I Have a Rich Friend

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

This kind of happiness becomes all the more precious after you "become aware" and discover the tragic truth.

For example... when eating fried rice, you might find protein... the crunchy kind that bursts with flavor.

At times like this, don't dwell on what it is. Otherwise, when you discover it's actually a cockroach-rat... you'll feel like throwing up your dinner from the night before.

Harry experienced this extreme contrast of extremes in a mere 0.01 seconds.

Especially when he recalled the scene just now:

The two found that there was no queue, so after getting water, they not only washed their faces but also drank it.

The water did have a slightly off taste, and its color was indeed a pale yellow... Ron was initially reluctant to drink it.

But Harry told him that it was minerals... and that drinking it would be good for his health.

It not only clears heat and relieves internal fire, but also supplements calcium and prevents leg cramps at night.

After Harry explained it to him, Ron believed him and started chugging it down enthusiastically.

Harry was just as happy as he is now, and that's how sad he is now.

Why would a wizard urinate in a well?

Such a lack of public morality... he should be thrown in Azkaban!

Harry was heartbroken, but Ron didn't react much.

He simply stared wide-eyed at Trene's retreating figure, as if he had never seen a girl before.

"She has a great figure!" he said to Harry in a hoarse voice.

"Indeed, he's a head taller William," Harry exclaimed in astonishment.

This year, Harry has finally grown quite a bit taller, but compared to Trene, he's still like a third-degree cripple.

"That girl is something else!" Ron tried to stand on tiptoe so he could still see her clearly.

"Are you a student from Hogwarts? I've never seen you before?"

"Judging from her appearance, she must have graduated already," Harry said. "She's an adult witch."

"Those are the students from the previous years. Bill or Charlie should know. I'll go back and ask," Ron said.

Harry nodded casually; all he wanted to do now was go back and brush his teeth, then find Cho... and have a serious discussion with her about the Quidditch World Cup.

"What do you think... is her relationship with William?" Ron asked curiously.

"Let's be friends. William knows so many people."

Harry has never met more young wizards than William has.

The newspapers all said that he had a deep friendship with the Italy Ministry of Magic and the France Director of the Executive Division.

"... The witch's hand was still on William's shoulder; they seemed quite intimate."

Ron felt a pang of jealousy, and he casually remarked, "Could they be a couple?"

Harry glanced at Ron, puzzled.

"That can't be right, can it? Everyone knows that Hermione and William... are practically inseparable."

Although they have never publicly acknowledged their relationship...

"That's just because Hermione likes William," Ron retorted in a shrill voice.

"Remember in second grade? Hermione circled William's name with hearts... If they were a couple, why didn't they ever say so?"

Also, the witches in those colleges all say William is single.

"But..." Harry wanted to argue.

He had seen William and Hermione holding hands more than once; they even traveled together during the summer holidays.

As for the female classmates... they all call themselves... "William's wife".

Of course, he wouldn't admit he had a girlfriend.

"We're not discussing Hermione and William right now," Ron repeated. "That girl just now, she was really pretty."

He always thought that Madam Rosmerta with the Three Broomsticks, was the most beautiful.

Now that I've seen Trene, I realize Madam Rosmerta is far inferior.

Hermione's appearance is even more ordinary; if he were William, he would definitely choose the beautiful witch from before.

The two then discussed the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts for a while.

However, Ron soon discovered that he and Harry had nothing in common.

Because Harry kept insisting that Cho was the prettiest, and he had absolutely no recollection of any of his nominations.

Does he even have any sense of aesthetics? Ron thought to himself.

After emptying the water, the two went back to the tap and queued up again.

As they passed by the vendors, they gazed longingly at the goods.

"House-elf is selling things, and he even has the Akali's Mystery Shop logo on him!" Harry exclaimed in surprise.

"They're all employees hired by William and his team," Ron said enviously.

"I heard there are dozens of them. They spent the whole summer setting up a shop in Diagon Alley, and they even offer delivery services."

Ron was a little sullen.

"My mom has recently become obsessed with shopping. She's bought a lot of things, and they all arrived within an hour, much faster than an owl delivery service."

"What about the shipping price?" Harry asked, focusing on the most important thing.

If it's cheap, he can have House-elf deliver letters to Autumn during summer vacations in the future.

It only takes an hour to deliver... it's practically like chatting face-to-face.

"It's cheap," Ron said. "The same price as an owl."

Most importantly, the House-elf deliveryman will even help tidy up the garden when he's not busy.

Ron said sourly, "My mom really loves them, and I think if I could trade with her, she would definitely do it without hesitation."

Harry found Ron's description incredibly interesting.

He was at the Dursley family and couldn't get any information.

But newspapers wouldn't record these interesting things.

Harry quickly asked, "Is Professor Lupin the shopkeeper?"

He remembered that when they parted, William had invited Professor Lupin to his place.

"I don't know." Ron shook his head. "I've been in the hospital the whole time, I've never been there."

He hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Dude, I think... I'm afraid I'll have to borrow some money from you."

"How much?" Harry asked without hesitation.

Ron blushed and quickly explained, "I didn't need to borrow it."

I had saved up all my Galleon and left them in my dorm. I didn't have time to take them when I left.

Harry was puzzled. He remembered that Ron had borrowed a lot of money from him during his school days, so where would he get pocket money?

Wait... Harry remembers now, it seems like it was... Peter borrowed it.

Harry thought about it carefully and decided not to tell Ron immediately. He decided to wait a few days, otherwise Ron would definitely not be in the mood to watch the game.

After borrowing the money, Ron bought a hat with a dancing shamrock and a large green rose-shaped badge.

He also bought a small statue of Bulgaria Seeker Viktor Krum.

The small Krum, moving back and forth in Ron's hand, frowned and stared at the green badge above him.

"Wow, look at those!" Harry rushed to a small cart piled high with telescopes covered with all sorts of strange knobs and dials.

"Omnioculars," the House-elf touted, "You can replay the footage... in slow motion, or fast motion."

If needed, it can also quickly display match analysis, real-time player information, and betting odds.

"It sounds like it has a lot more features than the last one," Harry said. "It must be very expensive, right?"

"Only ten Galleon per unit."

Harry was tempted. It had more features than the previous one, but the price was exactly the same. Akali's Mystery Shop was indeed a conscientious merchant.

Support William... not supporting him means you're not Hogwarts person.

"I wish I hadn't bought this." Ron glanced at his dancing clover hat, then looked longingly at the Omnioculars.

"Buy two," Harry said to the House-elf without hesitation.

"Harry, no—don't bother." Ron's face turned bright red.

The money he just borrowed already exceeds the amount of Galleon he's saved. He can still pay it back after the semester starts and he'll have some time to repay it.

If I borrow again, I really won't be able to pay it back.

"You won't get any presents for Christmas," Harry said, seemingly knowing what Ron was thinking.

He shoved the Omnioculars into Ron's hands. "Remember, I won't be giving you any gifts for ten years!"

"That makes sense." Ron grinned.

Having a rich friend isn't such a bad thing.

(Please vote for me, everyone!)