Twenty Galleons...
Fred and George looked up simultaneously, hesitating as they glanced at Kael.
Take it or not... that is the question.
If they take it, and Kael guesses correctly, not only will they lose everything they've earned before, but they'll also lose quite a bit more.
However... with twenty shiny Galleons right in front of them, they couldn't bring themselves to refuse.
George licked his somewhat dry lips and asked, "Twenty Galleons... are you sure?"
Kael raised an eyebrow, "It's worth a shot, sweep a Nimbus, and I can tell you my guess right now."
As he spoke, he leaned in close to whisper a few words to them.
"Quirrell will stay until after the final exams, and the end..."
After hearing Kael's words, the twins gasped in shock.
They exchanged a glance with each other.
"You won't tell our mom about this, right..." Fred asked suspiciously.
Kael's words sounded like he was handing them free Galleons, and such an unexpected windfall felt a bit surreal.
Kael reassured, "Of course not, I promise."
George took a deep breath, "Alright, we accept!"
"A wise choice." Kael gave them a knowing look, then took a sip of pumpkin juice.
Cedric and Conna, watching all this unfold, were left dumbfounded. They only now realized what was happening.
Twenty Galleons is no small sum; it's more than some people's pocket money for an entire school year.
Cedric was just about to advise Kael not to be so impulsive when Fred and George quickly collected the Galleons on the table and dashed back to the Gryffindor table.
As if they were afraid Kael would change his mind.
"Kael, you're being impulsive..."
But before he could finish, a voice interrupted.
"What you're doing is wrong!"
A brown-haired girl stood nearby, watching them.
Cedric recognized her slightly and asked, "Are you... a first-year in Gryffindor?"
"Yes, my name is Hermione Granger."
"Cedric Diggory, nice to meet you!"
Hermione nodded at him, then turned to Kael and said seriously, "What you did was wrong; gambling is forbidden at Hogwarts."
"I know..." Kael replied nonchalantly, "That's why I'm helping them break this bad habit."
"What?"
Hermione was taken aback, clearly not understanding what Kael meant.
"But you just..."
"Don't worry about the details. It's hard to explain in a few words. You just need to know I'm helping them."
Kael interrupted her before she could continue and shifted the topic, "Is there something you came for?"
"I've thought about it for days and decided I should thank you."
Hermione, indeed not bothered further about Fred and George, looked at Kael seriously and said, "Thank you for saving my life that day."
"It's not that serious, I just... okay, if you insist, I accept." Kael said reluctantly.
He had been trying to avoid Hermione recently, yet she still remembered after all this time.
"Anything else?"
"Yes!" Hermione wasn't shy, taking out a "Basic Transfiguration Guide" and opening it...
Kael noticed that her book was filled with notes, with every margin filled with writing.
Hermione pointed to several specially marked places in the book and asked, "Can I ask you some questions?"
Kael nodded and answered each of Hermione's questions in detail, while Cedric also offered his insights.
Hermione listened attentively.
These were topics she didn't quite grasp in class and had intended to ask Professor McGonagall. Yet, inexplicably, she asked Kael instead moments ago.
But the result was the same.
Kael and Cedric managed to resolve all her queries easily with just a few words.
Once the last question was answered, Hermione reluctantly closed her book.
At this point, her previous doubts about Kael vanished entirely.
No wonder he was top of the grade; material that had been bugging her for so long was resolved so easily, truly impressive.
Even that third-year named Cedric was just as capable.
For a moment, Hermione regretted being sorted into Gryffindor for the first time, thinking Hufflepuff might have been a better fit for academic pursuits.
Looking at their resources, they nearly rivaled one-on-one tutoring with a professor. Compared to what she had...
"Hermione, can I borrow your homework?"
"What was the Charm Class assignment again..."
Suddenly, two voices popped into Hermione's mind, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
Better not ponder on it anymore.
After thanking once more, Hermione hurriedly left with her book.
Watching her leave, Cedric curiously asked, "Why did she say you saved her life?"
"Something from a long time ago." Kael waved it off dismissively, saying, "And I didn't do much, just lent a small hand. She was overreacting slightly."
Cedric nodded in half-comprehension, noting Kael's reluctance to discuss it further, so he dropped the topic.
"By the way, Harris said we should meet at the Quidditch Pitch today, right?"
"Right, he told me last night."
On that note, Kael perked up with interest.
After Halloween, the Quidditch season begins, meaning their holiday is over, and they must resume training.
Luckily, their first match is against Ravenclaw, and neither Harris nor anyone else seemed overly nervous.
This was evident in today's training match.
As the match approached, other houses were trying every means to extend their Quidditch Pitch usage time.
Slytherin's Marcus Flint even went to Snape, shamelessly securing the pitch for an entire day so they could train freely over the weekend.
Wood considered doing the same, but Professor McGonagall didn't approve.
Among the four teams, Hufflepuff was the exception, with Harris scheduling only two-hour regular practices.
Though it might not be fair to Cho, that's the reality.
Quidditch is a team sport, requiring players to work together for victory; Ravenclaw, having been mediocre for so long, won't suddenly become invincible just because they gained a new Seeker.
Ravenclaw's chances of winning aren't high unless Cho catches the Golden Snitch within five minutes.
Of course, if that happens, no amount of training on their part would make a difference anyway.
After leaving the Auditorium, the two returned to their dormitory, grabbed their broomsticks, and headed to the Quidditch Pitch.