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Chapter 33: A Wager with Malfoy
Before they knew it, it was already November, and the weather was gradually turning cold.
Ivan's Potions skills had nearly reached the Fourth Level through daily academic discussions with Hermione. He estimated that it wouldn't be long before he could reach the minimum level required to brew a Blood-Bonding Potion.
To avoid the embarrassment of being subjected to Legilimency again, Ivan also took the time to sneak into the Restricted Section and, over several nights, used the academic points he had accumulated over the weeks to raise his Occlumency to the Second Level.
However, Ivan's joy was short-lived as he was now struggling to gather the numerous potion ingredients needed to brew the Blood-Bonding Potion.
He only had three Galleons, fifteen Sickles, and a few Knuts. Even if he managed to sneak into Hogsmeade Village through a secret passage, he doubted he could afford all the necessary ingredients.
He was grateful for the letter his unknown mother had sent, which contained some money. Otherwise, he wouldn't have a single Galleon.
"Do you guys have any ideas on how to earn a lot of Galleons in a month?" Ivan asked suddenly while they were walking to the Great Hall, his mind preoccupied with the problem of how to make money.
"Let's rob Gringotts. Just remember to count me in", Ron joked.
"Forget it. You'd be thrown into Azkaban by the Goblins guarding the place before you even got started", Hermione rolled her eyes and explained why Gringotts was considered the safest place in the Wizarding world. Besides the various security systems, it was rumored that a Dragon guarded the Vaults.
Harry and Ron listened with great interest, but Ivan, who knew the inside story, couldn't help but scoff internally.
Forget it, the so-called safest place was just broken into by Voldemort-possessed Quirrell this year and will be breached again in a few years.
Despite his internal criticism, Gringotts' defense system was still a nightmare for Ivan, and Ron's suggestion was just as unreliable.
"By the way, Ivan, why do you need so many Galleons?" Harry suddenly asked, curious.
"I took a bit from my Vault before coming to Hogwarts. If you don't need too much, I can lend you some."
With that, Harry pulled out a handful of Galleons from his robe pocket and placed them in front of Ivan, saying he had a lot more in his dorm.
Harry's generous act left Ivan speechless. Knowing the backstory, Ivan realized that the "bit" of Galleons Harry mentioned was probably over a hundred!
Even if the potion ingredients were expensive, these Galleons would be more than enough, and the handful Harry placed in front of him was nearly enough.
Seeing Harry's sincere expression, Ivan was touched. They had only known each other for half a semester, and Harry's behavior was truly generous!
Of course, this was partly due to Harry's lack of money sense.
"Never mind, I was just thinking out loud. There's no way to spend that many Galleons here anyway", Ivan finally shook his head and politely declined Harry's offer.
To many, this might seem foolish. A simple gesture could achieve his goal, and the borrowed Galleons could be returned later, or Harry might not even care.
But Ivan didn't see it that way. Accepting Harry's kindness now would mean owing him a favor, which wasn't a good thing for Ivan, who didn't want to be overly involved in Dumbledore's plans.
Besides, there was still some time. If he couldn't find a solution, he could always ask Harry for help later.
With Ivan's deliberate change of subject, Harry quickly forgot about it, and the group gradually began discussing the upcoming Quidditch Match.
As Gryffindor's hidden ace, Harry was far less confident than the others imagined. He was quite anxious, unable to imagine how disappointed Wood would be if he failed to catch the Golden Snitch and Gryffindor lost the match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup in a long time.
Ivan, on the other hand, was full of confidence, encouraging Harry. No one knew more about Harry's flying talent, and with his good luck, Gryffindor would have a hard time losing unless the plot dictated it.
Given Harry's generosity, Ivan planned to keep an eye on Quirrell during the match to prevent any mishaps.
Before they knew it, they had reached the Great Hall. As Ivan prepared to head to the Gryffindor table for lunch, he heard Malfoy from the next table loudly mocking Gryffindor's repeated losses to Slytherin over the years.
Ron was so angry that he wanted to punch Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione managed to hold him back. A fight in the Great Hall would cost them too many House points.
However, while the three were arguing, Ivan approached Malfoy.
At the Slytherin table, Malfoy's smug smile turned to disgust and fear when he saw Ivan approaching. The rumors of Ivan killing a Troll were still circulating, and even Professor Mcgonagall had confirmed it. Malfoy feared that Ivan was there to cause trouble.
But Malfoy soon realized they were at the Slytherin table, and Ivan was unlikely to start a conflict here, so he regained some courage and sternly demanded, "Hals, what do you want?"
"Nothing much, just wanted to make a bet", Ivan said, smiling as he placed three Galleons on the table.
"Let's bet that Harry will catch the Golden Snitch and win the match!" Ivan said.
Malfoy looked at the three Galleons on the table but didn't immediately agree.
The money was insignificant to Malfoy, but he still remembered being tricked by Ivan before. He couldn't help but suspect that Ivan might have some ulterior motive.
As for Harry, Gryffindor's secret weapon, he had already been exposed during the recent training sessions, and Malfoy was aware of it.
"Fine, if you don't want to bet, I was hoping to make some money with the little I have", Ivan shrugged, preparing to leave.
"Wait",
Malfoy was unsure of Ivan's intentions but picked up on something interesting in Ivan's words.
(End of Chapter)
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