In the magical world, rats were the cheapest of Hogwarts' approved pets, naturally appealing to many young witches.
Most students, however, opted for hamsters — which cost the same but had prettier fur, gentler temperaments, and more appealing looks — or chose black rats for their longevity, or white mice for their cleanliness.
Kyle had never seen a young witch who preferred ordinary field mice, especially one who, judging by her attire, clearly had means.
With eleven years in the magical world, he knew quality when he saw it. Though understated, her clothes featured exquisite fabric and refined craftsmanship, with that telltale sleeve pattern from Twilfitt and Tatting's.
That shop was far pricier than Madam Malkin's, with robes starting at twenty gold Galleons. Someone who shopped there could certainly afford better pets.
Clearly, she must genuinely like this rat. No wonder she sought him out.
Diagon Alley's rat tonic? That stuff was merely sugar water, like an energy drink — good for a quick boost, nothing more.
Though her taste was unusual, Kyle maintained his composure.
After all, the wizarding world had people who kept Acromantulas as pets. He'd seen one in Newt's case once — a sight so disturbing it could traumatize anyone with a single glance.
He'd been so revolted, he avoided Newt's case for a full year afterward.
By comparison, a young witch's fondness for field mice seemed perfectly reasonable.
Kyle quickly retrieved a thumb-sized bottle from his trunk and offered it, "This one's free. If it works well, come back, though I'll have to charge next time. One Sickle might seem steep, but it's worth every Knut."
"Th-thank you." The little girl called Kanna accepted the bottle hastily, but rather than leaving, she stood there, glancing between the bottle and him with obvious hesitation.
"What's wrong, not enough?" Kyle asked, assuming she found the amount insufficient, "I'm not being stingy — this is just to test its effectiveness. You only need two or three drops per dose. Though small, this bottle will last a month."
"No, no, that's not it." Kanna shook her head vigorously, then mumbled under the boys' watchful eyes, "I'm not saying it's not enough, I want the red one."
The red one?
Cedric now noticed that her rat tonic was murky orange-yellow, resembling mashed orange pudding, while the one Kyle had given Percy was crystal clear and red, free of impurities.
Though supposedly the same product, they looked entirely different — anyone could see the crystal-clear red version appeared superior to the murky orange-yellow.
Even for a free product, such deception seemed wrong.
Cedric's opinion of Kyle shifted instantly. Of course — a young merchant like this would surely end up in Azkaban.
Just then, Kanna seemed to think of something and frantically pulled out an elegant little purse.
"Um... I can buy it." She gave her purse a gentle shake, and gold Galleons clinked onto the table — thirty-three of them in total, plus a few Sickles.
The sight nearly made Cedric's eyes pop out.
He only got ten Galleons per term, and this was more than triple that, not even counting the loose change.
Was he jealous? Of course, but he could handle it. Given his personality, he didn't fret much about money as long as he had enough.
But the girl's next action left him completely stunned.
"Is this all I have left?" Kanna looked disappointed, biting her lip as she said softly, "It's okay, if it's not enough, I can get more from Gringotts. Any amount of Galleons is fine if it can make Porgy live longer."
There's... there's more??
Cedric's mouth twitched involuntarily, truly shocked by this display of casual wealth.
Just listen to that — any amount of Galleons... Coming from an adult wizard would be one thing, but from a first-year student?
Or was this simply normal for Slytherins?
Well, that's educational.
Meanwhile, Kyle had no interest in Cedric's thoughts as he looked at Kanna with hesitation, feeling a headache coming on.
He knew better than anyone that rat tonic was supposed to be orange-yellow. Percy's bottle contained special ingredients — a normal rat would probably drop dead on the spot if it drank it.
But he couldn't say that. From her expression, she seemed convinced he had a tonic that could extend a rat's life, having likely overheard Percy's conversation.
Unless he told the truth, there was no way to explain it clearly.
"Um... Kanna, it's like this." After some thought, Kyle said, "That special rat tonic is too strong to drink directly. Before using it, you need to use regular tonic to strengthen the rat's constitution first."
Stalling was his only option. If he admitted he didn't have it or couldn't brew it, what if she went to find Newt? That would cause big trouble.
Newt might be hard to find, but Dumbledore was right there at Hogwarts, and in the wizarding world, even three-year-olds knew how close those two were.
Since Kanna wore clothes from Twilfitt and Tatting's, she couldn't be Muggle-born. If she went to Dumbledore, she might actually get to meet Newt.
"Should have closed the door when Percy came..." Kyle rubbed his forehead, thinking wryly.
Fortunately, this wasn't too hard to resolve — he just needed to make a trip to Dorset during Hogwarts' break. He remembered Newt had once brewed tonic for Murtlaps, and these magical creatures had body structures very similar to field mice. The rats in pet shops all had some Murtlap blood, much like how cats were related to Kneazles.
With proper dilution, the tonic could be used directly — enough to make a normal rat live three to five years longer.
"I'll give Porgy the tonic regularly." Kanna said, nodding very seriously.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine." Kyle smiled and casually handed over a Chocolate Frog, "Have some chocolate, it'll help you feel better."
"No, no need, I can buy my own." Kanna glanced at the Chocolate Frog, then quickly looked away, her hands clutching the hem of her robes.
She looked just like a child receiving a New Year's gift — wanting it but feeling too shy.
"It's alright, take it." Kyle smiled, "Consider it a welcome gift — I hope we can be classmates."
"...Thank you." Hearing this, Kanna finally accepted the Chocolate Frog with a blushing face, though instead of eating it, she carefully put it away.
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