Chapter 12: The Spots and the Rat's Remedy

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For Kyle, who was accustomed to flying and high-speed trains, riding the Hogwarts Express—a vintage steam train—felt like a torment. Especially after a few hours, when the novelty and Hogwarts' enchantment began to fade, its drawbacks became magnified.

First and foremost, it was slow. It felt like the train could barely reach eighty miles per hour, lagging behind even some higher-performance cars.

The comfort level was also lacking; it rattled and swayed so much that Kyle was starting to question his life choices. He nearly lost his breakfast.

In such conditions, trying to pass the time with a book was virtually impossible.

Fortunately, Cedric, sharing the same carriage, was quite talkative, making the journey bearable.

After discussing the professors, Kyle asked him about other matters. Cedric was forthcoming with his knowledge and eagerly shared interesting tidbits about Hogwarts and its fascinating portraits.

Much of what Cedric shared was new to Kyle, sparking his curiosity. In return, Kyle generously offered to take charge of the snacks for their journey.

Every type of treat was available—Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and Cauldron Cakes galore.

However, one thing left Kyle speechless: when it came to the Sorting Hat, Cedric, predictably, continued the wizarding tradition of teasing and didn't tell the truth.

"Wait, we have to catch the Golden Snitch in the Great Hall within ten minutes to get sorted?"

Kyle politely tugged at the corners of his mouth, choosing not to respond.

Whatever, Quidditch was at least more reliable than fire-breathing dragons, and it was classic Cedric.

"By the way, Kyle, have you thought about which house you'd like to be sorted into?" Cedric tossed a bean into his mouth and continued, "It would be great if you ended up in Hufflepuff, but someone as smart as you probably aims for Ravenclaw, right?"

Before he could finish, Cedric's face contorted humorously as he realized the flavor.

"Oh, damn, it's the liver-flavored one—I hate this!"

Despite his protests, Cedric forced himself to swallow it.

"I've thought about it, but I don't necessarily have to be in a particular house," Kyle replied, picking up a Bertie Bott's bean. "Plus, my catching skills aren't the best, so I might not be able to grab the Golden Snitch within ten minutes. Honestly, it would be great if any house would accept me."

Hmm... this one was new black pepper steak flavor—not bad at all.

"Don't worry; you'll be fine," Cedric laughed, brushing it off. "It's not that hard."

Just as they were talking, the carriage door suddenly swung open.

Kyle and Cedric turned their heads simultaneously.

A familiar head of red hair appeared, but it wasn't one of the twins; it was another Weasley.

Percy stepped into the carriage. "Kyle, Fred told me you were here… Oh, you must be Cedric Diggory. I'm Percy Weasley; it's nice to meet you."

Cedric, initially curious, quickly recognized his name and nodded in response. "Nice to meet you too, Percy Weasley."

Percy's serious demeanor made Cedric feel as though he was in a formal setting rather than on the Hogwarts Express.

In short, he looked a bit bewildered, but he was very polite.

Kyle suppressed a laugh and waited for the two to finish their pleasantries before asking, "Percy, is there something you need?"

He was quite familiar with all seven Weasley children, Percy included, though their interactions were relatively sparse.

"Sorry to bother you, but I do have a small favor to ask," Percy replied, reaching into his pocket to pull out a large rat.

"Binky hasn't been very energetic lately, so I wanted to see if you still have that rat tonic you fed him before. If you do, I'd like to buy some."

"Rat tonic?"

Kyle glanced at the gray, scruffy rat in Percy's hand, missing a front paw, and narrowed his eyes with a smile. "Of course, I have some. Just a moment."

With that, Kyle rummaged through his bag and retrieved a bottle filled with red liquid, turning to hand it to Percy.

"You know the dosage—once a week, three drops at a time. This amount should last you a while."

"Thank you." Percy quickly accepted the bottle of red rat tonic and hesitantly pulled out three silver Sickles, blushing as he said, "I know this might not be enough, but it's all I have right now. I'll pay you back the rest as soon as I can."

"There's no need for that much." Kyle took just one Sickle and pushed the other two back toward Percy. "It's just rat tonic, after all. It's not that expensive—one Sickle is more than enough."

Percy looked at the Sickle in his hand, his face alternating between red and white. After a moment, he let out a gentle sigh. "Thank you, Kyle."

Kyle replied, "No need for thanks; it's just a normal transaction."

"No, I know what you mean."

Percy chuckled, though it was a bittersweet laugh. "If it were ordinary rat tonic, there's no way Binky could live for eleven years. This must be from Mr. Scamander, right? Only a legendary figure like him could create something that allows a regular field mouse to live that long. If this tonic were sold on the market, it would probably cost at least ten Galleons."

Uh…

Kyle rubbed his chin. He wanted to tell Percy that Binky's longevity had nothing to do with the tonic and that it was indeed his own creation, which wasn't worth ten Galleons.

However, the situation with Peter Pettigrew was too complicated, and at eleven years old, he wasn't ready to attract Dumbledore's attention.

Still, he hadn't been completely idle.

Aside from the rat tonic, he had told Percy long ago that mice were different from other pets; if they absorbed too much wizarding scent, they would be shunned by their kind.

Initially, Percy had been skeptical, but after Kyle wrapped that statement in Scamander's credibility, he believed it wholeheartedly, treating it as gospel.

Percy was indeed very attentive to his only pet.

He had even set up a special little nest for Binky in his room and had significantly reduced physical contact, opting to carry him only in exceptional circumstances like this one. Otherwise, Binky was essentially free-range.

On the other side, noticing that Kyle hadn't responded, Percy decided it was time to leave.

"Anyway, thank you, Kyle. If you ever have any academic questions, feel free to ask me. And once I graduate, I'll make sure to repay you with some Galleons."

With that, Percy hurriedly exited the carriage, leaving Kyle and Cedric staring at each other in surprise.

Finally, Cedric broke the silence. "So… can you still get rat tonic from Mr. Scamander?"

"I'd say I'm the one who brews it. Not just rat tonic, but basically all kinds of pet remedies." Kyle shrugged, not wanting to elaborate too much. "It's not particularly difficult; it's just a bit of a hassle, which is why not many people bother to learn."

…

(End of Chapter)