After buying the wand, Ernie took her to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to have her school robes made.
It was crowded here as well, though better than Flourish and Blotts. After all, not every Hogwarts student needed brand-new tailored robes every year, but every student—no matter their age—needed textbooks.
Once her measurements were taken and the deposit paid, they left the shop.
It was a pity she wasn't in the same year as the Golden Trio. Otherwise, she might even have been able to witness that iconic scene in Madam Malkin's shop this year.
"Do you want to buy a pet? An owl or a cat?"
They had just walked past the entrance of the Magical Menagerie when Ernie asked her.
Even at his young age, the boy very much enjoyed showing off in front of his little cousin, in order to maintain his status as The Older Brother.
Even a friendly, mild-tempered Hufflepuff was no exception.
So after asking, he tipped his chin up confidently and continued in the tone of someone Very Knowledgeable,
"But if you want to buy an owl, Eeylops Owl Emporium is better. Harry bought his owl there. Oh—do you know the famous Savior, Harry Potter?"
Esther nodded.
"Of course I know."
Not only did she know his past, she even knew that at the end of this very summer, the Weasley boys rescued him from his aunt and uncle's house; that when he came to Diagon Alley he accidentally ended up in Knockturn Alley; and that he then ran into the Malfoy father and son who were busy trafficking dark magic items.
Esther quietly thought all this to herself.
When it came to the Boy Who Lived, Ernie's face grew filled with admiration.
"Harry is really amazing—he defeated a troll and earned Gryffindor loads of points, enough to surpass Slytherin and win last year's House Cup."
You're worshipping him now, Esther thought silently, but wait until the Chamber of Secrets business later this term, when you start suspecting him and labeling him all sorts of strange things… like "the Heir of Slytherin."
Esther maintained her polite smile.
"I don't particularly like keeping animals… but to make it easier to send letters to my parents, I should get an owl."
She gently cut off Ernie's enthusiastic praise of the Savior, drawing the conversation back to the original topic.
Hearing that, Ernie immediately led her toward Eeylops Owl Emporium.
The truth was, Esther really didn't enjoy keeping animals, nor plants. Perhaps it was because she had been too busy in her previous life—barely able to take care of herself, let alone other living things.
So she simply browsed casually and picked the owl that felt most pleasing to her eyes.
Ernie offered to carry the cage for her. He liked pets far more than she did—teasing the owl happily while saying,
"Have you thought of a name for your owl? If you haven't, I can help you pick one!"
Esther answered without even thinking,
"I already decided. Its name will be Donut."
Ernie didn't quite understand.
"Why that name? Do you like eating donuts?"
"Ah… yes."
In truth, when she was very young in her previous life, her aunt had a cat named Donut. Later, that cat had died in a car accident.
Died right in front of her eyes—crushed by a truck until its body became an unrecognizable mass of flesh.
She suspected this was partly why she never liked raising pets afterward.
Ernie didn't think too deeply. Girls liked giving their pets cute names—nothing strange about that.
"In that case, come to my house in a couple of days," he said with great enthusiasm. "I'll buy you actual donuts!"
After buying the pet, Ernie couldn't wait to drag her to the joke shop.
There, they unexpectedly ran into one of Ernie's friends.
"Hey! Justin! You're here too!"
Ernie hugged the curly-haired boy excitedly.
"Ernie! What a surprise to run into you!"
The boy looked just as delighted.
Esther already knew who he was.
Justin Finch-Fletchley—Muggle-born, Ernie Macmillan's close friend, one of the unlucky students who would get petrified in the Chamber of Secrets incident this year, and later, in fifth year, a member of Dumbledore's Army. A positive supporting character through and through.
"This is my cousin, Esther Mayne."
Ernie introduced them to each other.
"She'll be a first-year this year. And she also grew up in the Muggle world, so you two should have lots to talk about."
Justin's eyes lit up.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie's best mate. I'm in Hufflepuff. Are you a Muggle-born too?"
Then he realized what a silly question that was—Ernie was a pure-blood, so anyone related to him couldn't possibly be Muggle-born.
"My mother is a pure-blood witch. My father is a Muggleborn. So I guess that makes me a half-blood."
Justin nodded with understanding, and the three of them began shopping around the joke shop.
It was Esther's first time in such a store, so she was extremely curious—looking left and right—accidentally buying a huge pile of things.
When it came time to pay, Ernie felt a painful stab in his heart. He had originally wanted to save some money to buy a new broomstick.
Even though he wasn't particularly good in flying class, he still had the heart of a true Quidditch lover.
But since he had already declared he would pay, going back on his word now would completely destroy his dignity as an older brother. So he clenched his teeth and paid.
Justin, who didn't know the financial context, saw him being so generous and immediately praised him as a "secret rich kid."
Ernie: heart aching, but must keep smiling.
Esther almost burst into laughter at his expression. She coughed twice, adjusted her voice sweetly, and said,
"Brother, you're so good to me. How about this—we go to the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop, and I'll buy a gift for you too."
Ernie was tempted, very tempted—but he acted magnanimous instead.
"I'm the big brother. Buying things for my little sister is what I should do. You don't need to get me anything."
"Wow!" Justin exclaimed.
"Mate, you look so charming being a good brother like this. Mind adopting one more little brother?"
Ernie shot him a glare.
"I mind!"
"Don't be like that—if being your little brother doesn't work, I can be your little sister too!" Justin joked mischievously.
"Please stop disgusting me!"
Ernie grabbed Esther and suddenly sprinted away, desperate to escape from this mentally unstable friend of his.
Justin laughed loudly and chased after them.
Laughing and teasing all the way, they arrived at the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop, where a crowd of children surrounded a broom.
"This is the newest model—Nimbus 2001!"
Ernie squeezed forward, staring at the newest broomstick with an expression of absolute fascination.
Esther glanced at it too. To her, it was just a broom—not particularly interesting. She liked watching Quidditch, but playing it didn't interest her at all, so broomsticks didn't excite her much.
Ernie and Justin were already huddled together chatting enthusiastically about broom models, leaving Esther to wander the shop alone.
"That will be settled then. Thank you very much for your support, Mr. Malfoy."
A shop assistant respectfully escorted two figures—one tall, one small—from the back lounge.
Esther turned her head.
It was a father and son.
The father had pale blond hair, cold and arrogant gray-blue eyes, and a sharp, pale face—clearly a shrewd and calculating man.
The slightly shorter boy beside him had platinum blond hair neatly slicked back to reveal a clean forehead, gray-blue eyes sparkling with alertness, a pointed chin, cheeks still a little round with baby fat, and thin lips shaped into a polite smile. Altogether, his appearance was rather striking.
With such distinctive features, Esther recognized them instantly.
The famously notorious Lucius Malfoy and his even more famously notorious son, Draco Malfoy, from the "Harry Potter" series.
***
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