The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 24: Victims of the Past

really.

No matter where you are, some things have commonalities.

Since it's homework...

How could it possibly be accomplished easily?

Ian felt he would definitely become the least popular student at Hogwarts, while Hermione, one of the three main characters, was just a bunch of students his own age and grade.

But he.

They haven't enrolled in school yet.

Students are only eligible to take Hogwarts courses in their third year. These are elective courses, generally offered only to high-achieving students who are already quite capable of handling their studies.

King of Scrolls.

That's probably all there is to it.

"Sigh, the capable should learn more. Who gave me such a smart brain?" Ian carefully put away the pieces of the dress, turned off the glow, and climbed back into bed.

I had many dreams throughout the night.

The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, Ian quickly got up, packed his things, and rushed to the bookstore in Hogsmeade Village—many people may not know that there is a bookstore there.

even.

Most young wizards who attend Hogwarts may not realize this until they graduate. There is an inconspicuous secondhand bookstore behind the Quill Shop in Hogsmeade Village.

This bookstore, though so shabby it didn't even have a sign, received a large number of unsold textbooks and various stockpiled old books from Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley every year, and then resold them to students who strolled around the village on weekends. Of course, very few of the young wizards who came to Hogsmeade Village thought of browsing the bookstore.

After all, most people come here simply to relax, but even so, that doesn't stop the bookstore from existing. Heaven knows how the bookstore owner makes a living!

"Hello, do you have any learning materials about runes here?"

Ian had been living in Hogsmeade for about a week, and this was his first time visiting the bookstore. As soon as he entered, he saw an old man lying in an old-fashioned rocking chair.

The old man had a ruddy complexion and gray hair, sparse and silvery like pine branches covered by the first snow of winter. He wore a pair of slightly old-fashioned round-framed glasses on his nose.

It exudes a scholarly air.

"Are you that little wizard who recently moved to the village?"

The bookstore owner seemed to have heard about Ian; it was indeed quite rare for an unenrolled young wizard to temporarily stay in Hogsmeade before the start of the school year.

"Yes, sir."

Ian maintained his usual politeness.

"It's a bit too early for a young wizard like you to be exposed to runes." The bookstore owner remained reclining in his rocking chair, making no move.

"I'm just very interested in this area and want to learn some things in advance... Well, I think I'll definitely become a great scholar of ancient runes in the future."

Taking advantage of his young age, Ian adopted an attitude full of hope and dreams.

"That's right, lofty ideals."

The bookstore owner took another look at Ian.

Finally, he sat up.

"But ideals and reality are ultimately different, and most young wizards struggle with basic courses." Although he was muttering to himself, the bookstore owner still went inside to look for books for Ian.

His movements were somewhat slow, and his body swayed slightly. However, although his actions appeared somewhat weak, his complexion showed no signs of old age.

It's a very awkward situation.

"You said it yourself, that's only the majority, isn't there still a small portion?"

When Ian smiles, his teeth are straight and white.

"Um?"

The bookstore owner turned and glanced at Ian again.

"Young and handsome, self-important... and perhaps with some talent, it seems you'll become a Slytherin," the bookstore owner commented.

immediately.

I started browsing through the bookstore.

"Let me look carefully. I've only been in charge of this shop for three months. The previous owner wasn't a very good manager, and well, I'm probably the same way."

The bookstore owner made a self-deprecating joke.

"I'm not in a hurry, sir."

Ian waited quietly.

He had become accustomed to disguising himself as a "good boy".

"Found it, it's here."

The bookstore owner was already panting heavily after just a few light movements, and he wondered if he had suffered some kind of physical injury when he was young that might have affected his bodily functions.

As he spoke.

He picked out three books from the large number of books that were not placed on the bookshelves but were just piled up on the floor of the shop, and handed them to Ian with slightly trembling hands.

Ian noticed a lifelike tattoo on the inside of the bookstore owner's arm—the Golden Snitch. As someone with a Chinese soul, Ian was indeed easily drawn to tattoos.

"It's so beautiful."

Ian noticed the bookstore owner staring at him, and he quickly tried to make amends for his rudeness.

"Yes, it used to be very beautiful."

The bookstore owner's answer was somewhat puzzling, but Ian noticed that the owner's eyes were a little dim, so he didn't press further about the story behind the tattoo.

I think so.

It's not some melodramatic love story.

Is it a deeply unforgettable bromance?

Things in England.

It's hard to explain, really hard to explain.

"How much is it in total?"

Ian didn't have the habit of gossiping about strangers' past, so he naturally changed the subject.

"Six Galleons."

The bookstore owner lay back down in his rocking chair.

"Wow, that's so expensive!"

Ian gasped in shock.

"This is already the price of a used book. If you go to Diagon Alley to buy a new book, the price will be double. It will be an elective course not just because it is difficult to learn."

The bookstore owner seemed to be implying something.

"..."

Ian finally began to understand why every era has seen the emergence of academic cliques that monopolize knowledge; indeed, the profits from selling knowledge are beyond imagination.

"Okay, thank you."

Ian didn't suspect that the other party was overcharging or cheating him. Anyway, it wouldn't make a difference. He couldn't go to Diagon Alley himself, so why bother to maliciously speculate about others and make himself miserable?

Ian carefully counted out six Galleons from his pocket, which had become much drier, and placed them on the counter that the bookstore owner was pointing to.

"If you decide to give up studying, my buyback price is three Galleons," the bookstore owner said with a smile, as if he was certain that Ian would choose to give up.

"I don't think that will happen."

Ian smiled politely.

He picked up three books and left.

In a quiet bookstore.

Only the elderly bookstore owner remained, and the place fell into silence once again.

After a long while.

Whether it was because Ian's words had touched him or not, the bookstore owner lay on the rocking chair and sighed softly, raising his slightly withered arm and stroking it a few times with his other hand.

The Golden Snitch's tattoo.

Under the sunlight.

It was as if it had taken him back to a memory of swearing loyalty to the death.