The Life of the Rich

"Hagrid, how did you get here?"

William chatted with Hagrid along the way, because the big man seemed a little nervous.

Not only was he worried about the safety of Muggle cars, he was also a little carsick.

"I came by Floo Powder, and from the fireplace in Headmaster Dumbledore's office, too!"

Hagrid's voice was full of pride, as though using Dumbledore's things were some great achievement.

"What's Floo Powder?"

After learning from Hagrid that Dumbledore was just a lousy old man, Roy had lost interest in the headmaster and grown curious about how wizards traveled.

"Oh, I forgot you Muggles don't have Floo Powder," Hagrid said apologetically.

"Floo Powder is a glittering powder. You just take a handful, say the name of your destination clearly, and scatter it. You'll get there right away. Very convenient."

William stroked Bobocha's tail and nodded thoughtfully.

It was a substance that worked rather like teleportation, and it was certainly convenient, but... Hagrid, why were you looking at them like that?

William was certain he had seen pity in Hagrid's big eyes, the kind that said, "All Muggles live in misery!"

No magic,

no Floo Powder,

not even a chance to attend Hogwarts,

how could anyone not pity them?

It was too pitiful!

"Are there any other ways to travel besides Floo Powder?" William asked.

"Loads of them. Portkeys, Apparition, the Knight Bus..."

Hagrid seemed to recall an unpleasant memory. He stared at William and said seriously, "Remember, never take the Knight Bus. Last time, I was sick the whole way and nearly died in there.

Merlin's beard, the Ministry of Magic ought to ban that thing..."

Hagrid suddenly pulled out a filthy, stained handkerchief and covered his mouth. He waved his left hand, signaling William to find another topic and take his mind off it.

"Hagrid, you said Professor Robert died. Do we have a new professor, then?" William passed him a few olives and opened the car window.

Olives could ease nausea a little, which would make Hagrid feel better.

After taking the olives, Hagrid answered, "It's a hard position to fill. For years now, no one has been willing to come to Hogwarts as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

"Poor Professor Robert..." Hagrid turned the stained handkerchief over and blew his nose with a sound as loud as a morning bugle call.

"I knew Professor Robert liked a drink, but I never thought he'd drink even when he went into the Forbidden Forest.

"I got up early that morning, opened the door, and filled a little basket with beans, ready to visit lovely Aragog in the Forbidden Forest.

"Then I heard from the Hufflepuff students that Professor Robert had gone missing. Everyone searched and searched until they reached the Forbidden Forest, where they saw a piece of his wizard's robes hanging from a thornbush.

"Professor Flitwick said, 'This is bad. I'm afraid he's been attacked by a Magical Creature.'

"Farther in, sure enough, Professor Robert was lying in Devil's Snare, his belly already ripped open by a Tebo. He was still clutching a bottle of Firewhisky that had spilled all over the ground..."

Hagrid wiped his nose, sniffling. He looked extremely sad.

"Hagrid, what's Devil's Snare?"

Hagrid shuddered, seemingly recalling the scene of Robert's death.

"Devil's Snare is an extremely dangerous vine. Once it's mature, it can stretch out tendrils and wrap them around anyone who comes near, injuring wizards."

Hagrid complained, "If you ask me, a plant that dangerous ought to be wiped out, or it could easily hurt the fragile Magical Creatures in the Forbidden Forest.

"I don't know why Professor Sprout collects Devil's Snare. What a strange hobby..."

William narrowed his eyes and carefully committed the knowledge of the Wizarding World that Hagrid had shared to memory.

He had a vague feeling that something wasn't quite right. From the way Hagrid spoke, Magical Creatures all seemed fragile, cute, friendly, and innocent...

For example, Aragog, the Acromantula Hagrid had just mentioned... From Hagrid's description, he seemed a hundred times cuter than Bobocha.

Hagrid had even invited William to come along and stroke the hair on Aragog's legs.

My heavens, are there really such cute creatures in the Wizarding World?

For some reason, William found himself feeling a little drawn to the Forbidden Forest.

The car drove for half an hour before reaching its destination.

"This is it." Excited that he could finally stop riding in the car, Hagrid raised his head.

There was a bang as his head struck the roof.

Hagrid rubbed his head. He seemed to be fine, but a slight bump had appeared in the roof.

Roy stared at it blankly, then grew excited. He finally had a reason to talk to Lyanna about getting a new car.

"Oh, sorry. I'll take care of it," Hagrid said.

"It's fine." Roy waved a hand generously, as though it were nothing worth mentioning.

"Reparo." Hagrid pulled out his little pink umbrella and tapped the roof gently. The bump vanished at once.

"..." Roy realized something terrible. Once William learned magic, wouldn't he have to drive this car until he died?

After they got out of the car, Hagrid led the two of them onto a bustling street crowded with people.

There were bookshops, record stores, burger shops, cinemas... It all looked perfectly ordinary, but the Leaky Cauldron Hagrid had mentioned was nowhere to be seen.

Wait...

At last, William spotted a sign in an inconspicuous corner. It was an old, battered sign with a black cauldron painted on it and the words "Leaky Cauldron" written in highlighter.

Hagrid smiled. "This is it-the Leaky Cauldron. It's a very famous place, and the oldest pub in London, much older than any Muggle pub."

Hagrid's voice was full of pride, but Roy looked utterly baffled. He couldn't see a thing.

"Small problem. There are lots of Confundus Charms here to keep Muggles from finding it. Helping Muggle families get into Diagon Alley is one of my duties, too."

According to Hagrid, there were also Confundus Charms and Muggle-Repelling Charms around Hogwarts. Without a wizard to guide them, Muggles couldn't get in.

Although Hagrid was proud of the Leaky Cauldron, once they went inside, they found it was a small, dirty pub.

It really didn't live up to its ancient reputation.

William gave the furnishings inside a rather disdainful glance. Not only were they old, but they were also dirty and messy.

What a waste. This place has a prime location and a huge amount of foot traffic.

If William were the owner, he would at least take the decor up several levels, then turn it into the Wizarding World's first venue offering a full range of services, from fine dining and card and board games to baths, massages, and singing.

It didn't even need to be called a pub anymore. It could be renamed the Leaky Cauldron Club!

Renovation plans, publicity, marketing strategy, celebrity endorsements... William already had all of them mapped out in his head. The only thing he still lacked was... money!

He felt in his pocket. There were only a pitiful few pence inside... He was poor! How much money could an eleven-year-old boy's parents possibly give him?

William couldn't help thinking wistfully of that scratch card again.

He wanted to experience the plain, unpretentious, and boring life of the rich, too!