Chris and Diana had been called to the Ministry unexpectedly, so Kyle ended up having lunch at the Weasley residence. Mrs. Weasley, who hadn't seen him for over two weeks, was delighted to have him over and insisted on piling his plate high with seven or eight sausages and filling his bowl three times with rice. By the end of the meal, Kyle was too full to move.
"Fancy helping us de-gnome the garden?" Fred asked enthusiastically. "We're official Quidditch Beaters now, so we can definitely beat you at it."
"Maybe next time," Kyle replied, shaking his head as he pulled a yellow envelope from his pocket. "I've got to head to Diagon Alley to pick up supplies for the new semester."
"Oh, that's right—you haven't gotten your school things yet!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, bustling over from the kitchen. "Just a moment, dear. We'll come along with you."
"No need, Mrs. Weasley," Kyle said with a smile. "Most of the second-year supplies are the same as the first year's. I only need a few things like parchment and ink, so I'll be back quickly."
Mrs. Weasley hesitated, glancing at him with slight concern.
"It's fine, Mum," Fred reassured her. "We'll go with him."
"Yes, Mum," George added. "We'll make sure he's all set."
"All right, then," Mrs. Weasley relented. But she shot the twins a warning look. "Come straight back once you're done, and don't go wandering into any shady places with Kyle."
Fred gasped, feigning shock. "Shady places? Mum, you know nothing about us."
"To be honest, it's as if you hardly know us at all," George chimed in, putting on a look of injured innocence.
While the twins were talking to Mrs. Weasley, Kyle suddenly noticed Ron sitting nearby... and the wand he kept holding in his hand.
He had seen this wand last semester at Charlie's, and it was very worn, with even the unicorn hair exposed. Kyle suddenly remembered something and looked up, saying, "Mrs. Weasley, you've misunderstood Fred and George."
The twins nodded vigorously at Kyle's words, giving a silent thumbs-up behind their backs. But Kyle, acting as if he hadn't seen their gesture, continued, "They followed me to Diagon Alley because they actually wanted to buy Ron a new wand."
"Hmmm... hmmm?" Fred and George nodded halfway through, then suddenly froze, turning to look at Kyle in disbelief. Ron, who was sitting nearby, was also stunned.
'Merlin, Fred and George... want to buy me a new wand?' Ron thought, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. But then, a wave of elation washed over him. He wanted a new wand so badly that he had even been dreaming of shopping for one at Ollivander's over the past few days.
Unfortunately, despite the family's recent increase in wealth, Mrs. Weasley had refused to let him buy a new wand, insisting that the Galleons belonged to the twins and she was merely holding them for safekeeping. Unexpectedly...
Ron looked at his two brothers with red-rimmed eyes, his face brimming with emotion, as if he might burst into tears at any moment. Fred and George, meanwhile, looked utterly dazed. When had they ever said they'd buy Ron a new wand? Wasn't this a pure waste of Galleons? Ron was only in his first year; surely he could make do with Charlie's old wand.
However, out of trust in Kyle, the twins hesitated and refrained from contradicting him.
"Yes... yes, Mum," said Fred, gritting his teeth. "We did want to get Ron a new wand."
George took a deep breath and forced a dry smile. "We just didn't say anything because we were afraid you'd object."
"My dear, why would I object?" Mrs. Weasley's eyes grew a bit misty as she stepped forward and hugged Fred and George warmly. "I'm so glad you feel that way. George is right; I don't know you nearly as well as I should."
"I'm Fred, Mum," George corrected, blushing slightly. 'You've got us wrong again.'
"I'm sorry, Fred, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, releasing him and smiling. "By the way, would you wait a moment?" With that, she went upstairs.
The twins immediately turned to Kyle, their expressions full of confusion. Kyle shook his head imperceptibly, signaling for patience.
Soon, Mrs. Weasley returned, holding a small bag. "Here are your Galleons," she said, handing it to George, who was closest to her. "I was worried you were still too young and might spend all your Galleons in a hurry, but now it seems you've really grown up. Take it; you can't buy a wand without it."
George couldn't resist opening the bag and found nearly thirty golden Galleons inside. A flicker of disappointment crossed the twins' faces—they had expected all the Galleons, not just thirty.
Mrs. Weasley immediately caught on to George's expression and said sternly, "What, not enough? Forget it, then." She made as if to take the bag back.
George stepped back quickly, shaking his head. "Of course not, Mum, how could we possibly say that's not enough?"
As if afraid she might change her mind, George walked straight up to the fireplace, clutching the bag with one hand and a handful of Floo powder with the other. "We're running out of time; we have to go."
With that, he threw the Floo powder into the fireplace and stepped in. "Diagon Alley!" he announced, vanishing in a whirl of green flames.
In a flash, Fred and Kyle followed right behind him.
When Kyle opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in front of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron. Fred and George flanked him on either side, both speaking in hurried, indignant whispers.
"When did we say we were going to buy Ron a wand?" Fred hissed.
"We need an explanation, Kyle," George added, his face pinched with disbelief. "Seven Galleons for a wand—that's enough to buy a hundred fat-lipped Toffees!"
"Calm down! But aren't you at least a bit curious?" Kyle said, leaning in conspiratorially. "Have you ever wondered why Ollivander's Wand Shop is so... messy?"
The twins exchanged a quick glance, their initial irritation slowly giving way to intrigue. Kyle leaned closer and whispered something into their ears. As they listened, their eyes began to gleam with interest, though a trace of doubt lingered.
Fred frowned, still hesitant. "But seven Galleons for a wand... Isn't that a bit of a waste?"
"Don't worry about it," Kyle replied with a grin. "I'll cover the cost—as a going-away present for Ron..."
Just as Kyle finished speaking, a rotund figure tumbled out of the fireplace, landing in a cloud of soot. Ron picked himself up, ignoring the dust clinging to his clothes, and scanned the room anxiously. His face brightened with relief when he spotted Kyle and the twins standing nearby, and he jogged over with an eager smile.