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Chapter 30: Hagrid and the Ten-Galleon Unicorn Hair
"So many?"
The owner's voice held a note of surprise.
"I was really torn on a few of these. How about we make a deal, Owner? Three Galleons a book, and I'll take them all. Otherwise, I'll probably have to put a couple back."
"Three Galleons is impossible, but I can give you a small discount," the owner smiled at William, his expression generous. "If you buy all of these, I'll throw in two more for free—were there any books you were reluctant to part with just now? Go pick out two more, they're on me."
*Hiss*—
William sucked in a sharp breath.
Merlin's socks.
Heaven knew how much effort it had taken him to give up on those books just moments ago. Now, being told to choose two more from them, he figured he'd end up bleeding his wallet dry again!
But, that being said, he still dashed back inside and grabbed the three most important books from the ones he'd left behind. If it cost a little extra, so be it. If he had to choose from these three, he wanted them all!
When William ran back out, the bookstore owner wore a knowing smile.
Forty-four Galleons in total—a huge sum. (The price in the previous chapter was slightly modified.)
As William counted out the Galleons one by one, he could practically hear his wallet weeping.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, the shop owner suddenly called out to him.
"Don't be in such a hurry, young man. I have a little something extra for you."
The owner tapped a brick under his rocking chair with his wand, then reached in and pulled out a paper bag, handing it to William.
"Take it. The shop doesn't sell these things; they're just gifts for the occasional visitor."
The paper bag was heavy. If it wasn't filled with bricks, then it likely held three books.
The owner shot William a knowing look, then went back to swaying in his rocking chair.
Tucking the paper bag into his coat, William used a piece of rope he'd gotten from the owner to tie his books together.
With a wave of his wand, the stack of books floated up in front of him. William held the rope like he was holding a balloon, gave the owner a farewell wave, and headed towards the pub.
He had intended to just take a simple stroll for the whole afternoon, but it had ended up lasting until now.
He'd spent the afternoon browsing through random books. Although he had managed to find some useful ones, it had been a significant waste of both time and money.
Hopefully, Old Tom would settle down for a few days now and stop urging him to go out every day.
Although William knew Old Tom was just afraid he'd feel trapped in his room, unable to escape the feeling of being imprisoned, William really couldn't share his current mood with anyone.
Setting aside the confidentiality agreement he had signed with Hogwarts, even if William told Old Tom about the dangers at the school, the man would probably just hope he could start his happy life in the Wizarding World after losing an arm or a leg—after all, broken arms and legs were no big deal in the Wizarding World.
Even if you lost an arm or a leg completely, as long as the wound wasn't contaminated by Dark Magic or something else, William, with his current skill in Potions, could brew a suitable remedy to guarantee the limb grew back completely within a week.
This was also why William was so determined to enter the Wizarding World—once you've seen the ocean, mere water is no longer impressive; after the clouds of Mount Wu, no others are true clouds.
Muggle technology in the nineties was quite advanced, but even thirty years later, there were still too many things Muggle tech couldn't achieve, things that were the stuff of imagination.
Take, for instance, the simplest desire: the pursuit of eternal life.
From ancient times to the present, countless Muggles have longed for immortality. But as a Potion Master who could support himself, William clearly remembered the ultimate achievements of disciplines like Alchemy and Potions.
The Philosopher's Stone.
Using the Philosopher's Stone with a unique potion could create the true Elixir of Life. And the Stone was something someone had actually created, allowing them to live for several hundred years.
It was simply incredible.
One of the ancient emperors William admired most was Qin Shi Huang—and that very emperor had fallen on his quest for immortality.
So, William had read a heap of arguments about whether immortality was good or not, but in the end, he always considered the authors' identities. Were any of them as great as Qin Shi Huang?
No. Then case closed; immortality was probably a very good thing.
As for whether it would be lonely or not, he'd wait until he was immortal to worry about that.
