novelcrest Chapter 283 Hermione's Pet
Chapter 283 Hermione's Pet
Chapter 283 Hermione's Pet
When the group arrived at the Quidditch boutique, it was still crowded with people.
The shop window displayed the latest flying broomsticks, attracting a large number of wizards and young wizards to stop and watch.
Behind the glass display case, the latest "Fire Arrow" lay quietly, shimmering with a captivating light, as if ready to take flight at any moment.
These days are the eve of the start of Hogwarts, and Diagon Alley is more lively than usual.
The young wizards and their parents poured in from all directions, carrying long shopping lists, constantly moving between the shops.
Whatever their shopping list may contain—from textbooks and potion ingredients to wands and robes—almost everyone will make time to visit the Quidditch boutique.
Although some families are on a tight budget and cannot afford expensive flying brooms, this does not diminish their passion for Quidditch. Many wizarding students and parents, like Ron and Harry, stand in the crowd, their eyes glued to the brooms in the shop windows, as if these were the starting point of their dreams.
"My God, look at this Firebolt!" Ron's eyes lit up as he stared at the newest broom through the shop window. "It's so cool! If I could ride it, I bet I could sweep the Quidditch field."
Harry was equally excited. Although he already had a superb flying broomstick, he still couldn't suppress his desire when he saw the gleaming Firebolt. "Indeed," Harry agreed, his eyes filled with enthusiasm for Quidditch, "riding it on the field would be invincible."
Hermione stood behind them, not quite as enthusiastic about Quidditch, but she couldn't help but be infected by their excitement. She shook her head. "You boys are always so fascinated by flying broomsticks."
“Of course, Hermione,” Ron retorted, his eyes still glued to the Firebolt. “It’s Quidditch! Can you imagine riding one of these across the pitch at breakneck speed?!”
The wizards and wizarding apprentices surrounding the area were equally excited, discussing the broom. Many, like Ron and Harry, were just there to watch the spectacle without buying anything.
After all, such a high-end flying broom is expensive, and many families would not buy it for their children, but this does not diminish their enthusiasm in the slightest.
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Ron walked out of the Quidditch boutique with great reluctance.
The two kept turning back, their eyes glued to the crossbow bolts in the shop window, as if they could take them home if they looked at them a few more times.
Those longing eyes were heartbreaking, and even Sean, who was standing next to them, was almost moved and wanted to spend his own money to buy them something as a surprise.
"I really hope that one day I can ride that broomstick in a competition," Ron murmured, his voice filled with regret and longing.
Harry nodded.
Hermione rolled her eyes, as if she wanted to say something, but then swallowed her words back.
The next stop is the Fantastic Beasts Store, located south of Diagon Alley, across the street. Compared to the bustling Quidditch Shop, the Fantastic Beasts Store doesn't have as many people gathered at the entrance, but the atmosphere inside is just as lively.
The interior of the Fantastic Beasts Shop was small and cramped, with the walls densely packed with various cages, and an unbearable stench permeated the air. The noise was deafening, with the various creatures in the cages around the shop squeaking, chirping, or hissing, as if the entire shop was resonating in a chaotic cacophony.
Behind the counter, a witch was patiently instructing a wizard on how to care for a two-tailed salamander, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood by, curiously observing the strange creature in the cage as they waited.
Two enormous purple toads were perched in a corner, wolfing down dead flies, their saliva dripping loudly. A frighteningly large tortoise sat by the window, its shell studded with glittering gems that reflected a kaleidoscope of colors.
Orange, poisonous snails slowly crawled along the glass tank wall, leaving a sticky trail. Suddenly, a plump white rabbit transformed into a silk hat with a "snap," then instantly reverted to its original form, its transformations so captivating that it left the viewer breathless.
In addition, the store also has cats of various colors, noisy ravens in cages, and a basket of small fluffy balls the color of egg custard making soft noises, as if expressing their presence in this way.
The most eye-catching thing is a large cage on the counter, where shiny black rats are using their bald tails to support their bodies, playing jumping games, chasing and frolicking with each other, which looks particularly funny and interesting.
The wizard who bought the two-tailed newt left, and Ron approached the counter with a worried expression. "My mouse," he said to the witch behind the counter, "has been a little off in color ever since I brought it back from Egypt."
"Put it on the counter," the witch said, pulling a pair of thick, dark glasses from her pocket, clearly prepared specifically for this kind of diagnosis.
Ron carefully took Spotty out of his inner pocket and gently placed it on the counter, right next to the black rats in the large cages. The rats, who had been playing a jumping game, all stopped and crowded to the edge of the cages, staring intently at Spotty, as if curious about this unfamiliar "fellow rat."
