Why Buy Books When You Can Just Memorize Them?

Li Weide and Tom spent quite some time in the wand shop.

Li Weide's performance had given Ollivander some inspiration that only he himself could understand.

He had not even charged Tom or Li Weide any money...

Standing at the entrance of the wand shop, a trace of confusion flashed through Tom's eyes.

"What was that? Now that we have money, we can't even spend it?"

"If you want to spend money... you can help me buy the things on my list..." Li Weide happily handed over his own list.

"Buy your own things yourself!" Tom said, then turned and strode away as though something filthy were chasing him from behind.

Li Weide shook his head helplessly. Now that the kid had money, his wings had gotten stiff.

After sighing over it for a moment, he followed his shopping list and made his way methodically through Diagon Alley.

It was already three in the afternoon, and time was getting late. They still had to return to Woods Orphanage before dark.

Li Weide moved quickly. Before long, he arrived at Flourish and Blotts with bags piled all over him.

This was the last stop on his shopping trip today, and also the one he had been looking forward to the most.

Of course... it was also the stop Tom had been looking forward to most.

Li Weide had already spotted him. Tom was currently engrossed in all kinds of Spellbooks.

But he did not go over to disturb Tom. He had things of his own to do as well.

He checked the time and saw that it was still early.

Li Weide handed the list of required textbooks to the clerk and asked him to bring over all the books he needed to buy.

The clerk was clearly familiar with the task and went to fetch the books for Li Weide.

Meanwhile, Li Weide headed alone into the towering bookshelves. After searching for a while, he pulled out a book and began reading it.

"We should go!"

Li Weide felt someone pat his shoulder. He turned and saw Tom.

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the bookstore's entrance. It was already very late.

Li Weide turned back and quickly finished the last few pages of the book in his hands, then went with Tom to the counter.

Their textbooks had already been packed and placed there.

Beside Tom's textbooks was another stack of books. They were presumably the additional books he wanted to buy.

Tom frowned at the huge pile of books and all the bags of things, looking somewhat troubled.

"Could you send these books to us?" Li Weide asked politely. "There are too many. We can't carry them."

"Of course. Please write down your address." The clerk smiled and handed them paper and a pen.

"Then could you send these along with them?" Li Weide brought the other items over to the clerk as well.

"Yes, but there will be a handling fee for items that aren't books from our shop."

"No problem." Li Weide readily agreed. He did not care about such a small amount of money.

After writing down the address, the two of them left Flourish and Blotts empty-handed.

Other than their respective wands, they had chosen to have everything they bought today shipped.

"You didn't buy any other books?" Tom looked at Li Weide in confusion.

He had noticed it earlier. Aside from the textbooks required by the school, Li Weide had not bought a single other book.

Tom knew Li Weide well. Like himself, this guy craved power intensely.

How could he possibly give up buying Spellbooks to strengthen himself? "I bought a lot of Magical Automatic Quills. And lots of parchment," Li Weide said happily.

"What did you buy those for?" Tom asked, confused.

Li Weide looked back at him in surprise. "I memorized all the books I was interested in. I can just write them out from memory when I get back, so why would I buy them?"

"Tch..." Tom did not believe a single word of Li Weide's bragging.

Tom did not know that Li Weide was not bragging. He really did have a photographic memory...

Li Weide glanced at the clock in a shop by the roadside and suddenly sighed. "Instead of worrying about that, you should think about how we're going to explain this to Mrs. Cole. We've been gone for a full twelve hours..."

Tom's face changed dramatically at once. "Y-you aren't planning to tell her that I took you out to fool around all day, are you?"

Li Weide blinked. "Wasn't that what happened? You were the one who suggested sneaking out this morning. Besides, I'm a 'good' kid... Who do you think Mrs. Cole will believe, you or me?"

"Fuck! If you hadn't insisted on robbing the robbers, we'd have been back ages ago!"

"So what? Didn't you spend the money we made? Those books you bought at Flourish and Blotts cost one or two Galleons each. If you hadn't gone with me, could you have bought that many?"

"Y-you bastard!"

"Be reasonable. You've taken so many benefits, shouldn't you contribute a little and voluntarily take the blame? You can't just freeload."

"Freeload? You fucking... Did I do nothing? When we raided the Human Traffickers' hideout, who summoned those snakes?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you summoned Nagini and nearly got us killed, right?"

"Have you no shame? That was your idea!"

"I don't care about that... Anyway, you were the one who dragged me out to sneak away."

"Y-you don't seriously think I'm scared of that old cat, do you?"

"Then take the blame!"

"No! I refuse!"

"Then are you scared of me?"

"You... Fine, you win!"

The two bickered all the way back. By the time they reached the entrance of the Orphanage, night had fully fallen.

After walking so far, Tom felt as if his legs no longer belonged to him...

Yet Li Weide beside him did not look tired in the slightest.

He had walked several kilometers, yet he was still brimming with energy.

"Why aren't you tired at all?" Tom panted heavily. In all his life, he had never walked so far in one go!

"Well, I bought some Temporary Physique Enhancement Potions... You know what potions are, right? They're the kind of..."

"I know what they are!" Tom said resentfully. "Why didn't you remind me to buy some too?"

"Someone seemed unwilling to walk with me. How was I supposed to tell you? So I could only buy them myself."

"You..." Tom felt like his lungs were about to explode from anger. He really wanted to retort, but he was in the wrong and had absolutely no way to argue back...

Just as he sulkily prepared to pull out his wand and settle things with Li Weide.

"Looks like... you've both had a busy day." A familiar voice came from the shadows.

Li Weide and Tom fell silent at once, as though they had been hit by a Silencing Charm.

Dumbledore slowly emerged from the shadows, his scrutinizing gaze settling on the two children before him.

Tom felt his blood turn cold... He truly hated this feeling! "Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. What a coincidence, running into you here..."

Li Weide broke the silence.

He glanced at the Orphanage gates behind Dumbledore. Clearly, this was no coincidence... Dumbledore had definitely been waiting here specifically for them!