Chapter 9
Chapter 9
“Vine wood and dragon heartstring. An excellent combination.” Ollivander nodded with a smile. “Such wands often choose those with lofty aspirations and remarkable vision.”
“Fourteen Galleons for the two wands, if you please.”
Buying Hermione’s wand had not taken long. Ollivander displayed his professional expertise and swiftly found the wand best suited to her.
Or rather, as Ollivander put it, the wand had expressed an exceptionally strong desire to choose her.
“Tsk, tsk. Dragon heartstring.” Suer walked out of the shop carrying his wand box and gave Hermione a teasing look. “A core for a hot-tempered little witch.”
Hermione rolled her eyes and stamped hard on the top of his foot.
“Ow!”
The hot-tempered little witch marched briskly down the street, then slowed and stopped with visible hesitation.
“Your… your parents…”
“Yes. They passed away,” Suer said. “Though I am curious about what sort of people they were.”
“Mm…” Hermione fell silent. After a moment, she cautiously looked up at him. “I’m sorry.”
Suer gave her a brilliant smile.
“It’s all right. Look–Angel and our parents are waiting outside.”
…
“Bwother, you took forever.”
Angel puffed out her cheeks. She had finished her ice cream long ago.
“Sorry, sorry.”
Suer crouched and pressed his cheek to hers.
Madam Malkin was a short, plump, smiling witch dressed in purple robes. She warmly ushered the entire group inside.
“Hogwarts uniforms, dears?” she asked brightly. “Oh, and what a little angel we have here.”
“We carry many styles. Once you have ordered your school robes, you are welcome to look around.”
This was evidently where most Hogwarts students bought their uniforms. Madam Malkin measured Suer and Hermione with practiced efficiency.
Once again, Suer went first and Hermione second.
After finishing Hermione’s measurements, Madam Malkin whispered something in her ear. Hermione blushed, hopped down from the tall stool, and went to speak quietly with Mrs. Granger. Mrs. Granger nodded several times, a knowing smile curving her lips.
The three of them then disappeared into a small fitting room at the back of the shop.
Suer did not remain idle while he waited. Holding Angel’s hand, he wandered around the robe shop. Just as Madam Malkin had said, the place was enormous and stocked with all manner of splendid clothing.
“Bwother, a unicorn!” Angel cried in delight.
It was a cloak displayed on a mannequin inside a glass case, trimmed with gold embroidery and patterned with the silver outline of a unicorn.
The garment was clearly made for an adult.
Suer considered Angel’s tiny frame. She could probably use the cloak as a blanket until she was fifteen.
He wondered if Madam Malkin accepted custom orders.
Angel was a sensible little girl. She did not demand the cloak. Instead, she asked Suer to lift her so she could touch the embroidered unicorn.
Hermione and Mrs. Granger emerged from the fitting room soon afterward, Hermione still blushing. She carried a small package wrapped so thoroughly that its contents were impossible to see.
“Your school robes will be delivered by owl once they are finished. Please leave your home address here. The deposit is one Galleon, and you may give the balance to the owl upon delivery.”
Madam Malkin smiled and waved goodbye as they left.
The shop next door was Flourish and Blotts. Through the window, they could see numerous young witches and wizards shopping with their parents.
Hermione started reciting the list again.
“*The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One*, *A History of Magic*…”
The shop was not particularly large, and Suer’s group was far too conspicuous. They were forced to split up at the entrance. Mr. and Mrs. Granger waited outside with Mr. and Mrs. Ellison, who held Angel.
Suer found an opportunity to slip away.
Madam Malkin looked surprised to see him return, but Suer pointed to the unicorn cloak in the display window and explained what he wanted.
Her face immediately blossomed into a smile.
The cloak cost ten Galleons–a considerable sum. A custom version would cost the same despite using far less fabric, making it even more profitable.
After arranging for the child-sized unicorn cloak to be delivered with the school robes, Suer quietly slipped back into Flourish and Blotts.
