As time swiftly brought November upon them, the air at Hogwarts grew crisp with the oncoming chill.
Evan's proficiency in Potions, thanks to his daily academic discussions with Hermione, was fast approaching Level 4. He estimated it wouldn't be long before he could attempt brewing the complex Blood-Replenishing Potion.
To avoid the embarrassment of having his memories searched by a Dementor's Kiss again, Evan made time to sneak back into the Restricted Section. Over a few weeks, he had managed to upgrade his Occlumency to Level 2 using the academic points he'd accumulated.
Yet, Evan soon found himself in a bind over the substantial amount of potion ingredients required for the Blood-Replenishing Potion.
With only three Galleons, fifteen Sickles, and a handful of Knuts in his pocket, even if he sneaked through the secret passages to Hogsmeade, he doubted he could afford all the necessary materials.
And for this meager sum, he had to thank the letter from his mother he had never met. Without it, he wouldn't have had a single Galleon to his name.
"Do you guys think there's a way to earn a lot of Galleons in a month?" Evan asked casually as they walked towards the Great Hall, agonizing over how to make money.
"We could always rob Gringotts. Just make sure to count me in," Ron joked.
"Oh, please. You'd be thrown into Azkaban by the goblins guarding the bank before you even got started," Hermione rolled her eyes, then began to enlighten the group on why Gringotts was reputed to be the safest place in the wizarding world.
Beyond the myriad of security measures, it was rumored that a dragon guarded the vaults...
Harry and Ron listened with bated breath, but Evan, privy to the inner workings, scoffed internally.
Yeah right, the 'safest place' had just been breached by Voldemort-possessed Quirrell this year, and it would be broken into again in a few years.
Despite his internal commentary, the security at Gringotts was a nightmarish challenge for the current Evan, only Ron could come up with such a far-fetched suggestion.
"By the way, Evan, what do you need all those Galleons for?" Harry asked curiously.
"I took a bit from my vault before coming to Hogwarts. If you don't need too much, I could actually lend you some."
With that, Harry eagerly pulled out a dozen Galleons from his robe pocket and laid them before Evan, adding that he had plenty more in his dormitory...
Harry's generous offer nearly blinded Evan with its brilliance. Having read the original story, he knew that the "bit" Harry had taken from his vault must have been hundreds of Galleons!
Even if the ingredients for the Blood-Replenishing Potion were numerous, Harry's Galleons were more than enough. In fact, the ones he laid out in front of Evan were likely sufficient.
Touched by Harry's sincere gaze, Evan felt a surge of emotion. Considering they had only known each other for half a term, Harry's gesture was nothing short of noble!
Of course, it helped that Harry had no real concept of money...
"Never mind, I was just talking. There's nowhere to spend all those Galleons here anyway." Even though sufficient funds were within reach, Evan ultimately shook his head, declining Harry's kindness.
To many, this might seem foolish: he could easily achieve his goal with a simple extension of his hand. The Galleons could be borrowed in abundance and returned later, or not at all—Harry wouldn't mind.
But Evan saw it differently. Accepting Harry's offer now would mean owing him a favor, something Evan, who didn't want to be overly involved in Dumbledore's schemes, considered undesirable.
Besides, there was still time. If no other solution presented itself, he could always ask Harry later.
With Evan skillfully changing the subject, Harry quickly forgot about the offer, and the group's conversation turned to the upcoming Quidditch match.
Despite being Gryffindor's ace in the hole, Harry lacked the confidence everyone assumed he had, feeling rather anxious instead.
He couldn't fathom the disappointment of Wood and Gryffindor if he failed to catch the Snitch, causing Gryffindor to lose. It had been a long time since Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup.
Evan, on the other hand, was brimming with confidence and cheered Harry on. No one knew Harry's talent for flying better than he did, and coupled with Harry's natural luck, Gryffindor would have a hard time losing unless the plot demanded it.
Considering Harry's gallantry, Evan even planned to keep an eye on Quirrell during the match to prevent any mishaps.
Unbeknownst to them, they had reached the Great Hall. As Evan prepared to join the Gryffindor table for lunch, he heard Malfoy ridiculing Gryffindor's consecutive defeats by Slytherin from the neighboring table.
Ron was so infuriated he wanted to punch Malfoy right then and there, but Harry and Hermione managed to restrain him. Starting a scuffle in the Great Hall would cost them more House points than they could afford.
However, while the trio was caught up in their squabble, Evan approached Malfoy of his own accord.
At the Slytherin table, Malfoy's boasting was interrupted by Evan's approach, his smile twisting into disgust laced with a hint of fear.
After all, the news of Evan killing the troll had spread like wildfire through the school, even acknowledged by Professor McGonagall. Malfoy dreaded that Evan was coming to settle a score with him.
But then he realized he was at the Slytherin table, and Evan was unlikely to start a conflict there. This emboldened Malfoy, and he spat out with vehemence.
"Halse, what do you want?"
"Nothing much, just to make a bet with you," Evan said, a smile on his face as he produced three Galleons and placed them on the table.
"I bet that Harry will catch the Snitch and win the match!" Evan declared.
Malfoy eyed the three Galleons on the table but didn't immediately agree.
Such a small sum meant little to Malfoy, but he remembered being tricked by Evan before and couldn't help but suspect Evan had some scheme up his sleeve.
As for Harry, Gryffindor's secret weapon, his prowess had already been revealed during the training days, and Malfoy was well aware of it.
"If you don't want to bet, that's fine. I was just thinking of making some money with the little I have," Evan shrugged nonchalantly, ready to pocket the Galleons and walk away.
"Wait..."
Malfoy was unsure of Evan's attitude, but he picked up on a piece of information in Evan's words that piqued his interest...
Tips:
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