Lost in these rambling thoughts, William made his way back to The Leaky Cauldron.
By now, Old Tom's pub was packed, and there was no food left for him in the kitchen. He could only wait for a midnight snack later, just like the other drunkards.
"I tell you to go for a walk, and you run off to a bookstore. In the end, aren't you just burying your nose in books all the same?"
Old Tom grumbled from behind the bar as he looked at the balloon-like bundle of books. But William just chuckled and bounded up the stairs in two or three steps.
After putting away his books and hiding the paper bag, William locked his door and went back downstairs, finding a seat at the bar.
He had been so focused while reading all afternoon that he hadn't felt a thing, but now that time had passed, he was incredibly thirsty.
He ordered two beers and downed half of the first one before starting to sip slowly.
"William, haven't seen you in a few days! How come you've got time for a drink today?"
The speaker was a Wizard whose name William couldn't remember. He was overly familiar. William had exchanged a few useless words with him on nights when he'd lost track of time reading and came down for a midnight snack.
"Been a bit busy the past few days, couldn't get away. Just got some free time, so here I am."
William spouted nonsense without a second thought—the words spoken in this place had a high alcohol content anyway. Everyone was just here for a laugh; no one took anything seriously.
Nonsense was the perfect accompaniment to alcohol. No one cared how much you were boasting. If the other person paid a bit more attention, they'd know he was staying upstairs at the pub, but clearly, they had no interest in an investigation and just wanted to brag a bit themselves.
"Well, here's to making a fortune!"
The other man laughed and took a swig of his drink.
William smiled in response and took a swig as well.
"By the way, you remember that unicorn you were talking about last time?"
"I remember, I remember," William replied casually, frantically trying to recall what kind of nonsense he'd been spouting.
"Right, didn't you say that in the Muggle world, this creature only approaches—"
He seemed to recall saying something like that, but wasn't that just drunken boasting? A Wizard's legends were a mix of truth and lies, so how could you believe a Muggle's?
"Unicorn tail hair is very expensive, you know that, right?"
"I know, ridiculously expensive!"
"I'm telling you, I found a place where a unicorn might be appearing. If that legend of yours is true, we could make a fortune."
This guy was drunk off his rocker, his boasting didn't even have any logic.
William agreed half-heartedly, "I don't have time recently. Let's research it some more. Next time for sure, next time for sure."
Unicorn hair cost seven Galleons a strand, non-negotiable. Trying to catch a unicorn with a Muggle legend? What a joke! (Note 1)
"Don't be like that, seriously, let's look into it. A unicorn—hic—I really found one."
"What unicorn?"
A huge shadow suddenly loomed over William's side.
It was Hagrid.
He sat down on a chair that had been magically reinforced—and the amazing little thing didn't even make a sound.
Note: In *Half-Blood Prince*, the price is ten Galleons, but isn't it normal for the price of strategic supplies to rise during wartime?
(end of chapter)
"So many?"
The owner's voice held a note of surprise.
"I was really torn on a few of these. How about we make a deal, Owner? Three Galleons a book, and I'll take them all. Otherwise, I'll probably have to put a couple back."
"Three Galleons is impossible, but I can give you a small discount," the owner smiled at William, his expression generous. "If you buy all of these, I'll throw in two more for free—were there any books you were reluctant to part with just now? Go pick out two more, they're on me."
*Hiss*—
William sucked in a sharp breath.
Merlin's socks.
Heaven knew how much effort it had taken him to give up on those books just moments ago. Now, being told to choose two more from them, he figured he'd end up bleeding his wallet dry again!
But, that being said, he still dashed back inside and grabbed the three most important books from the ones he'd left behind. If it cost a little extra, so be it. If he had to choose from these three, he wanted them all!
When William ran back out, the bookstore owner wore a knowing smile.
Forty-four Galleons in total—a huge sum. (The price in the previous chapter was slightly modified.)
