Although the boy named Weilan had left her with negative impressions such as being slick, poor, and meddlesome during their first meeting, he now seemed completely transformed, polite and likable, just like her little grandson who was studying at Hogwarts.
"No doubt, your grandson must love his grandma very much!"
Weilan praised, his eyes fixed on Mrs. Stonfield's fingers as they wandered over the cart.
Mrs. Stonfield continued to examine the cart, while proudly showing off her precious grandson:
"Little Oni inherited his grandfather's talent in Potion. The Potion Class Professor at Hogwarts adores him. He performed exceptionally well last semester, earning Slytherin quite a few points!"
Weilan put on a smiling face and agreed with her:
"That's truly amazing. Maybe he'll become a Potion Master in the future."
Mrs. Stonfield's wrinkled old face creased into a chrysanthemum-like smile as she continued:
"This summer, the Borgin and Burkes next door reportedly acquired a magical powder that can significantly enhance a Wizard's spell-casting ability."
"The entire Knockturn Alley was abuzz about this powder, and those seeking to buy it almost wore down the doorstep of Borgin and Burkes' alchemy shop! Borgin was overwhelmed with work and asked if little Oni would be willing to help out at his shop."
"Little Oni was truly excellent; in just a few days, he had Borgin's shop running smoothly. The day Borgin paid him, he bought me this dress."
"Not only that, but he also said he would arrive at school early this year to study Potion content in advance with his Potion Class Professor!"
Borgin and Burkes shop?
The name of this shop made Weilan's eyebrows furrow slightly, and his body began to lean towards the door:
"That's absolutely wonderful! Mrs. Stonfield... how about it, I've taken very good care of your cart, haven't I?"
Mrs. Stonfield's face was flushed with joy—every time she recalled her grandson's excellence, it made her overjoyed.
She wanted to quickly end the topic about the cart and have a good chat with the boy in front of her, who had surprisingly made a good impression on her. Perhaps he and little Oni could even become friends!
"Indeed, it's good. I can see you've maintained it carefully."
Driven by such thoughts, Mrs. Stonfield quickly returned the deposit to Weilan.
"Thank you for your generosity, Mrs. Stonfield. Since our accounts are settled, I think I should leave."
Weilan did not stay for afternoon tea with Mrs. Stonfield as she had expected.
He resolutely, decisively, and persistently chose to leave the "Gravel Pit" secondhand shop, leaving Mrs. Stonfield in disarray amidst the piles of clutter.
...
"Come on, Mr. Weasley, hurry."
Weilan stepped out of the "Gravel Pit," pulled on Mr. Weasley's sleeve, and motioned for him to leave quickly.
"What's wrong?" Mr. Weasley asked.
Weilan replied as he walked:
"In June of this year, I planned to do some ice cream business to earn some pocket money."
"Selling ice cream requires a refrigerated cart, which I couldn't afford... So, according to an advertisement in the newspaper, I came to this shop to rent one."
"Although the proprietress gave me an extremely stingy impression upon our first meeting, I was stuck without more options, and besides, I thought she was just stingy..."
Weilan told Mr. Weasley all about the magical powder, Borgin and Burkes shop, and her grandson Oni, which Mrs. Stonfield had mentioned to him in the "Gravel Pit."
"I see. She actually has dealings with Dark Wizards."
Mr. Weasley pondered:
"It seems the commotion in Knockturn Alley is related to this powder."
"Hmm... However, I heard similar news earlier this year—"
"Dark Wizards obtained Potions that enhance their power, attempting to use them against the Ministry of Magic."
"The Ministry dispatched many Aurors to suppress the restless Dark Wizards."
"I remember James spent several months staking out their hideout not long ago to eliminate them... He should know more."
Weilan nodded, preparing to ask James about the origin of these powders.
If Borgin and Burkes invited Hogwarts students to work in his shop, then there was a chance that this powder, which caused a collective commotion in Knockturn Alley, could flow into Hogwarts.
He couldn't remain ignorant of this.
Upon reaching the T-junction of Diagon Alley, Weilan handed the deposit to Mr. Weasley, asking him to help purchase quills, ink, and parchment, as well as some ingredients for Potion.
Weilan, on the other hand, took the money he earned during the holidays and headed to the secondhand robe shop.
For the start of fourth year, dress robes were required, and Weilan naturally didn't dare to hope for the brand-new, beautiful dress robes at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
The owner of the secondhand robe shop was an old man with a head of silver hair. Although the robes in his shop were slightly old, they were all clean and ironed smooth with magic.
The old man stepped out from behind the counter to greet Weilan, his eyes full of affection for the child.
Weilan bowed gracefully, greeted him as usual, and stated his needs.
His politeness made the old man's affection even stronger.
"Alright, let me see if I have a dress robe that suits you—about five and one-third feet tall and weighing around 110 pounds."
The old man's fingers glided over the robes on the racks, then he opened several boxes full of clothes to search.
"I'm sorry, child, the smallest dress robe I have here is too big for you."
The old man straightened up, breathing heavily:
"Children all like bright and shiny new clothes, and their parents almost never buy clothes for them at secondhand shops."
"I think Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions might be more suitable for you, child. At your age, you should wear beautiful new robes."
"I don't have enough money."
Weilan's answer was simple and clear.
"Then your parents..."
"I don't have parents."
The affection in the old man's eyes was mixed with a hint of pity.
"I will pay you!" Weilan was afraid the old man would misunderstand something. "I earned some money myself; I won't ask for credit."
The old man looked at Weilan with heartache:
"In that case, I think you can choose your favorite from these robes—if you don't mind them being too big."
He waved his magic, and several robes arranged themselves in front of Weilan.
The fabric of the robes was common, and they all had more or less visible mending stitches. However, the old man's craftsmanship was excellent, and the mending was done so naturally that it was impossible to notice without close inspection.
Weilan took a liking to the silver robe.
Its style was similar to the Hogwarts uniform, but its silver-white fabric made Weilan appear noble and mysterious. Although the size was large, the wide sleeves and long hem were within an acceptable range.
"If only I had a big white beard like Dumbledore."
In front of the mirror, Weilan, clad in the silver robe, stroked his empty chin, secretly thinking:
"That way, people might mistake me for the Arch-Wizard Merlin at a ball!"
The shop owner reapplied the wrinkle-restoration and self-cleaning magic. It only cost 2 Galleons.
This price was probably only one-fifth of a new robe.
Weilan was very satisfied. In his opinion, the large size was not a problem—anyway, he was still growing, and it would fit him in a few years!
After settling the payment, the old man also included a silver, pointed, round-brimmed Wizard hat, which he put into a cloth bag along with the robe and handed to Weilan.
He walked out of the secondhand robe shop and entered the secondhand bookstore.
When purchasing "Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4," the female shop assistant was equally enthusiastic towards Weilan and allowed him to take the nearly brand-new "Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4" at a 70% discount.
Weilan walked out of the bookstore in a daze, looking at the textbook in his hand, still feeling it was unbelievable.
Could this be the benefit brought by the passively active skill 【Dashing Presence】?
