21

He stole a glance at Professor Quirrell's heavily draped head, where Voldemort, reduced to a face, hid.

But to avoid Voldemort's notice, Aaron averted his gaze.

The Dark Lord was weak now, and Aaron aimed to proceed cautiously.

Once he grew stronger, he intended to compel Voldemort to perform the Meow Dance at the Leaky Cauldron and buy him a Meow Coke.

Tom took the coin and counted it. "Two more, Professor Quirrell," he returned the coin, noticing something odd about the professor today.

But he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Professor Quirrell took the dark brown drink from Tom, hesitating briefly before a soft voice in his ear coaxed him to drink it.

Grimacing, he tipped his head back and drank.

The strange taste he expected vanished, replaced by delightful sweetness. Countless bubbles burst in his mouth, tantalizing his taste buds.

"Oh, Tom, you must... no, don't tell me... you've done it. Give me... another... another cup."

Tom handed over another cup. This time, Professor Quirrell savored it slowly instead of downing it in one gulp.

Onlookers relaxed seeing this. It wasn't their vigilance; Tom simply had too many unusual skills from his past.

"Give me one too!"

"I want one too!"

"Make it two for me!"

"... "

In the blink of an eye, ten Meow Cokes were snatched up. Those who got them marveled after drinking, while those who missed out urged Tom to refill faster!

Tom gazed at their astonished faces with contentment, heart swelling with pride. Those who had mocked him moments ago now clamored for another sip.

He glanced at the boy beside him, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

The boy, gifted and magical, possessed boundless potential and exceptional alchemical talent.

He resolved to inform his clueless niece of this remarkable young wizard.

Catch him early before Hogwarts snatched him away to dazzle other maidens!

Hannah observed the patrons enjoying their drinks with excitement and pleasure. This was a first for her at the Leaky Cauldron.

All this stemmed from the mysterious boy beside her, intriguing Hannah yet also making her feel inadequate.

"Want a drink?"

The boy's clear voice startled her.

Hannah turned to meet Aaron's deep blue eyes. Flustered, she turned away and nodded faintly.

"Oh no, is she this shy?" Aaron teased.

In the original stories, whether in movies or books, Hannah had too little presence. She blended into the background like a nondescript character.

But Aaron knew better—she hailed from the Abbott family, one of the twenty-eight Sacred Families.

Hermione had discovered an Abbott family tombstone in Godric's Hollow.

Known members included only Mrs. Abbott and Hannah Abbott.

"If you want it, put in the coin and operate the machine yourself."

Aaron gestured towards the Coke dispenser, explaining that in this world, self-service earned him creation points.

Yet as he said this, he sensed something was amiss.

Hannah nodded, intrigued to try this magical machine herself.

She stood up, her developing frame barely outlined beneath her loose uniform.

Recalling Aaron's instructions, she placed the coin and pressed the button.

To everyone's surprise... the machine didn't budge.

"?" Hannah's already confused mind spiraled deeper into confusion.

Someone behind her called out, "Hurry up!"

"Old Tom, it didn't break, did it?"

"It's unreliable, but the taste is amazing."

"Can you do it? Hannah, let the kid handle it!"

"Can he?"

The voices swirled around her, leaving Hannah momentarily disoriented. She realized she couldn't even manage this simple task.

Feeling unjustly slighted, tears welled up. But just then, a comforting voice—childlike yet reassuring—cut through the clamor.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault."

Aaron consoled Hannah, though he secretly found it amusing. Yet seeing her eyes well up, he regretted his jest.

"This machine can only be activated with the correct spell and technique."

He addressed everyone before lowering his voice to Tom:

"Uncle Tom, it's best to let guests operate the machine themselves. Otherwise, you'll exhaust yourself using spells one after another."

Tom nodded thoughtfully, not entirely comprehending but willing to heed advice.

Aaron leaned in close to Hannah's ear, whispering the spells and proper technique.

He avoided demonstrating in front of the crowd—too embarrassing.

Feeling his warm breath against her earlobe, Hannah blushed crimson. Yet as Aaron revealed the incantation and technique, a peculiar gleam lit up her jade-blue eyes.