Back-to-School Shopping

"Because... sigh, I can only buy you secondhand goods, my little Ronnie. That means I don't have many options."

Molly blushed slightly and avoided Ron's eyes.

Harry sat silently to the side, rubbing the Firebolt with his broomstick cleaning tools, afraid of being noticed by Molly and Ron. It wouldn't be good to get up and leave now, nor would it be good to stay where he was.

He felt as if sharp needles were growing from the floor beneath him, making him restless.

Honestly, he would have preferred to take all the money he had in his Gringotts vault and give it to the Weasley family, but he knew they wouldn't accept it.

"Why are all my things junk...?"

Ron muttered something under his breath. Actually, compared to the old dress, his mother's embarrassed state made him feel even worse.

The owl- Pigwidgeon nestled in his arms and saw its owner holding a corn kernel in his hand, kneading it for a long time without feeding it. It couldn't help but arch its head and try to grab his fingers.

Ron casually fed the corn kernels to the Pigwidgeon, stroked its back feathers, and sighed, "Okay, Mom, but the color has to be one I like, and if the design isn't nice, you'll have to change it for me."

"Oh!" Molly smiled happily, pulled Ron into a hug, and kissed him on the forehead. "My dear little Ronnie, you're so wonderful..."

"Don't call me Ronnie anymore!" Ron blushed and pulled away from the embrace, wiping his forehead in disgust. "I'm a big kid now!"

"You will always be Mommy's good child!"

Molly kissed Ron's head again, then happily got up and went to the Kitchen to reheat the dinner that had gone cold.

Ron rubbed his cheeks hard, noticing the stares on either side, and glared at them fiercely.

Harry lowered his head to carefully wipe the Firebolt, Hermione focused intently on her fourth-year textbook, and Loren turned his head to examine the old clock opposite the fireplace with great interest.

They all had faint smiles on their faces.

Loren quite liked the clock; it had nine gold hands, each engraved with the name of a member of the Weasley family. The clock face had no numbers, but instead listed the places each family member might be: home, school, work...

There are also signs saying "on the road," "missing," "hospital," and "prison." At the twelve o'clock position on a regular clock, it says "Life in danger." At this moment, all seven hands are pointing to "home," while Arthur and Percy's two hands are still pointing to "going to work."

Loren and Bill had discussed the clock's magic, believing it contained traces of ancient Alchemy and involved mysterious bloodline magic, but they couldn't figure it out without disassembling it.

This was a family heirloom, and of course Loren wouldn't be foolish enough to ask if it could be dismantled. It's said that George and Fred had considered it, and then they ended up with a mixed doubles team of Arthur and Molly.

Suddenly, the two golden hands that Loren saw jumped from "Going to work" to "On the road," and a second later, they trembled and stopped at the position of "Home" along with the other hands.

He called out, "Oh, Percy and the others are back!"

Molly didn't respond, but Loren knew she had heard her because the sound of the spatula stirring in the Kitchen had become lighter.

A moment later, Arthur and Percy carried their dinner on trays into the warm living room.

Arthur sat in an armchair by the fireplace, listlessly fiddling with the slightly wrinkled cauliflower on his plate, looking utterly exhausted. "Sigh, things are getting worse," he sighed. "Rita Skeeter has been running around all week, searching the Ministry of Magic for any more chaos to report. Now she's discovered poor Bertha's wand had displayed the Dark Mark. Looks like that'll be the headline in tomorrow 'The Daily Prophet..."

After swallowing a mouthful of cauliflower, Arthur realized that no one around him cared about what was happening; everyone was gathered around his third son, Percy, who was sitting at the table waving his hands animatedly.

"Mr. Crouch entrusted me with many important matters... For a whole week, I was like a firefighter. People kept sending out Howler, and you know, if you don't open Howler right away, it will explode! My desk was covered in burn marks, and even my best quill pen was reduced to a pile of charcoal."

Ginny asked curiously, "Why do they send Howler?"

Percy smiled mysteriously, building up suspense before continuing, "They want compensation for their damaged property. Mundungus Fletcher is claiming a tent with twelve bedrooms and a matching Jacuzzi, but I've figured him out. I know he actually spent the night under a cloak propped up by sticks."

