Chapter 14: Closing the Door is a Good Habit

Support me and be 20 chapters ahead of webnovel:

patreon.com/Draco_

For every 4 new paid patreon I get irrespective of tiers I will mass release 15 chaps of this book.

*****

In the magical world, rats are the cheapest designated pets at Hogwarts, which naturally appeals to a wide audience, including many young witches.

However, most of them prefer pets that are similarly priced but have prettier fur, a gentle temperament, and are cute, like hamsters. Others opt for the longer-living black rats or cleaner-looking white mice.

Kyle had never encountered a young witch who liked ordinary field mice before, and judging by her attire, she didn't seem to be a financially struggling wizard.

Having spent eleven years in the magical world, Kyle had seen a fair amount of it.

Although the girl's clothes weren't particularly extravagant, the fabric was of excellent quality and the craftsmanship was exquisite. Given the signature patterns on the cuffs, it was undoubtedly from the *Exquisite Wizarding Attire* shop.

That place was far more expensive than Madam Malkin's, with prices starting at twenty galleons.

Anyone who could afford to shop there would certainly be able to buy a better pet.

So, it seemed she genuinely liked this rat.

It made sense why she would come looking for him.

As for Diagon Alley's rat tonic? To put it plainly, it was just sugar water—similar to a sports drink. It could provide a little boost but shouldn't be expected to do much else.

Though her taste was indeed somewhat unique, Kyle didn't find it overly surprising; his expression remained unchanged.

Let's not forget, there are even some in the magical world who are fond of eight-eyed giant spiders.

He had seen one of those in Newt's suitcase once. How should he put it? Its appearance was essentially a challenge to the normal human worldview and could easily become a childhood nightmare after just one glance.

In any case, Kyle had been thoroughly disgusted and hadn't entered Newt's suitcase for an entire year afterward.

By comparison, a little witch liking field mice was perfectly normal.

...

Before long, Kyle took out a thumb-sized bottle from his suitcase and handed it to her. "This bottle is a gift. If you find it effective, feel free to come back, but it will cost you then. The price might be a bit steep—one sickle—but it's definitely worth it."

"Thank you!"

The girl named Canna hurriedly reached out to accept the bottle. However, she didn't leave right away. Instead, she stood there, looking at the bottle in her hands and then at Kyle, her little face filled with indecision.

"What's wrong? Do you feel it's not enough?"

Kyle thought she was dissatisfied and explained, "I'm not being stingy; it's just a trial to see the effects. The dosage for rat tonic isn't very high—just two or three drops at a time. While this bottle isn't much, it should last you a month."

"No, that's not it! I didn't mean that."

Upon hearing Kyle's words, Canna shook her head repeatedly. Then, under the watchful eyes of Kyle and Cedric, she quietly mumbled, "I was hoping for the red one."

The red one?

Only then did Cedric notice that the rat tonic in Canna's hands was a murky orange-yellow, resembling crushed orange pudding.

In contrast, the one Kyle had given Percy was a crystal-clear red without any impurities.

Though they were the same product, their appearances were drastically different, and anyone could tell that the transparent red was far superior to the murky orange-yellow.

You can't just throw this at her even if it's free.

For a moment, Cedric's gaze towards Kyle shifted.

It was clear that this cunning merchant was bound to end up in Azkaban.

At that moment, Canna seemed to recall something and hurriedly pulled out an exquisite little purse.

"Um… I can buy it."

Canna gently shook the purse, and a pile of gold galleons clinked onto the table.

A total of thirty-three galleons, along with a few sickles.

Cedric's eyes nearly popped out at this scene.

He had only ten galleons for the entire semester, and thirty-three galleons—minus the change—was three times his total.

Was it sour? Of course, but Cedric could endure it. After all, with his personality, he didn't care too much about the amount of galleons—just enough to get by.

However, Canna's next move completely broke his composure.

"Is that all there is left?" Canna looked a bit disappointed, biting her lip as she said softly, "It's okay. If it's not enough, I can take out more from Gringotts. As long as it means keeping Pochi alive a bit longer, I can pay any amount of galleons."

Wait, what?!

Cedric couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth. At that moment, he was genuinely stunned by such a lavish statement.

Just listen to her: any amount of galleons… 

If it were an adult wizard, it would be one thing, but for a first-year student to say that was a bit much.

Or was this just the daily life of a Slytherin?

Now that was an eye-opener.

On the other hand, Kyle was too preoccupied with his thoughts about Canna to care about Cedric's reaction. He was torn, looking at Canna, feeling overwhelmed.

He knew his own family well; rat tonic was naturally supposed to be that orange-yellow color.

Percy's bottle had added ingredients—regular rats would probably drop dead after drinking it.

But he couldn't say that! Given Canna's expression, she seemed convinced he had the tonic that could prolong a rat's life, having likely overheard Percy's entire conversation.

In this situation, unless he told the outright truth, there was no way for Kyle to explain.

"Um, Canna, it's like this…"

Kyle pondered for a moment before continuing, "The special rat tonic has a strong effect and can't be taken directly. You must first use the regular tonic to strengthen the rat's constitution."

He was stalling, just buying time.

That was the only solution he could think of.

If he said he didn't have it or couldn't brew it himself, what if she turned around and went to find Newt? That would be a disaster.

Newt was hard to find, but Dumbledore was right there at Hogwarts. In the magical world, even a three-year-old would know how close the two of them were.

Since Canna was wearing Exquisite Wizarding Attire, she couldn't possibly be a Muggle. If she went to find Dumbledore, she might indeed get to see Newt.

"I should have known to close the door when Percy came in," Kyle thought with a bitter smile, rubbing his forehead.

Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult to solve. He just needed to take a trip to Dorset during the Hogwarts holidays.

He remembered Newt had brewed tonic for a Muggle rat before, and since the physical structure of that magical creature was very similar to that of field mice, the rats in pet stores generally had some Muggle rat blood in them.

It was similar to cats and civets.

So, if he diluted it a bit, he could use it directly. It should easily extend the life of a regular rat by three to five years.

"I'll make sure to feed Pochi the tonic on time."

Canna seemed to trust him completely and nodded earnestly.

"Don't worry; it will be fine," Kyle smiled and casually handed her a Chocolate Frog. "Have some chocolate; it'll make you feel better."

"No, no, it's fine. I can buy it myself."

Canna glanced at the Chocolate Frog, then quickly looked away, her hands clutching the hem of her robe. She looked like a child receiving a red envelope during the New Year, wanting it but feeling too shy to ask for it.

"It's alright; just take it," Kyle said with a smile. "Consider it a welcome gift. I hope we can be classmates."

"... Thank you."

Upon hearing Kyle's words, Canna finally blushed and accepted the Chocolate Frog, but instead of eating it, she carefully tucked it away.

(End of Chapter)