Chapter 553: Five Thousand Galleons

Kyle had expected to find Lupin waiting for them at The Three Broomsticks, but it seemed he'd been mistaken. As they approached the entrance to the pub, Sirius strode right past without even a glance.

The trio continued down the street, passing the Quill Shop and the Gladrags Wizardwear, before turning onto a familiar path. It wasn't long before they arrived at their destination: the Shrieking Shack.

Lupin was standing by the broken fence surrounding the shack, carefully setting the pieces back in place one by one.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry called out, running ahead and waving enthusiastically. "You don't have to bother with that. The fence was already falling over the first time I came to Hogsmeade, and no one seemed to care."

Lupin looked up and smiled warmly. "Hello, Harry. It's wonderful to see you again. But you don't need to call me 'Professor' anymore. Just Lupin, or like Sirius does—Remus, or even Moony."

"Okay, Professor Lupin," Harry blurted out without thinking.

Lupin's smile froze momentarily. It was clear Harry wouldn't be able to drop the title so easily. With a resigned sigh, Lupin gave up on correcting him and returned his focus to the fence.

Harry hesitated, tempted to point out that no one in Hogsmeade cared about the Shrieking Shack or would ever bother coming here. But before he could say anything, Sirius interrupted with a chuckle.

"Let him be," Sirius said, shaking his head. "It's something that needs doing anyway."

Harry frowned. "What do you mean? Why does Professor Lupin need to fix up the place?"

"Because I bought the Shrieking Shack," Sirius replied, his tone as casual as if he'd just purchased a Butterbeer.

"What?" Harry's voice rose in surprise.

"I've wanted to buy it since I was at school," Sirius explained. "But back then, I didn't have the gold. After I graduated, life got... complicated, so I didn't get around to it until about six months ago."

"How much did it cost?" Harry asked skeptically.

"To be honest, less than I expected," Sirius said with a shrug. "It's been abandoned for decades, and the wizarding family that owned it moved to Finland years ago. Lupin and I tracked them down over the Christmas holidays. Turns out, they'd forgotten all about it."

"When they heard I wanted to buy the place, they gave me a decent discount. I got it for just 5,000 Galleons. Can you believe that? What a bargain!"

Sirius grinned, clearly pleased with his own thriftiness.

Harry pressed his lips together, struggling to muster any enthusiasm. Sure, he had a fair amount of gold in his vault, but 5,000 Galleons still sounded like a lot. After all, Mr. Weasley's salary was only 80 Galleons, and the Triwizard Tournament prize had been 1,000 Galleons. That meant Sirius had just casually spent the equivalent of five championship prizes on an abandoned building.

Kyle, standing beside Harry, nodded thoughtfully before he could respond. "Five thousand Galleons—you really did get a bargain."

"Right?" Sirius said brightly. "It made the trip worth it."

"Kyle, why do you think it's a bargain too?" Harry asked, still stunned.

"It's obvious," Kyle replied. "Hogsmeade is the only all-wizarding village, so property prices are high—especially for a place as large as the Shrieking Shack. Not to mention, the land within the fence is included. Otherwise, Lupin wouldn't be fixing it up."

Seeing Harry's skeptical expression, Kyle added, "Let me put it this way: this place is almost ten times the size of a typical shop. To compare, imagine you could buy Honeydukes for 500 Galleons. Would you still think it's expensive?"

Harry shook his head instinctively. Although he wasn't entirely convinced the comparison was fair—Honeydukes was a prime location—Hogsmeade wasn't exactly sprawling. On second thought, Kyle's reasoning seemed plausible.

"What are you going to do with it?" Harry asked Sirius curiously. "Live here? Or open a shop?"

"Oh, that," Sirius said with a shrug. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Harry repeated, incredulous.

"Exactly. I just wanted to buy it. Moony thinks it's a waste, though."

"It's not just me, Padfoot," Lupin interjected, walking over with an exasperated expression. "That's 5,000 Galleons—enough to support an average wizarding family for ten years. You can't treat it like a decoration."

"How about you manage it, then?" Sirius suggested with a grin. "I won't interfere."

"We've been over this," Lupin replied, frowning. "I know what you're trying to do, but it's unnecessary, Padfoot. I can take care of myself. I've been studying Dragons lately, and I'm planning to try for a job at the Dragon Reserve in Romania next year."

"Of course, I respect your decision completely," Sirius said lightly, though his gaze drifted. "I only bought this place to fulfill an old schoolboy dream. Come on, Harry, let's go inside and clear out the broken furniture. I'll get new stuff later. And hey, you can pick a room on the second floor for the holidays."

"Really? I can?" Harry asked, his eyes lighting up. He had never imagined he might one day live in Hogsmeade.

"Of course you can," Sirius said with a grin.

Behind them, Lupin rubbed his forehead, his frustration evident. He understood why Sirius had bought the Shrieking Shack, and while the nostalgia was endearing, it still felt like a waste. After all, 12 Grimmauld Place was perfectly fine and, more importantly, secure under the Fidelius Charm.

At that moment, Kyle turned to Lupin with a question. "Have you really decided to go to Romania?"

"That's right," Lupin replied. "I've thought about it carefully, and it seems like a good opportunity."

"Have you considered one thing?" Kyle asked, his tone calm but pointed. "If Sirius is trying to play the role of godfather, are you confident leaving Harry entirely in his hands?"

Lupin stopped abruptly. His expression shifted rapidly as the implication sank in.

How had he not thought of this? Of course, Sirius would take Harry in—that was never in question. Lupin had always considered it natural. Harry's aunt and uncle clearly disliked him, and it was far better for him to be with Sirius. Surely, Harry felt the same way.

But now, Kyle's words made him pause. The past twelve years hadn't left Sirius unaffected. He was more impulsive, more prone to emotional decisions, and—Lupin had to admit—inclined toward reckless spending. The Shrieking Shack purchase was a prime example, a symptom of Sirius trying to make up for lost time.

Lupin understood why Sirius acted this way. Twelve years of imprisonment and isolation were bound to leave scars. It was no surprise he wanted to indulge in life's freedoms now. Normally, Lupin let it go, thinking Sirius would eventually settle down once the novelty wore off.

But Harry was young, impressionable. What if living with Sirius long-term affected him? Lupin couldn't ignore the possibility that Harry might pick up some of Sirius's impulsive habits—habits that would be far harder to shake once ingrained.

This left Lupin conflicted. He felt he should stay—not only to support Sirius but to help guide Harry. Yet his savings from his brief teaching stint were modest. He could manage for a while, but not indefinitely, and he had no intention of burdening Sirius financially.