The adults' attempts at deception couldn't fool Kyle, but they did succeed in thoroughly frightening Ron and Ginny.
Ron had initially shown keen interest in the topic, listening eagerly to gather insights about his upcoming first year at school.
But as the conversation continued, his enthusiasm turned to dread. Trolls, Ghosts, and Hippogriffs were frightening enough — though he reasoned he could at least run away from those, especially with the Hogwarts professors nearby.
But Dragons?
A Class XXXXX magical creature — even skilled adult wizards might not survive an encounter, let alone an eleven-year-old student. He'd be reduced to ashes before the professors could even draw their wands.
Was this what awaited him at school?
Ron's spirits plummeted so low that he considered running away from home. The prospect of attending Hogwarts now filled him with dread — he simply wanted to stay alive.
Beside him, Ginny looked equally distressed. Her face had turned ghostly pale, and even her vibrant red hair seemed to have dulled.
"What's wrong, Ginny?" Kyle asked from across the table, his voice tinged with concern, "Why aren't you eating? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, no." Ginny, reluctant to admit her fear in front of her family, quickly shook her head, "I'm just full, that's all."
As a nine-year-old girl, she naturally had a modest appetite, and having already consumed half a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans earlier, she was indeed quite full.
She was about 80% satisfied — at that point where she could take or leave more food — but the alarming discussion about sorting had eliminated what little appetite remained.
"Oh, is that so? What a shame." Kyle took it in stride, simply standing to transfer the untouched grilled fish from her plate to his own.
Unlike other dishes, grilled fish quickly loses its flavor if left too long — it would be a waste to let it sit.
It's worth noting that Molly's grilled fish was exceptional, one of her specialties. However, with such a large family to feed and the tedious task of removing fish bones, this delicacy typically appeared only during important holidays.
Fish was quite expensive in the wizarding world, which was likely another reason for its rarity.
Kyle, however, had been craving it for ages and couldn't bear to see such a delicacy go to waste.
Ginny knew this but made no move to stop him. She had planned to save the grilled fish for last to savor it, but after learning about facing dragons in two years, her appetite had vanished. She could only watch regretfully as Kyle claimed her portion.
Finally, she turned away — it was better not to look.
Fred and George sighed in unison beside them. They too had been eyeing that fish, but Kyle had been too quick — they hadn't even had a chance.
The disappointed twins turned their attention to Ron.
Unfortunately, Ron didn't share Ginny's eating habits — his fish was already reduced to bones, cleaned so thoroughly that even a Flobberworm would slip trying to crawl on them.
"What's wrong, Ron? Afraid of the Dragons?" Fred asked with narrowed eyes, feigning concern while patting his brother's shoulder, "Don't worry, the Dragons are only there for one year. By the time you start school, they'll probably have switched to a different magical creature."
"I think it'll be spiders." George chimed in, "I saw some in the Forbidden Forest, each one about the size of a gnome. They might be what Hagrid's preparing for the sorting ceremony."
"No!" Ron lost all composure, panic flooding his eyes as he dropped his cutlery and fled screaming toward the Burrow.
He was so thoroughly frightened that he missed the twins' malicious laughter as he ran.
But the twins' triumph was short-lived.
"George, why were you in the Forbidden Forest?" Molly zeroed in on the crucial detail, fixing the twins with a stern look, "I don't recall Hogwarts allowing first years in the Forbidden Forest."
"Mum, I can explain..."
Fred and George attempted to flee, but being only second years, they were no match for her and were quickly caught.
What followed was the familiar scene of motherly discipline.
Although this scene had played out countless times over the past eleven years, Kyle still watched with great interest, his appetite actually improving.
He didn't doubt that the twins had been to the Forbidden Forest, but the spider story was clearly made up to scare Ron — they had just accidentally hit the mark.
After all, the Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest weren't exactly harmless pets. If the twins had truly encountered them, they would have become permanent residents of the forest — as skeletons.
Besides, Kyle knew the Acromantula nest was deep in the Forbidden Forest, far beyond where Fred and George could have ventured.
The twins weren't Harry Potter, after all — they preferred pranks to mortal peril.
About twenty minutes later, dinner was wrapping up. Despite the small incident, it had been an enjoyable meal for both hosts and guests.
At least Kyle was happy.
After quickly clearing the table, Percy went upstairs to review his lessons.
Ron, caught trying to run away from home with a small bundle, had now taken the twins' place being chased around the yard by Molly.
Meanwhile, Arthur and Chris moved to a different spot to continue their conversation.
"Chris, your acting was too over-the-top." Arthur said with regret in the Burrow, "It's just sorting — how could there possibly be Dragons? Little Kyle is so clever, he must have known we were tricking him."
"No, Arthur, you're wrong. This plan was doomed from the start." Chris shook his head resignedly, "Kyle has spent at least two months every year with Mr. Scamander since he was three years old. Do you think he'd be afraid of trolls and hippogriffs? Besides, haven't you forgotten that Kyle's surname is also Chopper?"
"Uh..." Arthur was momentarily stunned, scratching his head awkwardly, "You mean he can communicate with magical creatures like you?"
"Of course." Chris nodded, "So there's no way he'd be afraid of Hippogriffs — probably only Dragons would make him nervous."
Arthur looked at him with envy, "What an amazing ability. If only I could communicate with Muggle artifacts like that."
"???" Chris was momentarily speechless, forcing a laugh, "It's really not as impressive as you think. This gift is limited to magical creatures only. It doesn't work with ordinary animals like rats, toads, or owls — we can only guess their meaning through experience."
His meaning was clear — even if Arthur somehow managed to change his surname to Chopper through some bizarre spell, he'd only be able to talk to things like Floo powder or Golden Snitches.
As for toasters or cars... forget about it, it's impossible, don't even think about it!
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