https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-627-The-Difference-Between-Wizards/12538990/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-629-Courtesies-Among-Fellow-Students/12539000/
Chapter 628: They Really Are Rich
Chapter 628: They Really Are Rich
"Oh, the esteemed Professor Diggory."
A few days later, during the weekend trip to Hogsmeade Village, Fred approached Cedric with a mischievous grin and said, "Allow me to greet you and offer my humble respects."
George, struggling to keep a straight face, added seriously, "If possible, Professor, could you excuse us from our homework?"
Cedric rubbed his forehead in mild annoyance.
Though he had anticipated that the twins would tease him, the sight of their mischievous grins in the entrance hall that morning had still given him a headache.
They had been relatively well-behaved within the castle, fearing that others might overhear and report them to Umbridge. However, it just so happened that today was Hogsmeade weekend.
Once they were out of school, the twins felt no restraints and continued to poke fun at Cedric along the way.
"Shut up, both of you!" Zi Yan said irritably, "You don't have to participate if you don't want to."
"No, we're definitely joining!" George asserted.
"Yeah," Fred nodded, "We're going to teach ourselves Defense Against the Dark Arts... I must say, it's a brilliant idea of yours. I'm sick and tired of that old hag, Umbridge!"
"Actually, it was Hermione's idea," Cedric corrected, "and I'm not even sure if anyone will show up."
"You don't have to worry about that," Fred said, "We asked around last night, and there are already seventeen people from Gryffindor who want to join..."
"Seventeen?" Cedric stopped in his tracks.
"Is that a lot?" Fred shook his head, "Not at all. It seems everyone's been fed up with Umbridge for a long time, and they're eager for a chance to learn some real skills."
"And that's just the first batch," George chimed in, "We think it might be a bit conspicuous if too many people show up at once, so we expect more to join later."
"Oh," Cedric massaged his temples.
He had thought ten people from Hufflepuff were already a lot, but it seemed like Gryffindor was even more enthusiastic.
If Ravenclaw joined in similar numbers...
He turned to Zi Yan, "Surely Ravenclaw won't have that many interested students?"
"Didn't I just tell you?" Zi Yan blinked, "Oh, I forgot. But we're not as enthusiastic as Gryffindor. Only a few of us are interested in self-studying Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Hearing this, Cedric secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed like the number wouldn't exceed thirty, which was still manageable.
If there were many more, he wasn't sure he could handle it.
Soon, they made their way through the path and reached the entrance to Hogsmeade Village.
Hermione was already waiting for them there.
"Shall we head over now?" she said, jogging towards them, "As we discussed, we'll meet at the Hog's Head."
"Hey, there's no need to rush," Fred said, "The gathering isn't until ten, and it's only nine now."
"I know," Hermione said, "But I think we should prepare in advance and see who's there. If there are any professors, we'll need to change the location immediately."
"Professors won't go to that kind of place," George whispered, "They'd prefer somewhere cleaner and livelier, like the Three Broomsticks."
"Hermione's right," Cedric said as he walked over, "It's better to be cautious. I'll come with you."
"Me too," Zi Yan said, "I've never been to the Hog's Head. It'll be a good chance to check it out."
"If you ask me, there's nothing to see there," Fred said, "We accidentally ended up there once when we took the wrong turn."
"The ambiance is terrible compared to the Three Broomsticks, with the only upside being that there are fewer people."
"Perhaps the reason there are fewer people is because of the poor ambiance."
...
Hermione expressed her skepticism about their so-called "accident," but she didn't press the issue further.
"It's fine, I don't have anything else to do right now anyway," Cedric said, "You two should go to Zonko's."
"We have to," George said, "We need some inspiration for our joke shop. There's so much to prepare, especially if we want to attract customers with our products."
"Alright then," Cedric nodded, "See you later."
With that, he, Zi Yan, and Hermione left the main road and headed down a secluded path.
He had discovered a few days earlier that his thick robe had become a bit snug, and he needed to get a new one before winter set in.
Witch and Wizard Robes was located in the latter half of the main road, next to the Shrieking Shack.
When the two of them entered the store, there were already a few students inside.
Two Slytherin girls, both of whom Kyle recognized.
Daphne Greengrass and her sister, Astoria.
As they walked into the shop, Astoria was browsing through an assortment of peculiar brooches, while Daphne's eyes sparkled with delight as she gazed upon an exquisite gown-style robe on display.
"This is a new design."
The shop owner, a witch in her thirties, was proudly showcasing the gown-style robe to Daphne,
"Notice the golden threads? They're made of genuine gold, and the silver is unicorn tail hair. The gems are from Fire Crabs, and they're all intact and rare."
"How much is it?" Daphne asked, unable to hide her interest.
"Just three hundred galleons, dear." The shop owner smiled warmly, "It's my most satisfying creation so far."
Kyle glanced at the gown-style robe, feeling an urge to laugh, but he managed to restrain himself.
Daphne's brow furrowed slightly at his reaction.
Three hundred galleons was a hefty sum, even for her, but the allure of the exquisite gown-style robe was undeniable.
"You should have quite a bit of pocket money, right?" Daphne turned to her sister, Astoria, and asked.
"Huh?" Astoria snapped out of her trance and pulled out an elegant purse, "Not much, just about a hundred galleons left."
"That's enough. Lend it to me." Daphne snatched Astoria's purse and said, "I need to try this gown on."
"Of course, go right ahead." The store owner nodded with a smile, "Please follow me."
The two sisters then proceeded towards the back of the store.
"Carrying around a hundred galleons as if it's nothing... they're certainly rich." Connor whispered.
Hearing her words, Kyle seemed to recall something, and he let out a soft laugh.
"What's so funny?" Connor asked, curious.
"Nothing, it just reminded me of our first meeting on the train at the start of the school year." Kyle explained, "Back then, you were just like them."
"What do you mean?" Connor was confused.
"Don't you remember?" Kyle elaborated, "On the train, you dumped a whole pile of galleons onto the table, startling Cedric and me.
"At that time, he and I felt the same way you do now—we thought pure-blood wizarding families were incredibly wealthy."
"That was ages ago." Connor rolled her eyes, clearly not amused by the reminder of this embarrassing moment.
"Yeah, it was." Kyle agreed, then changed the subject, "So, what do you think of that gown-style robe?"
"It's a bit over the top." Connor remarked, sounding somewhat disapproving, "It's pretty, but there are too many embellishments, and it looks a bit odd. It can't be comfortable to wear."
"But some people do prefer this style." Connor added, "At last year's Christmas ball, quite a few people wore these elaborate gown-style robes."
"Really?" Kyle asked, trying to recall what people had worn at the ball, but drawing a blank.
"Of course, and there were quite a few of them." Connor confirmed, "After the ball, Lettie talked about it all evening, and I had no choice but to listen. For days afterward, that's all they talked about—those gorgeous gown-style robes."
"Well."
Although Kyle and Connor were speaking softly, they inadvertently caught the attention of Astoria, who was standing a short distance away.
With only three people in the store, it was hard not to notice, but Astoria moved even further away, perhaps to avoid any suspicion of eavesdropping.
Her action, however, did not go unnoticed by Kyle and Connor.
"She doesn't seem like a typical Slytherin." Connor remarked.
"No." Kyle agreed, "I'd say she's just not like the current crop of Slytherins."
...
(End of Chapter)
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