Chapter 14: Closing the Door is a Good Habit
Chapter 14: Closing the Door is a Good Habit
In the Wizarding World, rats, being the cheapest of the designated pets at Hogwarts, naturally have a wide range of customers, including many young witches.
However, most of them would choose hamsters with beautiful fur, gentle temperaments, and adorable appearances, or longer-living black rats, and slightly cleaner-looking white mice.
Kyle had never met a young witch who preferred ordinary voles, and judging by her attire, she didn't seem to be a wizard in need of money.
Having lived in the Wizarding World for eleven years, Kyle had gained some knowledge.
Although the girl's clothes weren't extravagant, the fabric was exquisite, and the craftsmanship was delicate. Additionally, the signature pattern on her cuffs indicated that it was undoubtedly from the Deva Wizard Clothing Store, a place much more expensive than Madam Malkin's, with a starting price of twenty Galleons.
Anyone who could afford to shop there would surely be able to buy better pets.
From this perspective, the girl must genuinely like this rat.
No wonder she came to him.
The rat potion from Diagon Alley? That stuff is essentially sugar water, similar to functional drinks, useful for a quick energy boost but not much else.
Although the girl's aesthetic was indeed unique, Kyle didn't react with excessive surprise, and his expression remained unchanged.
Don't forget that even the most ruthless people in the Wizarding World have their preferences, like the Eight-Eyed Spider.
He had seen that creature once in Newt's case, and to put it bluntly, its appearance challenged the moral standards of normal humans. It was the type of creature that could become a childhood trauma with just one glance.
Kyle was thoroughly disgusted, and for an entire year after that, he hadn't set foot inside Newt's case.
In comparison, a young witch liking a vole was completely normal.
...
Soon, Kyle took out a thumb-sized bottle from his suitcase and handed it to her. "This bottle is on me. If you find it effective, come back, but I'll have to charge you next time. The price might be a bit steep, a Galleon, but it's definitely worth it."
"Thank you, thank you."
The little girl named Conna hurriedly reached out to take the bottle, but instead of leaving, she continued to stand there, looking at the bottle in her hand and then at Kyle, her face filled with hesitation.
"What's wrong? Do you think it's not enough?"
Kyle explained, thinking she found it insufficient: "It's not that I'm stingy, but I want you to try it first. Rat potions don't have a large dosage; two or three drops are enough. This bottle may not seem like much, but it will last you a month."
"No, no, that's not what I meant."
After hearing Kyle's words, Conna shook her head repeatedly. Then, under the watchful eyes of Kyle and Sedric, she mumbled, "I don't think it's too little; I want the red one."
Red?
Sedric then noticed that the rat potion in Conna's hand was a somewhat murky orange-yellow, resembling mashed orange pudding.
The one Kyle had given Percy earlier was crystal clear and a pure red, without any impurities.
Despite being the same thing, the appearance differed greatly, and anyone could tell that the crystal-clear red was far superior to the murky orange-yellow.
Even if it were free, it shouldn't be this sloppy.
For a moment, Sedric's gaze towards Kyle changed.
As expected, a businessman like Kyle would surely end up in Azkaban.
At that moment, Conna seemed to remember something and frantically rummaged through her delicate handbag.
"I... I can buy it."
Conna lightly shook her handbag, and a pile of Galleons clattered onto the table.
There were thirty-three Galleons in total, along with a few Sickles.
This scene left Sedric's eyes wide open in astonishment.
He only had ten Galleons per semester, and thirty-three Galleons was three times that amount, even without the change.
Was she jealous? Absolutely, but Cedric could hold it in. After all, with his personality, he didn't care much about the amount of Galleons; as long as it was enough, he was content.
But the next moment, her actions completely caught him off guard.
"Is this all you have left?" asked Conna, sounding disappointed as she bit her lip. "It's okay. If it's not enough, I can always get more from Gringotts. As long as it can extend Patchy's life a little longer, any amount of Galleons is fine."
What? More?
Cedric's lips twitched involuntarily, and at this moment, he was truly shocked by her extravagant words.
Listen to that, any amount of Galleons...
If it were an adult wizard, it would be understandable, but for a first-year student to say such a thing, wasn't it a bit too much?
Or was this just a normal day for a Slytherin?
He had certainly gained some new insight.
On the other side, Kyle didn't have the mood to care about Cedric's thoughts. He looked at Conna with a hesitant expression, feeling his head getting bigger by the second.
Only a family member would know the family's secrets. Rat potions were naturally this orange color.
As for Percy's bottle, it had extra ingredients added, and a regular rat would probably drop dead after drinking it.
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But the problem was that he couldn't speak, and from Conna's expression, it seemed like she had already assumed that he had a potion to extend the rat's life, probably having listened to Percy's words without missing a single word.
In this situation, unless he told the truth, there was no way Kyle could explain himself.
"Um... Conna, it's like this."
Kyle thought for a moment and said, "That special rat potion is too strong to drink directly. Before that, you must first strengthen the rat's physique with a regular potion."
Delay, just delay.
This was the only solution Kyle could think of.
If he said he didn't have it or couldn't brew it himself, what if she turned to Newt? That would be a huge problem.
Newt might be hard to find, but Dumbledore was right there at Hogwarts. In the wizarding world, even a three-year-old child knew how close they were.
Since Conna was wearing Muggle clothes from Deva Wizard Clothing Store, she couldn't possibly be a Muggle-born. If she found Dumbledore, she might very well meet Newt.
"I should've closed the door when Percy came," Kyle muttered, rubbing his forehead with a bitter smile.
Fortunately, this wasn't a difficult problem to solve. He just needed to go to Dorset during the Hogwarts holidays.
He remembered that Newt had once brewed a Murtlap Mouse potion, as this magical creature's body structure was very similar to that of a rat, the rats in the pet shop basically had some Murtlap Mouse bloodline.
Just like cats and Kneazles.
So, by diluting it a little, he could directly use it, and it was definitely possible to extend the life of an ordinary rat by at least three to five years.
"I'll give Patchy his potion on time."
Conna didn't doubt him and nodded seriously.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Kyle smiled and handed her a Chocolate Frog, "Have some chocolate, it'll make you feel better."
"No, it's okay, I can buy it myself."
Conna glanced at the Chocolate Frog and quickly averted her eyes, her hands clutching the hem of her robe. She looked like a child receiving a red envelope during the New Year, wanting it but feeling too shy to accept it.
"It's fine, take it," Kyle smiled, "Consider it a gift for our first meeting, and I hope we can become classmates."
"...Thank you."
Hearing Kyle's words, Conna finally accepted the Chocolate Frog with a blush, but instead of eating it, she carefully put it away.
(End of Chapter)
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