Chương 59: Chapter 59: The Daily Life at the Three Broomsticks
Over a hundred owls, neatly lined up, presented a cute and amusing picture. Ino couldn't help but take a few more glances.
After pausing for a moment, he headed straight to the counter.
"Excuse me! Ma'am, I'd like to rent an owl to send a package."
Behind the counter was the only witch in the entire post office, a gaunt middle-aged witch.
"Find a suitable one yourself. Packages within England cost 5 Knuts each, letters cost 2 Knuts. We are not responsible for any lost items."
Although she was responding, the witch never lifted her head, as if the book "Breaking Up with Ghosts" in her hands was more important than the entire post office.
Listening to her impatient tone was a stark contrast to the friendly shopkeepers in Hogsmeade.
It was understandable though. After all, the nature of their businesses was different.
The former were private shops, while the latter was a Ministry of Magic official organization, so there was a significant difference in service attitude.
"Five packages within England!"
He slapped a Sickle on the counter and turned to choose his desired owls.
Amidst a chorus of hoots, he selected five sturdy owls to act as his messengers this time.
After packaging and binding the parcels, he felt a slight tug on the right sleeve of his robe.
Ino lowered his head and saw a tuft of grayish-white fluffy feathers.
A round head with a pair of cute eyes occasionally glanced at his fingers, like a child waiting for a parent to hand out candy.
Seeing this, without thinking, he picked up the round little owl and quickly walked toward the counter.
"Excuse me! Ma'am, I'd like to buy this owl."
It should be mentioned that the Owl Post Office also sells owls to the public as an additional service.
It's somewhat akin to selling phones at a public telephone booth.
On the other side, upon hearing the inquiry about the price of the owl, the middle-aged witch behind the counter finally put down her novel.
Her previously indifferent face, covered in freckles, now beamed with enthusiasm.
"A Tengmalm's Owl, they're very clever. You don't even need to feed it, as it can hunt small rodents like voles and mice on its own. Plus, it's very loyal to its owner, and most importantly, it has no obvious flying weaknesses."
"The price is 27 Galleons and 11 Sickles! It comes with two bags of standard owl food. If you add 5 Sickles, you can choose either a cage or an owl perch."
...
Leaving the Owl Post Office, Ino gently teased the owl on his shoulder with his fingers.
"I'll call you Little Guy. I once fed another Little Guy, but it eventually got lost."
The response was the owl's cold beak brushing against his cheek.
One must admit, owls with official posts at the post office indeed had high emotional intelligence.
What started as a simple package delivery ended with him unexpectedly bringing home an owl, but he had no regrets. Sometimes, you just can't explain why you're drawn to something.
After confirming he hadn't forgotten anything, Ino turned and headed toward the Three Broomsticks.
He had completed all his planned tasks for the morning.
He didn't plan to wander around during the next two weeks of his holiday. Instead, he would stay in his room, reading and preparing for becoming an Animagus.
...
The return journey was always easy.
He returned to the Three Broomsticks without incident, only to be teased by Madam Rosmerta as he entered.
"I didn't expect you to be a wealthy young man. You went out this morning and came back with an owl. It seems your pocket money exceeds my expectations. Perhaps I should consider raising your room rent."
Before Ino could reply, the little guy on his shoulder seemed to understand someone was talking about owls and lifted a claw to wave in the air, as if greeting a friend.
"Haha, ma'am, your plan is doomed to fail. This little guy is the result of saving my pocket money for five years. On the way back, I was even considering whether to find a different way to pay for the room rent."
Ino laughed and deftly changed the topic, for it's never wise to reveal one's wealth.
From his observations and understanding of the wizarding world's prices, dozens of Galleons might be a huge fortune in some people's eyes.
"Sly kids aren't cute at all." Madam Rosmerta pouted.
With over ten years of experience running a pub, she understood the implication behind Ino's words, so she went along with it and asked:
"Then let me hear how you plan to pay the rent. If you don't have money, I'll kick you out, child or not."
"Rest assured, you might end up paying me instead. Give me two minutes." With that, Ino headed upstairs with his owl.
...
A few minutes later.
Ino reappeared in the pub's main hall with his accordion.
His outfit also attracted a lot of attention. Though the Three Broomsticks didn't usually have many customers at noon, it was different now, as many wizards had flocked to Hogsmeade for the Christmas holidays, including some foreign tourists with peculiar accents.
With Madam Rosmerta's approval, Ino pulled a chair and sat in an open area to the right of the bar.
This small space, probably a pathway to the kitchen for Madam Rosmerta, was now being utilized by him.
A gentle and melancholic tune began to play:
"Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme..."
In the medieval-like magical village of Hogsmeade, Ino chose to sing the most fitting song for the environment—"Scarborough Fair."
As the song began, the hall of the Three Broomsticks gradually quieted down.
The ethereal and haunting voice reached deep into people's hearts, combined with the hoarse tone of the accordion, evoking an inescapable sadness in those who heard it.
After a moment, as the last note faded, the entire pub fell into an eerie silence.
After a long while, it was Madam Rosmerta who first broke the silence.
"That's a song that touches the soul! Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme seem to symbolize the protagonist's sweet love, strength, loyalty, and courage."
"I suppose there's a sad love story behind this song, isn't there?"
With Madam Rosmerta's question, Ino noticed that others in the room also had curious and inquisitive expressions.
"Of course! Your wisdom is impressive. There's indeed a poignant love story behind this song."
First capturing the audience's attention with his voice, then slowly narrating the story, was a typical bard's technique.
"This is about a lonely pirate with no relatives who, before being sent to the gallows, was allowed a final request by the executioner. He sang this song to passersby."
"He yearned for someone to go to Scarborough Fair to find his beloved girl and tell her that he was about to die."
Looking around, feeling that the atmosphere was just right, Ino began to tell the story of Scarborough Fair.
"This story took place hundreds of years ago in the Middle Ages and was later recorded and sung by bards..."
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