Ancient Wizards Return to Hogwarts...

Chapter 253 Happy Banban

Ron was utterly astonished: in all his life, this was the first time he had ever seen someone willing to buy their pet mouse.

"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" he asked, puzzled.

"I'm a 'snake,' so it's normal for me to like mice, right?" Rice made a small joke, which made Ron laugh as well.

"No wonder I like all kinds of meat, because I'm a lion," he replied.

Rice wanted to buy Ron's rat, not because he was possessed by the "basilisk," but because after a brief glance, he was astonished to find that there was something wrong with Ron's rat!

It emanated a powerful magical aura! This was clearly no ordinary rat. Combined with the amazing Transfiguration technique Professor McGonagall had demonstrated to them in the first Transfiguration class of the semester, Rice naturally realized that Ron's rat was an Animagus.

This is very interesting: what would make a talented wizard choose to live as a rat? It's possible he had some peculiar quirk, but there's probably some hidden reason.

Rice was familiar with the very advanced Animagus transmutation technique, but he didn't know the incantation. This wasn't because he couldn't learn it, but because he found the incantation rather useless.

The prerequisites were extremely complicated, but the benefits after mastering the spell were pitifully low, so Rice was too lazy to waste his energy learning this kind of magic—he wanted to focus his energy on the magic that would allow them to survive in this terrible world.

The uncontrollable transformation form of the Animagus is a major reason why it is considered useless.

Before the Animagus ritual is completed, you never know what you will become. You might become a tiger, a lion, or a cockroach or a rat. It has something to do with your personality, but there is no absolute rule.

You might think you're a "lion," but you might actually be a "cat."

More importantly, turning into an animal sounds cool, but then what? It's not very practical. The benefits of turning into an animal can all be replaced by magic. Even though wizards who turn into animals are much stronger than ordinary animals, they ultimately give up the wizards' most powerful weapons.

Although he found it useless, Rice never looked down on the spell because it was indeed quite difficult.

This only fueled their curiosity, so Rice decided to buy Ron's mouse.

"It's special." Rice didn't elaborate, but it alerted Banban.

It remained curled up in Ron's arms without making a sound, as if it were asleep. In reality, however, it had completely focused its attention on the conversation between Rice and Ron.

It was ready to escape.

"What's so special about it?" Ron asked, looking completely bewildered. "It just lives a little longer than a regular rat."

"That's what makes it special." Seeing that Ron was completely unaware of the abnormality of his pet mouse, Rice didn't reveal the truth about Scabbers. He simply told Ron that he suspected Scabbers had the blood of some kind of magical creature, or even some kind of undiscovered magical creature.

Ron: ...

He pinched the fat rat in his arms and then determined that it was just an ordinary fat rat.

"You're overthinking it." Ron felt like he had a lot to say, but he didn't know where to begin.

"In short, can I bear to part with it? I am genuinely interested in it."

Daphne chimed in, "Yes, this mouse looks quite extraordinary! Its longevity is its biggest advantage; I'd like to keep it at home."

To Daphne, rats were indeed disgusting, but it was different when Rice seemed really interested in it. She wanted to get her hands on this rat that Rice was so interested in, and then study why.

"Daphne, it might not live as long as you think..." Ron was a little embarrassed because he really couldn't be sure of Scabbers' age. In his memory, Scabbers had lived in his house since he was a child, but was the "Scabbers" from when he was a child really the same "Scabbers" now?

Ron couldn't guarantee anything. After all, Scabbers was given to him by Fred and George, and he wasn't really familiar with the mouse at first.

Upon hearing the name "Daphne," Banban's mind immediately stirred with a different kind of emotion.

One reason he'd been playing the role of a rat for ten years was that he was practically a dead man in the Ministry of Magic's eyes, making it inconvenient for him to show his face, as exposure would trigger uncontrollable risks. Another crucial reason was that he needed firsthand information from the wizarding world; hiding in the Weasley family's house allowed him to receive news of the Dark Lord immediately and then rush to his aid.

That's just the kind of person he is; he always chooses to stand on the side of the strongest. After the Wizarding Wars, Voldemort may have fallen, but he wasn't dead! Unable to return to a normal life, he chose to continue betting on Voldemort and remain in the camp of the strong.

The Greengrass family, to which Daphne belonged, was far more powerful than the Weasleys. In Scabbers' opinion, gathering intelligence with her family was far more efficient than with the Ron family.

The choice is almost effortless; it's simply a matter of hooking up with a rich woman.

Ron was unaware that the "rat" in his arms was already considering switching allegiances, and seeing that Rice and Daphne were resolute, his own thoughts gradually wavered.

"I see, then..."

Seeing Ron soften his stance, Rice, Daphne, and the mouse Scabbers were all delighted. But Ron suddenly felt a pang of reluctance: Scabbers had been with him for so long, sharing a bed every day, and they had developed a bond. If he really handed it over, Rice and the others might use spells on it or make it drink strange potions in their research.

Banban is getting old; she might be worn out by all the stress...

"I'm willing to pay five Galleons; I would never take a friend's things for nothing!" Rice's voice rang in Ron's ears.

"How much?!" Ron looked up abruptly.

"If that doesn't work, I'll ask again—" Rice thought Ron thought his price was too low and was prepared to add more money.

"Deal!" Ron made his decision—how could he stop Bambi from having a better life? He was sure Bambi was living a life of luxury at Rice's, much better than he was living here!

With these five Galleons, plus the little pocket money I've saved, I can totally buy an owl, which is much better than a pet mouse!

And so, Banban was traded to Rice for five Galleons.

As the item was handed to it, a barely perceptible smile flickered across its lips. It didn't notice that Rice was also watching it with a smile.

After taking Banban in his hand, Lesson waved his hand.

See you in Egypt!

"good!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Update delivered. The next update will be a little later.

(End of this chapter)