Chapter 141: A Shopping Trip
Chapter 141: A Shopping Trip (Additional Chapter for Zhenwo Heshan's Reward)
As the days passed, the excitement from the treasure hunt gradually faded, and life returned to its normal routine. One morning, while eating breakfast, Liam was munching on a boiled egg. The news on the TV suddenly caught his attention.
"… The public is advised to be cautious of Black, who is armed and extremely dangerous. A dedicated hotline has been set up, and anyone with information on Black's whereabouts must report it immediately." A photo of a thin-faced man with a foot-long mass of tangled hair appeared on the screen, looking rather menacing.
"That's a bit strange. Usually, news reports mention which prison an escapee is from. Why isn't that the case here? Could this person be a special prisoner from the military or intelligence agencies?" Mr. Lambert said while spreading jam on his bread.
"This person is a Wizard. I saw him in old newspapers when I was researching the history of the Wizarding World at the school Library. They say he killed over a dozen people in one go."
"Good heavens, how dangerous", Mother Sally exclaimed.
"However, what's strange is that after he killed those people, he didn't run. Instead, he stayed put and waited to be arrested. He was sent to a Wizard prison without a trial."
"Without a trial?" Mr. Lambert picked up on the word Liam used. "That means he might not have committed the crime. He could just be an unlucky person who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. This suggests you should be careful when you go to that school. The Wizarding World seems to lack a sense of security."
"Alright, continue eating. I think our son is just going to school and won't have any dealings with wanted criminals", Sally said, a bit annoyed that her husband and son were discussing a murderer.
"Alright, dear (mom), we'll be quiet and eat", Liam and his father looked at each other and quickly resumed their meal.
Liam felt like he might be a fake protagonist, as the rest of the holiday was quite uneventful. He didn't encounter the dog-form Sirius, a common trope in many fanfictions featuring the main character.
In the last week of the holiday, Liam and Hermione took the subway to Diagon Alley to do some shopping. As soon as they opened the door in the Leaky Cauldron that led to Diagon Alley, they heard someone calling out to them.
"Liam, Hermione, over here!" Following the voice, they saw Harry Potter sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, basking in the bright sunlight. A table in front of him was piled with quills, parchment, and a box of nut ice cream.
"Oh, it's great to see you again. Hedwig's letter said you'd be going to Brazil for the first half of the school year. Is that true?"
"Yes, twelve students were selected for the exchange program. The Ministry of Magic is trying to revive international exchange activities that were interrupted by the war and set an example for future programs", Liam explained.
"I'm so envious that you get to travel so far. Unlike me, I can't even visit Hogsmeade this year", Harry said, sounding a bit dejected.
"You're already lucky. Neville wrote to me about some difficult summer homework problems and mentioned that you inflated your aunt during the holidays. According to Neville, the lightest punishment for underage magic outside of school is a warning. It's quite surprising you didn't receive any punishment", Liam said seriously.
"I didn't mean to do it", Harry said. "I just lost control because she was insulting my parents so badly."
"I understand, but in the future, you should think more before acting. This time, you got lucky, but we can't rely on luck all the time."
"Alright, let's drop it. Harry's fine now", Liam said, noticing Hermione was about to lecture again. "We have a lot of books to buy this year, so we should hurry."
"I'll go with you. After all, I've been in Diagon Alley for over a week now." Harry immediately packed the paper and pen on the table into his bag and leaped up to lead the way.
They first went to the Apothecary to replenish their potion supplies, then to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to buy new robes, including formal robes for the upcoming study trip. It was undeniable that everyone had grown a lot since entering puberty, and their old school uniforms were now too short to wear.
Even Liam had to use Deathclaw skin to make a new set of Assassin's Garb while in the Radiation World. He also updated his Hidden Blade and Grapple Hook to fit his new physique. Particularly the Hidden Blade, which was crafted from the purified metal remnants near the Radiant Sea Core, with Runic Inscriptions inlaid using gold and silver filigree. This gave the Hidden Blade some resistance to magic.
Finally, they arrived at Flourish and Blotts to buy new textbooks. They would receive the textbooks for their trip to Brazil upon arrival, but Liam and Hermione still needed their Hogwarts textbooks for self-study.
Just as they approached the door of Flourish and Blotts, Liam noticed that the display window, which used to showcase various golden books that looked very profound, now contained an iron cage. Inside the cage, over a hundred large green books with golden titles were piled up and fighting each other.
As they entered the bookstore, the manager approached them. "Hogwarts students buying textbooks, I presume?" "Yes", Liam said, "We need two copies of The Monster Book of Monsters", he added, glancing at the list.
"I wonder which professor requested these books. They were delivered in a cage, and they’re a real pain to handle. They’ve been fighting non-stop ever since they arrived. I swear I’ll never stock this book again." The manager grumbled, putting on a thick pair of gloves and picking up a thick, knobby cane before heading towards the cage.
Liam used his magical senses to check the books in the cage and then suddenly said to the manager, "I have a spell that can temporarily calm them down. Can I give it a try?"
"A Stunning Spell won’t work. If the force is too weak, it will only anger them, and if it’s too strong, it will set the books on fire", the manager said, turning to look at Liam. "Are you really sure you can do it?"
"I’ll replace the books if I damage them", Liam said confidently. The manager, seeing Liam's confidence, stepped aside and gestured for him to proceed.
Liam walked to the cage and drew a golden Runic symbol in the air with his wand, then recited the spell in Old Norse: "Calm." As he finished the incantation, all the books immediately stopped fighting and fell to the bottom of the cage, lying quietly.
"Oh, fantastic! You few, come over and tie these books up quickly." The manager called out to the employees to secure the books and then said to Liam, "I’ll give you a 30% discount on your purchases today."
A few minutes later, the three of them left the bookstore with their newly purchased books. Their backpacks were bulging, showing they had bought quite a few. Hermione and Liam had bought several reference books in addition to their textbooks, and even Harry had bought a book about Quidditch.
The happiest person, besides the bookstore manager, was Liam. He received a notification that he had earned two more Deviation Points. As they passed the display window, they could see that the cage was gone, replaced by a display stand with The Monster Book of Monsters securely tied up with ropes.
(End of Chapter)
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