Hogwarts: Me? Fight Voldemort?

Hermione still doesn't trust Jimmy very much.

Jimmy didn't mind, and pulled out Dumbledore's letter from his suitcase, asking, "Hermione, would you like to come with me to the Sir Merlin's Ball on July 1st? You can be my dance partner."

Hermione looked at the letter, surprised that Jimmy would extend such an invitation so abruptly, and a sudden blush rose to her face.

Jimmy thought Hermione would agree, but she refused, saying, "I'm sorry, I really want to go... but I'm going to visit my grandparents in the countryside with my mom and dad that day."

"Ah! What a pity." Jimmy put away the letter and didn't insist. It seemed that he and an old man would have to go to the awards ceremony.

Hermione closed the book, and said hesitantly, "If you want... I can too."

“No need, you should spend more time with your family, don’t force yourself.” Jimmy said with a smile, “Actually, Dumbledore told me in the letter not to bring a dance partner, but I didn’t want to listen to him.”

"Huh? Why?"

"Hmph! Because my fate is in my own hands, not in Dumbledore's!"

"?"

Chapter 91 The Age When You Don't Like Hardship

The next day, Uncle George drove Jimmy to the Leaky Cauldron, and the two waved goodbye at the entrance.

"Jimmy, you're always welcome at our home."

"Goodbye, Uncle George, I'll come back before school starts."

After saying that, Jimmy, carrying Rocket, turned and went into the Broken Axe Bar.

Leaky Cauldron is still the same old bar; the floors and tables always look dirty, and apart from the light at the counter, the rest of the place is just dark shadows.

The bar was no different from any other day. Jimmy walked up to the counter and greeted Old Tom behind it, "Hey, Old Tom, how's business lately?"

Old Tom, as always, was behind the bar pouring drinks for the customers when he turned around and saw Jimmy. He dramatically spread his arms and shouted, "Look who's here! Jimmy, the little genius of Hogwarts! I knew you'd have your day, you clever lad!"

"Jimmy? Is it Jimmy Blaine?"

"Merlin! Is it really him?"

The few customers in the restaurant instantly became restless. They got up from their dark seats, walked into the light, and shook hands with Jimmy.

"Thank you, Mr. Blaine."

Thank you for everything!

Wait, wait, wait! This shouldn't be happening to me, right?

Old Tom went even further, generously declaring, "Oh, Jimmy, I still remember how eager you were to ask me about magic when you stayed at the Leaky Cauldron. I've reserved that room for you; you can stay there forever for 1 Galleon! Breakfast is free!"

"I don't need a room. Can I put up a sign next to the bar? Just leave it there until the start of the school year."

Jimmy doesn't lack places to stay; he can go anywhere and mooch off other people.

Neville, Ron, Hermione, and even upperclassmen—none of them would refuse his visits. He could eat at each house for a day and still not repeat a single meal until the start of the semester.

"Absolutely!" Old Tom said, spreading his arms wide like an old man playing the accordion.

No one would criticize a young genius who saved more than a dozen wizards from the Crucifixion Curse. Even if Jimmy were to spit in front of the shop, he would just laugh and praise it as a product of wisdom.

However, Jimmy wasn't that extraordinary. After chatting with the enthusiastic guests for a few more minutes, he entered Diagon Alley.

The brick and stone floor remained the same as before, and Diagon Alley was still bustling. In the entire British wizarding world, there were only two commercial streets, and Diagon Alley was the most prosperous, while the other was in Hogsmeade.

The vibrancy of Diagon Alley is not limited to British wizards; wizards from other countries and regions also shop there for unique items characteristic of the British wizarding world.

Jimmy walked deeper into Diagon Alley, past Gringotts, and into Galleons Bank, next to Elegance Wizarding Clothing Store.

This is a pawn shop. In front of the high counter in the lobby, several hunched and slovenly wizards are selling things. He is standing in line behind them.

The fairy-like shop assistant behind the counter quickly finished her business, and it was Jimmy's turn.

