Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 321-320: The Last Stand Bar

Diagon Alley.

This long cobblestone street is lined with some of the most enticing wizard shops in the world.

At this moment, it is bustling with people, a scene of extraordinary prosperity.

"To Gringotts."

In November, the cold wind howled, and Sheen's voice drifted on the wind.

"it is good."

Lupin nodded.

He was wearing an extremely tattered wizard's robe, patched in several places.

He was carrying a box. The box was tattered, with a "RJLipin" label printed on one corner, the lettering of which was somewhat worn away.

The box was tied with many ropes to barely keep it from falling apart.

"Mr. Lupin, are you carrying a suitcase so you can move at any time?"

Walking through the bustling Diagon Alley, Sheen asked, seemingly out of curiosity.

Has anyone ever told you that you have an exceptionally keen eye for observation?

Lupin sighed gently.

He recalled the child's description of his wand, accurate to the last detail.

"Principal Dumbledore and Professor Terra said so."

Sheen replied.

Lupin chuckled to himself... He wasn't really asking a question...

As a result, his sickly and exhausted appearance improved somewhat.

"Yes, for a... werewolf, being homeless is a common occurrence."

Lupin smiled slightly, but his smile seemed somewhat forced.

A cold wind swept through again, and Lupin tightened his robes. His patched robes and tattered trunk stood out starkly in Diagon Alley.

Even if he couldn't realize it, the strange looks from those wizards would make it clear to him.

“I’m giving you an advance on your first month’s salary. You should go and get yourself some decent clothes. And, Mr. Lupin, your suitcase is about to fall apart.”

Passing by a noisy little dwarf in Diagon Alley, Sheen pointed his wand forward, and the crack in Lupin's suitcase filled itself in.

Those ropes, as they twisted on their own, became part of the box.

"Amazing level of Transfiguration..."

Lupin's eyes sharpened slightly as he observed the changes in the box.

He became even more curious: where did this child come from? And why was he getting an advance on his salary...?

"What if I take the money and run? That's not written in the contract."

Lupin said with a smile.

"Well... I hope you won't be freezing when I see you next time, Mr. Lupin. The weather in Scotland is always cold and damp."

As Sheen spoke, his gaze shifted to the grand Gringotts foyer.

"I'm going to get something. If you're not planning to run away, you can wait for me here for a while."

Lupin was stunned for a long time; he had never seen such a young wizard before.

……

Sheen took out a lot of gold coins from the vault and filled the seamless extension bag given to him by Headmaster Dumbledore.

The location of his vault is also about to change, as a fairy named Goli hopes to move it to the dragon-guarded area.

Sheen did not agree; he did not have time to oversee the transfer of the vault, so the date was set for Christmas.

“Your advance payment, Mr. Lupin.”

Emerging from the vault, Sheen tossed Lupin a bag, its heavy contents of Galleons making Lupin feel as if he had tricked a child.

"This……"

Lupin instinctively wanted to refuse.

“A poor manager's image will ruin the shop's business,” Sheen said, staring at his patched clothes.

"The attic area of ​​the bookstore will soon be available for living. You will still be living in the bookstore, Mr. Lupin, working until dark every day."

After saying this, Sheen was quite emotional, realizing that he had actually become a heartless capitalist.

"I understand."

Lupin's eyes no longer lingered on the bustling street. It was as if he had been detached from it in an instant, a complex and indescribable emotion surging through his chest, leaving him somewhat dazed.

After a long time, it seemed he had found a place to stay.

"You can stay at the Leaky Cauldron for a while. Um, you'll also need an owl to contact me."

After Sheen finished speaking, he and Lupin crossed the street and headed toward the Fantastic Beasts Shop.

The shop was small, with cages densely packed on the walls. The air smelled foul and was noisy, as the creatures in the cages were squeaking, chattering, and hissing.

Behind the counter, a witch was instructing a wizard on how to care for a two-tailed salamander, while Lupin bought an owl, and Sheen was looking at the truth serum in his hand.

He prepared a recording brooch so he could ask himself questions.

The Leaky Cauldron.

The second floor.

Sheehan and Lupin followed Tom up a beautiful wooden staircase to a door with the brass number fourteen on it.

This is Sheen's first time visiting the second-floor living area of ​​the Leaky Cauldron.

It looks pretty good.

Inside was a very comfortable bed that looked incredibly comfortable at first glance, several pieces of gleaming oak furniture, and a crackling, cheerful fire burning in the fireplace.

"Put down your luggage, we have to get back to Hogsmeade, Mr. Lupin."

Sheen said.

Lupin placed the box next to the oak wardrobe. The little wizard seemed particularly trustworthy in Tom's eyes; the boss, Tom, even confiscated the Galleons and made room for them first.

The sniffing bag reluctantly spat out a few Galleons, and Tom happily walked away.

"Mr. Green, welcome back next time."

Lupin once thought he was out of touch with the current wizarding world; the little wizard seemed to be quite famous in Diagon Alley.

“I have some shops in Diagon Alley.”

Sheen seemed to see through Lupin's doubts and offered an explanation.

“A promising young man… then, take my hand.”

Lupin reached out and watched as Sheehan drank a peculiar potion that seemed to alleviate the discomfort of apparition... a very special potion he had never seen before.

……

Sheen left Hogsmeade, and Grimm's Bookstore welcomed its new manager.

Beneath that enormous holly tree, adorned with blue and turquoise ribbons, Lupin gazed for a long time in the direction the young wizard had gone.

There, snowflakes drifted down, and the chimney of the Three Brooms Bar billowed steam like a steam train.

The little wizard left a few footprints in the snow, and even walking alone, he exuded a particularly striking aura.

Perhaps it was the understated elegance of the long robe, or perhaps it was the face that the little witches were secretly observing...

In any case, Lupin would admit that this was an exceptionally special wizard.

Lupin rested at the Leaky Cauldron, where he was prone to daydreaming.

The sky outside the window changed rapidly, from a velvety deep blue to a cold gray, and then slowly turned into a pink color interspersed with streaks of gold.

Standing by the window, he still felt a sense of unreality—he had a well-paid job and a place to stay.

Before him lay a brand new day, one that had appeared out of nowhere.

"A special and quirky day."

He gave a self-deprecating laugh and fell asleep, utterly exhausted.

This sleep was even more comfortable than he had imagined.

(End of this chapter)