The Evil Thoughts of Hogwarts and the Genie

Although Edmund returned the "English money" that the wand had stolen for him, losing the ability to buy his mother ice cream, Mrs. Soman still doted on him and was very attentive to his needs.

So the mother and son headed straight to Florin's Ice Cream Shop. Edmund, without restraint, ordered a three-scoop ice cream cone, happily munching on it while grumbling that the purple one was way too sweet.

"How much money did Father give us? 1000 Galleons? Listen, Mother, we must find a way to spend it all."

Before Mrs. Soman sat a small cup with ever-changing patterns, containing a small, abstractly shaped ice cream. Edmund thought it couldn't possibly taste good, but considering its high price, it was probably a fitting tribute to his mother.

"How are you going to spend 1000 Galleons here, Edward? Even if I ordered ten gold cauldrons for you, it wouldn't cost much."

"My mother said worriedly."

"If this is your excuse for wanting to eat more ice cream, then I have to tell you that's incredibly stupid."

Edmund scoffed; that was certainly not what he meant. His relationship with his father was far from good; he basically only saw his father as a bulging, jingling money bag. Therefore, he would never allow any money that could be squeezed out to flow back into his father's hands.

The good news is that Mrs. Soman also refused to help her husband save money. She was on her son's side.

The mother and son then engaged in a short crosstalk performance in German:

"I can buy you two more ice creams, but that's hardly spending any money."

"Oh God, Mother! I haven't lied to you about having something sweet since I was eight years old!"

"So you want a pet? This money should be enough to buy a pair of leopards, maybe even an albino one."

"What would I do with something like that? First of all, big cats aren't on Hogwarts' list of permitted pets. And Mother, I have absolutely no idea how to take care of animals. I'm only 11 years old; I can't even take care of myself!"

……

After a flurry of chatter, Mrs. Soman's pale face flushed red—she was furious with her son. She glared at Edmund with her blue eyes, grabbed her son, and stood up, determined not to discuss it with her unfilial son any longer, and to order him ten sets of everyday clothes first.

Edmund, alas, he had a great love for provoking others, especially for seeing his favorites get furious.

Seeing that his mother had put on a stern face, he became obedient and was carried to Madame Malkin's Robe Shop, where he stood on a footstool like a doll, arms outstretched.

Madame Malkin was a kind, short, plump witch. To Edmund's dismay, she could speak German.

Mrs. Soman's English was very poor, which was a somewhat sad and pitiful thing. Although she was born in England, she did not grow up here. And due to some subtle aversion, her mother did not like England... ah, yes, yes, she especially hated Hogwarts.

Over there, two fashionable witches were conspiring in German, the one paying and the one collecting the money chatting happily. Edmund was left standing there, trying on one piece of clothing after another.

Fortunately, a short while later, a small figure pushed open the shop door, diverting Mrs. Malkin's attention slightly.

Edmund glanced sideways and saw a red-haired girl dressed in Muggle clothing. At that moment, she was curiously observing the mannequins in the store, who were constantly changing poses, with her bright green eyes, surprised but not intimidated.

When the red-haired girl's gaze met that of the two witches in the shop, she smiled brightly, instantly winning over Mrs. Morgan's heart.

Mrs. Soman gave a strange shudder, and when the girl met Edmund's gaze, the curiosity in her green eyes intensified.

Without a doubt, she also realized that Edmund was most likely a Hogwarts freshman who had come to make purchases as well.

She quickly stood beside Edmund, opening her arms wide in a bewildered but intelligent manner, following the guidance of the magic ruler.

"Hey, hello!" The girl wasn't much shorter than Edmund. "My name is Lily Evans. Are you also a new student at Hogwarts?"

Edmund wasn't often spoken to, and he rarely saw people his own age. Subtly, he gave a polite, socially awkward smile and replied:

"Yes, that's right, Miss Evans. It seems we'll be classmates from now on."

Edmund subtly observed Lily Evans.