Mrs. Ellison had noticed everything. She looked at the unicorn cloak in Madam Malkin’s window, then at Angel, who was gazing curiously around from her arms.
A gratified smile spread across her face.
Hermione had already purchased every required textbook, including Suer’s copies.
Now she was roaming the shelves, selecting extras as if she wished to carry the entire shop home.
“Why, exactly, do you need this book?”
Suer pointed to a volume as thick as his hand was tall: *Laws of the Wizarding World and Essential Precautions–by Cornelius Fudge and Members of the Ministry of Magic*. The title shone in gold across the cover.
“And this one book costs five Galleons!” Suer pressed a hand helplessly to his forehead.
Hermione blushed but defended herself with perfect confidence.
“What if we accidentally break the law because we didn’t buy it?”
“We’ll be at Hogwarts for seven years, with school rules telling us what to do. Where are you planning to go and commit crimes?”
After a prolonged tug-of-war, Hermione reluctantly returned the law book to its shelf.
She still bought several extra volumes, including *Important Events in Modern Magical History*, *The Allure of Potions*, *The Origins of Magic*, and *Walking with Trolls*.
*And who gets to carry all these books in the end? Me, of course.*
Thoroughly exasperated, Suer dragged the enormous wrapped parcel toward the door.
The assistant at Flourish and Blotts beamed like a flower in bloom and kindly offered a suggestion.
“There is an owl post office nearby. You can pay them to deliver those books to your home.”
Suer accepted the advice and hauled the books outside. Mr. Granger and Mr. Ellison came forward to help carry the parcel, which weighed several dozen pounds, to the owl post office.
The fee was thirty Knuts.
“That’s expensive.” Hermione paid with obvious reluctance. “It’s enough to buy an ice cream.”
“Only because you bought so many books,” Suer retorted with a roll of his eyes.
“Oh, do be reasonable. We know nothing about the magical world. Reading is the best way to learn about it beforehand,” Hermione shot back. “Not everyone is as lazy as you.”
The four adults strolled behind them, watching the boy and girl argue back and forth.
Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Ellison exchanged a glance and identical, indulgent smiles.
After buying cauldrons, telescopes, dragon-hide gloves, and brass scales, Hermione checked the money bag. Once they set aside what was still owed for their school robes, very little remained.
*Maybe I really did buy too many books,* she thought.
“We still need an owl,” Suer said. “That way, we can keep in touch with our families.”
“Do we have enough money?” Hermione asked worriedly, lowering her head in embarrassment.
Her books alone had cost more than ten Galleons. *Walking with Trolls* had been one Galleon and six Sickles by itself.
Suer leaned over to inspect the contents of the bag. Perhaps he came a little too close, because the faint fragrance of the girl beside him brushed his nose.
He rubbed it awkwardly and cleared his throat.
“It should be enough.”
They had clearly underestimated the price of owls. The most expensive snowy owls cost well over a hundred Galleons, so they settled for the cheapest option: a tawny owl.
It was only meant to carry letters to and from home, after all.
While they were in the pet shop, Hermione became enamored with a ginger cat. To Suer, it was impressively ugly. Its eyes, nose, and mouth seemed to occupy the same flat plane.
Hermione adored it. She stroked it again and again, unable to tear herself away.
The shop assistant enthusiastically recommended the cat to Suer and the others. It was a perfect opportunity to be rid of the creature, which had languished in the shop for months without attracting a single buyer.
Hermione wanted it, but the price of more than ten Galleons frightened her off.
An idea occurred to Suer. Before leaving, he asked the assistant for the shop’s address. If the cat was still there at Christmas, it might make a good present for Hermione.
It seemed he would have to find an opportunity to “rob” some of the wealthy children at the castle of their pocket money.
The group bought a great heap of sweets afterward, spending every last coin. Angel was so delighted that she completely forgot Suer had promised there would be unicorns for sale.
By then, evening was drawing near, and they began the journey home.