Chapter 22: Poor Choice of Friends

Kyle glanced up, following Cedric's finger, and was surprised to find Kanna sitting diagonally across from him on his left, focused on cutting into a steak. However, every time she made a slice, her eyes flicked up to meet his, as if her plate held not a steak, but Kyle himself.

The sight made Kyle grit his teeth in discomfort.

"Wait a minute," Cedric said, his voice tinged with curiosity. "Her eyes don't look too friendly. She wasn't like this on the train, right?" He thought for a moment before adding, "I remember all the new students were together before the division. Did something happen between you two?"

"Yeah, it's weird," Kyle agreed with a shrug, giving a quick summary of the incident.

By the end, Cedric was speechless, a stunned expression on his face.

"An Avada Kedavra to sort us into houses? Seriously, who would even think of that?"

"Did she actually believe it?" Cedric asked cautiously.

Kyle sighed bitterly. "What do you think? If she didn't, do you think she'd be staring at me like that?"

Huh...

Someone bold enough to make up such a story, and someone bold enough to believe it. Cedric couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. He blinked in disbelief, looking back and forth between Kanna and Kyle before giving a thumbs-up.

"Wow, Kyle. You two are perfect for each other."

Kyle's patience wore thin. "I'm only eleven, okay? You want me thrown into Azkaban or something?" he retorted. "And by the way, don't say things like that again. If Professor Snape hears you, you're done for."

"Wait, she knows Snape?" Cedric asked, eyebrows raised.

Kyle nodded. "I'm not sure, but it seems like she does."

"..."

Cedric's expression shifted instantly. He stared at Kyle with a newfound look of disdain. "That's just low. How could you pull such a nasty prank on a first-year? If I were the prefect, I'd dock your points for sure."

Kyle gaped at him, utterly stunned. He had switched sides the moment he heard Kanna and Snape might be connected, and the speed of his change in attitude was astonishing. Was this really the Cedric he knew?

But Cedric stayed stone-faced under Kyle's gaze, even scooting slightly away from him, as if he didn't want to be associated with whatever trouble Kyle had stirred up.

Kyle could only respond with a silent middle finger, frustrated. Wrong friend, he thought. When did Cedric get so shameless?

But the tense atmosphere made it impossible to focus on the food. Kyle eventually set his knife and fork down, his attention fully on Kanna.

The little witch didn't avoid his stare. They locked eyes, neither one willing to back down. Her round face puffed up, but it was unclear whether it was from the steak she was chewing or from the anger boiling beneath her calm exterior.

They sat there, silent and unmoving, as if the school banquet had become their personal battlefield, each refusing to lose the unspoken challenge of who would look away first.

At first, both were resolute, determined to keep up this silent duel indefinitely. But Kanna had clearly overestimated her stamina.

It wasn't long before her confidence began to falter. Her gaze shifted ever so slightly, and a pink blush spread across her once-pale face. As seconds ticked by, her eyes darted nervously, her breath quickened, and her entire face turned crimson.

In the end, she couldn't hold out any longer. With a swift motion, she dropped her head, her nose nearly touching the steak on her plate, as though she wished she could disappear into it. All that was visible were her two bright red ears.

...

Kanna's personality hadn't changed at all. She was still just as shy and socially anxious as before. Her intense expression earlier had only been a result of the anger and embarrassment she felt after realizing she'd been tricked. It was similar to how a normally quiet and calm girl might curse at the keyboard after being cheated in her favorite game—same principle.

Kyle had been avoiding her, which only made things worse. She had bottled up her frustration with nowhere to release it, allowing the tension to simmer until now. Once her anger began to fade, she quickly reverted back to her usual self—the shy, socially awkward little witch she'd always been.

Kyle's eye contact had inadvertently provided her an outlet, though not a very effective one. After all, locking eyes with someone is a form of communication, even if it's a silent, indirect way of venting. What surprised Kyle, though, was how fast her anger dissipated. Within just a few minutes, she was back to her old self. Her personality was just that mild.

Kyle thought about it: Ginny Weasley was already considered pretty easygoing compared to the people he knew, but even when she was angry, she'd at least confront him and argue for a good half hour. Kanna, on the other hand, was far too meek. Her kind nature, while admirable, wasn't necessarily a good thing in the wizarding world.

At Hogwarts, it wasn't such a big deal. Hufflepuff was known for its honesty and friendliness; no one in their house would exploit someone for being too nice. But once they graduated, Kanna's soft nature could become a liability. Out in the real world, especially among darker forces, such traits could be dangerous.

Kyle couldn't help but think about the grim realities beyond Hogwarts. Grogan Stump, a famous Minister of Magic, once said that Hogwarts was a fairy tale, but outside its walls was an abyss where people waited to devour you. For dark wizards on the edge of ruin, a shy, introverted witch from a pure-blood family was like a walking golden carrot. They would swarm like hyenas, eager to strip her to the bone.

Kyle wasn't exaggerating. There were precedents, particularly during the chaotic period after Voldemort's defeat. With the Dark Lord gone, his followers—the Death Eaters—lost their protection and were hunted by the Ministry's Aurors. In their desperation, they went into hiding, leaving a vacuum that predatory wizards quickly filled.

These opportunists targeted the pure-blood families in disarray, robbing them or using the Cruciatus Curse to extract secrets. For them, any pure-blood wizard traveling alone was easy prey. They didn't care how prestigious or powerful a family was, nor did they worry about future reprisals. As long as there was profit to be made, and as long as the family wasn't protected by someone like Dumbledore or Voldemort, they would pounce, tearing chunks out of whatever remained.

Many pure-blood wizards fell during that time, leading to the decline and eventual disappearance of several families. This dark period only ended when most of the Death Eaters were captured, and the Ministry's focus shifted toward dismantling these predators. But the threat was always there, lurking, waiting for another moment of weakness.

Kyle glanced at Kanna, who was now pretending not to see him. After a moment's pause, he reached for the black pepper, sprinkled it over the diced potatoes on his plate, and took a bite.

Forget it, he thought. It's only the first year. There's still a long way to go before graduation. No point worrying about things like that now. Better to just eat and fill up.