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Chapter 553: Five Thousand Galleons
Chapter 553: Five Thousand Galleons
Kyle had originally thought that Lupin would be waiting for them at the Three Broomsticks, but he had obviously guessed wrong.
As they passed by the pub, Sirius didn't even pause, continuing on his way.
The trio walked on, passing by Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, before turning down a small path that led them to a familiar place.
The Shrieking Shack.
Lupin was currently standing by the overturned fence surrounding the shack, straightening each panel.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry called out cheerfully as he ran over, "You don't need to do this. The first time I came to Hogsmeade, these were already knocked over, and no one pays any attention to it."
"Hello, Harry, it's good to see you again." Lupin looked up and said, "But you don't need to call me Professor anymore. Just call me Lupin, or like Sirius, you can call me Remus or Moony."
"Okay, Professor Lupin," Harry blurted out.
Lupin's expression froze, and it was clear that it would take Harry some time to get used to the new form of address... Never mind, let it be.
He sighed and didn't dwell on the issue, instead continuing to bend down and tidy up the fence.
Harry wanted to say that no one in Hogsmeade cared about the state of the Shrieking Shack, or even bothered to come here.
But before he could finish his sentence, someone interrupted him.
Sirius shook his head with a smile, "Let him be. These things will need to be done eventually anyway."
"What do you mean?" Harry still didn't quite understand why Professor Lupin would bother to fix up a place that hardly anyone visited.
"Because I bought the Shrieking Shack," Sirius said casually, as if he were talking about buying a butterbeer.
"What?" Harry exclaimed, his voice rising.
"I had wanted to do this since I was in school, but I didn't have that much gold back then," Sirius explained, "After I graduated, other matters kept delaying it, and it was only half a year ago that I finally had the opportunity."
"How much did it cost?" Harry mumbled.
"To be honest, it was much cheaper than I expected," Sirius said, "By the time I was in school, this place had already been abandoned for many years. The old wizard who owned it had moved to Finland long ago.
"During the Christmas holidays, Lupin and I specifically went to find him. When we tracked him down, he had even forgotten that he owned a property in Hogsmeade.
"So when he found out that I wanted to buy the Shrieking Shack, he agreed without any hesitation and even gave me a substantial discount.
"For such a large piece of land, I only paid five thousand galleons. Quite a bargain, don't you think?"
Sirius looked at Harry with a self-satisfied smile, as if he were proud of having saved a large sum of money.
Harry pursed his lips, unable to utter any words of praise.
Although he was also considered wealthy, with piles of galleons in his vault, the number five thousand galleons... was still a bit hard for him to accept.
Mr. Weasley's salary was only eighty galleons, and the Triwizard Tournament champion's prize money was one thousand galleons. In one stroke, Sirius had spent the equivalent of five champions' winnings.
However, just as Harry was about to say something, Kyle nodded seriously beside him.
"Five thousand galleons, you've indeed gotten a great deal."
"Right?" Sirius said happily, "At least I didn't waste my trip all the way to Finland."
"Kyle, do you think it's cheap too?" Harry asked, exasperated.
"Definitely," Kyle replied.
Hogsmeade was perhaps the only village inhabited solely by wizards, and land prices were exorbitantly high, especially for a large piece of land like the Shrieking Shack.
After all, in addition to the run-down house, the area within the fence also belonged to the Shrieking Shack, otherwise Lupin wouldn't have bothered to fix it up.
Kyle thought for a moment and then explained to Harry in a simpler way, "This place is probably about ten times the size of a regular shop. In other words, it's like buying Honeydukes for five hundred galleons. Do you still think it's expensive?"
Harry shook his head unconsciously.
"I don't know yet," Sirius replied with a shrug.
"You don't know?" Harry echoed.
"Yeah," Sirius said. "I just wanted to buy it, but Moony here thinks it's a waste."
"It's not just my opinion, Padfoot," Lupin said, his voice tinged with annoyance as he walked over to them. "Five thousand galleons is enough for a normal wizarding family to live on for ten years. You can't just treat it as a decorative purchase."
"Then how about I leave it to you to manage?" Sirius suggested with a smile. "Whatever you decide to do with it, I won't interfere."
"We've had this conversation many times," Lupin said, his brow furrowed. "I know what you're thinking, but you don't need to do this, Padfoot. I'm capable of finding work, and I will."
"I've been reading up on dragons lately," he continued. "Next year, I plan to try my luck at the dragon sanctuary in Romania."
"Of course, I fully respect your decision, Moony," Sirius said, his eyes darting around evasively. "I only bought this place to fulfill a long-standing wish from my school days."
"Come on, Harry, let's go inside and help tidy up the broken furniture," Sirius said, changing the subject. "I'll buy new ones later. Oh, and you can pick a room on the second floor to stay in during the holidays."
"Really? Can I?" Harry asked, his eyes lighting up at the prospect.
He had never dared to imagine that he would one day be able to live in Hogsmeade.
"Of course," Sirius assured him.
Behind them, Lupin rubbed his forehead, feeling conflicted.
He understood Sirius, and he knew why he had bought the Shrieking Shack, but spending five thousand galleons on a temporary residence seemed like an extravagant waste.
Number 12, Grimmauld Place was already more than sufficient, and most importantly, it was protected by the Fidelius Charm, making it a safe haven.
Just then, Kyle piped up with a question. "Have you really decided to go to Romania?"
"Yes," Lupin confirmed. "I've thought it through, and it seems like the right place for me."
"But have you considered this?" Kyle continued. "Sirius is trying his best to fulfill his role as a godfather. Are you really going to leave Harry in his care?"
Lupin, who had been walking alongside them, came to an abrupt halt, his expression shifting rapidly as he realized the weight of Kyle's words.
Of course, Sirius would want to have Harry live with him; there was no doubt about that.
Lupin hadn't thought much of it before and had even considered it natural, given that Harry's aunt and uncle disliked him. He assumed Harry would prefer to stay with Sirius as well.
But now, with Kyle's reminder, he suddenly became aware of a crucial issue.
The past twelve years hadn't left Sirius completely unscathed, and he had become more impulsive and irritable than before.
There was also a sense of compensatory spending, as if he were trying to make up for lost time by splurging on extravagant purchases.
Lupin could understand this impulse; after being confined for twelve years, it was only natural to want to let loose a little. So, he usually didn't stop Sirius from buying things that, in his opinion, were unnecessary.
Like the Shrieking Shack, for instance.
But now, a new concern had emerged—what if Harry was influenced by Sirius' spending habits during their prolonged time together?
Sirius would be fine; his behavior was only temporary, and he would eventually calm down as the excitement wore off.
However, Harry was still young, and Lupin worried that he might develop similar habits that would be harder to change in the future.
This left Lupin feeling conflicted.
He felt that he should stay, whether it was to keep an eye on Sirius or to help guide Harry.
But the money he had saved up from his time as a professor was dwindling, and while it could sustain him for a while, he didn't want to rely on Sirius' funds in the long term.
Lupin was determined to find his own way.
(End of Chapter)
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