"Tom, come here!" The saying that human misery and joy are not intertwined is very accurate in Hermione's case. Unlike the inhabitants of Moscow who didn't know when they would have their next meal, Hermione had never known the true meaning of the word "hunger" since she was a child. She had always enjoyed Tom's constant care, even when they were in the desert, where she could afford to take baths. Her life experience also prevented her from imagining what it would be like for a bakery scene to run out of bread.
She didn't know that people on the street could starve if they didn't get bread. At that moment, her attention was drawn to an old woman selling "souvenirs" on the sidewalk.
She was a thin old woman, with wrinkles on her face like furrows. She wore a somewhat worn military coat and held a basket on her arm, filled with small shiny objects.
Seeing Hermione's interest in the items in her basket, the old woman approached tremblingly and lifted the basket a little so Hermione could see better. At the same time, she murmured words in Russian, but Hermione didn't understand anything. That's why she called Tom, who was a bit disconnected and didn't know what was going on.
Tom shifted his gaze from the long line of people and, unnoticed by anyone, made a round and large loaf of Hogwarts bread, accompanied by a generous portion of butter, fly directly into the handbag of the woman who had covered her face with the collar and hat.
What could such a small act of kindness change? It wouldn't change anything at all, but Tom did it anyway.
"Tom, look!" Hermione pointed at the old woman's basket and spoke quickly. "The souvenir emblems they sell here on the street are so well made, they look real!"
Tom took a glance at the emblems in the basket and froze in place.
Medals of labor honor, the Order of the Patriotic War, first class, the Order of Suvorov, third class, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Moscow Defense Medal, the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, third class, the Medal for the Capture of Berlin, the "Heroine Mother" Medal...
History was right in front of his eyes.
"I... this..." Tom was momentarily speechless.
"I've seen them in books, shall I introduce them to you?" Hermione didn't notice Tom's change in mood and was proud to be able to "show off" her acquired knowledge.
As she spoke, she tried to take the first-class Order of the Patriotic War medal to show Tom the details, but just as she was about to reach out, Tom tapped the back of her hand.
"What are you doing?" Hermione was startled by the sudden tap and was perplexed. Had Tom just hit her?
"Don't touch them." Tom withdrew his hand, feeling a little regretful, but still telling Hermione to show a minimum of respect for the medals.
"They're just travel souvenirs, why are you getting angry?" Hermione felt a certain dissatisfaction. "Are you trying to prevent me from being scammed? Don't think so poorly of others..."
Tom felt a little distressed, but then he took Hermione's hand, blew on it, and rubbed it. Hermione symbolically rejected his actions but let him do it.
"These are authentic... I hope... I hope you'll respect them a little."
Hermione was dumbfounded to hear Tom say that and put her free hand on Tom's forehead. "Are you running a fever? Are you dreaming? How could these medals be authentic? Has the Moscow air driven you crazy?"
Hermione simply thought Tom was naive and adorable, believing that those medals were genuine. Did she know what those insignias meant? How could it be possible for someone to take them to the street to sell, as if they were commemorative coins?
"Take a good look. The most common ones are the medals of the Order of the Patriotic War and the Order of Defense, not to mention their authenticity. That medal is the Order of Suvorov, third class, awarded to military leaders and commanders who annihilated superior enemy forces during an attack. Only 4012 third-class medals have been issued in total. Next to it is the Alexander Nevsky Medal, awarded to Soviet military officers ranging from platoon to division rank who showed bravery, flexible leadership in battle, and caused significant damage to the enemy. How could they think they're authentic? How is it possible for someone to take them to the street to sell, as if they were commemorative coins?"
Tom was speechless at Hermione's rhetorical question. Yes, it truly was a special case!
Perhaps because Tom and Hermione had been standing in front of her for so long, murmuring but not buying, the old woman started to get impatient and she had approached them a little closer, stumbling and almost falling. Tom reached out a hand to help her.
"These are authentic medals... Children, choose which one you like the most..." The old woman's words sounded like a murmur as she lifted the first-class Order of the Patriotic War medal that Hermione had been about to take. "Many of these have been issued, but the early ones have good-quality material," she seemed to choke for a moment, but in the next second, she regained her composure and continued presenting the medals from her basket with a soft voice.
Thanks to the help of the [Translation Sphere], this time Hermione understood her words.
Hermione: Oh!
She examined the medals carefully and confirmed that the signs of age on them were unmistakable. She knew there were many ways to age them, but her instinct told her that the marks were not made by age.
"If you buy this one, I'll give it to you as a gift," the old woman said, fearing that the young couple would leave, and she raised the price, offering Tom the First-Class Order of the Patriotic Order as a gift if he bought the Suvorov medal.
Tom felt that there was nothing more absurd in the world.
Of course, something even more absurd happened soon after.
A blond man appeared, wearing a jacket and sunglasses, carrying a beautiful young woman with some lingering traces of adolescence on her face in his arms.
Curious, he stopped when he saw the three of them standing on the side of the road and approached to push Tom and Hermione aside. Then he extended a large, hairy hand and rummaged through the basket.
"Paulina, what is all this?" His mouth spewed out rough American English. "I only recognize the Order of the Patriot in there."
The young woman approached him and looked at him intently, then she told him the origin of the medals in the basket.
Midway through the explanation, the man grew impatient. "Ask that old woman how much these medals are worth. I'll take them all. The Russians really know how to show off, even though it was thanks to us that they could win the war, supplying them with resources. After the war, they swelled up as if they were savior heroes. But at least these medals can still be sold for a good price..."
Everyone present, who understood what the man was saying, was stunned.
Tom: ?!
At this moment, his anger and surprise mingled. For him, this annoying individual had already crossed the line and was asking for trouble.