Banban looked the same as always, with sparse, dull hair, as if she might fall asleep at any moment.
Like all of Ron's secondhand possessions, it looked old and worn—in fact, Scabbers was his brother Percy's mouse, long retired and covered in scars. Compared to the glossy, energetic black mice in the cage, Scabbers looked particularly shabby.
The witch picked up Spotted and examined it carefully, her tone revealing professional seriousness: "Hmm, how old is this mouse?"
"I don't know," Ron replied, his voice tinged with embarrassment. "It's very old; it used to belong to my brother."
"Does it have any special abilities?" The witch continued to examine Spotted, carefully looking at every detail.
"Um—" Ron stammered, clearly unsure how to answer. In fact, Scabbers had never displayed any special abilities, only occasionally sleeping a little longer than the average mouse. The witch's gaze swept over Scabbers' damaged left ear, then noticed its front paw, which was missing a toe, and she couldn't help but click her tongue slightly.
"This mouse looks like it's really suffered a lot," she said with a hint of regret.
"It was already like this when Percy gave it to me," Ron explained helplessly, a hint of grievance in his voice.
"Ordinary mice like these, or garden mice, usually only live for about three years," the witch said, placing Scabbers back on the counter. Then she pointed to the black mice in the cages. "I say, if you want a healthy pet that lives a long time, maybe you'd like to pick one from here—"
The black rats immediately resumed their jumping game, as if showing off their energy. Ron glanced at them warily and muttered under his breath, "Those show-offs."
The witch shrugged. "Well, if you don't want to switch to another one, you can try this rat tonic." She bent down and took a small red bottle from under the counter, handing it to Ron.
Ron stared at the bottle of medicine, pondered for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay, how much—oh dear!" he suddenly exclaimed.
Suddenly, a large, ginger-yellow creature leaped from the highest cage in the shop, landing unexpectedly on Ron's head and nearly knocking him to the ground. The creature stood upright, its large eyes glaring, baring its teeth menacingly at Spotted Teeth and letting out a deep growl.
"No! Crookshanks, no!" the witch cried out, trying to stop the giant ginger cat from lunging. But things happened too fast; Scabbers slipped from the witch's grasp like a bar of soap, landing upside down on the floor. He then leaped up with astonishing speed and fled frantically toward the door.
"Scabbers!" Ron yelled and immediately rushed out, chasing after the terrified mouse, with Harry close behind.
It took them nearly ten minutes to find Scabbers under a cardboard box outside the Quidditch boutique. The poor mouse was trembling and curled up in a ball, as if all its courage had been scared away.
Ron crouched down, carefully picked up Banban, put it back in his pocket, let out a long breath, then straightened up and rubbed his head, which was still throbbing from being hit.
"What was that thing just now?" Ron was still in shock, clearly impressed by the guy who had suddenly attacked him and Scabbers.
"It's either a big cat or a little tiger," Harry said with a smile, his eyes still showing the surprise he had just felt.
Ron scoffed. "Whatever it is, I don't want to see it again."
Harry looked around, then suddenly remembered something. "Where's Hermione?"
Ron then realized Hermione hadn't followed. He shrugged. "Probably still buying her owl."
"So, are you really going to buy this cat?" Sean asked Hermione, standing at the counter of the Fantastic Beasts Shop. "So, are you really going to buy this cat?" Sean stood beside the counter of the Fantastic Beasts Shop, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity and a joke, his gaze fixed on the large ginger cat that Hermione was holding.
Hermione frowned slightly, looking into Crookshanks' large, round eyes. Although its attack on Scabbers had been a bit frightening, she felt an inexplicable fondness for the cat. "Yes," she nodded firmly, "I think it's very intelligent, even though it looks a little scary."
Crookshanks nestled quietly in Hermione's arms, completely devoid of the wildness he had displayed earlier when he pounced on Scabbers; instead, he appeared docile and gentle.
"Yes, it's definitely something special." Sean smiled, his tone tinged with agreement. He glanced back at the witch behind the counter. "Is there anything special about this cat, besides its penchant for scaring mice?"
The witch nodded, clearly quite familiar with Crookshanks. "Crookshanks is no ordinary creature; it's incredibly intelligent and always manages to discover things that others miss. I've seen many pets, but this cat is definitely the most clever of them all."
Hermione hugged him tighter after hearing this, clearly more determined in her decision.
Crookshank seemed to realize that it was about to be taken away. It was quiet in Hermione's arms for a moment, then suddenly raised its golden eyes and stared strangely at Sean standing to the side.
