Caution

Gemini eventually left Devis & Banes after the burly owner refused to give him a fifty percent discount.

Of course, the main reason was that he didn't really want to buy anything else.

He made his way to Elegant Wizarding Apparel, where he bought a dark green robe for women – a gift for Professor McGonagall.

Although Gryffindor's representative color was red, in places like Britain and Ireland, people actually preferred green, especially when it came to clothing; every professor had several robes with green in them.

Gemini spent thirty Galleons on one robe.

Compared to Madam Malkin's shop, Elegant Wizarding Apparel's prices were quite unfriendly.

But there was nothing that could be done; after all, they were a high-end brand with branches in London and Paris. It was normal for branded goods to be more expensive.

Gemini heard that the shop was planning to have Gilderoy Lockhart as their spokesperson, which made him happy. After the second year, their prices should be halved...

Gemini had already finished buying gifts for Professor Sprout. A few days prior, he had ordered a batch of books from Flourish and Blotts.

Originally, Gemini had planned to give Professor Sprout some herbal care items, but after he had the good fortune to eat Professor Sprout's cooking once, he changed his mind.

If she weren't teaching at Hogwarts, Professor Sprout could definitely become a top chef in the wizarding world.

Gemini had the chance to attend one of Professor Sprout's tea parties before. It was less of a tea party and more of a buffet, attended by senior girls who enjoyed cooking.

Noticing that Gemini seemed a bit out of place, Professor Sprout took one look at what Gemini was eating and immediately made a spicy beef pasta with tomatoes, chili peppers, beef, and other ingredients.

It tasted a bit like Da Pan Ji.

It was so delicious that Gemini's brain was trembling...

And the most crucial point was that this preparation method didn't exist in pasta at all. This meant that Professor Sprout had unlocked a part of his taste preferences solely based on the snacks Gemini had eaten.

He remembered a scene from a TV show in his past life where a girl made a witch's soup that guests couldn't get enough of, just by looking at their orders. Gemini had initially thought it was exaggerated, but now it seemed the TV show wasn't exaggerating at all.

"Professor, is it too late for me to transfer to Hufflepuff?"

"I'm very sorry, it's too late, child."

Gemini remembered that Professor Sprout had smiled mischievously at the time...

All the good deans belonged to others...

So, Gemini's gift to her was a collection of gourmet recipes from around the world.

Afterward, Gemini bought several large boxes of sweets and chocolates from Honeydukes, which he mailed separately to Dumbledore and the Holy Cross Orphanage, leaving two boxes for the house-elves in the kitchens.

"How much for this quill?"

Scribbulus Quills was the wizarding world's stationery store.

Gemini pointed to a quill in the display window and asked.

The quill was about fifteen inches long, with a metal nib section about two inches long and a large, flame-like feather for the rest of it, with a very vibrant color.

"Forty Galleons."

"Fourteen Galleons?"

"Forty! Not fourteen!" the shop assistant emphasized loudly.

Gemini shook his head. "Too expensive."

While he didn't mind spending a bit more money, forty Galleons for a single quill was too outrageous. Quills had a short lifespan; ordinary quills cost less than five Knuts. Although this quill had a metal nib and was as durable as a fountain pen, it shouldn't cost forty Galleons.

"Actually, this quill isn't really for sale to students," the shop assistant said with a shrug. "It's made from phoenix feather. The market price for this stuff is at least twenty Galleons. Most people wouldn't buy it; it's just a display piece here, and the price is too high."

"Phoenix feather..." Gemini stroked his chin as he examined the fiery red quill.

This item was indeed very expensive. As a top-tier material for wand cores, it wouldn't be sold so cheaply if it weren't for the discounts for new students buying wands. For other uses, it was even more costly. He heard that in places like the Soviet Union and Iceland, a single phoenix feather could sell for fifty Galleons – because it was too cold there, and phoenixes simply wouldn't exist.

Therefore, the quill in the display case was quite luxurious. Most people wouldn't use it to make a quill.

Phoenix feathers could be used to make wands, refine potions, or break curses. If there was the most wasteful and meaningless act, it would definitely be making them into quills...

"If you think it's too expensive, you can look at these others – Gryphon, Hippogriff, Chimaera. They're quite exquisite, and the most expensive is only five Galleons," the shop assistant said, pointing to the shelf next to him. "They make excellent gifts too."

Gemini shook his head. It wasn't that these quills weren't good-looking, but when you compared them, the phoenix feather quill, which was as vibrant as a flame, looked simply too beautiful.

"Never mind, forty it is." Gemini eventually bought the quill.

Although the thought counts when choosing gifts, bargaining or looking for cheap deals while buying gifts felt like the thought itself was discounted, giving a strange sense of incongruity.

After all, Gemini was only thirty years old combined across both his lives, and most of that time was spent in childhood. Men were generally not good at shopping, and boys even less so.

When girls go shopping, they navigate the mall like they're in the Eight Trigrams Formation, while boys who enter a mall head straight for the first store they see and say – "I want that black one."

It was unrealistic to expect creatures who could wear the same pair of underpants for years after washing them to understand the meaning of shopping...

Afterward, Gemini bought a bunch of interesting small items from Zonko's Joke Shop as Christmas presents for Draco and the twins, marking the end of his trip to Hogsmeade.

Finally, Christmas arrived quietly.

Early in the morning, Gemini stared at the mountain of presents by his bed and fell into thought...

He had moved back to his dormitory from the Room of Requirement after Halloween, so the gifts were naturally delivered to the dormitory.

However, Gemini hadn't expected to receive so many gifts.

Picking up a gift box, Gemini glanced at the postcard on it.

"Marcus Flint? So why would he give me a Christmas present?" Gemini couldn't quite understand. "Did he put a curse on it?"

With a hint of caution, Gemini placed the gift box on the table, then kept his distance, pulling out his wand and pointing it at the box. "Liberacorpus."

Fwip—

The ribbon on the gift box was pulled open by an unseen force. Immediately after, the box opened, revealing its contents.

It was a Quidditch maintenance box.

"Are there any house-elves cleaning rooms nearby? If so, please come over!" Gemini shouted, opening his door.

This dog is too cautious