Chapter 12
For Kain, who was used to traveling by airplane or high-speed train, riding the old-fashioned steam train of the Hogwarts Express was a torture.
Especially after several hours when the novelty and the Hogwarts buff wore off, its shortcomings became glaringly apparent.
Firstly, it was slow—too slow. Kain felt the train could barely reach eighty kilometers per hour, and it was even slower than some better-performing cars.
Moreover, the comfort was lacking; it was so shaky that Kain almost doubted his life choices and nearly threw up his breakfast.
Under such circumstances, reading to pass the time was nearly impossible.
Fortunately, Cedric, who shared the compartment with him, was quite talkative, which made the journey somewhat bearable.
After discussing the professors, Kain asked about other matters, and Cedric was an open book, sharing interesting places and portraits within Hogwarts—many of which were new to Kain and piqued his interest. In return, Kain generously covered the cost of snacks for the journey.
Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes—you name it, he supplied it.
However, there was one thing that left Kain speechless: in discussing house sorting, Cedric continued the wizards' penchant for mischief and did not stick to the truth.
"Need to catch the golden snitch in the Great Hall within ten minutes to be sorted?"
Kain politely twitched his mouth corner but didn't respond.
Well, Quidditch is at least more reliable than a fire dragon, and that's so Cedric.
"By the way, Kain, have you thought about which house you might be sorted into?" Cedric asked as he popped another Every Flavour Bean into his mouth. "It would be great if you could join Hufflepuff, but someone as clever as you would probably prefer Ravenclaw."
Before he could finish, Cedric's face suddenly contorted as he tasted the bean, looking hilariously distressed.
"Oh damn, it's my least favorite—liver flavor."
Despite his words, Cedric bravely swallowed it.
"I've thought about it, but I'm not set on any particular house," Kain replied, picking up an Every Flavour Bean. "Plus, my Snitch-catching skills are average; I might not catch one in ten minutes, so I'd be happy just to be accepted into any house."
Hmm... this one's new—black pepper steak flavor, not bad.
"Don't worry, you'll do fine," Cedric chuckled dismissively. "It's not that hard."
As they were speaking, the compartment door suddenly opened.
Kain and Cedric turned to see a familiar redhead, but not one of the twins—another Weasley.
Percy entered and said, "Kain, Fred told me you were here... Oh, you must be Cedric Diggory, I'm Percy Weasley, nice to meet you."
Cedric, momentarily curious upon hearing his name, quickly nodded in response, "Nice to meet you too, Percy."
Percy's formal demeanor almost made Cedric think they were in some official setting rather than on the Hogwarts Express.
Nonetheless, he was polite yet baffled.
Kain, holding back a laugh, waited for their pleasantries to finish before asking, "Percy, what brings you here?"
Kain knew all seven Weasley siblings well, though he interacted with Percy less frequently.
"Sorry to disturb you, but I do need a little help," Percy said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a large rat. "Spots has been listless lately, and I was wondering if you still have some of that rat tonic you once fed him. I'd like to buy some, if possible."
"Rat tonic?"
Kain looked at the scruffy rat in Percy's hand, missing a toe, and chuckled, "Of course, just give me a moment."
He then retrieved a bottle filled with red liquid from his trunk and handed it to Percy.
"As you know, once a week, three drops each time. There should be enough here to last quite a while."
"Thank you," Percy quickly took the red tonic, hesitantly pulling out three silver Sickles, blushing, "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."
"That's too much." Kain took only one Sickle, pushing the other two back. "It's just rat tonic, not something precious. One Sickle is enough."
Percy, looking at the Sickles in his hand, alternated between red and pale, eventually sighing softly, "Thank you, Kain."
Kain replied, "Don't mention it, it's a fair transaction."
"No, I know," Percy smiled wryly. "If it were ordinary rat tonic, how could Spots have lived for eleven years? It must be something Mr. Scamander concocted. Only a legendary figure like him could keep a common field mouse alive so long. If this tonic were sold commercially, it would probably cost at least ten Galleons."
Well…
Kain bit his lip, wanting to tell Percy that Spots' longevity had nothing to do with the tonic and that it indeed was his own concoction, not worth ten Galleons.
But the issue with Scabbers, aka Peter Pettigrew, was too complicated. He was only eleven and didn't want to attract Dumbledore's attention just yet.
However, he hadn't been entirely inactive.
Besides the rat tonic, he had told Percy long ago that rats, unlike other pets, would be shunned by their kind if they carried too much of a wizard's scent.
Percy was initially skeptical, but after Kain cloaked the advice with Scamander's authority, he believed it and took it as gospel.
Percy genuinely cared for his only pet.
He not only made a special nest for Spots in his room but also minimized physical contact, except in special circumstances like now when he had to carry him around; otherwise, it was practically free-range.
Seeing Kain remain silent, Percy decided not to linger.
"Thanks again, Kain. If you ever have any academic questions, feel free to ask me. And after I graduate, I'll make sure to repay the Galleons."
With that, Percy hurriedly left the compartment, leaving Kain and Cedric staring at each other.
Finally, Cedric broke the silence, "So... you can get rat tonic from Mr. Scamander?"
"I actually make it myself, and not just for rats—I can concoct potions for practically any pet," Kain shrugged nonchalantly, opting not to explain further. "It's not that hard, just a bit tedious, which is why few bother to learn."
...
(End of Chapter)