If I Can't Eat, Neither Can You!

The shopkeeper discreetly glanced at the gilt-patterned parchment on the shelf, putting on a troubled expression.

"Oh dear, your timing couldn't be worse."

"Ordinary parchment has been selling too quickly lately. We're completely out."

Those words were like a blow to the head.

On the way here, Chris had been fantasizing about how, once they made the maps, they would not only make a fortune but also vent their anger properly.

"Then we can give Weasley and Prewett a map too, like tossing scraps to beggars."

The three of them had been fired up the whole way, imagining Prewett weeping bitterly and dropping to his knees to beg for mercy.

Yet they had arrived at the shop full of joy, only to be told there was no parchment!

I've already taken my pants off, and you're making me watch In the Night Garden?!

Noah and Oliver looked at each other, suddenly feeling as though they could faintly smell Dungbombs.

The two of them had developed the aftereffect of smelling Dungbombs whenever they got nervous.

Chris was dumbfounded as well.

None of the three had expected things to turn out like this.

"Are you kidding me?!" Chris gritted his teeth unwillingly, his gaze rapidly sweeping around the shop. "How can parchment possibly be out of stock?!"

"Maybe because Hogwarts has just started term, and the students have a greater demand for parchment." The shopkeeper shrugged and gave an ambiguous explanation.

His parchment had indeed been bought up by Hogwarts students—just one student.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Noah immediately panicked. "Are we just going to watch Prewett make money?!"

Chris had not expected this either, and for the moment, he had no idea what to do.

Oliver, who had remained silent until now, suddenly asked, "Are there any other shops that sell parchment?"

The shopkeeper spread his hands. "Unless there's a second Literati Residence."

"Bullshit!"

All three of them glared angrily at the shopkeeper.

"Actually..." The shopkeeper paid no mind to their rudeness and smiled pleasantly. "It's not as though there isn't a single sheet of parchment left."

"What? There's still parchment? Then why didn't you say so earlier?!"

Chris looked delighted.

The shopkeeper took out a sheet of gilt-patterned parchment and placed it on the counter.

"This is the only kind of parchment left in the shop. If you want a lot, I can give you a discount."

"How much?" Oliver asked warily.

The shopkeeper waved a hand and said casually, "Very cheap. Just two Silver Sickles per sheet."

"Are you insane?!"

Chris suddenly raised his voice, saying furiously, "This kind of parchment used to cost half a Silver Sickle at most!"

"You said it yourself—that was before. Prices have gone up now."

"You—"

Chris was about to say more when Oliver reached out and pulled him back. "It's too expensive. Maybe we shouldn't buy it."

"No! If we don't buy it, won't they have the whole market to themselves and make even more money?"

"Then what do we do?" Noah grew increasingly agitated.

Oliver thought for a while before slowly saying, "We can go back to Hogwarts and buy parchment from the other young wizards."

That was a good idea.

The young wizards would all have some stock on hand, more or less.

As long as they offered more money, someone would definitely be willing to sell. It was just that collecting a few sheets at a time would be much slower.

Chris sneered. "Good idea!"

"But by the time we've bought enough parchment, they'll have already finished making the maps and started selling them! Then we can use the maps we make as scrap paper! Even a Troll might think they're too filthy to wipe its arse with!"

"Then what do you suggest?"

This wouldn't work, that wouldn't work—Oliver was getting anxious too.

"Did you bring any money? Pool it together," Chris suddenly asked.

"Do you want to buy this kind of parchment?" Oliver quickly understood what he meant.

"This parchment is more expensive, but even if we sell the maps for two and a half Sickles later, we'll still make money." Chris nodded.

"Even if the maps drop to two Silver Sickles, we won't lose money. As long as Prewett can't make any money, that's enough. Besides, there's no parchment left here now, so he probably can't make maps either."

"Think about it. We only need to spend a little time to restore our honor! What is there to hesitate over?"

"If you're Slytherin, then don't hesitate!"

After hearing that, Noah and Oliver thought it made some sense and began taking out their money.

The two of them first pooled together seventeen Galleons.

"Not enough!" Chris glanced at the parchment in the shop.

"That's still not enough?!"

Oliver felt pained. He was only a half-blood, and his family wealth could not compare to those pure-blood families.

Chris gave them a serious analysis. "Think about it. If we buy up all the remaining parchment, Prewett won't be able to buy any!"

Noah and Oliver thought that made some sense as well.

"But I really don't have any money left." Oliver spread his hands.

Chris looked at Noah. Of the three of them, he was the only one who still had money.

"As long as we can wash away this humiliation, this little money is nothing!" Noah gritted his teeth and took out all his pocket money.

"That's the spirit!"

Including the five Galleons their prefect William had sponsored them, they had gathered a total of twenty-five Galleons.

That was enough to buy a little over two hundred sheets of gilt-patterned parchment.

As the three returned to Hogwarts with the expensive parchment tucked away, their hearts once again filled with fantasies.

Damn Prewett!

Just wait until you lose everything, down to your underwear!

By sheer coincidence, when they returned to Hogwarts, they ran into George and Fred again.

The three of them were certain of victory now, their backs straight enough to stop a Troll.

"What, are you going to buy parchment?" Chris wore a mocking smile. "Hurry up, then. Remember to buy plenty."

By the time you come back empty-handed, we'll already be making maps!

The Weasley twins looked at the three of them as though they were idiots and only wanted to hurry around them.

Seeing George and Fred remain silent, Noah assumed they were scared.

He swaggered over to them, about to throw out a few mocking remarks, when George and Fred stepped aside.

Revealing Silan, who had been standing behind them.

When Noah saw Silan's half-smiling expression, he immediately clamped his mouth shut like a chicken being strangled. He smoothly turned around and returned to his companions.

When Chris and Oliver saw Silan, they too instinctively took a step back, like mice spotting a cat.

Oliver covered his mouth with a hand, terrified that he would get another full dose of Dungbombs.

Chris gripped his hat with both hands, afraid that the hair he had only just managed to grow back would once again vanish completely, like the Whomping Willow in winter.

Each of them grabbed one of Noah's arms. After pulling him back, they left without looking back.

Those three were truly both resentful and cowardly.

They ran away without even leaving behind a threat.

Watching the three flee in disgrace, Silan said to George and Fred, "Tonight, we'll spread the maps around and turn their maps into scrap paper!"

Some people snatched food from other people's bowls.

Others simply flipped the table and smashed the bowls. If I can't eat, neither can you!

Chris and the other two, eager to return and draw maps, still had no idea what they would face tomorrow.

They were still dreaming of making Prewett weep bitterly and lose everything, down to his underwear.