Chapter 352: Respecting Each Wizard’s Aesthetic
After leaving Flourish and Blotts, Kyle picked up a few more items before reuniting with Harry and the others at the Magical Menagerie. Hermione, who had talked about wanting an owl, ended up buying a plump ginger cat named Crookshanks. To be honest, the cat was rather homely, with a squashed, flat face that looked like it had been stepped on, and long, unruly fur that obscured any definition of its features.
Perhaps wizards had different tastes when it came to pets. To some, Crookshanks might resemble a furry suitcase, but Hermione was clearly enamored with him, insisting he was more handsome than any other cat in the shop. Well, thought Kyle, to each their own. Respecting her choice, he kept his opinion to himself, simply nodding in agreement. Harry seemed to be doing the same. As for Ron, he was too preoccupied to notice.
The shop assistant had no real solution for Ron's rat, Scabbers, and when Ron decided against replacing him, the assistant merely recommended a rat tonic.
"Do you think this will work?" Ron asked, examining the bottle as they walked back. "It doesn't seem nearly as good as the tonic you gave me, Kyle."
"Forget what it seems like," Kyle said. "This stuff is just sugar water with a bit of red amaranth juice. I could make a whole vat of it in no time. By the way, how much did you pay for it?"
"Quite a lot," Ron admitted glumly. "Two Sickles!"
"You must be rolling in Sickles if you paid that," Kyle teased. "You'd still turn a profit selling it for two Knuts."
Ron looked even more miserable, realizing he'd been ripped off. Unfortunately, he'd already given Scabbers a dose, so there was no chance of returning it now. He glanced at his bedraggled rat and sighed, "Can I just buy tonic from you in the future?"
"Of course. Anytime, and it's free," Kyle assured him.
As he said this, he noticed Crookshanks watching Scabbers. But the cat merely gave the rat a lazy glance before turning his squashed face aside and swishing his tail indifferently.
Back at the Leaky Cauldron, they found Mr. Weasley sitting at the bar, absorbed in The Daily Prophet.