EFB Chapter 131 Gift
Chapter 131 Gift
Chapter 131 Gift
Upon hearing that Lynch was a professor at Hogwarts, the Weasleys became noticeably more enthusiastic.
Four of their children attend Hogwarts, and their youngest daughter will be starting this year. Building good relationships with the school's professors is definitely the right thing to do.
The children's attention was focused on the second half of Lynch's sentence.
Ron and Hermione stared wide-eyed at Lynch, then fixed their gazes on Harry, their eyes filled with undisguised confusion—when did Professor Lynch become your uncle?!
Harry scratched his head, inwardly cursing.
At the end of last school year, after learning about her relationship with Professor Lynch in the school infirmary, she didn't tell Ron and Hermione because she had a vague uncertainty in her heart that Professor Lynch had only explained their relationship after almost a year of seeing her.
Now, I've dug a small hole for myself.
I'll tell you the details later.
Harry glanced quickly at Lynch and whispered to Ron and Hermione.
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance and, trusting their friend, nodded in unison.
Lynch was talking to the Weasleys and didn't notice the children's actions.
"So you're here today to buy school supplies for the children," Lynch continued. "You haven't started shopping yet, have you?"
"Yes, we just arrived." Mr. Weasley nodded.
The family had just emerged from the Floo Net when they discovered Harry was missing. They guessed he might have gone to the wrong fireplace and began searching the neighborhood.
Before they could even find Harry, they ran into the annoying Lucius Malfoy.
Because of the Ministry of Magic's recent search of the pure-blood family manor, Lucius made sarcastic remarks to Mr. Weasley, and mocked Ginny's worn-out cauldron and textbooks—which Mrs. Weasley had bought at the nearby thrift store before Harry arrived.
Seeing his beloved youngest daughter's aggrieved and red face, Mr. Weasley was blinded by rage and pounced on Lucius, getting into a fight.
Next came Lynch and Harry's arrival, so it's not wrong to say they hadn't started shopping yet.
Lynch turned to the side, revealing the top of the white stone tower on the distant street:
"Then I recommend the 'Student Discount Package' offered by the Shita Chamber of Commerce. There are seven different packages depending on the grade level, containing almost everything a student needs. Now that it's before the start of the school year, you can enjoy a 20% discount when you buy it."
The Weasleys exchanged a glance and gave each other awkward, shy smiles.
They were certainly aware of the Shita Chamber of Commerce's "Student Discount Package," as this wasn't the first year it had been offered.
But this gift package was never on the Weasley family's shopping list. There was no other reason than that even discounted items were still much more expensive than secondhand goods.
Mr. Weasley spoke up: "Well... actually... we'd like to check out the shops over there; they usually have some unexpected gems."
He pointed to the street behind him, and Mrs. Weasley, with her arm around his, smiled and nodded, as if she completely agreed with her husband's words.
Lynch glanced in the direction Mr. Weasley was pointing—that was Diagon Alley, a hub for secondhand goods and thrift stores.
Looking at the unnatural expressions on the faces of the couple in front of me, I understood why they were politely declining.
His smile softened further: "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, this is our first meeting. I've come to deliver a gift."
Consider it a small gift.
"Besides being a professor at Hogwarts, I'm also a shareholder of the Stone Tower Merchant Guild. Therefore, I've decided that anything you purchase from the guild today will be at an internal discount of 17%!"
Everyone present was taken aback by Lin Qi's words.
"Mom!" The youngest, Ginny, couldn't help but hug Mrs. Weasley's arm. As a teenage girl, loving beauty was in her nature.
Because of her clear understanding of her family's circumstances and her consideration for her parents, she was willing to use worn-out second-hand items to go to school.
But if possible, she would still like to study at Hogwarts with brand-new school supplies—Ron often complained at home about the silent discrimination he suffered because of second-hand items.
Mrs. Weasley gently patted her youngest daughter's hand.
Mr. Weasley then began to refuse: "We are very grateful..."
But before he could finish speaking, Lynch interrupted him: "I'm sorry, but I have to interrupt you, Mr. Weasley."
"Your son Ron is Harry's best friend. Harry has been staying at your house for the past week or so, and he's been very kind to you."
"As Harry's uncle, it is my duty and obligation to express my gratitude to you."
"Please allow me to express my gratitude."
Lynch paused, then pointed to Ginny, who was clinging to Mrs. Weasley's arm, and continued, "Besides the four children already attending Hogwarts, your youngest daughter is also of school age, isn't she?"
"Excuse my bluntness, but boys can make do. However, girls at this age may be more sensitive. Brand new items might make them more confident and happier when they start school."
"Sometimes...the problems between children are very serious."
Lynch's words struck a chord with Ginny, and she instinctively tightened her grip on Mrs. Weasley's arm.
The Weasleys' attention, however, was drawn to Lynch's last words, and they exchanged another glance.
Mr. Weasley’s gaze fell on his daughter, who was clinging to his wife’s arm and looking at him with hopeful eyes.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Well... thank you for Professor Lynch's generous gift."
Lin Qi smiled warmly and kindly: "It's just a small token of my appreciation."
Having said that, he turned to Hermione, who was standing next to Harry, and said, "Miss Granger receives the same treatment. Did you come alone today?"
"Oh no!" Hermione exclaimed. "My parents! They're still exchanging currency at Gringotts! I promised to go back to them as soon as I found Harry!"
"Then let's go to Gringotts to pick up Miss Granger's parents first," Lynch said.
The Weasleys naturally agreed.
So the group first went to Gringotts to pick up Dr. Granger and his wife, who had been forgotten for a while, and then headed towards the Stone Tower Merchant Guild.
On the way, the Grangers became curious about Lynch, who looked more like a Muggle elite lawyer than a wizard, and kept talking to him.
Mr. Weasley walked alongside, occasionally striking up conversations with the Grangers, asking them strange questions about Muggles, such as how sockets and switches work. It was clear he was quite interested in Muggle life.
Weasley walked behind, holding his youngest daughter's hand.
Percy followed beside her, while George and Fred discussed whether they should buy some difficult-to-pull fireworks later.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked at the very back, with Ron describing Lucius Malfoy's mean face to Harry.
When they entered the Shita Chamber of Commerce, they saw the crowd gathered on the first floor and the banners hanging there.
Mrs. Weasley exclaimed with delight, "Merlin's Beard! Gilderoy Lockhart is having a book signing here!"