Molly suddenly remembered. "Didn't you say before that we could get some compensation?"

"Yes, Mother! I knew it!" Percy's voice rose several octaves as he pulled out a receipt bearing the Ministry of Magic's emblem, his smugness practically written all over his face. "Ever since that night at the Quidditch World Cup, Mr. Crouch has been particularly fond of me, probably recognizing my potential. So, as soon as I submitted my claim, he approved it—a full eight hundred Galleon ..."

After that, no one listened to him talk about how much Crouch valued him. Everyone gathered around Molly, craning their necks to examine the receipt, especially the number in the amount column.

"Eight hundred Galleon!" Ron's eyes widened as he shouted excitedly, "Then I don't need to buy a second-hand formal robe!"

George and Fred hugged each other and jumped for joy:

"Our shop is ready to open!"

Where should the shop be located?

"Diagon Alley is great!"

"Hogsmeade is good too!"

Even Ginny's eyes sparkled. "Can I buy new textbooks now?"

"Ahem!" Molly tried to suppress the smile on her lips and folded the receipt with composure. "Ron and Ginny's request can be fulfilled. As for George and Fred's matter, your father and I need to discuss it... Also, there's a copy for Harry, Loren, and Hermione as well. They were also attacked at the time."

The three of them, Loren and his companions, exchanged glances and blinked, surprised that they were involved.

Harry quickly waved his hand. "No need, Mrs. Weasley, we—"

"You will each receive 100 Galleon," Molly interrupted, looking intently at Loren and the other two. "I'll withdraw the money tomorrow. You can deposit it in Gringotts ' underground vault or use it to buy things on your back-to-school list."

"Mrs. Weasley..."

Loren and the others wanted to refuse, but faced with Molly's serious and earnest gaze, they had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Outside the Burrow, the wind howled, and the heavy, leaden clouds seemed poised to fall at any moment. Inside, however, a lively and bustling scene unfolded. George and Fred were making affected, pleading requests to their parents, while the other Weasley family children were causing trouble, occasionally letting out loud bursts of laughter.

Loren sat next to Hermione, inhaling the girl's faint fragrance.

This whole family...

The next day, Diagon Alley.

The sky in London was also pitch black, and anyone could tell that a heavy rain was brewing, but it would take some time. As a result, the temperature was cool and not sunny at all, which was perfect weather for going out to do some shopping.

Molly bought an ice cream for each of the seven children, asked George and Fred to look after their younger siblings, and went to Gringotts to exchange money.

Loren and the others strolled leisurely down the street.

As the start of the school year approaches, Diagon Alley is filled with Hogwarts students and parents, as well as tourists staying in the England for the Quidditch World Cup. You can often hear words like "Basilisk," "Veela," and "Death Eater" around you.

George and Fred surveyed the surrounding shops with appraising eyes, nodding and commenting:

"To be honest, Mr. Fortescue's ice cream is really good, but their signboard is too small..."

"The Eeylops Owl Emporium window is too ordinary; it's not attractive at all."

"The Bouncing and Frolicking Magic Joke Shop, oh, it brought us so many happy times, but I must say, these posters are so outdated..."

Listening to their murmurs, Loren couldn't help but worry that if the shop employees came out to beat up the Twins, they might get caught in the crossfire...

Hermione tugged at Loren's sleeve and whispered, "Mrs. Weasley agreed to give them money to open a shop?"

"Of course...no." Loren tasted the ice cream in Hermione's hand, shook his head with some disgust, it was strawberry flavor again. "Mrs. Weasley said that the two hundred Galleon that belonged to them could be given to them, but only after they graduated, and two hundred Galleon is not enough to open a shop."

Hermione nodded, then, noticing the menacing glare from the shopkeeper on the street, pulled Loren away from the Twins.

Ron smacked his lips and sipped his ice cream as he asked, "Besides the items on the list, is there anything else you want to buy?"

Harry started counting on his fingers. "A new quill, twelve rolls of parchment... and I need to replenish my Potions ingredient box. I'm almost out of lionfish bone powder and Belladonna extract."

