7 Seemingly Childish, Detective Kevin

For a young wizard who has not yet entered school, how can you find a good job in Diagon Alley?

First, exclude Gringotts Bank.

Of course, with the logical reasoning level of the wizards in this world who burned books and suppressed learning, Kevin's mathematical skills from his previous life could easily outshine over 95% of the wizards. Such a level of skill would be more than enough to work as an accountant at Gringotts. However, it also depends on the goblins at Gringotts believing in him.

Secondly, places like 'Potage's Cauldron Shop' and 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' are not suitable. These shops deal in large items, such as cauldrons and broomsticks, and the work inside involves heavy lifting and manual labor, which his small frame cannot handle.

After eliminating those options, there were plenty of other shops to choose from: apothecaries selling various magical potions ingredients; the 'Eeylops Owl Emporium' where owls were sold; 'Flourish and Blotts', the bookstore he had visited before; 'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor'; 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions' specializing in tailored school uniforms; and 'Diagon Alley Stationery Store', where a variety of magical stationery could be found.

Among these options, 'Flourish and Blotts' was the top choice, as he could read books for free.

However, Kevin's choices were unilateral. In reality, he might choose a shop, but the shop might not choose him!

What they said was that he was too young—not yet of working age!

Oh, you wizards are so law-abiding? Clearly, your social level is equivalent to Muggles a hundred years ago. Why not apply some ancient rules from the Dark Empire a hundred years ago to recruit child employees?

Kevin's job search was in deep trouble until he came to the 'Magical Menagerie'.

At that time, the entrance to the 'Magical Menagerie' was surrounded by a large crowd, and there was a lot of noise inside. Just when Kevin couldn't find a job and was extremely bored, he squeezed inside. What he saw was a female shop assistant frantically trying to catch some nifflers inside a big cage.

By her side, a man in an elegant suit with a high hat was impatiently looking at her.

The Niffler was a creature with a long, snout-like nose and black fur all over, resembling a cross between a platypus and a mole. They were gentle in nature and skilled at digging, and their favorite thing was shiny treasures. They would put any shiny objects they found into the pouch on their belly. They would destroy everything around them in order to find something shiny. As a result, nifflers were often regarded as the best helpers for treasure hunters.

The female shop assistant cursed in the midst of the chaos, "Which one of you damn little guys stole Mr. Mull's pocket watch? Come on, stand up!"

Kevin could see that there were at least six Nifflers in the large cage, all in a panic, trying to escape from the female shop assistant's grasp. She finally caught one, turned it upside down, and shook it hard.

"Let me go, let me go; I'm dizzy!"

Through his ability to talk to animals, Kevin could hear the little guy's complaint.

The shop assistant had shaken it for a long time but only shook out a pitiful silver Sickle from its belly pouch.

"Damn it, it's not this one!"

She tried to put this Niffler into another cage, but the annoyed Niffler bit the shop assistant hard. The shop assistant, who was in pain, released it, and the Niffler fell into the midst of its companions.

What's worse is that these Nifflers look very much alike, and the shop assistant can't tell them apart. She had put in a lot of effort just now, but it was all in vain.

Seeing the shop assistant's helpless and chaotic appearance, Kevin couldn't help but smile. Not because he took pleasure in her misfortune, but because he realized that the opportunity to find a job had arrived.

He immediately took a step forward and tugged at the shop assistant's clothes.

"Hello, sister, my name is Kevin Green. Perhaps I can help you." The female shop assistant, who was anxious about finding the customer's watch, suddenly stopped in her tracks and was about to get angry. However, when she turned around and saw that the person who called her was a lovely little boy, for some reason, her anger was cut in half, and she forced a smile.

"Cough, hello, Mr. Green. I'm glad to be at your service, but you see, I'm busy right now. Can you wait a while for me to attend to you?"

But Kevin shook his head and insisted, "You've misunderstood. I'm not here to seek your service. On the contrary, I'm here to help you."

"What do you mean by help?" The female shop assistant looked puzzled.

"I can help you find the Niffler that stole the pocket watch."

The female shop assistant looked at him suspiciously and said, "I'm glad you're willing to help, but you're too young. If you try to catch the Niffler, you might get hurt."

"You're overthinking it, Miss Shop Assistant," Kevin said with a confident smile. "I don't need to use force to find the thief. I can identify the thief without laying a hand on them."

With that, he took a step forward and approached the cage. He addressed the Nifflers inside, "Hey there, little guys, who just acquired a new treasure?"

To onlookers, it seemed like Kevin wasn't speaking but making a series of "chirping" and "chattering" sounds, almost exactly like a real Niffler. This was his ability to communicate with animals in action.

This strange sight made the shop assistant, who had been trying to stop Kevin, pause. Inside the cage, the Nifflers were also puzzled, wondering why this huge creature in front of them was speaking their language. Could it be a giant Niffler?

Their little brains couldn't process this complex information, but they obediently answered Kevin's question.

Kevin turned back to the female shop assistant and said, "It's confirmed; the thief is this little guy here. It has a broken finger on its left front paw."

After hearing Kevin's words, the female shop assistant caught the Niffler, turned it upside down, and shook it. Soon enough, a golden pocket watch fell out of its belly pouch.

"Yes, it's him, my pocket watch! It was the best gift Marlin ever gave me."

The wizard in the suit excitedly picked up the pocket watch, carefully stashed it away, thanked Kevin, and left the shop. The commotion was over.

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much, young man!" After the onlookers dispersed, the female shop assistant shook Kevin's hand and expressed her gratitude. Then, curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, "You can imitate the Niffler's call and identify the one that stole the pocket watch. How did you do that? Can you talk to Nifflers?"

Kevin shook his head and nodded. "Sort of. I have a gift that lets me vaguely sense the emotions of small animals."

He didn't fully admit to the ability to talk to animals, downplaying it. His response immediately surprised the shop assistant.

"Dear me, you actually have the same gift as Mr. Newt Scamander. That's amazing."

Newt Scamander, a renowned magical zoologist and the author of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," was a famous figure in the magical creatures' community. Any enthusiast or professional in related fields has heard of his name. Scamander was known for his ability to communicate with magical creatures. That's why Kevin chose to partially conceal his own ability. Claiming to be able to communicate with magical creatures would lead to comparisons with Newt Scamander, and everyone would be envious. However, saying he could talk to magical creatures would be too exaggerated. Conversations required complex logic and language skills. After learning this, the shop assistant's gaze toward him softened a bit.

"I'm Hayden Crystal, a shop assistant at this 'Magical Menagerie'. Thank you for helping me out, young man. If you ever need any magical creatures or related supplies in the future, feel free to come find me. I can give you a ten percent discount within my authority."

Kevin pretended to be magnanimous and waved his hand. Then he raised his head, giving her an innocent look. "By the way, Miss Shop Assistant, do you need part-time child labor?"