"What did you just say?"
Fred was so excited he nearly jumped up. He was beginning to suspect that Kyle's head had been trampled by a Mooncalf.
"How could you be so careless with something this important… Oh, wait a minute." He suddenly realized something. "You're not planning to ambush the Death Eaters in the castle, are you?"
"You really are my friend—and smart," Kyle grinned. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm thinking."
"Just imagine—those ambitious Death Eaters take Malfoy's advice, climb through the Vanishing Cabinet to get into Hogwarts, only to look up and see seven or eight professors standing there, wands at the ready…"
"That would be a sight to behold!" Fred had turned bright red, practically beside himself with excitement.
"Brilliant! This plan is absolutely brilliant!" George was panting too, as if he could already picture the Death Eaters lining up to send their regards.
Caught up in their enthusiasm, they immediately huddled together, eagerly discussing how to set up traps around Hogwarts.
Tie the Vanishing Cabinet to a broomstick and send it soaring into the sky…
Shove the Vanishing Cabinet down a drainpipe…
Dig a swamp the size of a Quidditch pitch right in front of the Vanishing Cabinet…
…
The two of them had an endless supply of bad ideas.
Kyle sat nearby, jotting everything down with his Self-Writing Quill.
It wasn't until ten minutes later that Fred and George gradually calmed down.
"Something's not right," George said abruptly, pausing before turning to Kyle. "Kyle, you said you found one Vanishing Cabinet, but you need two for it to work. Where's the other one? Is it also at Hogwarts?"
"There's only one Hogwarts," Kyle replied.
That comment was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing their excitement.
But as they settled down, they quickly recalled something else Kyle had mentioned earlier.
The other Vanishing Cabinet can be in Knockturn Alley.
Kyle wouldn't have brought up Knockturn Alley and Malfoy without a reason. Putting the pieces together, the truth became obvious.
The other Vanishing Cabinet was in Knockturn Alley. And Malfoy knew that if he wanted to complete his plan, he had to go there.
I see… Now everything makes sense.
"Let's go to Diagon Alley right now!" Fred shot up, ready to head out.
"No need to rush." Kyle waved a hand, signaling for them to calm down. "It doesn't matter whether we go a little earlier or later. I just want to confirm something."
"Confirm what?"
"Whether the cabinet is still there, of course," Kyle said. "Malfoy isn't likely carrying it around with him, so if it's still there, all we have to do is keep an eye on Knockturn Alley and wait for them to make their move."
"And what if Malfoy has taken it away?" Fred asked. "It wouldn't be hard—he could just use a suitcase with an Undetectable Extension Charm."
"Then we'll just have to warn everyone to stay on guard," Kyle said.
"You think Dad and the others already know about this?"
"I'd say so," Kyle mused. "I already discussed it with Professor Dumbledore, and there's no reason he wouldn't have told the other members of the Order of the Phoenix."
"They must know!" George suddenly exclaimed. "Remember last time, when they were discussing something? Alastor suddenly mentioned 'passages,' and Tonks and Sirius are practically living in Hogsmeade."
"They know everything but won't tell us a single thing!" George's frustration grew. "They always do this—treat us like kids, just like Ginny!"
"Yeah, we've graduated, but we still don't get any trust." Fred scowled. "Bill and Charlie can join the meetings, but us? We're stuck eavesdropping from outside!"
"Don't say that," Kyle quickly tried to soothe them. "It's for your own safety."
"But we want to help." Fred took a deep breath. "Kyle, do you know why we haven't quit yet?"
"Because you find working at the Ministry interesting?" Kyle guessed.
"It was interesting at first," Fred admitted. "But then it just got boring."
"Doing the same things every day, writing reports, wasting time chasing after petty traders…"
"And the salary? The shop makes more in two days than we make in a month…"
"The only reason we haven't quit is to help Dad out a bit."
"And to prove to Mum that we can actually do something."
"But she never seems to notice."
Kyle wasn't sure how to comfort them as they slowly lost heart. He hesitated before murmuring, "Maybe you're overthinking it."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… do you want to take over Charlie's job and be in charge of security at 12 Grimmauld Place?"
"No." Fred and George shook their heads in unison. They'd rather be hit with a Killing Curse than be stuck in one place all day.
"Or go to Hogsmeade?"
They shook their heads again. That wasn't much better—it was just a bigger cage.
"There you go," Kyle said. "If you don't actually want to do anything, why complain so much? Mrs. Weasley's already taken good care of you, hasn't she?"
Fred and George exchanged glances, and the tense, frustrated atmosphere that had been building up instantly vanished. There was even a flicker of embarrassment.
"…Why don't I go talk to her and see if you two can take over for Tonks and Sirius?" Kyle suggested. "Or I could just go speak to Dumbledore."
"Forget it…"
"No need…"
"We were just joking, why do you have to take it so seriously?!"
…
Ten minutes later, Ron came knocking and told them it was time for lunch.
"What were you talking about in there?" he asked suspiciously.
"Nothing."
"It's none of your business," Fred said. "So just butt out."
"You'd better think about how to take care of that girl."
