Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 280 The Only Liveliness Amidst the Desolation

"Have you bought it?"

As soon as Harry and his two friends stepped outside, they saw Hagrid's smiling face, but Harry wasn't as happy as Hagrid was.

"Have you seen Malfoy and his mother?" Harry asked, frowning.

"I saw them." Hagrid didn't seem to care. "They haven't been gone long... Don't worry, they won't dare to make a move in Diagon Alley."

Harry and Ron wanted to correct Hagrid's mistaken idea, but before they could speak, they saw Mrs. Weasley and the others rushing over, their arms full of books.

"Is everything alright? Have you bought all the clothes?" she said. "Okay, let's go to Fred and George's shop, and while we're at it, we'll stop by the pharmacy and the owl shop..."

After the OWLs results came out, Harry and Ron decided to drop out of Potions class, as their grades didn't allow them to continue. So at the apothecary, only Hermione and Ginny bought anything, while at the Owl Shop, they both bought several boxes of owlnuts.

After leaving the Owl Shop, they headed towards Fred and George's shop. It was actually their first time there, and it took them quite a bit of effort. Along the way, Mrs. Weasley kept glancing at her watch.

"We can't stay too long. Let's quickly check out the store and then get back to the car... Everyone, stay close!"

They walked along the road, the shops on both sides were all closed, dark and gloomy, the atmosphere indescribably oppressive. Just then, they saw the only bright and lively place in this dimness.

The large signboard kept changing colors, and various trinkets in the cabinets facing the street kept spinning and flashing, with fireworks popping up from time to time, making it extremely lively.

A large notice hung nearby, but it wasn't a wanted poster for the Death Eaters; it only had a dozen or so eye-catching characters:

Why are you worried about the mysterious person?

You should care

Constipation kernel——

Constipation is a tormenting problem for many Chinese people!

Harry and Ron burst out laughing, as did Ginny and Hermione. Only Mrs. Weasley's worry remained; she felt it was very inappropriate for the twins to be so conspicuous.

Ignoring Mrs. Weasley's incessant shaking of her head, Harry and Ron pushed open the door to Weasley's Joke Shop first. As soon as they entered, they couldn't help but cheer.

The place was packed with people, and the screams and cheers of children rang out from time to time; everyone looked excited. The shelves were filled with all sorts of trinkets: quick-fix candy for skipping school, nosebleed nougat, and various magic wands and quill pens. The boxes in the corner were piled up so high they were almost touching the ceiling, making one worry that they might topple over at any moment.

Suddenly, a child let out a piercing scream, and then, as if on cue, most of the children crowded around a corner. Harry tried to squeeze in, but couldn't, though he did manage to see the thing inside.

It shows a tiny figure struggling to climb toward a gallows. The transparent box outside reads: "Reusable Executioner - Hang him if he can't spell it out!"

Nearby, Hermione and Ginny were gathered around a box depicting a handsome young man and a beautiful girl standing together on the deck of a pirate ship, with a description beside it:

Patented product: Daydream Spell. With just one incantation, you can enter a high-quality, realistic 30-minute daydream. It is suitable for use in regular school classes, is easy to operate, and is absolutely undetectable (side effects include drooling and a blank expression).

"You can take one for free, Hermione." A voice sounded behind them, and Hermione and Ginny turned around to see Fred, dressed in a red robe, smiling at them.

Harry noticed Fred's arrival and gave him a tight hug.

"How are you, Fred?" Harry greeted him warmly.

"Look around, it's wonderful!" Fred said. "Come on, let me show you around..."

Harry followed Fred into the shop, weaving through the crowd and passing a stall that Harry recognized very well.

"Muggle magic," Fred said, casually picking up a few playing cards. "A steady, long-term business; there are plenty of people interested in it."

They walked a little further in, when George came over, shook hands warmly with Harry, and said, "Are you showing him around? Let's go to the back; that's where we make the big money!"

As he spoke, George walked further inside and lifted a curtain, revealing a dark room.

"This is a new product we've developed..." George said. "You wouldn't believe it, but so many people, some even working at the Ministry of Magic, can't even use a single Ironclad Charm."

"Yes, we originally thought the anti-curse hat was just a joke, one of those ridiculous hats that could deflect evil spells, but the Ministry of Magic bought five hundred from us! And now, we're still getting orders..."

"Furthermore, we have developed anti-curse cloaks and anti-curse gloves... While they are not very effective against the Unforgivable Curse and those terrible dark magics, they are perfectly fine for dealing with minor curses and evil spells."

Fred and George kept introducing Harry to their latest research, all of which was related to magical defense; clearly, this was now their cash cow.

"Take whatever you want without paying!" Fred said. "Don't forget, you sponsored our start-up capital... and Hermione too, she contributed a lot."

Without a word, they packed a bunch of things into a bag for Harry and shoved it into his arms. They didn't even give him a chance to pay, and just pushed him out to find Hermione and Ginny.

Seeing them still gathered around those daydream-inspired products, Fred couldn't help but chuckle, "Girls, you really should check out our special 'Wonder Witch' products..."

As she spoke, she led them to a shelf full of dazzling pink products. They didn't go in, as the area was already surrounded by witches.

"The highest grade of aphrodisiac, you can't find it anywhere else," Fred said.

"Will it work?" Ginny asked doubtfully.

"Of course it works! Up to twenty-four hours, depending on the boy's weight and the girl's attractiveness..."

"But we can't sell it to our lovely little sister..." George suddenly said, "especially since she's already entangled with five boys..."

"You've heard this nonsense from Ron, haven't you..." Ginny said calmly, pointing casually to the pile of furry little balls rolling around in the cage beside her. "What are those?"

“Dwarf Puff,” Fred replied. “Miniature Puff… So, Dean Thomas, Michael Corner, who’s your boyfriend?”

"Dean Thomas." Ginny stuck a finger into the cage, and it was immediately surrounded by a swarm of furry creatures. She exclaimed happily, "So cute!"

"Take one if you like, these things are really appealing." Fred said, pulling two pygmy cats out of the cage, one for Ginny and one for Hermione.

It's pink and cute when held in your hands.

(End of this chapter)