Chapter 20
After sitting down at the Hufflepuff table, Kain felt a sense of relief wash over him.
Having felt uneasy before the sorting, now that everything was settled, he truly felt like a part of Hogwarts.
It was a fantastic feeling.
Kain leaned on the table, propping his chin with his left hand, casually observing the ongoing sorting while waiting for the dinner to start.
Due to the unusually long sorting earlier, many in the hall were curiously glancing at Kain.
Several witches, seeing Kain and Cedric chatting and laughing together, looked at their own companions and nearly ground their molars in envy.
Darn, why do all the handsome ones go to Hufflepuff? It's not fair!
...
At the Gryffindor table, Fred and George were almost grinding their teeth as well.
"Why did Kain go to Hufflepuff!" Fred lamented, thumping his thigh. "Our meticulously prepared welcome ritual is now useless!"
"Stop it, Fred, give me a moment," George said, scratching his head. "Honestly, I would have accepted it even if Kain had gone to Slytherin, but Hufflepuff... How is that possible?"
"Exactly!" Fred nodded. "Kain, loyal? Kind? Has the Sorting Hat gone senile?"
As Fred and George fell into a sullen silence, a newly sorted Gryffindor first-year took the seat next to them.
The next second...
"Ow!"
A scream echoed through the hall, drawing everyone's attention.
The Gryffindor newcomer jumped up as if shocked by a Whomping Willow, leaping three feet in the air, then started running around clutching his behind, still howling in pain.
It was then that everyone noticed something round and plump clinging to the new student's backside.
About the size of a Bludger from Quidditch, it had a mouth full of sharp teeth firmly clamped onto the boy's buttocks.
"Wait, that ball looks familiar," Fred, who had been enjoying the scene, suddenly recalled something and turned to George. "Didn't you put away the biting ball?"
George paused, "No, I thought you had."
The two exchanged a glance, then both looked toward the seat the new student had just vacated.
Unsurprisingly, it was empty.
"Oh, damn," Fred said, scratching his head in distress. "That was all our savings."
The biting ball, a new prank item Fred and George had bought at a high price from Zonko's Joke Shop, could disguise itself as a regular cushion and be placed anywhere.
It was expensive, costing three Galleons, a significant amount for Fred and George.
But thinking of Kain's sorting today, they had bitten the bullet and spent all their savings on it, hoping to give their little schoolmate an unforgettable surprise.
To avoid detection, they had arranged everything in advance while Kain was putting on the Sorting Hat, placing the cushion on a nearby empty seat.
This way, if Kain had been sorted into Gryffindor, they could have naturally led him to the booby-trapped spot.
Even if he ended up in another house, it was just a cushion that could easily be retrieved.
Everything had seemed so perfect.
But as fate would have it, Kain ended up in Hufflepuff, the house they least expected, and the twins, shocked, hadn't retrieved the "cushion" in time.
Thus, the current scene unfolded.
"Fred, do you think we can get that biting ball back?" George asked, watching the new student's retreating back, feeling a pang of loss.
That was three Galleons, enough to buy a whole box of dungbombs.
Fred, watching Professor McGonagall approaching the new student, said resignedly, "I guess not."
With a sigh, the twins resigned themselves to their loss.
Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall had already reached the new student, casually removed the biting ball, and checked the young wizard for injuries.
No harm done, no tears in his robes—just a standard magical prank.
Recognizing the familiar method and tool, she didn't need to think twice before glaring at the twins.
However, since the sorting ceremony was still underway, she didn't say much, merely deducting twenty points from Gryffindor before returning to the stage.
The new student, scared out of his wits, was carefully inspected by Percy three times over before being reassured enough to sit back down at the table.
Not far away, Kain watched Fred and George's distressed faces, not hiding his laughter, and slowly raised his middle finger towards them.
Kain could swear on Ron's integrity that the biting ball was definitely meant for him.
Now that Professor McGonagall had caught on, it was just desserts.
"No way, George, Kain is too arrogant," said Fred, his face red with anger.
Others might not know what that gesture meant, but he did.
Over the past eleven years, whenever Kain taunted them, he would raise his middle finger, so the meaning behind Kain's action was crystal clear to Fred.
"Don't worry, Fred, as long as Kain is still at Hogwarts, we'll have our chance."
Like Fred, George was equally furious, his ears turning red.
But for now, they had no way to retaliate against Kain, especially not under Professor McGonagall's stern gaze, so they reciprocated Kain's gesture.
Out of sight, out of mind.
The twins temporarily suppressed their desire for revenge, turning away to avoid looking at Kain's infuriating face.
As for Kain, he was unconcerned with their actions.
Just the last struggles of two red-haired losers—he wasn't bothered.
And he knew Fred and George wouldn't let it go; they were probably plotting their comeback even now.
But what of it?
In the past eleven years, he had almost never lost a war against the Weasley twins.
The few defeats he had suffered were when he was much younger, and only because Charlie had shamelessly bullied the younger kids, allowing them to score a victory.
Now, with Charlie busy with exams and Quidditch, who would the twins turn to for support?
Ron? If so, dealing with them would be even easier.
So, with a splendid track record, Kain feared nothing.
...
(End of Chapter)