"What's her name again... Lavender?"
"It's a pity that at such a young age, your eyesight is already failing. Do you actually think you… are good-looking?"
"You were reading my letter!" Ron's face turned red.
"Don't get us wrong, we don't have a thing for that," George said primly, "but you talk in your sleep. And you do it really loudly."
"You can ask Harry if you don't believe us."
"You didn't happen to memorize the whole thing, did you?"
And then, with great expression, they began to recite it aloud.
"Won-Won, why is this vacation so long..."
"Won-Won..."
Fred and George had a natural flair for it, and Kyle felt a shiver run down his spine every time they opened their mouths.
Ron, blushing furiously, shouted, "That's enough, you two! Shut up!"
He grabbed whatever he could from his pockets and hurled them at the twins—a candy, a tool, two Sickles…
But with a lazy flick of his wand, Fred turned them all into paper airplanes. Well, except for the Sickles—those, he handed one to George and kept the other for himself.
"That was all my pocket money!" Ron shouted angrily.
"You threw it at us yourself."
"We figured you didn't want it anymore."
"This is all your fault!" Ron snapped. "Just you wait until I turn seventeen…"
"I'm sure you'll dazzle us with some magic no one's ever thought of before," Fred said with a wave of his hand. "Come on, George, Kyle."
They pushed past Ron and made their way to the dining room.
Lunch was beef stew and mashed potatoes, and Mrs. Weasley kept piling food onto Kanna's plate as if afraid she wouldn't get enough to eat.
"You can head back to school with Harry and the others this afternoon at five," Mrs. Weasley said after lunch. "Until then, you can chat or play in the house for a while."
"No," Kyle shook his head. "We need to buy something in Diagon Alley."
"Diagon Alley?" Mrs. Weasley frowned. "But with everything going on, I can't let you go alone. It's too dangerous…"
"It's fine, we'll go," Fred said immediately, standing up.
"We were heading to the shop anyway, so we can take them."
"You?" Mrs. Weasley still looked uncertain, but there wasn't really anyone else more suitable.
"Alright," she relented. "How will you get there? Apparition?"
"No, by carriage," Kyle said.
…
"I met Mr. Malfoy just ten days ago," Kreacher said as they approached the front door of the joke shop.
"Are you sure it was him?" Kyle asked.
"Kreacher saw him very clearly, Master Kyle," the house-elf replied.
"That settles it," Fred said as the group stepped outside.
"Malfoy really does know where the other Vanishing Cabinet is," George added.
"I need to go to Knockturn Alley to make sure the item is still there," Kyle said.
"No, that's too dangerous," George frowned. "Mum told us to protect you, so we're going with you."
"Protect?" Kyle cut through their excuses. "You're just interested."
"Besides, have you ever seen anyone go shopping at a Dark Magic store in pairs? I'll be less of a target on my own."
He cast a quick glance at Kanna, who was still inside the shop, then with a flick of his wand, his clothes shifted into a large hooded cloak. Ignoring Fred and George's protests, he moved swiftly, disappearing into the shadows and reappearing at the entrance to Knockturn Alley.
…
Diagon Alley was much quieter these days, and Knockturn Alley was even more deserted. The street was empty, and the stalls that had once been filled with poisons and all kinds of strange objects had all vanished. They must have moved elsewhere.
After all, in these dangerous and suspicious times, no one would risk being targeted by an Auror just to buy dark magic products.
Not far from the entrance, a ragged man sat hunched over, also wearing a hood, making it impossible to see his face.
As Kyle walked past, a faint, metallic scent reached his nose—a light, bloody smell. His intuition screamed that this person was dangerous.
Turning back now would be the same as admitting defeat. He kept walking as calmly as possible, though his hand inside his sleeve gripped his wand tightly.
As he passed the man, the figure raised his head slightly, revealing a pair of strange brown eyes. There was a quiet, almost deliberate swallowing sound.
But fortunately, he didn't seem to be looking for trouble. After a mere glance, he lowered his head again.
Kyle didn't let his guard down, though. He kept a firm grip on his wand as he walked forward, only relaxing slightly once he reached the entrance of the largest shop in the middle of the street.
Borgin and Burkes.
The infamous dark magic shop was empty, the shelves lined with strange and sinister objects. Behind the counter, the shopkeeper, Borgin, sat dozing listlessly.
Kyle adjusted his hood to make sure his face was fully concealed before stepping inside.
The bell above the door jingled, stirring Borgin from his half-sleep.
"Welcome, guest," he said, though his tone was far from welcoming.
Kyle said nothing, moving past a cabinet cluttered with skulls and old bottles. As he walked, his foot bumped against a wooden box, sending it skidding across the floor.
"I must warn you, sir," Borgin said coldly. "In here, meddling with things comes at a price."
"Price?" Kyle sneered, his voice rasping slightly. "You can't mean that box just now… Transformation Curse—child's play."
"Oh?" Borgin's voice finally showed a hint of interest. "Please forgive my impertinence, guest. What can I do for you?"
Kyle didn't answer. Instead, he wandered slowly through the shop, his gaze passing over the various dark artifacts before stopping at a withered hand.