"Twelve rolls of parchment?" Hermione looked at him questioningly. "Isn't that only enough for two weeks?"

Loren looked at him with confusion. "Potions ingredient box? Isn't it an ingredient container?"

"..."

Harry and Ron fell silent, subtly taking two steps to the side to keep their distance from these two heartless people.

Molly returned before she finished her ice cream, and in no time she had bought the textbooks and medicine, leaving only her dress and robe.

There are four clothing stores in Diagon Alley: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Twilfitt and Tatting's, Elegant Wizarding Apparel, and the Weasley family' most familiar secondhand robe shop.

Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions is located on the north side of Diagon Alley. The owner, Madam Malkin's, wears many hats: she designs, cuts, and makes the robes herself, and she also serves and sells them to customers. Besides Hogwarts uniforms, she offers many other styles of wizard robes suitable for various occasions, and even plus-size clothing. It's said that Hagrid learned to make his own clothes from Madam Malkin's.

The Twilfitt and Tatting's is like a luxury clothing store in the Wizarding World. They prioritize extravagance over comfort, using more exquisite materials and craftsmanship. Their main clientele consists of Pure-blood Families who have plenty of money. Unicorn Hair hats with velvet top hats and pointed hats with gold and silver inlays are all their products.

Elegant Wizarding Apparel is a chain brand with branches in London, Paris, and Hogsmeade Village. It also generously sponsored this year's Quidditch World Cup. The store sells not only traditional robes but also trendy new clothing.

Oddly shaped socks, wizard hats with vulture specimens, Fire Dragon Boots... Feng Ya is always at the forefront of fashion in the Wizarding World, leading the trend.

As for secondhand robe shops, the Weasley family children are very familiar with them; they're cheap, affordable, and you get what you see.

With an unspoken understanding, everyone pulled Molly to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and bought a dress that was almost identical to the school uniform, but instead of black, it came in several color combinations, and instead of the school badge, it had some flowers and plants on the chest.

After buying all the items needed for the start of school, Molly led her seven children leisurely toward the Leaky Cauldron, intending to borrow the fireplace from Old Tom to return to the Burrow. Loren and the others followed behind, their eyes darting around.

George shoved Fred in the shoulder. "Did you see the notice on the wall? The lease on the 93 Diagon Alley is about to expire..."

Fred looked dejected. "I saw it. It doesn't mention rent, but we definitely don't have enough money."

"Go ask around, at least we need to know how much is still missing."

Listening to the two whispering, Ron, who had been eavesdropping the whole way, asked softly, "It's almost due, but you're still a long way from graduating. What's the point of asking?"

"!!"

George and Fred were so startled they almost screamed. They jumped back, saw Harry and their troublesome brother, and shoved them away with disgust. "None of your business, get out of here."

Ron glared at them both. "I'll tell Mom!"

"Watch out, or we might throw a spider into your bed in the middle of the night!"

"Despicable evil wizard!"

"A timid baby who is afraid of spiders."

After only a few rounds of fighting, Ron was yelling that he wanted to take the Twins down with him.

Loren and Hermione lagged behind, completely oblivious to the commotion ahead. Loren was thinking about the dress he'd seen in the window of the Twilfitt and Tatting's when they passed by, and he secretly glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye.

Hmm... it would look really good on her.

Hermione was lost in her own thoughts, completely oblivious to the road conditions and unaware of Loren's scrutiny. They huddled together in a daze, making the wide street feel like it was packed with people.

As the old sign of the Leaky Cauldron drew closer, Loren stopped and called out, "Mrs. Weasley, you should go back now. I suddenly remembered I still have some Potions ingredients to buy."

George chimed in, "Yes, Mom, we also have some materials to buy."

Fred quickly covered Ron's mouth, nodding rapidly, his lips moving but his voice escaping through the gaps. "A bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans."

"Ugh..." Ron struggled to hold up two fingers.

"Make a deal."

Hermione slowly raised her right hand and said softly, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley, I also forgot to buy a book."

"..."

Molly frowned, her suspicious gaze sweeping over them.