Chapter 13

"Wait, you also concoct pet tonics?"

Hearing this, Cedric's eyes lit up. "Could I ask you to prepare some for my owl in the future?"

"Of course," Kain replied, glancing at the gray owl on the rack beside him. "But owl tonic is more complex than rat tonic, so I'll need to charge nine Sickles. Don't think it's too expensive—this is the going rate. And my formula, sourced from Newt, produces a much better tonic than what's typically available on the market, making it well worth the price."

"Hmm…" Cedric nodded.

He knew this was true; in Diagon Alley, the cheapest owl tonic started at nine Sickles, and better-quality ones could cost a Galleon. If Kain's owl tonic truly came from Scamander, it would indeed be a bargain.

But still…

"Could you make it a bit cheaper?" Cedric asked somewhat sheepishly. "Aren't we friends? There should be some kind of discount."

Honestly, Cedric would have liked to slam down a handful of money and buy several doses in one go. But being only a second-year student, his allowance was limited, and he was rather short on cash.

Hogwarts might cover room and board, but the costs for quills, ink, and parchment added up, not to mention other miscellaneous expenses. Typically, his budget was just enough for a semester.

Although he could save quite a bit by cutting unnecessary expenses, who wouldn't want more Galleons? A discount would definitely help.

Facing Cedric's hopeful look, Kain stroked his chin and nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, we're friends, so it shouldn't be at market rate."

"Right? Right?" Cedric's eyes shone even brighter.

"Here's what I'll do…" Kain bit his lip and held up one finger. "You just pay this amount."

"One Sickle?" Cedric asked hopefully.

Kain shook his head. "No, one Galleon."

"…"

Cedric's smile froze, and his tone changed. "One, one Galleon! Is that your idea of a discount?"

"Absolutely, that's twenty percent off," Kain said earnestly. "Think about it, apart from the Slytherin high-rollers, who else would spend a Galleon on owl tonic at Hogwarts? It's hard to make a sale here. Now that I've found a reliable and straightforward customer, I definitely need to earn a bit more."

"…"

Cedric was flabbergasted, his eyes twitching as he looked at Kain.

That was shameless. How could he say such things so boldly and without a hint of wizardly moral concern?

Cedric was shaking with indignation, took a deep breath, and said, "Kain, you're definitely going to end up in Azkaban."

"Thank you for the good wishes."

Kain raised an eyebrow, unfazed, and even asked, "So, do you still want the owl tonic?"

"Yes…"

Cedric managed to squeeze out the word through gritted teeth.

Just as he was about to pay, the compartment door was pushed open again.

A small, slightly nervous figure entered.

A pretty little girl with brown hair tied in two ponytails and a round face still carrying baby fat—it seemed she was also a new student.

Hmm?

Kain and Cedric looked at each other. Your visitor?

I don't know her!

Although neither spoke, they miraculously understood each other's thoughts because they were exactly the same.

Realizing Cedric's meaning, Kain looked again and asked, "Did you enter the wrong compartment?"

The girl, apparently a bit socially anxious, was about to run out when Kain asked, but she held back and shook her head, "No, I didn't enter the wrong one, I'm looking for you."

"For me?"

Kain was more puzzled, certain he didn't know this girl.

Ignoring Cedric's mocking look, Kain continued, "What do you need from me?"

During this, he took another glance at the girl.

Definitely unfamiliar, and she bore no resemblance to Chris, ruling out any melodramatic twists like suddenly discovering a sister before starting school.

"I overheard your conversation in the corridor just now."

The girl's voice was soft and weak, and perhaps worried about being misunderstood, she quickly explained, "Please don't misunderstand; I wasn't eavesdropping intentionally. The red-haired senior didn't close the door, it was an accident…"

Kain, not minding such a trivial matter, waved his hand, "It's okay, go on."

The Hogwarts Express was notorious for its poor soundproofing. Even with the doors shut tightly, the noises from the corridor were audible, and the same was probably true from the outside.

And since they hadn't lowered their voices when Percy was there, it was normal for others to overhear.

The girl sighed in relief at Kain's response, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a scruffy large rat.

???

Kain watched this familiar scene unfold, feeling a sense of déjà vu; he had just experienced something very similar.

Oh right, Percy did the same with Spots, their actions nearly identical—even the rats looked alike.

Is this some kind of reenactment?

With this thought, Kain instinctively looked at the rat.

Its paws were intact; it was a legitimate rat.

Kain shook his head self-deprecatingly, feeling overly anxious.

After all, how many illegal Animagi could there be in the wizarding world, especially those turning into rats and hiding among young wizards? One Peter Pettigrew was enough.

Once he calmed down, Kain guessed the girl's purpose and tentatively asked, "So, are you looking to buy rat tonic?"

With a rat by her side and mentioning Percy, plus their earlier topic revolving around pet tonics… adding these up, he couldn't think of any other reason.

"Is that possible?"

As expected, upon hearing Kain's words, the girl nodded, her large eyes hopeful as she spoke softly, "I've tried many tonics from Diagon Alley, but none were very effective."

"Of course, it would be my honor."

Upon realizing the girl was a customer, Kain immediately smiled sincerely, "Just a moment, I'll get it for you.

By the way, my name is Kain Jobber, a first-year student. You can call me Kain."

"Conn… Conner."

The girl's cheeks, plump with baby fat, flushed slightly as she softly said, "Conner Prince."

(End of Chapter)