The fairy shop assistant sitting on the two-meter-high counter looked down and said to Jimmy below, "Golden Galleon Goods Store, how can I help you?"

Jimmy turned a pebble he brought in from outside into a stone step parallel to the counter. He stepped up to the counter, looked down at the fairy shop assistant, and placed the box in front of the fairy whose expression had suddenly turned gloomy. "I'm here to sell some things. I have a lot, some materials and books."

The fierce-looking fairy shopkeeper clenched her fists so tightly they cracked, but she still stood on tiptoe to look into the box. After quickly confirming the value of the goods, she called over a male witch.

"This way, sir, we need to appraise your goods."

Jimmy walked down the steps and followed the wizard into the next room, where there was also a goblin. These goblins were always keen on collecting all sorts of valuable items.

They took out the items to be sold one by one from the room, appraised them, and placed them aside, while the male wizard, who looked to be in his forties or fifties, recorded the prices.

Jimmy was very dissatisfied with the final price. Even though there was nothing wrong with the magical materials that Quirrell had stored, the fairy's buyback price was still one-third less than the market price.

After much haggling, they finally managed to offer a reasonable price, but even then, the old hag looked like she'd just eaten shit.

After selling his items and leaving the store, Jimmy turned back and gave the fairy behind the counter the middle finger.

That's outrageous! It's so damn outrageous!

Those goblins are the epitome of greed!

He calculated that Quirrell's pile of stuff was worth at least 190 Galleons, but in the end he only got 186 Galleons, 12 Sikor, and 3 Nat.

I've lost about 100 million. I should probably avoid dealing with these monsters in the future. They're more like vampires than Mr. Mamba, who has worked diligently on the Hogwarts Express for over a hundred years.

After selling his goods, Jimmy went straight to the deepest part of Diagon Alley. The shops near the entrance of Diagon Alley had long been sold out, and now only the deepest part of the street had vacant shops.

The landlord he contacted had a house right across from the Diagon Alley coffee shop, next to Malfoy Pharmacy and a broom shop, and more than 300 meters away from the Leaky Cauldron.

He had learned in advance from the letter that the shop was in a bare state and had not been enchanted with a tamper-proof enlargement spell. If a spell needed to be cast, a professional team registered with the Ministry of Magic would have to come; otherwise, it would be illegal.

Since this is a monopoly business, the fees are naturally not small. Expanding a space costs 50 Gallons, and the more rooms there are, the higher the fee will be.

Jimmy meets his landlady at a coffee shop. The landlady is a very stylish old witch named Lia.

"Oh, I didn't expect that the person who wanted to rent my house would be a little wizard."

Jimmy smiled and extended his hand to shake hands with the witch, Lydia. "Hello, Ms. Lydia, I am Jimmy Blaine. As mentioned in the letter, I would like to rent your place to open an alchemy workshop."

He said he emphasized his name because he hoped that Ms. Lia would reduce the rent in recognition of his contribution to healing the Cruciatus Curse in the wizarding world.

Unexpectedly, this Ms. Liya turned out to be a very stingy person.

She opened her mouth slightly and said sharply, "Oh, I know you. You're that little wizard who invented the Crucifixion anti-curse. Of course, as long as you pay the rent, you can do whatever you want except demolish the house."

"I'm just a nobody wizard, could you possibly pay the rent...?"

Even with just a slight hint, Ms. Lia transformed into a true evil witch, shrieking, "Don't even think about it! 100 Galleons, you can't possibly get a discount of 1 Nat from me!"

"Oh?"

Jimmy is now at an age where he doesn't like to suffer. If it were a matter of negotiation, the 100 Galleons wouldn't change, so he wouldn't. But this old witch Lia's insistence on giving way to him made him furious.

So, I rent your shop, work myself to the bone to pay rent, work for you to earn money, and still have to put up with your attitude?

Am I supposed to beg for food on my knees?

If that's the case, then Jimmy really won't rent it anymore. He picked up his suitcase and walked out, saying, "Fine, goodbye forever."