Like her mother, she had striking red hair. And Lily Evans's red hair was even deeper and redder than her mother's, which, combined with the girl's upturned lips and bright green eyes, made the child look almost like... well, like a little apple.

"Why won't you tell me your name?"

The girl frowned briefly, but then immediately smiled again, clearly not wanting to let Edmund's little blunder spoil her mood.

"Do you know the first-grade timetable? Ah, I mean, I've already received the textbooks on the reading list. Which of them are core subjects? I'm already obsessed with Standard Spells (Beginner)... Oh, sorry, which subject do you like?"

Edmund wore a polite, fake smile.

Actually, he prefers to lie down.

Ah, of course, if I had to say, Edmund would be quite happy to be engrossed in a particular book.

"I really like 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' and if you ask why:"

My father used to absolutely forbid Mr. Scamander's books from entering his estate. And I've heard that until recently Mr. Scamander was updating the book; I admire passionate scholars, and I appreciate Mr. Scamander very much.

Fortunately, Mrs. Soman couldn't understand such long and complex English sentences, otherwise she would have been embarrassed for her husband. The reason was simple: Mr. Soman, as Grindelwald's subordinate, had clashed with Dumbledore's protégé, Mr. Newman Scamander, several times.

Clearly, old Soman was not the one who had the upper hand.

Evans cast a curious glance at him, but Edmund was not prepared to explain the part about the manor. He gave his future classmate a forced smile and a formulaic response.

"And, my name is Edmund Soman. As far as I know, the Hogwarts schedule is only released to individuals after the Sorting Ceremony. There are no major or minor subjects in the first year."

Evans stared wide-eyed, as if hearing for the first time that freshmen were supposed to be sorted into houses. Before Edmund could lose his patience, Madam Malkin took over the conversation. She chatted warmly with Evans, pointing out the characteristics of each of the four houses with perfect impartiality.

Lions are brave and fearless; badgers are diligent and loyal; eagles are wise and eager to explore; snakes are clever and ambitious.

In fact, even based on Edmund's limited understanding of the current state of the British magical world, Madam Malkin's statement was far too conservative.

She spoke of Slytherin with remarkable nonchalance, as if afraid of frightening someone, or perhaps not wanting the Soman mother and son, who were clearly of pure-blood origin, to say anything even more unpleasant to this Muggle-born little witch.

"..."

After thanking him, Evans fell silent. Edmund felt that she was a lot like himself 20 minutes ago, when he was staring blankly at the twenty or thirty flavors in Florin's Ice Cream Shop, not knowing which one to choose.

This image amused him, probably because the other person had the same red hair as him. He couldn't help but blurt out again, in a cheeky tone:

"If you're confused by the fact that the first thing wizarding schools do when they admit new students is to categorize them, then I suggest you don't. Or rather, get used to it as soon as possible, Miss Evans."

Wizards are very nostalgic, especially English wizards. They love old things to death, and are even reluctant to abandon old rules established in the 15th century—what's that saying again? "Can't forget the glory of the past?" Aha.

Edmund chuckled.

"To be honest, instead of worrying about which house your traits are best suited for, you should consider which color suits you better. If you ask me, Gryffindor and Slytherin are both good choices; one complements your hair, and the other complements your eyes."

Lily Evans paused, taken aback, while Mrs. Malkin's expression turned somewhat awkward. Evans remained silent for a moment, but Edmund didn't seem embarrassed. The girl didn't need many custom-made clothes, which made her the one who could get off the stool first.

"Thank you for your kind reply, Mr. Soman."

Lily turned around and looked up, staring seriously at Edmund, who was still acting as a changing doll.

"I have indeed benefited a lot. However, I don't like having my hair and eye color commented on. And if my upcoming campus life is inseparable from the college, then the college definitely deserves to be taken more seriously."

She nodded and gave a polite smile.

"But thank you for your kindness anyway, Soman. See you when school starts!"