Chapter 629: Discounts Among Friends
Chapter 629: Discounts Among Friends
After about twenty minutes, the shop owner and Daphne finally emerged from inside.
"Just as we discussed, I'll have the dress altered and delivered to Hogwarts tomorrow," said Daphne, who was walking at the front.
"No problem," the shop owner smiled, "I'll make sure to deliver the dress to Hogwarts on time."
"Alright," Daphne nodded and turned to leave, accompanied by the shop owner, "We're going back, Astoria."
As they passed by Kyle and Conna, Astoria politely greeted them, but Daphne just snorted without saying a word.
Kyle sighed helplessly; this wasn't the first time this had happened.
Since the start of the school year, some Slytherins had drastically changed their attitude towards him.
Take Malfoy, for example.
Previously, Kyle and Malfoy had a neutral relationship, and with Malfoy's spending power, they had quite a few common interests.
But this year was different. Since the start of the term, the two hadn't exchanged a single word, and they had barely seen each other.
Kyle felt that Malfoy was deliberately avoiding him, probably due to Lucius Malfoy's instructions before the start of school.
Additionally, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent, and Mulciber, who had all been generous customers, now distanced themselves from Kyle, which was quite unusual.
Influenced by them, other Slytherins also grew colder towards Kyle, and Daphne was one of them.
As a friend of Pansy and Millicent, this was to be expected.
Despite wanting to say something, Kyle decided not to interfere and quietly watched as they left the clothing store.
After seeing them off, the shop owner approached and asked, "What can I offer you two?"
"I'd like a new winter school uniform," Kyle replied.
Similar to Madam Malkin's Robes Shop in Diagon Alley, this store also offered custom-made Hogwarts uniforms at comparable prices.
"Just the uniform?" the shop owner asked, "How about a cloak? We have dragonhide cloaks that will keep you warm."
"No, thank you," Kyle glanced at the most expensive cloak on display, priced at 300 Galleons.
While this price wasn't exceptionally high for a dragonhide cloak, it was for a complete one.
The cloak in front of him was magically stitched together, with the top part showing a hint of blue, likely from a Swedish Short-Snout Dragon, and the bottom part in the distinctive gray-white of a Ukrainian Ironbelly.
The cloak maker had done an excellent job of disguising the different materials, using unique patterns to conceal the seams, making it difficult for anyone to notice.
"What about a Durmstrang-style cloak, then?" the shop owner persisted, "It's only 20 Galleons."
Kyle shook his head, "Just the uniform, please."
The shop owner slowly lost his enthusiasm upon hearing Kyle's request.
Hogwarts uniforms were priced according to a fixed rate, and unless there was a bulk order, there was little profit to be made.
"Alright," the shop owner said.
A measuring tape flew over and started taking Kyle's measurements, while the owner returned to the counter, sorting through items without the previous enthusiasm.
Kyle didn't mind this change in demeanor.
After a few minutes, the measuring tape snapped shut, and Kyle walked to the counter, reaching into his pocket to pay.
Perhaps due to the many items in his pocket, Kyle inadvertently pulled out a few small objects along with his money—a few silver-white hairs and an irregularly shaped ruby.
"Too many things in my pocket," Kyle said, quickly putting them back and asking, "How much is it?"
The shop owner's eyes flickered, and after a moment's thought, he replied, "One Galleon."
"That cheap?" Conna exclaimed, surprised by the price. She knew the value of things, and even in the second-hand shops of Diagon Alley, she had never seen such an affordable school uniform robe, especially a thick winter one.
"Alright, one Galleon," Kyle confirmed, taking out the money.
The shop owner's eyes lit up, and he quickly took the Galleon, his enthusiasm returning.
"Thank you, young man. I'll get started on your uniform right away. It'll be ready in a few days."
Kyle nodded and turned to leave with Conna.
As they walked out, Conna asked, "Why did you buy that ruby and those hairs?"
"Oh, they're for a potion I'm working on. I found an interesting recipe in one of the books from the Restricted Section," Kyle explained.
"You're getting into Potions now? I thought you were more into Transfiguration," Conna remarked.
"Well, I'm exploring different subjects. You know, broadening my horizons," Kyle smiled.
Conna laughed, "You and your ever-curious mind. Be careful with those potions, though. Some of them can be quite dangerous."
"Don't worry, I'll be cautious," Kyle assured her.
As they walked back to Hogwarts, Conna couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth towards Kyle. He was always so considerate and kind, and his curiosity and eagerness to learn were infectious.
"Indeed, one Galleon," the shop owner said with a smile. "This is our special offer for the one-thousandth school uniform robe we've sold."
Kyle chuckled and placed a Galleon on the counter, "How long will it take?"
"Very soon, just half an hour," the owner assured him.
...
"We're so lucky, aren't we?" Conna exclaimed as they left the shop. "It's the one-thousandth one."
"Maybe not exactly," Kyle hinted.
"Do you remember the dress robe we were talking about earlier?"
"The one for three hundred Galleons?" Conna asked.
"Yes," Kyle nodded, "If I'm not mistaken, the unicorn mane on that robe is the wrong color. Most likely, it's a magical combination of hairs, disguised as a mane. And the Fire Crab gem is probably a re-carved fragment...
"I'd bet that all those materials combined wouldn't cost more than twenty Galleons. It's not as good as she claims."
"Hairs and gem fragments?" Conna was intrigued. "How did you figure that out?"
This work is organized and uploaded by Li Hua.
"Experience," Kyle shrugged, taking out the hairs and gems from his pocket. "I've seen enough to know."
"You mean..." Conna trailed off.
"Yes," Kyle confirmed, nodding. "The original materials of the dress robe—hairs and gem fragments. The shop owner must have recognized them too."
Kyle considered himself and the shop owner as half-colleagues in this regard.
He had worked on similar projects before—the most expensive custom maps, also decorated with unicorn hairs and Fire Crab gems.
There was no way he couldn't recognize them.
However, this shop owner was far more cunning than him.
Kyle added in his mind...at least he didn't sell the map for two hundred Galleons.
After leaving the shop, it was almost ten o'clock, but Kyle didn't rush to the Pig's Head Pub. Instead, he leisurely sipped on a glass of Pumpkin Juice at the Three Broomsticks, enjoying the view from the window.
Outside, the number of students gradually increased, and their paths were remarkably consistent, clearly headed towards the Pig's Head Pub.
A previously deserted path was now bustling with people.
"There are definitely more than thirty people," Kyle muttered.
Conna also glanced out the window, "Aren't we going?"
"If you're curious, you can go and take a look," Kyle suggested.
"Aren't you going?" Conna asked.
"Yes," Kyle nodded, "With this many participants, Dolores Umbridge will eventually find out.
"And my current identity is supposed to be in opposition to Professor Dumbledore, so I shouldn't be there."
"Can't we make them sign a confidentiality agreement?" Conna thought for a moment, "Before it starts, to ensure they don't tell Umbridge about this."
"It won't help much," Kyle explained, "Even if they don't actively snitch, friends will talk... Who knows when someone might slip up. It can't be kept secret."
"I see," Conna said, "What about a stricter agreement? Like, no discussion about this in any form..."
"It's possible," Kyle took a sip of Pumpkin Juice, "But not now. Most people are resistant to agreements, especially when it's strict. No one wants to sign something so binding without knowing the full context.
"So, even if we want to keep it secret, we can only do it after the decision is made."
"Makes sense," Conna agreed, looking out the window again. "Then I won't go either."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
