Chapter 839

Because of a certain young wizard's birthday.

Several young wizards returned to London too early.

Thus, the task of purchasing new school books was put on the schedule early.

In the third-to-last week of the summer holidays, Diagon Alley, because school was about to start, was flooded with a small group of Hogwarts students.

In the Quidditch boutique, Xiang Xien saw two Gryffindors: Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were staring greedily at what seemed to be a new broomstick.

Outside Flourish and Blotts, Xiang Xien bumped into Neville, who stammered that he seemed to have come early.

Xiang Xien said softly that perhaps it was just right, they could just have a raspberry ice cream.

It wasn't just Neville who came early; outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, the freckles on Luo En's face were so conspicuous, Hermione was tanned, and both were waving frantically at them.

"Good morning, Xiang Xien! And Neville."

Luo En said with a smile, then sat down nimbly,

"Where's Harry? Come on, Xiang Xien, isn't he staying in the Leaky Cauldron?"

Just as he finished speaking, Harry's surprised voice came from afar:

"You're all here!"

As Harry walked over quickly, Jia Siting could also be seen appearing from the side of a distant shop.

"Harry, did you... did you really blow up your aunt?"

Hermione asked in a very serious tone.

This question aroused everyone's curiosity.

"It wasn't me."

Harry said.

In front of Fudge, he wasn't willing to explain that much; he thought if there were any punishment, it would be better to punish him than Xiang Xien, after all, Xiang Xien was there to help him.

But in front of his friends, he was very honest.

"What kind of magic was that? Can I learn it?"

Luo En exclaimed from the side.

"It's not a laughing matter, Luo En!"

Hermione said sternly,

"Honestly, you..."

Hermione turned to Xiang Xien and asked suspiciously,

"How come they didn't catch you on the spot?"

"Xiang Xien used his grandfather's wand."

Harry muttered.

That's why they mistook it for him.

But what if he wasn't there?

Harry thought, then wouldn't the Ministry have been unable to catch anyone?

Looking at it this way, he was actually the one in the way.

"Grandfather?"

Hermione was bewildered, as was Jia Siting.

How could they clearly remember that Xiang Xien had no relatives...

"Well, I heard they didn't punish you?

I guess it's because it's you, isn't it?"

Luo En shrugged,

"The famous Harry Potter, and...

I can't imagine how the Ministry would deal with me if I blew up an aunt.

Let me tell you, they would first have to dig me out of the ground, because Mom would definitely have killed me already.

Anyway, you can ask my dad yourself tonight. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron too!

Although we came back from Egypt early, Dad agreed to let us play in Diagon Alley for a few days!"

"That's great!"

Harry said happily,

"So, are we going to buy new textbooks or new supplies now?"

Everyone subconsciously cast their gaze toward Xiang Xien.

At this moment, Xiang Xien was still pondering the magical ritual that fits the Lumos spell.

"How about buying a pet first?"

Hermione said calmly,

"I especially want an owl. You see, Harry has Hedwig, you have Errol—"

"I don't,"

Luo En said,

"Errol is the family owl. I only have Scabbers."

Luo En pulled his pet rat out of his pocket.

"I want to take it for a check-up,"

he said, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them,

"it seems a bit homesick in Egypt."

Scabbers looked thinner than before, and its whiskers were noticeably drooping.

"Then..."

Jia Siting looked at Xiang Xien with a smile, and Xiang Xien put down his book and nodded.

"Then let's go,"

Luo En searched excitedly for something on the street.

"You mean... there's a Magical Menagerie over there?"

Harry said, having become very familiar with Diagon Alley in a few days,

"You can see what they can do for Scabbers, and Hermione can buy her owl too."

"Right! That's it!"

Luo En slapped his head.

So, they paid for the ice cream and crossed the street toward the Magical Menagerie.

The shop was small, the walls were densely hung with cages, the air had a foul smell, and it was noisy, because the creatures in the cages were squeaking, chirping, or hissing.

The witch behind the counter was telling a wizard how to care for a salamander, so they waited on the side, carefully examining the cages.

Two huge purple toads sat there, gobbling up dead flies, drooling as they ate.

A terrifyingly large turtle stayed by the window, its shell shining like a gemstone. Poisonous orange snails crawled slowly on the glass tank walls.

On the counter was a large cage, where sleek black rats were standing on their bare long tails, playing a jumping game.

The wizard buying the salamander left, and Luo En approached the counter.

"My rat,"

he said to the witch,

"its color has been a bit off since I brought it back from Egypt."

"Put it on the counter."

The witch said, pulling a pair of thick black glasses from her pocket.

Luo En pulled Scabbers out of his inner pocket and placed it next to the large cage of rats. Those rats stopped their jumping game, all crowding over to the wire cage, carefully examining Scabbers.

Scabbers the rat, like everything Luo En owned, was also second-hand—originally belonging to Luo En's brother Percy—and looked like it had been severely abused.

Compared to the sleek-furred rats in the cage, it looked particularly shabby.

"Hmm,"

the witch grabbed Scabbers and said,

"how old is this rat?"

"Don't know,"

Luo En said,

"very old, it used to be my brother's."

"What can it do?"

The witch asked, examining Scabbers carefully.

"Uh—"