After finishing a chapter, I made sure to rest for at least forty minutes. The doctor's diagnosis was reassuring: a slight weakening of left ventricular function with minor regurgitation, which posed no immediate danger. With the stent in place, as long as I maintained a healthy diet and moderate exercise, I should be fine. Naturally, if someone deliberately provoked me, there might be consequences, so to prevent this, I resolved not to read comments or like paragraph comments for the month.
Daphne Greengrass held her younger sister Astoria's small hand as they walked toward the exit of King's Cross Station. Both girls knew what had happened at home, and their hearts were heavy with bewilderment and helplessness. Their family mansion had been seized to pay debts—so where would they live now?
As they stepped out of the station, they saw their father, Ingrid Greengrass, rushing toward them. Though still dressed neatly, his expression was anything but composed. He was sweating profusely, dabbing at his forehead as he approached.
"Daphne, Astoria, forgive me, Dad is late—"
Mr. Greengrass usually carried the air of a noble lord. For trivial matters like picking up his daughters, a simple instruction would suffice. Why, then, was he coming in person? It was the first time in his life, and naturally, he struggled with timing.
"It's alright, Dad," Daphne replied, frowning slightly. "But more importantly, where will we stay tonight?"
Faced with his daughter's question, Mr. Greengrass looked awkward. He pulled his daughters close and whispered, "We haven't confirmed a permanent residence yet. For now, we'll stay with a Muggle family who's traveling abroad. Daphne, remember to control your emotions. Do not let displeasure show! We are only temporarily down on our luck. Everything will improve soon!"
Daphne didn't believe him. With all the Greengrass family's assets gone, recovery seemed impossible. Was their future limited to working on a plantation?
Seeing Daphne's displeasure, Mr. Greengrass shook his head. "Daphne, look at your sister. She's two years younger than you but more composed!"
Daphne, if nothing unexpected happened, would have shifted her resentment toward Astoria. But the little girl was smarter than both her father and sister imagined. Astoria covered her mouth and chuckled softly:
"Dad, if we're looking for a wealthy family for a marriage alliance, it should be my sister leading. I'm too small to worry about such matters."
Daphne froze. She hadn't expected Astoria to say that. Her sister had voiced what their father claimed—everything would get better. Was marriage really the only path? Her gaze toward their father became even more resentful.
Mr. Greengrass, realizing the misunderstanding, gave Astoria a stern glare and then addressed Daphne. "Don't listen to her. I would never sell my daughter for glory. Besides, how many truly wealthy families remain in Europe? Should we approach the Weasleys? That's impossible!"
Indeed, in the current British Wizarding World, the Weasley family—once notorious paupers shunned by pure-blood families—had become one of the wealthiest families.
Regardless of whether Daphne accepted his explanation, Mr. Greengrass walked forward, holding one hand of each daughter, and led them to a secluded alley.
"Alright, children, let's go!"
"Whoosh!"
The father and daughters disappeared into the alley.
When they emerged, Astoria found herself in a two-story villa. Though much smaller than their original family manor, it appeared surprisingly cozy.
"Ms. Buster, thank you so much for taking care of me…"
A magnetic male voice came from the living room, making the girls' eyes widen. Hadn't this Muggle family gone abroad? Why was someone still there?
"Oh—this plot is something else!" Mrs. Greengrass's voice sounded from the television. The girls looked at their father, noticing the strange man talking to their mother on the screen, addressing her as Ms. Buster.
Mr. Greengrass realized the misunderstanding immediately and shook his head. "Your mother is watching TV. It's a series called Hard Times. Come on, hurry and see your mother!"
TV? What was that? The girls remembered a Hufflepuff Muggle-born wizard mentioning something similar across a long table.
Upon entering the living room, they saw Mrs. Greengrass lounging on a long artificial leather sofa, intently staring at a rectangular device about twenty inches across. Moving figures appeared on its surface. The voice they had heard came from these moving images. Could it be akin to a magical portrait, but without magic?
"Oh! My darlings!"
Mrs. Greengrass finally noticed her husband and daughters. She stood and hugged them warmly.
Watching their mother's constant glances at the television, Daphne and Astoria sighed helplessly. Her attention seemed more on the screen than on them.
Once the episode ended, Mrs. Greengrass walked to the kitchen. Though she hadn't cooked in years, her old household magic still shone—she just needed to adjust seasoning proportions.
After a somewhat laborious dinner, Mr. Greengrass stopped his wife from clearing the table. "Perle, wait. Let's have a family meeting."
Mrs. Greengrass sat again as her husband began. "I want to discuss our family's future—"
Mrs. Greengrass interrupted immediately. "What's there to discuss? Now that all pure-blood families have become paupers, living respectably requires a job in public service, as Minister Dantes suggested. The Shafiq, Burke, Carrow, and Longbottom families have already done so. Our family is smaller, but raising two daughters is manageable. And the public properties set up by the Earl provide housing. All we need is…"
"Shut up!"
Mr. Greengrass's tone grew sharp. "It's their choice if they abandon pure-blood prestige. But Malfoy, Parkinson—they've fallen! Without money, they are nothing. This is our chance. If we rise again now, we could be the most noble family in Britain, second only to Earl Dantes!"
Mrs. Greengrass shook her head. "Ingrid, Britain's industries are controlled by the Earl. There's no way to rise again."
Mr. Greengrass smiled confidently. The mother and daughters watched him approach the corner of the dining room and remove a tapestry from the wall.
"I bought this tapestry on the black market before the Royal Family left Merlin City. At that time, I learned that Professor Babbling of Hogwarts was paying a high price for an Emrys Family tapestry, so I acquired it first. I spent two thousand Galleons then—an insignificant sum—but now Professor Babbling values it at ten thousand Galleons!"
"Really?"
Mrs. Greengrass and Daphne jumped in surprise. Ten thousand Galleons would be a substantial fortune for their family. With it, they could buy a small Hogsmeade house for three thousand Galleons, open a shop, and live well without working under the Earl.
Mr. Greengrass observed their reactions smugly, feeling vindicated. Then Astoria spoke.
"Dad, you won't simply sell the tapestry to Professor Babbling, right?"
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