Kyle looked up in the direction Cedric was pointing and saw Kanna sitting across from him on the left side, working on a steak.
Each time she cut into it, she would look up at him, as if the plate contained Kyle instead of the meat.
The sight made his teeth ache.
"Wait, why is her gaze so unfriendly? She wasn't like this on the train." Cedric asked, "I remember all the first-years were together before the sorting — did something happen between you two?"
"Yeah, this one's on me." Kyle shrugged and briefly recounted what had happened in the cabin.
After hearing it, Cedric was dumbfounded.
Using Avada Kedavra for sorting? What kind of person would come up with that?
"She believed it?" Cedric asked cautiously.
"Why wouldn't she?" Kyle said with a pained expression, "Would she be glaring at me like this if she hadn't?"
Um... One bold enough to tell it, one naive enough to believe it.
Cedric's lip twitched. For a moment, he could only look wordlessly from Kanna to Kyle before silently giving a thumbs up.
"Really Kyle, you two are truly a match made in heaven."
"She's only eleven, are you that eager to go to Azkaban?" Kyle snapped, "Besides, I'd advise you not to say things like that. If Professor Snape hears about it, you're done for."
"She knows Professor Snape?" Cedric asked in surprise.
Kyle nodded, "I think they know each other, though I'm not certain."
Cedric's expression suddenly changed as he stared at him with contempt, "You went too far. How could you play such a nasty prank on a first-year? If I were a prefect, I'd definitely dock your points."
Kyle looked at him in disbelief, as if seeing him for the first time.
The moment Cedric heard that Kanna knew Snape, he'd switched sides — the speed at which he changed his tune was incredible.
Was this really the Cedric he knew?
But faced with Kyle's gaze, Cedric's expression remained unchanged. He even deliberately scooted away, clearly trying to distance himself.
Kyle could only silently give him the middle finger.
Poor choice of friends indeed. He had no idea who Cedric had been learning from — how had he become so shameless after just a brief separation!
Well, eating peacefully was impossible in this situation. Kyle set down his knife and fork and looked up at Kanna as well.
The young witch didn't shy away, meeting his gaze directly. Her round cheeks puffed in and out — whether from chewing her steak or from anger wasn't clear.
Neither spoke a word as they stared at each other during the welcoming feast, oblivious to their surroundings. It became a contest where the first to look down would lose. Both Kyle and Kanna appeared determined at first, as if they would continue this silent battle until the end of time.
However, the girl had clearly overestimated herself.
Soon, her gaze began to waver, her previously fair complexion gaining a rosy tint. A few seconds later, her eyes started darting about, her breathing quickened, and her entire face turned red.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Kanna quickly lowered her head, nose nearly touching her steak, as if trying to bury herself in her plate. Only her bright red ears remained visible.
"..."
Her personality hadn't changed — she was still as shy and socially anxious as before. Her earlier behavior stemmed simply from the embarrassed anger of realizing she had been tricked.
It was like a normally calm and quiet girl cursing and banging her keyboard after being trolled in a game she loves.
Same principle.
Since Kyle had been avoiding her, she had no way to vent her building frustration, which is why it had lasted until now. Once that anger dissipated, she naturally reverted to being the shy, socially anxious young witch she was before.
Making eye contact had given her a way to vent. After all, expressing oneself through looks is still expression, even if less efficient.
Kyle hadn't expected her anger to dissipate so quickly — it had only taken a few minutes for her to calm down. Her personality might be a bit too gentle.
Even Ginny Weasley, who had one of the better temperaments among people Kyle knew, would at least argue face-to-face with him for half an hour when angry.
In comparison, Kanna was too weak. This kind of personality wasn't good in the wizarding world.
It was fine while at Hogwarts — Hufflepuff was famous for being honest and friendly, and basically no one would have ill intentions. But if she remained this way after graduation, she might not even know what killed her.
As Grogan Stump, the twelfth Minister for Magic of the British Ministry of Magic, once said: "Hogwarts is a fairy tale in the wizard world — leave this castle, and all that remains is a man-eating abyss."
In the eyes of those black wizards walking the line between life and death, a shy and introverted pure-blood witch was no different from a walking pile of gold Galleons. They would swarm like hyenas until nothing remained, not even bones.
Kyle wasn't exaggerating — there were clear precedents in the vanished pure-blood families.
After Voldemort's fall, the Death Eaters lost their backing and faced pursuit from Ministry Aurors, forcing them into hiding.
The British wizarding world's pure-blood families fell into disarray. Like hyenas, opportunistic predators emerged from the shadows to prey upon these vulnerable families.
Through robbery and torture with the Cruciatus Curse, they extracted information and wealth from any isolated pure-blood wizard.
These predators cared nothing for their victims' family status, magical power, or potential revenge. If profit beckoned and the family lacked protection from formidable figures like Dumbledore or Voldemort, they would strike without hesitation.
Pure-blood wizards died in growing numbers during this period, and many once-proud families dwindled into extinction.
This reign of terror only ended when the Aurors and Hit Wizards, having captured most Death Eaters, finally turned their attention to these ruthless predators.
History could easily repeat itself now.
Kyle glanced at Kanna, still hiding her face, then quietly seasoned his potatoes with black pepper before taking a bite.
He pushed the dark thoughts aside. First year had only begun — graduation was far away. Better to focus on his meal for now.
✭✭✭
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