretty good idea of why the girl had come. He tentatively asked, "So, you're looking to buy some rat tonic from me?"
The girl's face lit up with hope as she nodded. Her large, watery eyes looked at Kyle expectantly. "I've tried all kinds of remedies from Diagon Alley, but... none of them seem to work."
"Of course, I can help with that," Kyle said, flashing a friendly smile now that he realized she was a potential customer. "Just give me a second."
He turned to rummage through his bag for the tonic. "By the way, I'm Kyle Chopper, first year. You can call me Kyle."
"K... Kanna," the girl stammered softly, her round face flushing slightly. "Kanna Prince."