In the wizarding world, mice are among the cheapest pets available for Hogwarts students, making them a popular choice, especially among young witches. However, most of them prefer hamsters with their soft fur and pleasant temperaments, black mice that have longer lifespans, or white mice, which are known for their cleanliness.
This was the first time Kyle had encountered a young witch who liked a common field mouse. Judging by her appearance, she didn't seem like someone who was short on money.
Having spent eleven years in the wizarding world, Kyle had picked up a few things. While her clothes weren't overly fancy, the fabric was luxurious, and the stitching was impeccable. The distinctive pattern on her cuffs suggested that her outfit came from the Transcendental Wizard Clothing Store, which was far more expensive than Madam Malkin's, with a starting price of twenty Galleons.
Clearly, anyone shopping there could afford a better pet, which meant she must genuinely like this mouse. No wonder she had come looking for him.
The rat tonics sold in Diagon Alley? Those were basically glorified sugar water, like a magical version of energy drinks—fine for a little refreshment, but not much else.
Though the girl's taste in pets was unusual, Kyle kept his expression neutral. After all, the magical world had seen wizards with far stranger preferences. He had once seen someone raise an Acromantula in Newt's magical creatures' case. That experience had been enough to keep Kyle out of the case for a whole year.
In comparison, a young witch who favored a field mouse seemed relatively normal.
Before long, Kyle retrieved a small thumb-sized bottle from his suitcase and handed it over. "Here, try this. If it works well, you can come back for more. After that, I'll need to charge you—just one Sickle. It's definitely worth it."
"Thank you, thank you," Kanna said, quickly taking the bottle. Yet, she remained in place, glancing between the bottle and Kyle with a confused expression.
"Why? Do you think it's not enough?" Kyle asked, assuming she was concerned about the quantity. "It's not that I'm being stingy—it's just to test the effect first. You only need two or three drops per use, and this little bottle should last a month."
"No, no, that's not it," Kanna quickly replied. She looked flustered, and under the watchful eyes of Kyle and Cedric, she said softly, "I was hoping for the red one."
The red one? Cedric noticed that the tonic Kyle had given Kanna was a murky orange-yellow, like mashed orange pudding, while the one he had given Percy earlier had been a clear, vibrant red.
Though they were supposedly the same product, the difference in appearance was obvious, and anyone could see that the clear red version seemed superior to the murky one. Even if it was free, Kanna didn't want to feel shortchanged.
Cedric's gaze turned skeptical. Clearly, a smooth-talking businessman like Kyle had Azkaban written all over him.
Just then, Kanna reached into her small, ornate handbag. "I can buy it," she said, shaking the bag as a cascade of gold Galleons spilled onto the table—thirty-three in total, along with a few Sickles.
Cedric's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He only had ten Galleons to last an entire term, and here was Kanna, casually offering three times that amount.
He tried to stay composed—he wasn't overly concerned with money, as long as he had enough. But what Kanna said next truly threw him off.
"If this isn't enough, I can get more from Gringotts. As long as it helps Pochi live longer, I'm willing to spend whatever it takes," she said softly, looking down at her feet.
And she could get more?
Cedric's jaw twitched. Hearing such things from a first-year student seemed outrageous.
Kyle, meanwhile, was far more focused on the problem at hand. He knew that the rat tonic should be orange-yellow. As for the bottle he'd given Percy, it contained something else entirely—something that might be too strong for an ordinary mouse.
But he couldn't just explain that, especially since Kanna seemed convinced that he had a special tonic that could extend her mouse's life.
"Uh... Kanna, here's the thing," Kyle began thoughtfully. "The special tonic is a bit too potent to use right away. Before that, you'll need to strengthen the mouse's constitution with the regular tonic."
It was the only way Kyle could think to buy some time. If he outright denied having a special tonic, Kanna might seek out Newt or even Dumbledore. That could lead to some rather awkward conversations.
"I really should have closed the door when Percy came in," Kyle thought, rubbing his forehead in frustration.
Fortunately, there was a way out of this predicament. He just needed to visit Dorset when Hogwarts went on break. Newt had once made a tonic for the Murtra Rat, a magical creature with a similar anatomy to a field mouse. A diluted version of that tonic might be able to extend the life of an ordinary mouse by three to five years.
"I'll make sure to give Pochi the tonic on time," Kanna promised with a determined nod.
"Don't worry, it will be fine," Kyle reassured her, handing over a chocolate frog. "Here, have some chocolate. It'll make you feel better."
"No, thank you. I can buy it myself," Kanna said, glancing at the chocolate frog with a hint of longing. But she quickly looked away, her hands nervously fidgeting with the hem of her robe.
"It's okay, take it," Kyle insisted with a smile. "Consider it a gift. I hope we'll become friends and classmates."
"...Thank you," Kanna murmured, blushing as she accepted the chocolate frog. She didn't eat it right away but carefully tucked it away instead.
(End of this chapter)
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