In the Magic Realm, rats, being the cheapest designated pet at Hogwarts, naturally have a broad audience, and this includes many little witches.
However, most of them tend to choose hamsters that are priced the same but have pretty fur, gentle personalities, and a cute appearance. Then there's the longer-living black rat and the cleaner-looking white mice.
It's the first time Kael has seen a little witch who likes this kind of common field mouse, and from her attire, she doesn't seem like a wizard in need of money.
Having spent eleven years in the magic realm, Kael has gained some insight.
Though the girl's clothes weren't that luxurious, the fabric was extremely exquisite, and the craftsmanship was very delicate. Plus, the iconic pattern on the cuffs suggested they were from Twilfitt and Tattings.
That place is much more expensive than Madam Malkin's, with starting prices at twenty Galleons.
Someone who can afford to shop there surely could buy a better pet.
It seems the girl genuinely likes this rat.
No wonder she came to find me.
The rat potion in Diagon Alley? That stuff is just sugar water, akin to an energy drink — good for a perk-up, but don't expect much else.
Although her taste was indeed unique, Kael wasn't overly surprised, and his expression didn't change.
Don't forget, the Magic Realm even has people who like Eight-eyed Giant Spiders.
He had seen one in Newt's suitcase, and how should I put it, its appearance basically challenges the worldview of normal humans, the kind that would become a childhood nightmare at a glance.
Anyway, Kael was so disgusted that he didn't step into Newt's suitcase for a whole year afterward.
Compared to that, a little witch liking a field mouse is perfectly normal.
...
Soon, Kael took a thumb-sized bottle from his suitcase and handed it over. "I'll give you this bottle. If you feel it's effective, come back for more, but it'll cost you then. The price might be a little high, one Sickle, but it's very good value for money."
"Th-thank you."
The little girl named Conna hurriedly reached out to take the bottle, but instead of leaving, she continued to stand there, glancing at the bottle in her hand, then at Kael, with a conflicted look on her face.
"What's the matter, do you think it's not enough?"
Kael thought she was dissatisfied with the amount and explained, "It's not that I'm stingy, it's mainly to try out the effect first. A rat potion doesn't require much, two or three drops at a time are enough. Although this bottle isn't much, it should be sufficient for a month."
"No, it's not that, I didn't mean that."
Hearing Kael's words, Conna shook her head repeatedly, then muttered softly under the gazes of Kael and Cedric, "It's not that it's too little, I wanted the red one."
Red?
Only then did Cedric notice that the rat potion in Conna's hand was a murky orange-yellow, somewhat like crushed orange pudding.
But the one Kael had given to Percy was a pure, crystal-clear red.
Obviously, it's the same thing, but they look so different. Anyone can tell that the crystal-clear red is much better than this murky orange-yellow.
Even if it's free, you can't fool people like this.
For a moment, Cedric's eyes changed as he looked at Kael.
Sure enough, Kael this swindler would end up in Azkaban.
At that moment, Conna seemed to think of something, and she frantically pulled out a delicate little purse.
"Um... I can buy it."
Conna shook the purse lightly, and a pile of Galleons tumbled out onto the table with a clink.
A total of thirty-three Galleons, plus a few Sickles.
This sight made Cedric's eyes nearly pop out.
He only had ten Galleons for a semester. Thirty-three Galleons, even taking off the odd coins, is still three times that.
Was he envious? Of course, but Cedric could manage. Given his personality, he didn't care much about the number of Galleons as long as they were enough.
But Conna's next action broke his guard completely.
"Is this all I have left?" Conna looked somewhat disappointed, biting her lip as she said softly, "It's alright, if it's not enough, I can still withdraw some from Gringotts. As long as it can prolong Poke's life, no amount of Galleons would be too much."
There's more??
Cedric's mouth twitched twice uncontrollably; at this moment, he was genuinely shocked by this outrageous statement.
Listen, no amount of Galleons would be too much...
If it were an adult wizard, it would be fine, but for a first-year freshman to say this, isn't it going too far?
Or is this just everyday life in Slytherin?
It was eye-opening.
On the other side, Kael had no time to care about Cedric's thoughts. He looked at Conna, hesitating to speak, feeling a headache coming on.
A person knows their own business best; rat potions are supposed to be that murky orange-yellow.
As for the bottle Percy had, that had additives, and an ordinary rat probably couldn't handle it at all.
But the problem was he couldn't say that, and by the looks of it, Conna seemed convinced that he had a life-prolonging potion for rats, likely having heard every word Percy said.
In this situation, unless he told the truth, Kael couldn't explain it to anyone now.
"Um... Conna, here's the thing."
Kael thought for a moment and said, "That special rat potion is too strong to be drunk directly. Before that, you must first use the regular potion to enhance the rat's physique."
Delay, just delay.
This was the only solution Kael could think of.
If he said there was none or that he couldn't brew it himself, what if she turned to Newt? That would be a lot of trouble.
Newt was hard to find, but Dumbledore was right there at Hogwarts. In the magic realm, even three-year-old kids knew how close their relationship was.
Given that Conna was wearing Twilfitt attire, she clearly couldn't be Muggle-born. If she went to find Dumbledore, she might really meet Newt.
"I should have shut the door when Percy came." Kael rubbed his forehead, smiling bitterly in his heart.
Luckily, this wasn't hard to resolve; all he needed to do was make a trip to Dorset when Hogwarts was on vacation.
He recalled that Newt had brewed Murtlap potions before, and this fantastic beast's body structure closely resembled that of a field mouse. Most rats in pet stores carried a bit of Murtlap blood.
It's like cats and Kneazles.
So, when the time comes, a bit of dilution would make it usable, and at least keeping an ordinary rat alive for another three or five years wouldn't be a problem.
"I will regularly give Poke the potion."
Conna wasn't suspicious at all and nodded seriously.
"Don't worry, it'll definitely be fine." Kael smiled and, as a gesture, handed over a Chocolate Frog: "Have some chocolate; it'll relax you."
"No, no need, I can buy it myself."
Conna glanced at the Chocolate Frog and quickly looked away, her hands pinching the hem of her robe. That look resembled a child receiving lucky money during New Year's, wanting it but too shy to take it.
"No issue, take it," Kael said with a smile. "Consider it a welcoming gift; I hope we become classmates."
"...Thank you."
Hearing Kael's words, Conna finally blushed and took the Chocolate Frog, though she didn't eat it but carefully put it away.