Over the next few days, Fred and George visited frequently, perfecting their first product in the Skiving Snackbox series — Ton-Tongue Toffees.
Kyle, however, found the process tedious and opted to stay in his room reading instead. His behavior reminded Fred and George unsettlingly of Percy.
The twins couldn't really confront him about it. After all, Kyle was both their landlord and an important business partner, and this was the only place where they could freely develop their products.
Still, they couldn't resist making comments.
After one rejected invitation, George drawled, "Fred, I think we should order some Filibuster Fireworks now to celebrate Kyle becoming a prefect in advance."
"Well, that's four years of celebrating then." Fred replied in the same tone, "After all, you can only become a prefect in fifth year at Hogwarts, and he's only in second year now."
"Oh, it might even be six years." George raised his eyebrows, "Don't forget about Head Boy."
"Yes, indeed... tsk tsk, six years' worth of Filibuster Fireworks, that would be quite the expense."
The two went back and forth, mimicking their Potions professor's manner so perfectly that passersby might have mistaken them for two Snapes at the door.
Kyle simply gave them the middle finger before turning his attention back to his desk.
There lay a stack of parchment covered in writing, copied from the Restricted Section.
It was from an alchemy book titled "Magical Products: Transformation and Fusion". Though Kyle had initially shown little interest in it after copying, leaving it untouched for some time, things were different now.
Helping the Weasley twins research Skiving Snackboxes was merely entertainment after homework — his real interest now lay in understanding Horcruxes.
Kyle flipped through the parchments methodically, focusing on the section about infusing magic into ordinary objects. This was his only lead on Horcruxes, tenuous as it was.
Though the connection seemed far-fetched, and he couldn't be certain whether Horcruxes had any relation to alchemy, additional knowledge could only help. Both involved fusion, after all. Perhaps some principles would carry over.
Despite the fundamental differences between souls and magic, the possibility remained...
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Upon serious study, Kyle discovered the book's content was far more complex than he'd initially realized.
To grasp these materials properly, he ordered numerous alchemy books from Diagon Alley by owl post, determined to learn from the ground up.
Alchemy proved to be a costly pursuit — basic texts alone cost over ten Galleons each, surpassing even Lockhart's expensive books. The initial investment alone had cost him dearly.
He maintained this rigorous study for nearly a month.
One evening after this period, Kyle sat at his desk as usual. But instead of reading, he drew out a wand and levitated a toffee with careful precision.
St. Catchpole's status as a wizarding village meant the Trace held little power here — the Ministry would struggle to detect his magic. Still cautious, Kyle only practiced at night, when the Ministry offices were closed and magical activity peaked.
Furthermore, he wasn't using his own wand, but rather the one taken from the rat witch. Upon finding it, he'd slipped it directly into his robe pocket instead of surrendering it to Professor McGonagall or Ministry officials.
When the Hit Wizards questioned him about the wand, Kyle dismissed it as a mere formality, claiming he hadn't seen it. They accepted this easily — after all, the Forbidden Forest was vast enough that a lost wand could have been carried off by any small creature.
The wand became his trophy, though it wasn't particularly comfortable to use. It felt awkward in his grip, like trying to eat noodles with a spoon. Still, for something acquired at no cost, he couldn't complain.
Under Kyle's control, the toffee began to peel apart layer by layer. After about five minutes, the whole piece had transformed into paper-thin "candy sheets". These sheets were incredibly delicate, and close inspection revealed distinct patterns on each one.
He retrieved a small bottle of light blue Swelling Solution and waved his wand again. Two drops of potion floated out, stretching and splitting in mid-air into countless fine, barely visible lines that matched the patterns on the candy sheets perfectly.
The candy sheets then converged toward the center, reforming into a complete toffee.
This was Kyle's achievement after a month — mastering the art of transforming and fusing matter.
The process resembled enchanting in games, but with a crucial difference: rather than inlaying enchanted gems into weapons as traditional alchemy did, his method involved breaking down the gems and recasting them within the weapon itself.
The geometric complexity of this technique explained its place in the Restricted Section.
Kyle held the toffee up to the lamplight, examining it carefully. It appeared perfectly ordinary — even when broken apart, it seemed like any other piece of candy.
"Should I find someone to test the effects?" He muttered to himself.
Since this was his first attempt at such magic, he needed to verify its effectiveness — and that meant finding a test subject.
Kyle considered his options.
Fred and George would be the obvious choice, and they'd likely volunteer eagerly, but he dismissed them immediately. He hadn't mastered this technique merely to assist with their products.
Besides, if they discovered his ability to perfectly fuse Swelling Solution into toffee, they'd monopolize his entire summer.
Ron presented an appealing option — compliant, credulous, and easy to manipulate if things went wrong.
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, who would be starting this year, could also serve well. Having lived in his comfort zone, Potter remained ignorant of the wizarding world's treacherous nature. This could provide an excellent opportunity to teach him a valuable lesson, all while appearing well-intentioned.
Both candidates seemed suitable, but who to choose?
Kyle was torn.
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