Hogwarts: I Am an Exemplary Wizard

Chapter 556: Chapter 554: Can’t You Go to Madam Puddifoot’s Teahouse?

Harry decided to wait here for Lupin and Sirius, while Kael packed up his suitcase and left the Shrieking Shack.

He found Conna and a few others drinking Butter Beer at the Three Broomsticks.

”Kael, your class ended so quickly today?”

”No, Professor Dumbledore isn’t in the castle today, so I came here with Sirius,” Kael explained.

”Alright then,” Conna nodded. ”Do you want something to drink? How about a chilled Butter Beer?”

”Hmm... I think the pumpkin juice at school is pretty good too.” Kael glanced at the prices and suddenly sighed.

”A glass of Butter Beer costs several Sickles, it’s too expensive.”

Having just lent out 2,500 Galleons, his confidence had significantly dwindled.

”Huh?” Fred paused with his hand on his cup, blinking incredulously at Kael, and then said:

”Ron, where did you get Polyjuice Potion and Kael’s hair?”

George, standing nearby, also said, ”I suggest you change back quickly, or find somewhere without people to hide for a couple of hours. If Kael finds out, you’re dead.”

”If you don’t want to become dragon dung...”

”Or Chomping Cabbage fertilizer...”

”You really know your brother, but Ron probably wouldn’t be too happy...”

Kael glanced at them, ”And with dragon dung and fertilizer, do you guys think of me as some merciless Dark Lord?”

”I must say, Ron, your acting’s pretty good, you really put on a believable show,” Fred said, seemingly confirmed that the Kael in front of them was Ron in disguise.

”Unfortunately, you’ve got the wrong person,” George said. ”Kael drinking Butter Beer always finishes a glass with one go, so Ron, better do some research next time.”

Watching the two quibble, Kael said, somewhat irritatedly, ”You two are the fakes. Since when did I finish Butter Beer in one go?”

”Still not giving up,” Fred said. ”Then let me ask you, what’s growing in the pot in Kael’s suitcase?”

”Mandrake.”

”...”

”You really are Kael?” George asked cautiously.

”No kidding,” Kael said.

Fred scratched his head. ”This doesn’t make sense...”

Kael found Butter Beer expensive?

That was about as unbelievable as Ron casually buying a Firebolt.

Conna, watching Kael banter with the Weasley Brothers, chuckled, ”It’s alright, I’ll treat you.”

She ran to the bar and returned with a chilled Butter Beer in hand.

”Thanks...” Kael said, casting a sidelong glance at Fred and George, ”Not like some people, who lost a bet and were supposed to keep treating me to Butter Beers, only to forget completely within a few years.”

”It’s fine, I can treat you to Butter Beer too, as many as you like...” Conna said with a smile, resting her chin on her hand.

”Alright,” Kael looked at her, ”I’ll take you up on that.”

”Mmm.”

”I say, you two. Don’t overdo it...” Fred put his cup down impatiently.

He felt like he had bought a fake drink at the Three Broomsticks, with a sour stench to it.

”I’ll buy you ten... no, twenty Butter Beers,” George said, unable to finish his drink, ”then why don’t you head over to Madam Puddifoot’s Tea House? That’s where you should be.”

”If you go now, you might even see Cedric and Cho.”

”No,” Kael said without thinking, casually adding, ”that place is small and cramped, and the coffee is as sweet as syrup, there’s nothing appealing about it.”

”Mmm hmm,” Conna nodded repeatedly in agreement.

”Tsk...” George slapped his forehead hard; he just wanted a Pumpkin Juice, how did it become so difficult?

...

When they left the Three Broomsticks, it was nearly noon, and the Weasley Brothers went off to Zonko’s Joke Shop again.

Kael and Conna, not interested in that, headed straight back to the castle. Along the way, Kael also told her about what happened at the Shrieking Shack.

”2,500 Galleons, no wonder you’re suddenly out of money?”

”Well, there’s still a bit left,” Kael said, ”just stashed somewhere a bit too securely, it’s a hassle to withdraw.”

”Gringotts?”

”No, in a Niffler’s pouch.” Kael said with a laugh and cry, ”It runs away as soon as it sees me, like I’m a predator.”

Conna found it amusing.

Extracting coins from a Niffler’s pouch, of course, it would run!

”Do you want me to lend you a little?”

”No need, it’s just for a short while.” Kael shook his head, ”It’ll be fine after the Triwizard Tournament ends; there’s a thousand Galleons in the champion prize.”

”You’re that confident you can win? What if you lose to Fleur and Krum in the end?”

”That’s not possible...” Kael said, ”Even for the thousand Galleons prize money, I won’t lose.”

”Others compete for honor, you’re after the prize money.”

”Same difference, same difference...” Kael waved his hand dismissively.

When they crossed the school gate and returned to the castle, they saw someone like a whirlwind rushing towards them from afar.

”Impressive, Kael!”

Sirius was waving his arms excitedly.

”I’ve tried for months but couldn’t get Moonface to stay, yet you sorted it in half an hour... I should’ve brought you over sooner.”

”You’ve reached an agreement?” Kael asked.

”Agreement? Of course, I agreed.” Sirius said, ”I bought that place because of Moonface, because he once said the happiest day of his life was the day we first completed the Animagus transformation and appeared in the Shrieking Shack.

Since werewolves have a hard time finding work, James and I talked about buying that place once we had money, opening a shop, and having Moonface help out so he could have a respectable job and a place to stay.”

Sirius paused here, his expression complex, and said, ”You know what happened afterwards, so I won’t go into detail. Anyway, our plan didn’t pan out back then, but it’s not too late now.

”I’ll head straight to Gringotts to withdraw the money and pay you back those Galleons.”

With that, Sirius hurriedly tried to leave, but was firmly stopped.

”If you still want Lupin to stay, don’t do that,” Kael let go of him and shook his head, ”Lupin appreciates your gesture but won’t accept your gift, it’s his bottom line... consider it his way of maintaining dignity in front of a friend.

”So he can accept me lending him Galleons, but he can never accept yours.”

”But that’s not necessary,” Sirius was puzzled, ”Moonface knows I don’t care about that.”

”But he does.” Kael shrugged, ”I guarantee, as soon as he knows you helped settle the debt, he’ll leave without hesitation.”

”Then...” Sirius furrowed his brow.

”Stay out of it,” Kael continued, ”you surely don’t doubt Lupin’s capabilities.”

”Impossible,” Sirius said firmly, ”Moonface is the smartest among us, he has nothing to worry about.”

”Exactly,” Kael smiled, ”The best thing you can do now is think about how to help Lupin. The Shrieking Shack has been vacant for a long time; it’s no easy feat to refurbish it.”

...