Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
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Kyle wasn't one to waste time. Once he had an idea, he sent Kanna back to the dorms while he immediately headed to Gryffindor Tower.
Unfortunately, upon arrival, he discovered Percy wasn't in the dorms, and after asking around, no one knew where he'd gone.
So, the matter was put on hold for the time being.
Scabbers, you know, wasn't that lucky.
When Kyle returned to the Hufflepuff common room, Kanna was curled up on a sofa in the far corner, clutching her rat, nervously gazing at the windowsill across from her.
There, a massive owl glared menacingly at her... The rat in its hand smacked its lips from time to time.
Laton had never seen such a fat rat before, with its glossy fur and plump body. To an owl, it was considered a truly premium edible item, and it was a bit greedy.
Of course, it knew the rat was the little witch's pet and couldn't be eaten, so it was just for the eye.
But Kanna had no idea what it was thinking. When Kyle arrived, the little witch was clutching the hem of her clothes, her face pale and pale, with sweat stains visible on her forehead.
Honestly, she hadn't been this nervous since she discovered her Galleons were missing. It wasn't until Kyle distracted Laton with a piece of Mothra rat jerky that Kanna's face regained some color.
Kyle walked over, spreading his hands. "I can't find Percy. He's not in Gryffindor Tower."
"Yeah."
Kanna didn't think too much about it. She thought all the other rats were ugly, and Pochi wouldn't like them, otherwise he wouldn't have kept playing with hamsters.
It was mainly because Kyle ran so fast, not giving her a chance to refuse.
Now this outcome couldn't be better.
Kanna walked Pochi back to the dormitory and left feeling much more relaxed. She even bared her teeth at Laton in revenge.
Laton fluttered his wings and flew out the window. Before leaving, he glanced back at her, as if she were a moron.
This infuriated the young witch.
"Why are you mad at it?" Kyle shook his head with amusement, then took out ten Galleons and placed them on the table.
"I don't want any!"
Before Kyle could reply, Kanna shook her head firmly. "Thanks for your kindness, but I really don't need any."
"But it's still a long time before Christmas," Kyle frowned. "Even if you don't have to worry about food, what about parchment and ink? Those cost Galleons. You can't just not buy them, right?
Or did you bring enough before school started?"
At Hogwarts, parchment and ink go through quickly. The amount required in the acceptance letter wasn't enough; it would be gone in a month at most.
Therefore, young wizards would usually ask the prefects to bring some back when they went to Hogsmeade.
While it wasn't expensive, just a few Sickles would do, it still cost money, and no one would give you pennies.
"I..." Kanna fell silent. Apparently, Kyle's words reminded her that even at Hogwarts, Knuts was needed.
Even so, she shook her head and said, "I'll find a way."
Kyle tried to persuade her several times, using facts and reason, but Kanna was surprisingly stubborn on this point. She refused everything except the rat tonic.
She even rejected the parchment Kyle gave her.
"You're really nice to that rat."
Kyle rubbed his forehead and suddenly asked, "By the way, do you know any of the new Slytherin students?"
Kanna thought for a moment and said, "I think so. I ran into Rowle and Yaxley at a party a few years ago. They were both in Slytherin, also first-years.
But I don't know if they still remember me, because I haven't been to a party like that in a while."
"It doesn't matter. Just an impression is enough." Kyle pondered for a moment before saying, "Kanna, do you want to earn your own Galleons?"
"Earn... earn Galleons?" Kanna seemed still to react.
"Yes, earn your own Galleons, like the adults do."
Kyle tapped his fingers on the table. "I have a plan at Hogwarts. It might be a little difficult for you, but the profit is very high. Once you succeed, you won't have to worry about parchment and other things, and you can even buy a lot of snacks.
What do you think? Want to give it a try?"
Kanna said nothing, but it was obvious that she was tempted.
She had previously considered doing homework for others in exchange for parchment and ink, but she felt guilty about doing that and was afraid of being discovered by the professor.
Now Kyle said there was another way, and she wanted to try it.
Kyle didn't keep her in suspense, continuing, "Remember the map Cedric gave you yesterday?"
Kanna nodded, "Yes, I do."
After flying class yesterday, second-year Cedric had given each of them a map of Hogwarts. She still remembered it vividly.
She'd also heard that Ravenclaw had similar maps, but they paid for them.
"This is it," Kyle slammed the gold-rimmed map Cedric had left him on the table and said, "It's the Slytherin version, but we're currently lacking a middleman to sell it to them.
Why don't you give it a try? Five Galleons each, and we'll split the profits fifty-fifty."
"Five Galleons?!" Kanna looked at Kyle in disbelief, the same look she had given Rodon earlier.
How could these maps be worth three Galleons? They were too expensive. How could anyone possibly buy them?
"The Ravenclaw ones are only a dozen Sickles," Kanna whispered.
"This is a limited edition with gold edges, which is different from those ordinary ones." Kyle raised his eyebrows and said, "We used the best materials and craftsmanship, and made it entirely by hand. It took us three full days to make ten of them, not one more.
Think about it, among the hundreds of people in Hogwarts, only ten people can own this limited edition map. It is a symbol of identity and status. Isn't it worth five Galleons?"
"..."
Kanna felt a little dizzy, but after listening to what Kyle said, it seemed that the five Galleons were really worth it.
She thought for a moment and said, "But school has been in session for three days now, and all the classes have been taken. Can this map really be sold?"
"Don't worry about that," Kyle said calmly.
"Hogwarts doesn't just have classrooms. There's also a library, a school hospital, professors' offices, and other places. first-years don't know where these places are.
And don't forget that the stairs in the main building will also move. Who knows where they will move to the next day? What if it's a road you haven't walked on?
Waiting there is definitely not an option; it's a waste of time, but walking there is easy to get lost. No matter which choice you make, you'll be late.
This is when the importance of a map is reflected, especially a map that marks the changing patterns of most of the stairs.
So don't worry, someone will definitely buy it."
[End of the chapter]