In the living room, Chris sat on the sofa talking with Arthur.
On the way back, he had noticed the twins' utterly despondent expressions.
Understanding both Molly and the twins well, Chris headed straight to the Burrow after getting out of the car, not even stopping at home first. He knew that without him there, no one would speak up for the twins during their punishment.
Molly had been very anxious these past few days due to the dark wizard incident at Hogwarts, unable to eat or sleep well — a sight that pained him deeply.
Now that everything was finally over, letting her blow off some steam by scolding the children wasn't such a bad thing — especially since the twins had handed her the perfect excuse on a silver platter.
"Oh, dear." Arthur said with a smile when he saw Kyle, "I haven't had the chance to ask yet — how are you finding school?"
"It's wonderful." Kyle replied, "The professors are all very approachable, my classmates are friendly — it's exactly the school life I dreamed of."
"That's good." Arthur said, taking a small sip of whiskey, "Time really flies... you're already in second year... oh, and Ron will be starting school this year too."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Chris laughed from the side. "It should make things easier for you and Molly."
"Yes, you're right." Arthur took another small sip, "Though if we're talking about things getting easier, that'll have to wait another year — Ginny's just as much of a handful as any of her brothers."
Arthur shared some of Ginny's embarrassing stories, particularly her ongoing quarrels with Ron at home.
Since Kyle wasn't especially interested, he took his luggage upstairs to his room.
When he returned downstairs, Arthur was preparing to leave.
"Are you sure you won't join us for dinner? Molly's prepared lots of food."
"Next time, Arthur." Chris declined, "Today's a reunion day, and with Charlie's graduation, you must have lots to catch up on. But I'll come by for drinks later — I brought some genuine Gigglewater from the United States."
"That's wonderful!" Arthur's eyes lit up, "I've been wanting to try that!"
The two men shared a fondness for occasional drinks, but they had another trait in common — they always stayed clear-headed, stopping after just a taste.
The sole exception had been when Ginny was born. Arthur had gotten thoroughly drunk and stopped every passerby to recount his courtship with Molly.
That remained his most embarrassing memory to date.
Shortly after Arthur left, the kitchen came alive with activity.
Chicken legs queued up to coat themselves in egg wash and breadcrumbs, while floating knives sliced cabbage into perfect shreds. Nearby, pastries stuffed themselves with filling and wobbled into the oven, even applying their own oil.
Diana had never approved of heating food directly with magic — she always felt it lacked something essential.
Soon, a sumptuous dinner was ready.
As luck would have it, Chris and Diana had both completed their assignments just days ago, allowing them to gather together to celebrate their son's end of term.
Over dinner, Kyle regaled his parents with stories from school — exactly what they were most eager to hear about.
After considering his experiences over the school year, he selected the most interesting tales.
He told them about his peculiar "Lumus Bombus" roommate, the exciting Quidditch matches, and his business venture selling maps and trinkets with friends.
As for the Room of Requirement and sneaking into the Restricted Section at night — well, the Weasley twins' screams had barely died down, and Kyle had no desire to follow in their footsteps.
As he spoke, Chris and Diana listened quietly until their expressions suddenly changed.
"Wait..." Chris raised an eyebrow, interrupting him, "You sold those pear tree branches for seven hundred Galleons?"
"That was just the raw materials." Kyle said seriously, "From picking... ahem, selecting suitable branches to creating the final product, it took six of us half a year. It wasn't easy. Seven hundred Galleons is just a small fee for our efforts."
"Is that so..." Chris gave him a suspicious look. Something felt off, but he couldn't quite place it.
Still, six young wizards earning seven hundred Galleons in half a year was extraordinary enough. He certainly hadn't managed anything like that during his school days.
While Chris merely harbored suspicions, Diana was certain Kyle wasn't telling the whole truth.
She knew her son would never spend half a year for just a hundred Galleons — two weeks seemed more realistic.
"Oh, Dad." Kyle suddenly remembered, "I don't know if Fred and George have told their family about earning the Galleons, so when you go drinking with Arthur later, don't let it slip."
He had genuinely forgotten — this had nothing to do with his schadenfreude at the train station earlier.
Chris took a sip of butterbeer and mumbled an acknowledgment.
After dinner, his father helped clean up the table before taking an elegant bottle to visit Arthur.
Kyle returned to his room.
Though he hadn't been back for over half a year, the room was spotlessly clean without a trace of mustiness — someone must have tidied up in advance.
His trunk still sat on the floor. Kyle quickly unpacked, taking out a stack of parchment and placing it on his desk.
Before going to bed, he had one more task to complete — the favor he'd promised Kanna on the train. Payment received meant service owed, and having taken a hundred and fifty Galleons, he didn't want to risk a poor review for shoddy work.
Kyle took out his quill and ink, and soon the scratching sound of writing filled the room. After completing two full pages of parchment and reviewing them carefully, he slipped them into an envelope.
Stella flew in through the window, automatically lifting one leg.
"Just like before." Kyle said, double-checking the name on the envelope, "Go to the Owl Post Office in Diagon Alley and send it from there."
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