บท 143: Chapter 143: Preparing for the Summer Vacation
As dawn broke, the sun began its ascent over the eastern horizon, painting the sky with a faint orange-red hue. The majestic castle stood proudly, bathed in the early morning light.
The last day of the second school year had quietly arrived.
By nine o'clock in the morning, all the young witches and wizards would leave Hogwarts as planned.
For some, it would be a brief departure, while for others, it would be a farewell forever.
…
On the Hogwarts Express.
Inside a private compartment.
Hermione was quite happy because just before leaving school, Ino had agreed to her invitation to visit her during the last week of the summer holiday.
As for her previously arranged travel plans, they could go to hell. Although the vacation had just started, she couldn't wait for time to pass more quickly.
"Why does time pass so slowly? It would be great if tomorrow were the last week of the summer vacation!" Hermione mumbled absentmindedly. But these shocking words left the other three in the compartment stunned.
"What kind of curse or dark magic have you been under? It's not even the first full day of vacation, and you're already wishing for school to start?" Ron stared wide-eyed, utterly incredulous.
Harry and Ginny were equally baffled by the idea that someone could think the summer vacation was going by too slowly.
"I haven't been cursed; I just love studying! What's wrong with that? If I were you, I'd be thinking about how to explain all those P and A grades on your report card. Not a single E in any subject! At least Harry got one E," Hermione retorted without hesitation, never one to show Ron any mercy.
Harry felt a bit aggrieved. He was just here to watch the fun; did she have to bring him into it? A report card with only one 'Exceeds Expectations' wasn't exactly something to be proud of.
But at the same time, he felt relieved. Thankfully, Aunt Petunia never cared about his grades, and Uncle Vernon barely acknowledged him.
"I don't need to worry about explaining my grades! This summer, nobody has time to pay attention to that. We've got big plans!" Ron said nonchalantly, his words brimming with pride.
Though he stopped mid-sentence to keep them guessing, it successfully piqued Harry and Hermione's interest.
Harry looked curiously at Ginny.
"Ron's right. This summer, my mom probably won't have time to worry about him," Ginny said, her voice soft and sweet as she lowered her head slightly.
"Our family came into some money! We won the grand prize!" Ron announced triumphantly.
"Seven hundred Galleons! The Daily Prophet's grand prize! Although it will take some time to process everything, we've already planned a family trip to Egypt to visit Bill, who works there."
…
Hogsmeade.
Two weeks into the summer vacation.
Ino stood on the balcony of his small house, dressed in a light blue "ice silk" robe, leaning against the iron railing and quietly gazing at the afternoon scene in Hogsmeade.
Though bathed in the summer sunlight, he didn't feel the heat at all. There was even a faint refreshing coolness.
All of this was thanks to Lina's uniqueness. It seemed as if she was truly favored by fate. Not only did she look different from ordinary Acromantulas, but even her silk was a light blue ice silk.
Upon discovering this, he made a special trip to Diagon Alley, paying a Galleon in production fees to have Madam Malkin tailor a custom ice silk robe for him.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Lina, who was now hanging from the ceiling. Over the past two weeks, she had grown again and was now about the size of a bathtub.
Feeling his gaze, Lina shyly retreated, curling up in her web. "Don't look at me! I really can't spin anymore."
Sensing Lina's dejected mood, Ino smiled and reassured her, "I'm not asking for more silk. Besides, one robe is enough. I'll take you out to see the world in a bit."
He wasn't making empty promises. Somehow, he felt that the time to enter the magical world was approaching.
"Stay here and watch the house. I'm going out to buy some things, including some treats for you. When we go out, we won't go hungry."
With that, Ino headed downstairs to the fireplace.
…
Diagon Alley.
As the only commercial area in the British magical world, its bustling atmosphere far surpassed that of Hogsmeade.
Here, if you could imagine it, you could buy it. If you couldn't find it, you could always try Knockturn Alley.
At the Leaky Cauldron.
The green flames flared up as Ino stepped out of the fireplace. A familiar teasing voice greeted him.
"Oh, look! Our famous guest is back! What can I get you? It's on me!"
"A glass of freshly squeezed grass juice!" Ino replied with a smile, taking a seat at the bar. "You always offer, but don't let Hannah find out the bar's running at a loss."
"I'd rather she excelled in her studies and got a job at the Ministry than inherit the bar."
As he spoke, old Tom placed a glass of emerald-green liquid in front of him and sighed, "A single glass of grass juice isn't going to bankrupt the Abbott family."
"Alright, wealthy Tom, I underestimated you." Ino took a sip of the drink, the fresh taste of grass filling his senses.
"Prepare some more dragon meat for me, about five hundred Galleons' worth. I'll pay an extra ten percent as usual, but the quality must be guaranteed. If there's not enough dragon meat, other magical creature meat will do."
Old Tom didn't respond immediately. After a moment of thought, he spoke quietly:
"Dragon meat is indeed in short supply, but some Frenchmen smuggled in a batch of Graphorns. There's plenty of those. They must be desperate to sell, offering discounts, and no pre-orders are needed—it's all in stock."
…
Knockturn Alley.
Carrying his suitcase, Ino walked into a dark and secluded alley.
He made no effort to disguise himself. Thanks to the Daily Prophet's coverage, no one would dare to mess with him.
Even the dark wizards had brains and read the newspaper. Before acting, they would consider whether they could withstand the overwhelming flames.
As for the brainless dark wizards, they were probably studying at Azkaban.
Ignoring the hidden glances around him, Ino entered a three-story building that was old and without any signage.
Half an hour later.
When Ino came out again, he was enveloped in an inescapable aura of fresh blood.
He sighed in resignation. He hadn't expected that these Frenchmen were bold enough to smuggle live Graphorns.
To get his goods quickly, he had no choice but to help with the slaughter.
Walking down the street, he could still smell the strong scent of blood on himself. Returning to the Leaky Cauldron was out of the question. Reluctantly, he drew his wand.
Apparate!
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