On their return to London from Sheffield, Tom and Hermione were packing their luggage to take with them to Egypt.
When Tom opened his suitcase, out rolled a tiara wrapped in a burnt newspaper.
"What's this?" a sharp-eyed Hermione spotted it at once.
"It's...," Tom said with some excitement, as if the great battle had taken place yesterday. He realized that he hadn't told Hermione much about the battle that day, nor the story of the tiara. So Tom sat down on the floor, patted the floor and indicated for Hermione to sit next to him, and then told Hermione a story about the Ravenclaw tiara.
Hermione sat to the side, rested her face in her hands, and acted as a silent listener.
When he finished, Tom handed the tiara to Hermione.
"So this is the Ravenclaw tiara?" Hermione looked intently at the Ravenclaw treasure.
"It is said that after wearing it, you can gain knowledge and make people smarter, but the reality is far from the legend's effect," Tom held out his hands and told her what happened after he tried to wear the tiara earlier: "It feels like a hundred ducks are screaming in your ears, you can wear it and feel it."
Hermione looked at the tiara in her hands with a vague sense of anticipation: it was the legacy of Hogwarts' founder, Lady Ravenclaw, a priceless treasure that had been passed down for thousands of years! Her hands shook slightly at the thought.
"So... I'm going to wear it?" Hermione looked at Tom and, after receiving a supportive look from him, took a deep breath and placed the tiara on her head.
Tom counted silently, he predicted that Hermione would last about 8 to 10 seconds, but almost half a minute had passed and Hermione was still unfazed, which surprised Tom.
He really didn't think Hermione would be able to resist, and from the look on her face, she seemed to be enjoying herself....
Just when Tom couldn't resist giving Hermione a shake, she opened her eyes and smiled, "This headband, it's super! I feel like I think a lot clearer with the tiara on, and I have someone whispering basic knowledge to me."
Tom: ???
That's not the right version!
He motioned for Hermione to give him the headband and he put it on, and the moment it made contact with his hair, the noise hit his eardrums like a wave, causing him to take it off.
Tom: っ?Д?)っ
Hermione was also confused, she had just seen the pain on Tom's face and found it quite unbelievable.
"Maybe... we both trigger different effects when we wear the headband?" she could only speculate.
Tom scratched his head, which was a bit surprising actually. Still, it seemed good that Hermione could wear the Ravenclaw tiara... after all, if she kept it, it was a nice historical ornament, and if Hermione could wear it, she could profit from the knowledge it contained.
Realizing this, Hermione gladly accepted the tiara and promised that she would teach Tom the same as she did, and make up for it every week.
"If you don't learn, I'll beat the palm of your hand!". Hermione threatened Tom with a ruler she had pulled from somewhere.
Tom held up his hands in surrender.
"I also have a feeling that if I wear the tiara long enough and study, something else will happen..."
With that, Hermione put the headband back on her head and, instead of gathering her things, opened a book and read it. Since Hermione wasn't packing, the burden naturally fell to Tom.
They didn't need to prepare much, desert exploration is a very specialized activity, and the equipment Tom and the others bought themselves, without the use of magic, was probably not of good quality... sometimes, with a little knowledge, things could go very wrong.
For example, can you trust an invention called an insulation blanket, which weighs only a few tens of grams, fits in a matchbox, is waterproof, reusable, and has excellent insulation to combat the cold?
No. The blanket is made of aluminum foil, which reflects the heat emitted by the body to keep it warm, but it is so fragile that, in windy weather, the blanket can be ripped to shreds just by taking it out of the box.
So all Tom needed was a change of clothes and a supply of essentials, the rest would be sponsored by Yuri. He had more professional equipment on hand, and Dr. Hal would help him with referrals.
After that, he had his own plans, and after a quick glance at Hermione, who was swimming through her sea of books, Tom left the Granger house: he had to go to Diagon Alley.
As a wizard, wouldn't it be silly to be really honest and not use magic? So Tom is going to Diagon Alley, to buy some "stuff" for his adventures.
This is close by.
Tom arrived at a magic store, on the north side of Diagon Alley, near the Leaky Cauldron Bar, selling various magical items, such as binoculars and hourglasses.
Tom entered the store, which was empty at the time, and the shopkeeper was sitting behind the counter, staring blankly.
"Hi, I'm taking a trip to the desert, do you have any recommendations for equipment?" asked Tom to the shopkeeper.
The clerk smiled professionally, "Of course, we have a whole package of desserts, you'll love it."
He got up, went to the shelf and pulled out a box that read in French and Arabic [Rabat Desert Safari Tent, a cozy home for you and your family in the desert].
"Imported from Morocco, the local shamans use these tents, and the best part is that they look nothing like a Muggle tent," enthused the saleswoman, describing the advantages of the tent, "Wind resistant, winds of less than 80 km/h don't move this tent even an inch!"
The wind, at that speed, is probably good enough to withstand a level eight gale, but above that it's a matter of luck.
"There's a bedroom, a bathroom, a living room and a kitchen, all furnished, and when you buy now, you get a complete set of desert travel wizard robes: protection from temperature, wind and sun all in one." After reliability, it's natural to talk about the harsh interior parameters.
"Inside there is a water tank and a lot of fuel, the stove can burn all day and all night, and the water tank has a capacity of more than three cubic meters of water...," the shopkeeper eloquently said, almost blowing this tent apart.
"A store like this, and it only costs 998 galleons!"
Tom: "..."