Chapter 242: Kyle’s Bad Habit
Kyle remained composed and respectful as he shook Fleur's hand lightly.
"Hello, Fleur Delacour," she greeted him with equal poise.
Despite not knowing French, Kyle understood her words as though an invisible translator hovered in the room. Nearby, Nicolas sat beaming, munching on popcorn, while a House-elf dressed in a race car driver's outfit stood beside him, holding a glass of white wine.
"I've heard of you," Fleur said, her gaze appraising. "You saved over fifty people and became the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin."
A few days ago, the Order of Merlin's decision to award a Level 2 medal to a twelve-year-old had sparked a stir across the magical community, and Fleur was naturally aware of it. Beauxbatons had only two Order recipients aside from the honorary Professor Nicolas Flamel: Headmistress Maxime held an Order of Merlin, Second Class, and Professor Victor, the alchemy teacher, held an Order of Merlin, Third Class. Now, a Hogwarts student younger than her and in the same year had achieved the same recognition as Madam Maxime. Curiosity about Kyle had been inevitable.
Some at Beauxbatons, however, doubted the legitimacy of his accomplishment. When Fleur learned that Kyle would be visiting Nicolas Flamel in France, she had asked Madam Maxime to bring her along, and to her surprise, Maxime had quickly agreed—perhaps due to the connection as alumni, with Nicolas being a proud graduate of Beauxbatons himself.
Yet after meeting Kyle, Fleur's first impression was surprisingly favorable. As a quarter-Veela, Fleur naturally emitted a subtle allure that often rendered those around her a bit clumsy upon first meeting her, even among her professors. But Kyle's gaze remained steady, unclouded and sharp, unaffected by her charm.
"It's hard to believe you were able to face such a fearsome creature," Fleur remarked, genuinely curious.
"I just got lucky," Kyle replied lightly. "Two professors were there with me, so I had backup. I just ran in without thinking." He smiled. "I bet if you'd been there, you'd have done the same."