Before long, Cedric and Cho arrived one after the other, and the compartment became lively. Everyone was thrilled to see each other again after two months.
Kyle couldn't be sure, but Cho seemed taller than before. As soon as she entered, she set a large package on the table filled with snacks she'd brought from the Muggle world. She thought Kyle, Cedric, and Kanna, who all came from pure wizarding families, might not be familiar with Muggle snacks, so she had carefully picked out what she thought were the tastiest options for them to try.
Everyone was quite interested in what she'd brought. Cedric took a liking to a black fizzy drink; though a bit odd at first, he quickly found that its unique texture was even better than pumpkin juice, giving him a strange sense of delight. If he didn't know it was a Muggle drink, he'd have thought it had an Elixir to Induce Euphoria mixed in.
Kanna was particularly fond of the triangular corn chips and the berry-filled cookies. Midway through the snacking, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan popped by, immediately taking a liking to a kind of candy that popped and fizzed in their mouths.
"I just had a fantastic idea," Fred said thoughtfully, licking the candy wrapper. "What if we created an exploding candy ourselves?"
"And put it on Slytherin's table," George suggested with a grin. "That might keep Marcus Flint quiet for a bit... Found out he's Slytherin's Quidditch captain this year."
"That might be tricky," Cedric said, shaking his head as he opened another bottle of fizzy cola. "Slytherins probably won't eat sweets from a suspicious source."
"What if we put them in the kitchen?" Lee Jordan pondered. "If they appear with the regular food, they wouldn't be suspect."
"I wouldn't recommend it," Cedric said, frowning. "The House-elves would never agree, and if anything went wrong, they'd be the ones in trouble."
"Hmm... then let's forget that idea," Lee shrugged.
"Or you could try something different," Kyle suggested. "Maybe candy that just pops in your mouth... and only explodes when you spit it out."
Fred and George's eyes lit up at the same moment. In unison, they exclaimed, "Kyle, has anyone ever told you..."
"...You're a genius!"
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Of course, plenty of people say that."
Silence fell over the compartment as everyone looked at Kyle with expressions of mild disgust.
Unbothered, Kyle continued eating a piece of chocolate. Through the train window, he spotted Neville, who was scanning the platform as if looking for something, while his grandmother stood beside him, sternly chastising him.
Further off, he also saw Mrs. Weasley walking toward the train with three children in tow: Ron, Ginny, and a thin boy with round glasses, messy hair, and bangs cut unevenly to hide his forehead.
"Mrs. Weasley!" Kyle leaned out the window and waved.
"Oh, dear, there you are!" Mrs. Weasley hurried over. "Have you seen Fred and George?"
"We're here, Mum," the twins called as they made their way to the car.
After they'd left, Cho picked up a Chocolate Frog and looked at Kyle. "So, what were you up to over the summer holidays? I wrote you in August, but it took more than half a month for you to reply."
Kyle gave an apologetic smile. "Well...something came up, and I had to take a long trip."
In truth, he'd received her letter the day after arriving in Dorset, but between all the activities—mostly involving getting roughed up—he'd completely forgotten to write back. By the time he remembered, he was already back home.
Cho didn't seem suspicious; she just assumed Kyle had been traveling, like Cedric. "I'm really envious," she said with a hint of wistfulness, nibbling on her Chocolate Frog. "I've always wanted to travel abroad, too. By the way...how was Paris?"
She directed the question to Cedric.
"It was wonderful," Cedric said after a moment's thought. "We went to the opera and even met an old wizard who immediately recognized us and shared stories about interesting places. If you're planning a trip there, I can draw you a map later."
"That would be amazing!" Cho said, surprised and delighted. "I've always wanted to go to Paris. Did you visit Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, by any chance?"
"Yes, we did," Cedric nodded. "But Beauxbatons isn't in Paris—it's down in the Pyrenees, as the old wizard told us."
"How was it?" Cho asked, her curiosity piqued.
"We didn't go inside, just saw it from the outside," Cedric replied. "It's a bit smaller than Hogwarts, but the buildings are more delicate and very beautiful."
Cho's eyes sparkled with excitement. She had a weakness for beautiful architecture, especially if it was from a renowned magical school like Beauxbatons.
As Cho and Cedric continued chatting, Kyle glanced out the window again. Mrs. Weasley was dabbing a handkerchief to clear some soot off Ron's nose. Meanwhile, the boy with glasses had vanished, and Percy was now standing beside her.
George noticed Percy and suddenly frowned. "Percy, why does your robe look different from ours?"
He gestured toward Percy's chest. "They're all new robes, but why do I see a round badge there? Did Madam Malkin give you special treatment?"
"That's a Prefect badge, dear," Mrs. Weasley explained with a proud smile.
"So that's why you've been wearing it all summer!" Fred said with exaggerated surprise. "Good thing you didn't get the Special Award for Services to the School."
"I think that one's a trophy," George added, grinning.
"You couldn't exactly pin it to your chest..."
"But you could wear it on your head..."
"Like a shiny gold hat!"
Fred and George shared a mischievous look, and, as if on cue, pulled out a small trophy from their robes and set it atop their heads, bowing to each other in an exaggerated imitation of Percy.
"Stop it!" Percy turned red, looking furious.