A Fortune from the Sky

"You really know a lot! Not many young wizards recognize this these days!" Hagrid's eyes lit up at once.

"They're Runespoor eggs! You remember what happened last time, right? That little darling was a lady, so that was why she was so big."

"Professor McGonagall told me these all count as compensation for you. Anyway, it means you don't need to worry. No one's going to attack you again."

Hagrid went on talking at length.

Among known magical creatures, only the Runespoor laid eggs in its mouth.

Aside from its unusual method of laying eggs, Runespoor eggs also had a special effect. When used as an ingredient to make potions, they could make the drinker's mind sharper.

Wizards likewise longed for potions that could make them cleverer, and because of that, Runespoors were hunted in great numbers.

Just as the Runespoor was on the brink of extinction, wizards finally came to their senses and established a reserve in its native country, Burkina Faso, allowing the species to continue breeding.

Even so, the trade in Runespoor eggs continued, though it was generally carried out only on the black market.

Yet Wizet had an impression of that snake too. It had clearly been an extremely old snake, so why had it become a "lovely lady" in Hagrid's mouth?

"Excellent quality, very fresh! According to the current market price, for the twenty eggs here... I can offer three hundred Galleons."

In a slightly dim corner of the apothecary, the potioneer put away his magnifying glass and lowered his voice to name a price.

"Three hundred Galleons?" Wizet was a little surprised. The value of these eggs really was rather high.

He had wandered around Diagon Alley and bought quite a few things, gaining a basic understanding of prices in the wizarding world.

If converted into the currency of his previous life, three hundred Galleons would be worth at least tens of thousands.

As long as he budgeted carefully, this money would be enough for him to leave the orphanage and live on his own for a year.

"Don't think it's low." The potioneer had clearly conducted plenty of similar transactions before, and he began explaining out of habit. "We have to clean up all the traces on these things too, and that takes quite a bit of work."

Just then, Hagrid came to Wizet's side carrying the cauldron. "We have Mr. Scamander's signed certification. These aren't illegal goods!"

"Hagrid?" The potioneer obviously knew the gamekeeper as well. "Can I have a look at the signed certification?"

"Of course." Hagrid set down the cauldron and took out an envelope.

"Lumos!" The potioneer did not set the envelope alight, but instead lit the tip of his wand to inspect it.

After confirming there was no problem, he handed over an exquisitely embroidered cloth pouch. "All good! Here are five hundred Galleons. Which one of you is keeping the money?"

"No rush." Hagrid shook his head. "Help us prepare the things a new student needs. Deduct the cost from that."

"A new student?" The potioneer froze for a moment, then curiously moved his lit wand toward Wizet. "You're Wizet? That Obscurial?"

"That's me." Wizet noticed that the potioneer's face had turned deathly pale, almost the same shade as the light at the tip of his wand.

Wizet pulled the little cart, looking back every now and then.

On the little cart, aside from the cauldron, as well as the scales and potion bottles hidden inside it, the school robes and various kinds of stationery had also been tied down.

He suddenly saw a familiar figure flash past before his eyes and walk into Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour not far away. "Hagrid, did you see Headmaster Dumbledore?"

"No..." Hagrid hurriedly looked around. "Are you still thinking about what happened just now?"

He said gently, "Wizet, don't mind the way they look at you. You're a good child."

"I don't mind." Wizet shook his head. "I know how dangerous an Obscurus is. I just didn't expect all of them to know I'm an Obscurial."

"It's all because of the Daily Prophet! They report on this every day!" Hagrid suddenly grew agitated. "That Rita Skeeter especially loves spreading rumors and exaggerating the facts!"

"The Daily Prophet? Rita Skeeter?" Wizet was very curious about these two new terms.

"Yes. In the English wizarding world, it's the most influential newspaper." Hagrid pointed ahead.

"You'll understand once you see it... Actually, you'd better not. That woman's words are vicious!"

Flourish and Blotts was an ocean of knowledge.

The shelves were packed full of all kinds of books, reaching all the way to the ceiling.

The books came in every style. There were hardcover volumes as large as floor tiles, and pocket books no bigger than a palm.

These books, filled with magic, were like living things.

On some books, not only did the characters on the covers jump about, the entire book thrashed restlessly as well, trying to escape the shelves that restrained them.

Two shop assistants waved their wands again and again, making the books settle down so the shelves would not collapse.

At Luna's house, the only reading material Wizet had access to was The Quibbler.

There had originally been quite a few books kept in the house, but unfortunately, after the accident involving Luna's mother, those books had vanished along with the accident.

It was still early, so there were not too many wizards staying in the bookshop.

Wizet walked into the shop and noticed the Daily Prophet in the newspaper section.

"Obscurial Wizet Repels XXXXX-Class Magical Creature—How Much Is He Hiding? What Is Dumbledore Plotting?" This was the front-page report of the newspaper.

Wizet skimmed roughly through the report, and only then did he understand why the wizards who knew his name had shown expressions like that.

So they had taken him for a natural-born dark wizard, a walking powder keg, an extremely dangerous individual.

All those adjectives had come from the article, while the "XXXXX-class magical creature" mentioned in the headline appeared only in the headline itself. It was probably just a trick to grab attention.

"Galloping Gorgons! Rita Skeeter is terrifying!" Hagrid fumed. "Headmaster Dumbledore clearly sealed off the news. How does she know so much?"

"Hey! I'm here." A wizard in black robes, head lowered, appeared in the doorway.

"Wizet! I've still got some things to do!" Hearing the wizard's voice, Hagrid grew excited, his pitch rising quite a bit, as loud as gongs and drums.

"Then go take care of it first!" Wizet, drawn in by the huge number of books, nodded and said, "How should I find you later?"

"If you don't see me, you can go to Ollivanders Wand Shop first! Buying a wand takes a long time." Hagrid strode toward the wizard. "I'll be back soon!"

Wizet did not pay it too much mind. He picked up a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and leaned against a cauldron to read.

The book was rich in content, introducing magical creatures from all over the world, numbering more than a hundred kinds.

It even included hand-drawn illustrations, and the pictures moved, vividly depicting the habits of the magical creatures.

Before he knew it, Wizet had finished the entire book and gained a deeper understanding of magical creatures.

"Hagrid still isn't back..." He looked around, but there was no sign of Hagrid inside or outside the bookshop.

Just then, a subtle change occurred in his mind.

A book appeared beside Wizard's Practical Guide. Its title was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Wizet sank his consciousness into it and opened this newly appeared Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

"It's actually exactly the same content. Something this magical can really happen?"

Delighted by the discovery, Wizet opened another book.

He did not deliberately try to understand the meaning of every sentence. Instead, he skimmed the book ten lines at a glance, trying to finish it as quickly as possible.

Sure enough, a new book appeared in his mind—Anti-Intrusion: A Brief Discussion on Defensive Magic.

Wizet's expression shifted. "I only need to flip through them, and I can record these books in my mind?"