Sean raised an eyebrow slightly, noticing Crookshank's gaze.
He smiled, reached for a cat treat from the shelf next to him, and gently handed it to Crookshan.
Crookshan first sniffed warily, then without hesitation, quickly grabbed the cat treat and began to enjoy the little snack.
"Yes, it's definitely something special," Sean said with a smile, his gaze still fixed on Crookshank. After finishing the cat treat, the cat looked up at Sean again, seemingly developing a strong interest in him.
Hermione stroked Crookshanks' soft fur, listening to the witch's explanation, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
"Alright, I'll take it then," she said to the witch, taking Galleons from her purse without hesitation and completing the purchase.
Crookshanks snored softly in Hermione's arms, looking quite content, as if he also realized that he had been taken away by the little witch.
Its gaze still occasionally swept towards Sean, as if it had some inexplicable keen perception of him.
Just then, Harry and Ron pushed open the shop door and walked in. Ron, looking distressed, said as soon as he entered, "Hermione..."
I beg you, don't tell me you really want to buy that one. Oh, no!
When his gaze fell on Crookshanks lying quietly in Hermione's arms, his face was filled with horror. "This is the guy who almost scared Scabbers to death just now!"
Hermione said matter-of-factly, "That's right, it's called Crook Hill, and I think it suits me perfectly."
Ron hesitated, harboring a deep-seated suspicion towards the cat.
However, he also understood that Hermione's decision was not so easy to change.
Harry stood to the side, watching Ron's reaction, and couldn't help but chuckle. "Take it easy, Ron. Crookshanks won't be watching Scabbers forever."
Hermione ignored Ron's worries and instead hugged Crookshank with a joyful expression. The group left the Fantastic Beasts Shop, and the hustle and bustle of the street enveloped them once again.
Afterwards, Sean took a few people to Madam Malkin's Robe Shop and bought each of the three a brand-new robe as a gift for the new semester.
When the group returned to the Leaky Cauldron, the Weasleys were already seated at the bar.
At this moment, Arthur was looking at the Daily Prophet in his hand.
When he saw Sean appear, his expression changed for a moment, then he beamed with joy.
"Phillips, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Arthur," Sean replied with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the Weasleys.
Molly was busy tidying up the children's things, while the twins Fred and George were quietly fiddling with something.
Ginny sat to the side, holding a glass of pumpkin juice.
As for Percy, he was sitting in the corner, seemingly reading something.
"What have you been up to lately, Arthur?"
"Don't even mention it," Arthur's expression suddenly turned serious, and his voice lowered a few decibels. "The department has transferred us all from our normal posts to focus all our efforts on capturing him, but so far there has been no progress."
Sean knew, of course, that "he" referred to Sirius Black.
"The Ministry of Magic seems to have changed since you left." Arthur's tone was tinged with a sense of melancholy and weariness. His gaze lingered on the Daily Prophet for a moment before turning to Sean.
“Yes,” Sean responded softly, with a hint of thought, “the Ministry of Magic has indeed changed a lot since I left, especially now, everyone is busy dealing with Black’s situation, which sounds regrettable.”
As he spoke, Sean shook his head in perfect unison and let out a long sigh.
Arthur sighed, his expression growing even more somber. "The minister has ordered a full-scale manhunt for Blake, but there seem to be no leads. Everyone is anxiously awaiting the next move, but the situation doesn't look promising."
Molly then joined the conversation, her eyes filled with worry as she glanced at the children sitting nearby, especially Harry.
"My biggest worry is for the children, especially Harry," she said softly, her voice filled with a mother's concern. "Nobody knows what Black's escape means for him."
"Is there a reward if we catch him?" Ron suddenly interjected. "It would be great if we had some money too." "Don't talk nonsense, Ron," Arthur said, his expression becoming increasingly tense as he moved closer. "Black can't possibly be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. Remember me, it'll be those Azkaban guards who bring him back in the end."
A brief silence fell over the group; Ron's words made the atmosphere slightly awkward.
Molly gently patted Ron on the shoulder, seemingly trying to ease the slightly heavy atmosphere.
She turned to Sean, giving him a slightly grateful smile, but her eyes still betrayed her worry for her family, especially for Harry.
Sean sensed the tension in the air, his gaze lingering on the Weasleys and Harry for a moment before turning to Fred and George sitting to the side.
The two were talking in hushed tones, occasionally letting out soft laughter.
Sean stood up, breaking the silence, and said in a relaxed tone, "Fred, George, you two, come upstairs with me. I have something I'd like to discuss with you."