Chapter 346: Chris' Differential Treatment
Chapter 346: Chris' Differential Treatment
"You're just in time..."
Newt wiped the sweat from his brow and asked, "Weren't you with the Romanian Ministry of Magic? What brings you here?"
"The matter has been dealt with," Chris replied as he stepped forward. Together with Kyle, they used the Whirlwind Charm to pull the Romanian Horned Dragon out of the marsh.
"To be honest, it's been pretty boring these past few days. I had to accompany them to various events and work meetings.
And it's not over yet. Once we're back at the Ministry, I have to write at least five reports... I wish I hadn't come."
"That's just how it is when you work for the Ministry," Newt said with a laugh. "Tina and Theseus used to be the same. They'd have piles of reports to write after each assignment."
"Yeah..." Chris sighed and then joined Newt to examine the injured Romanian Horned Dragon.
"It's exhausted, and a few of its bones are broken as well," Newt said as he retrieved a potion from his box and poured it into the dragon's mouth. "But thankfully, none of the injuries are fatal, and there don't seem to be any severe external wounds. It should make a full recovery in a few weeks."
After tending to the dragon's injuries, Newt took out something that resembled a sea snail and tapped it with his wand.
Soon, several dragon keepers arrived on broomsticks.
They expressed their gratitude to Newt, Kyle, and Chris before carefully placing the dragon into a special black cage and flying off with it.
At the very edge of the reserve was a desolate valley, remote and perfect for housing these severely injured dragons. Chris decided to stay back to help with their care.
With Chris taking care of the dragons, Kyle had nothing else to do but focus on collecting supplies. He even learned a useful spell from Chris—a variation of the Cleaning Charm that could gather nearby lightweight objects together. This made collecting dragon blood much easier.
When the chaos of the day finally settled, the trio returned to their campsite.
Kyle planned to inventory their haul back at the tent, while Chris decided to visit a nearby wizarding settlement.
"I heard that the dragon keepers here rush to buy a pair of Old John's Anti-Hex Gloves as soon as they get paid," Chris said in front of the tent. "I've already found out where the shop is—right in the center of the settlement.
If the gloves are as good as they say, they'd make a great gift for your mom."
"What about mine...?" Kyle asked, suddenly looking up. "Is it also gloves?"
"What are you talking about...?" Chris blinked, confused by the question.
"The gift," Kyle clarified.
"What gi..." Chris paused, realization dawning on him. "Oh, if you want something as well..."
He extended a hand, "A pair of gloves is fifty galleons. I can get them for you if you want."
"You want me to pay for it?" Kyle couldn't believe his ears. Were family members being treated differently here?
"Of course," Chris said matter-of-factly. "I already gave you a birthday present, and don't think I haven't noticed how many good things you've picked up these past few days.
Dragon blood is sold by the pint, and that's not even counting the teeth, scales, claws, and other bits...
Your take these past two days is worth more than my salary for two months."
"But I collected all that bit by bit..." Kyle muttered, "I barely got four hours of sleep a night, it was hard work. And I was keeping those things for myself, not planning to sell them."
"Don't whine about it," Chris glanced at him, "Do you want my help or not? If not, I'm leaving.
But seriously, the Anti-Hex Gloves here are amazing. They're several notches above what you'd find elsewhere, and sixty galleons isn't a steep price.
Kyle gave him a suspicious look, but Chris's expression didn't change. He simply urged him to make a decision quickly, adding that the store might be closing soon.
Under his prodding, Kyle thought for a moment and decided to buy a pair.
It was a rare opportunity, and he wanted to bring back some souvenirs.
"Should I come with you?"
"No need." Chris shook his head. "It's quite chaotic there, and there are often unidentified wizards hanging around. It's not a suitable place for underage wizards like you.
I'll buy them for you; you stay here with Mr. Scamander."
"Alright..." Kyle took out a small pouch from his pocket.
This was the thirty galleons Professor Rokendil had given him earlier.
He added another thirty galleons to it and handed the pouch to Chris.
Chris pursed his lips.
Sixty galleons was no small amount, and he was surprised that Kyle had taken it out so readily, his expression unchanged as if the money was mere sickles.
This kid must have made a fortune at school...
However, Chris didn't say anything and simply took the money before leaving the tent.
Kyle continued to inventory the items on the table.
As per their agreement, they would split the dragon blood evenly, and the rest would be his.
Kyle initially felt a bit embarrassed and deliberately poured a larger portion for Newt during the division.
But Newt just smiled and shook his head, taking the smaller portion.
As evening fell, Chris returned and tossed a pair of black-gray gloves to Kyle.
The gloves were made of dragon hide, feeling hard and rough to the touch, but surprisingly flexible and adaptable to the wearer's hand size.
This alone made them far superior to his previous pair of dragon hide gloves.
The standard-issue gloves had been slightly too large for him, often sliding down his hands and proving inconvenient to use.
As for their anti-hex capability, Kyle didn't test it, but since Chris had bought them, he trusted they would work as intended.
That night, a bonfire blazed in the campsite.
Chris emerged from the tent with a bottle of Fire Whiskey he had purchased from the pub and joined a few familiar faces. They sat together, roasting meat, drinking, and chatting.
Although the likelihood of an accident was slim, they refrained from overindulging, limiting themselves to a small cup each, totaling less than a mouthful.
"This isn't authentic!"
Charlie took a sip and remarked, "You must have bought the cheap stuff that Old Brown uses to dupe wizard tourists."
"Fake?" Chris took another small sip, enjoying the taste.
"That old fox is cunning and an excellent brewer. Even we occasionally get fooled."
Charlie didn't elaborate further, merely smiling as he said, "Give me the bottle, and I'll get you two genuine ones.
The real Fire Whiskey will have you spitting fire after the first sip."
Chris looked at the cup in his hand with newfound respect; he had no idea about this.
As they chatted, Kyle spotted Professor Rokendil in the crowd and approached him to sell the inferior items he had set aside, as per their previous agreement.
With Chris taking over some of his duties, Kyle now had more free time, and his haul was significantly larger than the last time.
Two bags, totaling fifty-three galleons.
Adding this to the previous thirty galleons, he had more than recouped the cost of the anti-hex gloves, with some left over.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
