After being lectured, Cedric felt like he had obtained a secret manual for confessing his feelings and couldn't wait to put it into practice. Seeing him so distracted, Robert couldn't help but chuckle.
"Ahem," Robert coughed twice, pulling Cedric's attention back. "Alright, Ced, you're not planning to skip my class on the first day to go confess, are you?"
Cedric blushed and scratched his head sheepishly. "O-of course not… I was planning to do it after class…"
"Heh heh heh!" Robert widened his eyes. "You're something else! You get my secret tips and want to use them right away? Shouldn't I charge you for this?"
With a sudden burst of courage, Cedric shouted, "I'll wash your socks for a year!"
Robert's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yes!" Cedric nodded solemnly. "I'll wash your socks for a year."
Robert was overjoyed. After all, socks were small but troublesome to wash daily. Letting them pile up often led to forgetting about them, and sometimes even mushrooms would grow on them.
Of course, in the Muggle world, getting socks to grow mushrooms might be a challenge, but in the wizarding world, it was all too easy. Leave a pair of socks unattended for half a year, and they'd sprout mushrooms without hesitation.
Utterly insane!
Having someone willing to wash his socks for a year, Robert felt deeply gratified.
But…
"Now, let's discuss the bet," Robert swiftly changed the topic. Cedric was stunned—he had already forgotten about it. How could Robert still remember?
"Come on, be a man, Ced," Robert raised an eyebrow. "Tell me your bet."
Cedric hesitated before saying, "Gambling isn't a good habit."
This was true. Compared to the reckless, thrill-seeking twins, Cedric was much more grounded and sensible.
"You're overthinking it, Ced," Robert waved his hand dismissively. "The kind of gambling you're talking about is bad, but friendly bets among friends can be motivating. See, you weren't keen on this 'simple' training, but with a bet…"
Robert snapped his fingers. "In the future, you can motivate yourself by saying, 'I went through this training for XXX.' Right?"
"Don't make it sound like I'll definitely fail this training!" When it came to Quidditch, Cedric was as spirited as ever, casting aside his shyness and hesitation. "Bring it on! This simple training won't be a problem!"
"So, what's the bet?" Robert raised an eyebrow.
"Uh," Cedric hesitated before saying sheepishly, "You've always been interested in my specialty, right?"
He was referring to his proficiency in plant growth spells, which had left Robert grumbling for a long time.
"Come on, Ced, that's your family's secret technique. If we're betting, I don't have anything equivalent to offer," Robert said, annoyed. "Do you think I'd covet your family secrets?"
"You've got it wrong!" Cedric chuckled. "Of course, it's not the family secret. It's just a little trick I came up with myself. How's that? Am I being sincere enough?"
"Is that so?" Robert thought for a moment. The bet didn't seem particularly useful to him, but as long as Ced was willing to make the bet, it was fine. "Alright, then I'll state my terms."
He cleared his throat and said, "I'm planning to start a club, and I want your help."
"A club?" Cedric was surprised. He had expected Robert to set him up for some embarrassing situation.
"An exam study group," Robert said with a raised eyebrow. "A place for students who want to score high on their final exams to study together."
"Hey, listen, buddy, that doesn't sound like a great idea!" Cedric stifled a laugh. "Do you really think anyone would willingly sit in a classroom and study seriously?"
"They just need the right atmosphere," Robert shrugged. "Take the common room, for example. Before exams, everyone's busy doing homework. No one's messing around."
Cedric sighed. "No one would give up the warm, cozy common room for a cold, damp classroom."
Robert rolled his eyes. "You talk too much. Are you in or not?"
Cedric instinctively replied, "Sure."
Then he froze.
Wait.
Hold on!
Something felt off!
Before he could figure it out, Robert handed him a broomstick.
"A Cleansweep Six?" Cedric was puzzled. "Where did you get this? Ravenclaws love this model."
Robert snapped his fingers. "Exactly. So, you'll need to get used to the Cleansweep series, Ced."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Cedric was completely baffled. "I personally prefer the Nimbus series!"
"Hey, are you kidding me?" Robert looked shocked, as if Cedric had said something incredibly stupid. "Buddy, which house is the girl you're chasing from?"
"Ravenclaw," Cedric answered without hesitation. "But what does that have to do with the broom?"
"Everything!" Robert said seriously. "If you're holding a Cleansweep Six, you'll have a legitimate reason to ask her out to fly!"
"...Huh?!" Cedric was stunned.
"You can tell her you got a Cleansweep Six and want to test its performance," Robert pointed at the broom in his hand. "Then use your superb flying skills to impress her!"
"???" Cedric didn't understand this logic. Shouldn't he let Cho try the broom first?
Ignoring Cedric's confusion, Robert continued, "That way, the next time the Ravenclaws discuss Cleansweep brooms, your impressive image will naturally come to Cho's mind."
Cedric hesitated and asked slowly, "Wouldn't that be a bit unfair? Shouldn't I let her win…"
Robert looked at him in surprise. "Doesn't Cho like Quidditch?"
"Of course she does!" Cedric said earnestly. "We're both dedicated Quidditch fans!"
"Then why are you asking such a silly question?" Robert was even more curious. "Wouldn't you lose sleep over being outmatched? Wouldn't you think every day about how to beat your opponent and claim glory?"
Cedric's expression darkened. "Hey, I just want to beat the captain and become Hufflepuff's best Seeker. But the way you put it makes it sound so weird…"
(End of Chapter)