13 13. Empty Their Wallets! Conversation In The Principal's Office

At Florin Dessert Shop, Wayne and Hermione found a table with a parasol. Wayne ordered two ice creams, one for himself and one for Hermione.

"This is a bonus service. I'll be home by five o'clock at the latest."

Hermione took out her purse, extracted two Sickles, and handed them to Wayne.

Ever since she learned that Wayne was an orphan, Hermione had become much more compassionate. Only moments ago, she had been trying to convince Wayne not to spend money recklessly. It would still be several years before he could support himself financially as an adult.

Wayne simply smiled and nodded without arguing.

Hermione hadn't changed from what he remembered. She still spoke with a commanding tone and always seemed to be talking about studying and books. However, her kindness was never hidden.

It wasn't surprising that the Sorting Hat had placed her in Gryffindor.

As soon as Hermione received "Hogwarts: A School History," she couldn't wait to start reading it.

Hermione had rented it for an hour. The little witch treasured it and focused her attention on the book.

After Wayne received the Sickles, the system suddenly beeped.

[The host has successfully earned the pocket money of the little wizard, triggering a large-scale, long-term mission - empty their wallets!]

[Mission Description: Is there anything more valuable in the world than a child's pocket money? Empty their wallets. Every Galleon earned can be exchanged for system points at a ratio of 1 Galleon to 5 points.]

[This mission is valid while the host is studying at Hogwarts and will disappear upon graduation or withdrawal.]

Wayne: "..."

System, have some humanity.

How can 1 Galleon only be worth 5 points?

And why are you even keeping track of their wallets when they have so little money?

It's quite different!

Wayne looked up at the sky and sighed. Hermione raised her head, confused. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I just thought of something. By the way, how much pocket money do you have?"

Hermione didn't hesitate and immediately answered, "I only have 5 Galleons for this school year, apart from buying books."

Only 25 points...

Wayne glanced at the little witch with disdain, which left her puzzled. She shrugged and continued reading, humming softly.

Although Wayne despised this task from the system, the points... were still quite valuable.

He could quickly grow stronger as he accumulated points. With that strength, he could protect other young wizards if Voldemort's followers came to Hogwarts.

Wasn't this a win-win situation? No, he wasn't trying to steal the little wizards' money. The system clearly states that points must be earned before they can be used. Therefore, points can only be obtained by following the normal trading channels. After doing the calculations, the little wizards won twice and he lost!

The more Wayne thought about it, the angrier he became. He silently contemplated how he could take away as much of the little wizard's money as possible. He dreamed of being a profiteer who could change the little wizard's mind. The love-hate relationship with being a profiteer was intensifying...

Time flew by. The sun slowly set in the west, and more than two hours passed quickly. Wayne gently tapped on the table, waking up Hermione who was still engrossed in her book.

"It's time for me to go home."

"Huh? Oh." Hermione reluctantly closed the book and handed it back to Wayne.

"When will you come to Diagon Alley again?" Hermione asked.

"What about you?" Wayne inquired.

"I've been practicing my spells at home in the morning lately. In the afternoon, I go to Flourish and Blotts Bookstore to read." Hermione planned to read all the books about the wizarding world and Hogwarts before school started, so she could learn as much as possible.

"Then take this book with you for now." Wayne waved his hand.

"But I don't have enough money..." Hermione hesitated.

"No need to give me money. I'll lend it to you for a week. I'll come to Diagon Alley then, and you can just pay me back." This could be seen as a little reward for Hermione activating a system task for him.

Hermione was extremely surprised and took the book into her arms, promising to return it in a week. To make it easier to stay in touch, she left her home phone number with Wayne and took his phone number in return.

...

Hogwarts.

This morning, Professor McGonagall finally finished instructing the last young wizard from a pure Muggle family and returned to school. Dumbledore happened to be at school, so she went to the principal's office on the eighth floor to give him a report.

After listening to McGonagall with a smile, Dumbledore's gentle gaze fell on her through his half-moon glasses.

"Minerva, thank you for your hard work. It would have been much easier for you if I hadn't sent Snape away."

McGonagall maintained a serious expression. "It's all for the school. It's not hard work. In terms of hard work, Albus, you are the one who works the hardest."

"Haha." The old man chuckled. "I feel ashamed for saying this."

McGonagall didn't respond directly but asked about something that was on her mind. "How are things with Potter? Hagrid didn't cause any trouble, did he?"

"I trust Hagrid, just as I trust you," Dumbledore reassured her. "Although there was a small hiccup, you'll see the child on September 1st."Dumbledore briefly explained what Hagrid had seen and heard at the Dursleys. McGonagall's anger became visibly apparent.

"How could they do this!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed angrily.

"Relax, McGonagall. Muggles often hold prejudices against wizards. There isn't much difference between the two, at least in terms of how they raised that child."

Though anger still lingered on McGonagall's face, she managed to restrain herself from saying anything too outrageous, thanks to her good qualities.

Dumbledore reassured her, saying, "Alright, Minerva. If nothing else comes up, you can go back and rest. Enjoy your vacation, which is less than a month away. Then, you will have to face those energetic little ones."

"Sorry, I do have one more thing. I almost forgot," McGonagall said, her hand on her forehead. "I met a very talented young wizard named Wayne Lawrence."

"He took almost an hour to choose a wand, and in the end, he spontaneously cast the Patronus Charm."

"Oh?" Dumbledore's eyes lit up, and he sat up slightly.

"Impossible!" The portraits of the previous headmasters on the wall, who had been pretending to be asleep, now reacted, with one mean-looking wizard even shouting.

"McGonagall! I've read countless books, and you can't fool me. How is it possible for a young wizard who is new to wands to use the Patronus Charm?"

"Be patient, Phineas." Dumbledore motioned for him to be quiet, and then asked, "Can you please provide me with the specific details of the situation?"