"Where are you going?" Old witch Lia suddenly became anxious when she saw Jimmy was about to leave. "Wait, I can give you a discount of 1 Gallon on the rent."

But Jimmy was determined to prove himself. He wasn't a dog who could be summoned and dismissed at will. Without a second's hesitation, he took Rocket and left the room.

If it were a child, like a silly boy like Draco, Jimmy might be more tolerant. But with the old witch's attitude, whoever wants to rent can rent it. If they can't find one, they can always go to Hogsmeade.

"Mr. Jimmy Blaine, please wait!"

Just as he stepped out of the coffee shop, intending to wander around and see where there were still shops for rent, someone suddenly called out to him from the coffee shop behind him. It was a man's voice.

Chapter 92 Lucius Malfoy

Jimmy turned around at the sound and saw someone he never expected.

The newcomer had long blond hair, was very tall, wore a black cloak, carried a "civilized" cane, and wore shiny leather shoes. He had the appearance of a refined scoundrel, with a very polite yet slightly hostile smile on his face. It was obvious at a glance that he was a refined scoundrel.

“Jimmy Blaine—sir.” The man walked up to Jimmy, bowing slightly due to the height difference, and extended his white-gloved right hand to Jimmy, saying, “Let me introduce myself, Lucius Malfoy, Draco’s father.”

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy, is there something you need?"

Jimmy also sized up Lucius. This old scoundrel was much better at acting than that old witch. Even if he disliked him, he wouldn't show it on the surface.

This is much better. Business is business, so let's give each other a way out and communicate in a pleasant and civilized way without tearing each other apart.

Their hands clasped together, and Jimmy immediately felt the other man exerting a slight force, though the force quickly dissipated.

Lucius Malfoy, still wearing a polite smile, pointed behind Jimmy and said, "Actually, I overheard you wanting to rent a shop in the coffee shop? I can help you with that. If you're interested, we can go there and talk."

Jimmy looked back and saw that Lucius Malfoy was referring to Malfoy Pharmaceuticals, which was diagonally opposite the coffee shop.

The storefront was wide open, but the inside was deserted, with only one formally dressed employee sitting behind the counter.

The shop's decor has a rustic and elegant feel that suits the style of wizards, but there are many samples of materials and potions displayed on both sides of the shop, which are sealed in the window for customers to see.

Malfoy Pharmacy is a wholesale business of magical materials and finished potions. According to the signboard, they also have many exclusive potions from Potions Master Severus Snape.

It's normal for the storefront to be deserted since they don't do retail business.

At this moment, Malfoy invited him, and he wasn't sure if it was to talk about the storefront, but since he couldn't find a second storefront to rent right now, he decided to go in and talk to Draco's father.

"So good!"

Jimmy also made a gesture of invitation, which was a sign of mutual courtesy in doing things together.

"Please." Lucius led the way without ceremony, taking Jimmy inside the Malfoy Pharmaceuticals storefront.

He didn't greet the store's employees, but instead walked straight through the lobby and led Jimmy into the staircase leading to the back room.

Going up the stairs, there is a spacious living area with traces of life, and an office piled with parchment.

The two walked through the rooms on both sides of the corridor and finally arrived at the reception room at the end of the corridor, where the window faced the street.

Upon entering the reception room, Lucius immediately tapped the wooden floor with his cane, as if the room were coming to life.

The fully automatic tea set on the coffee table immediately started brewing black tea, and the cabinet on the first floor was neatly arranged with pastries. Even the distance between the sofa and the coffee table was automatically adjusted to be the most suitable for Jimmy's height.

Rich people really can live well no matter where they go. Jimmy looked at the luxurious decorations and alchemical items in the reception room and felt extremely envious.

I'll have to get a set of automatic furniture sooner or later, and I'll also build a big house!

Lucius Malfoy had already hung his cloak on the coat rack and left his cane by the wall.

He personally walked over to the brewed black tea, picked up the teapot, and poured the orange-red tea into the cup in front of Jimmy.