Chapter 699: A Fortune in a Pocket
Chapter 699: A Fortune in a Pocket
Perhaps out of amusement or other reasons, Fred and George relayed Albert's words verbatim to Ron.
For Ron, who had never seen a single galleon in his pocket, the news that Scabbers, who slept in his bag, was worth tens of thousands of galleons was utterly shocking.
Ron clutched his chest and took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart.
"You guys aren't pulling my leg, are you?"
It wasn't that Ron didn't believe them, but Fred and George often played pranks on him, and what they were saying sounded too good to be true.
If Scabbers was truly that valuable, Percy would have sold him; there was no way he would have given him to Ron.
"Why would we lie to you?" Fred said, feigning seriousness. "Albert said Muggles are particularly interested in studying creatures that have lived a long time, and I remember your rat lives longer than ordinary mice. If someone lives a decade or so longer than others, it's not unusual, but if someone lives twice as long, people will naturally be curious as to how they've managed to extend their lifespan."
"Maybe... maybe he drank an elixir of life."
In fact, Ron only understood that Scabbers was so valuable because he had lived a long time.
Now that he thought about it, Scabbers did seem to have been around for a very long time.
"So, do you want to sell Scabbers?" Fred and George asked, their arms around Ron's shoulders. "This is a rare opportunity. A single rat could bring you tens of thousands of Muggle coins, or even more. It's a huge profit."
"I..."
Ron's lips quivered slightly, and he was about to say the word "sell" when he heard Hermione beside him say, "Ron, they're tricking you. Can't you tell?"
"What?"
Ron's head was in a muddle.
"How could a rat be worth so much?" Hermione looked at Ron, exasperated. "Do you know how many pounds tens of thousands of galleons are?" She felt that Ron must have been dazzled by the mention of money, causing him to blindly believe Fred and George's nonsense.
"So... you guys are tricking me after all!"
Ron continued to clutch his chest, nearly unable to breathe. His wildly fluctuating emotions were not good for his heart.
"We're not tricking you," Fred and George said indignantly. "Albert did say that your rat is very valuable, and he believes that Muggle biologists—yes, that's what he called them—would be willing to pay a lot of money to acquire it for research if they knew about it."
After finishing, the two looked at Lee Jordan, expecting him to chime in.
"Albert did say that last night," Lee Jordan admitted, unable to bear their stares any longer.
"Did Albert really say that?" Hermione looked at the three of them skeptically, her face full of disbelief.
"Yes, he did," they replied in unison.
"You don't understand," Fred said seriously. "Albert doesn't like lying. He prefers to use the truth to deceive people, so when he says something, it's usually true."
"Using the truth to deceive?" Hermione couldn't comprehend how that was possible. "Sometimes the truth can be more devastating than lies. We don't know much about Muggles either, but Albert rarely lies."
Lee Jordan seemed to recall something and added, "However, he also said that even if the rat were sold, it would be difficult to exchange Muggle money for galleons."
Ron finally understood that Scabbers was indeed worth that price, but he couldn't sell him and turn him into tens of thousands of galleons.
So, it was basically the same as having nothing.
Ron felt like he was watching a mountain of galleons in front of him suddenly sprout wings and fly away.
If he hadn't been young and had a strong heart, Ron would have been unable to catch his breath and would have fainted on the spot.
"Don't be discouraged, Ron," Fred said, showing no sign of remorse for almost scamming his brother. "It's just that turning the rat into galleons is a bit tricky."
"So, it's basically impossible."
"No, there's a difference," George said seriously. "At least now you have a dream."
"Stop daydreaming, Ron," Hermione said, turning to the silent Harry. "Money doesn't fall from the sky. Harry, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"It's nothing," Harry hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I haven't signed my application form yet."
"It's not a big deal," Fred reassured him. "You can always sneak into Hogsmeade. We do it all the time."
"If you want to go to Hogsmeade, Harry, come find us," George said with a smile. "We know quite a few passages to the outside world."
"Black is looking for Harry," Hermione said, glaring at the Weasley twins. "He should stay at school."
"Black won't show up in Hogsmeade," Fred said dismissively. "Albert already divined that he's wandless and poses no threat. If Black does appear, a simple Full Body-Bind Curse will earn us a hefty reward."
"Don't listen to their nonsense, Harry," Hermione said angrily. "You should let the Ministry and the Dementors deal with Black, not go looking for trouble yourself."
"To be frank, the Ministry can't catch Black," Fred scoffed. "Otherwise, he wouldn't still be on the run. Expecting the Ministry to capture Black is like expecting a downpour of galleons from the sky."
"Harry, what you should really be worried about is not Black, but the Dementors," George said. "Albert has always believed that Dementors are more dangerous than Black."
"I'll write to Mrs. Weasley about this," Hermione threatened, knowing how to make the twins drop their foolish ideas.
"Oh, fine, you win, Hermione," Fred and George finally conceded under Hermione's threat.
If their mother found out that they were encouraging Harry to go to Hogsmeade, she would surely send them Howlers.
"When are you planning to go after Black?" Ron, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked.
"We don't know," Fred and George admitted. "Albert said we have to wait for the right opportunity to catch Black."
"The right opportunity?" Ron mumbled. "Make sure you bring me along when the time comes."
"I want to go too," Harry said softly.
"The prerequisite is that we need to master the Patronus Charm first," George said, guessing Ron's thoughts. "Only then will Albert be willing to take us with him to capture Black."
"Harry, Black isn't a walking bag of gold," Hermione said angrily, feeling that both Harry and Ron were underestimating the danger Black posed. "And the headmaster mentioned at the start-of-term feast that we shouldn't provoke the Dementors."
"Hermione, Albert already cast a Patronus at the Dementors on the train," Harry said.
(End of Chapter)
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