At Florin's Ice Cream Parlor, the two of them found a table shaded by a large parasol. Wayne ordered two servings of ice cream — one for himself and one for Hermione.
"This is part of my complimentary service. I'll have to head home by five at the latest," he said.
Hermione took out her purse and handed Wayne two Sickles.
Ever since she found out Wayne was an orphan, Hermione's attitude had softened considerably. Just moments ago, she had even been trying to persuade him not to waste money. After all, he still had a few years to go before he could earn his own living as an adult.
Wayne simply nodded with a smile and didn't argue.
Hermione was no different from how he remembered her — proud and assertive in speech, constantly talking about studies and books.
And yet, her inner kindness was never hidden.
There was a reason, after all, why the Sorting Hat had ultimately placed her in Gryffindor.
Taking the copy of Hogwarts: A History, Hermione immediately began flipping through it eagerly.
This was a rental that cost a whole Sickle per hour, and the little witch clearly cherished it, her attention laser-focused on the pages.
Just as Wayne accepted the Sickles, a sudden chime from the system rang in his head.
[System Detection: Host has successfully earned a small wizard's living allowance. A major long-term mission has been activated — Empty Their Pockets!]
[Mission Description: What wealth is more precious than a child's pocket money? Empty their wallets! For every Galleon you earn, you can exchange it for system points. Exchange rate: 1 Galleon = 5 points.]
[Mission Duration: Valid for the entirety of your enrollment at Hogwarts. Mission ends upon graduation or withdrawal.]
Wayne: "…"
System, can you please act like a decent person for once?
Why is it only 5 points per Galleon?
Wait a minute — how much pocket money does a young wizard even get in a year? Most regular students have barely ten Galleons annually. Sure, the pure-bloods in Slytherin might have more, but even kids like Ron probably get just one or two a year.
So little money, and you're targeting their wallets?
You're truly heartless!
Wayne sighed dramatically toward the sky. Hermione looked up, confused. "What's wrong with you?"
"Oh, nothing. Just had some thoughts. By the way, how much pocket money do you have?"
Without hesitation, Hermione replied, "Aside from what I spent on books, I have five Galleons left for this school year."
Only 25 points…?
Wayne gave the little witch a mildly disappointed look, leaving her puzzled. She huffed softly and went back to reading.
Although he disapproved of the system's task, those points… were still tempting.
With points, he could grow stronger faster. And if Voldemort's minions ever came to Hogwarts, he'd be strong enough to protect the other young witches and wizards.
Isn't that a win-win?
Wait, no. He wasn't stealing the money from the kids — the system clearly stated it only counted if it was earned.
Which meant only fair transactions would be valid.
Looking at it from that angle… the young wizards were the ones winning twice. He was actually at a loss!
The more Wayne thought about it, the more indignant he became. Quietly, he began plotting what kind of goods or services would most effectively empty a young wizard's wallet.
A future merchant who would make every young witch and wizard in Hogwarts love him and hate him in equal measure… was beginning to rise.
Time flew by.
The sun gradually dipped westward, and in just over two hours, the time passed quickly.
Wayne gently tapped the table, pulling Hermione from her reading trance. He spoke softly, "I have to go home now."
"Ah? Oh." Hermione reluctantly closed the book and handed it back to Wayne.
"When will you be back in Diagon Alley?" she asked.
"What about you?" Wayne asked in return.
"I've been practicing spells at home in the mornings. In the afternoons, I always go to Flourish and Blotts to read."
Hermione had set a goal to finish reading all the introductory books on the magical world and Hogwarts before the school term started — she wanted to learn as much as possible.
"Then just keep the book for now," Wayne said with a wave of his hand.
"But I don't have that much money…"
"No need to pay. I'm just lending it to you for a week. I'll come back to Diagon Alley then, and you can return it to me."
This could also be considered the little witch's reward to him for activating a system quest.
Hermione was overjoyed as she clutched the book to her chest, promising to return it in a week.
She also gave Wayne her home phone number and took his in return, so they could stay in touch.
At Hogwarts.
That afternoon, Professor McGonagall finally completed the final orientation session for a Muggle-born first-year student and returned to the school.
As it happened, Dumbledore was also on school grounds, so she made her way to the Headmaster's Office on the eighth floor to report.
Smiling gently as he listened to her account, Dumbledore's kind eyes gazed at her over his half-moon spectacles.
"Minerva, thank you for your hard work. If I hadn't sent Snape away, you'd certainly have had a much easier time."
McGonagall remained stern as always. "It's all for the school. I wouldn't call it hard work. If anything, Albus, you're the one truly overworked."
"Haha." The old man chuckled. "Now you're making me feel guilty."
McGonagall didn't reply, but moved on to the issue she was most concerned about. "How are things going with Potter? Hagrid didn't mess anything up, did he?"
"I trust Hagrid—just as I trust you," Dumbledore replied. "Though there was a small… incident, you'll see the boy yourself on September first."
Dumbledore gave a brief summary of Hagrid's visit to the Dursleys, during which McGonagall's face visibly grew more furious.
"How could they treat him like that!" she exclaimed.
"Calm down, Minerva. Muggles often carry certain biases against the wizarding world. In truth, we're not so different. At the very least, they did raise the boy, didn't they?"
Though the anger didn't fade from McGonagall's expression, her self-restraint kept her from speaking too harshly.
Dumbledore reassured her, "That's enough for now, Minerva. If there's nothing else, go get some rest. Enjoy what's left of your holiday—less than a month now. Soon you'll be facing a fresh swarm of energetic young minds."
"Apologies, actually… I do have one more thing. I nearly forgot." McGonagall pressed her fingers to her forehead. "I encountered a particularly gifted young wizard—Wayne Lawrence."
"When selecting his wand, he spent nearly an hour choosing. And in the end… he instinctively cast the Patronus Charm."
"Oh?"
Dumbledore's eyes lit up, and he sat up a little straighter.
"Impossible!"
Even the portraits of past headmasters, which had been pretending to sleep, suddenly perked up. One rather sour-faced wizard even shouted aloud.
"McGonagall! I've read enough books to know better—there's no way a student who just picked up a wand could cast a Patronus!"
"Settle down, Phineas," Dumbledore gestured for calm, then turned to McGonagall and asked,
"Could you tell me the details of what happened?"