Chapter 632: This Deal Is Worth It
By Monday, a rumor had spread like wildfire through Hogwarts Castle. Word was that during the previous day's Quidditch training match, Kyle and the Weasley twins had clashed in the Changing Rooms over some dispute.
At first, most dismissed the idea outright. Everyone knew Fred, George, and Kyle were inseparable, the kind of friends who wouldn't let a disagreement escalate into something serious. But skepticism began to fade when someone noticed the twins sporting obvious injuries.
Each of them had a black eye, as though they'd been struck hard by something.
The castle buzzed with speculation. The rumors seemed to be true, and the mystery of why the two inseparable friends had fought captivated nearly everyone. Yet neither the Weasley twins nor Kyle offered an explanation. They remained tight-lipped, fueling even more curiosity.
At that moment, Kyle was sitting in Professor Umbridge's office.
"Professor..." he began, watching her fuss with a bottle of dried flowers. "I know why they went to The Hog's Head."
"What?" Umbridge immediately stopped what she was doing, her eyes narrowing as she leaned forward eagerly.
"To canvass," Kyle said flatly. "They were trying to rally their family to support Dumbledore as Minister of Magic."
"Damn it!" Umbridge hissed, slamming the bottle onto her desk. She didn't hesitate to believe Kyle's claim for a second.
After all, she was already aware of the rumors that Kyle had dueled the Weasley twins. She also knew they had been seen at The Hog's Head. And now, with Kyle—someone who had turned against lifelong friends—reporting this, she had no reason to doubt his loyalty to the Ministry or the accuracy of his information.
Mobilizing families to back Dumbledore... The mere thought of it made her blood boil. If Minister Fudge caught wind of this, his reaction would be explosive.