Chapter 8

The usual deceptive tactics of the adults certainly wouldn't fool Kain, but it wasn't entirely without merit; at least they managed to scare Ron and Ginny quite a bit.

Especially Ron, who was initially quite interested in the topic and listened eagerly, hoping to gather some experience for the next school year.

But the more he listened, the uglier his expression became.

Things like giants, ghosts, and winged horse-like creatures were one thing—outlandish, but as long as he ran away when the time came, there might be a chance of survival, especially since the Hogwarts professors weren't just for show.

But what about the dragons?

An XXXXX-class magical creature, even a grown wizard might not survive an encounter, let alone an eleven-year-old wizard. Probably before the professors even finished casting their spells, he'd be turned to ash by a sneeze.

Is this really just school?

Ron felt utterly desolate, even harboring thoughts of running away from home; he really didn't want to go to Hogwarts anymore, he just wanted to live.

Ginny wasn't doing much better.

Her face was pale, and her normally bright red hair seemed to have lost its luster.

"What's wrong, Ginny?"

Kain, sitting opposite her, asked with concern, "Why aren't you eating? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, not at all."

Ginny didn't want to admit in front of her family that she was frightened, and upon seeing Kain look at her, she quickly shook her head and said, "I'm just full."

A nine-year-old girl doesn't eat much to begin with, and she had already had half a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans earlier, so she really was quite full.

Maybe about eighty percent, just at the point where she could eat more or stop; but the sudden discussion about sorting had completely eradicated her appetite.

"That's a pity then."

Kain didn't think much of it, just stood up and nonchalantly moved the untouched grilled fish from Ginny's plate to his own.

Grilled fish, unlike other foods, loses its flavor if left too long; it would be a shame to waste it, better for him to eat it.

Also, it's worth mentioning that Mrs. Weasley's grilled fish was an exceptionally good dish, usually reserved for special holidays because removing fish bones was tedious, and because it wasn't affordable to serve frequently due to the cost of fish in the wizarding world.

But whatever the case, Kain had been craving it for a long time and naturally couldn't just watch it go to waste.

Ginny knew this, but didn't stop him.

She had planned to savor the grilled fish last, but upon learning she'd be facing a dragon in two years, how could she have the heart to eat? She could only watch, heartbroken, as Kain stuffed her fish into his mouth.

Finally, she simply turned her head away, out of sight, out of mind.

Meanwhile, Fred and George both sighed in unison.

They had also been eyeing that fish for a long time, but alas, Kain was too quick, and they had no chance to intervene.

Resigned, the twins turned their attention back to Ron.

Unfortunately, Ron didn't have Ginny's habits; his fish had been reduced to bones—and picked very clean at that, even a Flobberworm would slip if it tried to stand on them.

"What's the matter, Ron, afraid of dragons?" Fred squinted, masking his real intentions while also showing rare concern for Ron's state, patting him comfortingly on the shoulder: "Don't worry, the dragons are only for one year. By the time you start school, they'll probably have moved on to another magical creature."

"I think it'll be spiders." George immediately added, "I've seen them in the Forbidden Forest, each as big as a goblin, maybe Hagrid's preparing them for the sorting ceremony."

"No!"

Ron was truly distressed, his panic rising rapidly, and he instinctively threw his utensils down and screamed as he ran back to the Burrow.

It was clear that Ron was seriously scared, he even failed to notice the twins' malicious laughter as he fled.

But the twins weren't without their costs.

"George, why were you in the Forbidden Forest?"

Mrs. Weasley sharply caught the key issue, her face stern as she looked at the twins: "I don't remember Hogwarts allowing first-years into the Forbidden Forest."

"Mum, I can explain..."

Fred and George tried to escape, but as mere second-years, they were no match for Mrs. Weasley and were quickly caught.

What followed was the familiar scene of motherly love and filial piety.

Though this scene had been played out countless times over the last eleven years, Kain still found it entertaining, and it even improved his appetite.

The twins had indeed been to the Forbidden Forest, Kain had no doubt about that, but the spider story was probably made up to scare Ron, only they accidentally stumbled upon the truth.

After all, the giant spiders in the Forbidden Forest were anything but harmless, and if the twins had truly encountered them, they'd probably be living in the forest by now.

And he remembered that the spider's lair was deep in the Forbidden Forest, beyond where Fred and George could have ventured.

The twins weren't Harry Potter; they liked pranks, not courting death.

About twenty minutes later, dinner was almost over, and despite a few interruptions, it could be considered a success.

At least Kain was happy.

After a brief clean-up, Percy went upstairs to study.

Ron, who had packed a small bag to run away from home, was caught in the act and now took the twins' place, being chased around the yard by Mrs. Weasley.

Meanwhile, Mr. Weasley and Chris continued their conversation elsewhere.

"Chris, you overacted a bit earlier."

In the Burrow, Mr. Weasley said regretfully, "It's just sorting, how could there be a dragon? Kain's too smart; he must know we were fooling him."

"No, Arthur, you're mistaken, this plan was doomed from the start."

Chris shook his head, a bit helplessly: "Kain has been spending at least two months each year with Mr. Scamander since he was three. Do you think he'd be afraid of giants and winged horse-like creatures?

"Also, Arthur, did you forget that Kain's last name is also Jobber."

"Ah..." Mr. Weasley was momentarily stunned, scratching his head awkwardly: "You mean, he can communicate with magical creatures like you?"

"Of course." Chris nodded: "So he wouldn't be afraid of the winged horse-like creatures, probably only dragons would make him nervous."

Mr. Weasley looked at Chris enviously, "What a magical ability, if only I could communicate with those Muggle items."

"???"

Chris was momentarily speechless, then chuckled: "It's not as exaggerated as you think, this talent is limited to magical creatures only, like rats, toads, owls, etc., you can't, you have to rely on experience to guess their intentions."

Chris's point was clear, even if Mr. Weasley one day used some bizarre magic to change his surname to Jobber, he could only speak a few words to Floo powder or the Golden Snitch.

As for things like toasters or cars... forget it, it's not going to happen, don't even think about it!

(End of chapter)