"How much is this?"
"Two thousand Galleons," Borgin replied smoothly.
"Tsk. The Hand of Glory isn't worth that," Kyle said indifferently. "I'll look elsewhere."
"With all due respect, you won't find it anywhere else," Borgin said, still composed, though his tone quickened slightly. "As you can see, not many dare to sell such quality items anymore. I'm taking a risk, so naturally, I must charge a little extra."
Kyle paused as if considering this, then continued his slow circuit of the shop, inspecting the items on display with thinly veiled disdain.
"Cursed boiling blood… only effective on Muggles. Rubbish."
"Corrosive poison… the worst of the worst…"
"Look at this—outdated a hundred years ago… is this some kind of thrift shop?"
Borgin's expression darkened, but he couldn't find a valid reason to take offense. The man in front of him wasn't exactly wrong—just impossibly rude.
"Sir, if you're here simply to cause trouble, I—"
"Oh, now this one's not bad." Kyle stopped abruptly, pointing toward a shadowed corner beside the counter. "How much for that?"
"The Cursed Tapestry?" Borgin said coldly. "For only 150 Galleons, you can take it with you."
"No, no, no. I'm not interested in that sort of thing," Kyle said, shaking his head. "I'm talking about the item under the tapestry."
It was a cabinet, almost entirely covered by the heavy fabric, only a small corner peeking out, as if it had been deliberately concealed.
"What?" Borgin narrowed his eyes.
But before he could react further, Kyle flicked his finger slightly, and the tapestry flew aside, revealing the object beneath it.
It was a Vanishing Cabinet.
The shape, the patterns carved into its surface—everything about it was identical to the one at Hogwarts.
"Wow, I didn't think I'd ever see another one of these," Kyle said, eyeing the Vanishing Cabinet. "How much? I'll take it."
"Five thousand Galleons," Borgin replied, his greedy intent laid bare.
If there were two Vanishing Cabinets, the price would have been reasonable, but for just one, it was steep. Borgin's real goal was to make it difficult for the buyer to walk away, forcing them into negotiation. But something felt off—this customer wasn't hesitating at all.
"I'll take it," Kyle said without a second thought. He placed a suitcase on the counter and flipped it open.
The case had been prepared in advance by Kyle and the Weasley brothers, filled to the brim with gleaming gold Galleons.
It was as if the dimly lit shop had suddenly been set ablaze.
Borgin's eyes widened, the golden glow reflecting in his pupils. Any lingering wariness evaporated in an instant.
It wasn't until Kyle casually stepped forward and opened the Vanishing Cabinet himself that Borgin finally snapped out of his trance.
"Wait a minute, sir," Borgin said, tearing his gaze away from the gold. "You can't take it."
Kyle continued poking and prodding the inside of the cabinet, as if inspecting it. "Why?" he asked indifferently. "Did I not pay enough?"
"Of course not," Borgin said, though his eyes darted to the Galleons again, his throat bobbing.
"Then it's settled," Kyle said flatly. "It's mine now. Why wouldn't I be able to take it?"
"It's just… rather unwieldy to carry around," Kyle added, pulling out his wand and pointing it at the cabinet.
"Oh, wait!" Borgin sprang in front of him with surprising agility.
Kyle's gaze darkened slightly. "What's the meaning of this?" His voice held a trace of displeasure. "You're not thinking of demanding extra money at the last minute, are you?"
"Of course not, sir," Borgin said hastily. "Borgin and Burkes has the best reputation in Knockturn Alley."
Kyle said nothing, waiting.
"It's just that… this Vanishing Cabinet—it's broken."
"Broken?"
"Yes." Borgin thumped the side of the cabinet for emphasis. "How about this: I'll repair it, and you can come back to collect it later."
"How long will that take?"
"Six months… no, three months. Three months should be enough."
"That's too long." Kyle shook his head. "Forget it. I'll fix it myself."
He reached for the cabinet again.
"No, sir," Borgin interrupted. "We can't sell you something that's broken. That's the shop's policy."
"Really?" Kyle snapped the suitcase shut.
For a brief moment, Borgin hesitated. Five thousand Galleons was the largest sale he'd had in a decade. But then, the weight of another consideration settled in—this cabinet was tied to someone else's plans.
His greed warred with his caution, but in the end, self-preservation won.
"No sale!" Borgin said firmly. "However, to compensate you for the inconvenience, I'm willing to offer a generous discount. Just three thousand Galleons—how about it?"
Borgin had calculated everything. Compared to offending that person, the customer in front of him was insignificant. As long as he got the money now, what happened three months later wouldn't be his problem. The cabinet would be long gone, likely in the hands of the Death Eaters.
And with a discount of two thousand Galleons, who could possibly refuse?
"Only three thousand Galleons? That's a bargain," Kyle murmured. "But…"
He turned away.
"Bargains are never good. I'll pass."
Borgin barely had time to process what was happening before Kyle had already picked up his suitcase and walked out of the shop.
By the time he came to his senses and rushed after him, Kyle had already vanished into the darkened street, leaving no trace behind.