As William counted out the Galleons one by one, he could practically hear his wallet weeping.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, the shop owner suddenly called out to him.
"Don't be in such a hurry, young man. I have a little something extra for you."
The owner tapped a brick under his rocking chair with his wand, then reached in and pulled out a paper bag, handing it to William.
"Take it. The shop doesn't sell these things; they're just gifts for the occasional visitor."
The paper bag was heavy. If it wasn't filled with bricks, then it likely held three books.
The owner shot William a knowing look, then went back to swaying in his rocking chair.
Tucking the paper bag into his coat, William used a piece of rope he'd gotten from the owner to tie his books together.
With a wave of his wand, the stack of books floated up in front of him. William held the rope like he was holding a balloon, gave the owner a farewell wave, and headed towards the pub.
He had intended to just take a simple stroll for the whole afternoon, but it had ended up lasting until now.
He'd spent the afternoon browsing through random books. Although he had managed to find some useful ones, it had been a significant waste of both time and money.
Hopefully, Old Tom would settle down for a few days now and stop urging him to go out every day.
Although William knew Old Tom was just afraid he'd feel trapped in his room, unable to escape the feeling of being imprisoned, William really couldn't share his current mood with anyone.
Setting aside the confidentiality agreement he had signed with Hogwarts, even if William told Old Tom about the dangers at the school, the man would probably just hope he could start his happy life in the Wizarding World after losing an arm or a leg—after all, broken arms and legs were no big deal in the Wizarding World.
Even if you lost an arm or a leg completely, as long as the wound wasn't contaminated by Dark Magic or something else, William, with his current skill in Potions, could brew a suitable remedy to guarantee the limb grew back completely within a week.
This was also why William was so determined to enter the Wizarding World—once you've seen the ocean, mere water is no longer impressive; after the clouds of Mount Wu, no others are true clouds.
Muggle technology in the nineties was quite advanced, but even thirty years later, there were still too many things Muggle tech couldn't achieve, things that were the stuff of imagination.
Take, for instance, the simplest desire: the pursuit of eternal life.
From ancient times to the present, countless Muggles have longed for immortality. But as a Potion Master who could support himself, William clearly remembered the ultimate achievements of disciplines like Alchemy and Potions.
The Philosopher's Stone.
Using the Philosopher's Stone with a unique potion could create the true Elixir of Life. And the Stone was something someone had actually created, allowing them to live for several hundred years.
It was simply incredible.
One of the ancient emperors William admired most was Qin Shi Huang—and that very emperor had fallen on his quest for immortality.
So, William had read a heap of arguments about whether immortality was good or not, but in the end, he always considered the authors' identities. Were any of them as great as Qin Shi Huang?
No. Then case closed; immortality was probably a very good thing.
As for whether it would be lonely or not, he'd wait until he was immortal to worry about that.
Lost in these rambling thoughts, William made his way back to The Leaky Cauldron.
By now, Old Tom's pub was packed, and there was no food left for him in the kitchen. He could only wait for a midnight snack later, just like the other drunkards.
"I tell you to go for a walk, and you run off to a bookstore. In the end, aren't you just burying your nose in books all the same?"
Old Tom grumbled from behind the bar as he looked at the balloon-like bundle of books. But William just chuckled and bounded up the stairs in two or three steps.
After putting away his books and hiding the paper bag, William locked his door and went back downstairs, finding a seat at the bar.
He had been so focused while reading all afternoon that he hadn't felt a thing, but now that time had passed, he was incredibly thirsty.
He ordered two beers and downed half of the first one before starting to sip slowly.
"William, haven't seen you in a few days! How come you've got time for a drink today?"
The speaker was a Wizard whose name William couldn't remember. He was overly familiar. William had exchanged a few useless words with him on nights when he'd lost track of time reading and came down for a midnight snack.
"Been a bit busy the past few days, couldn't get away. Just got some free time, so here I am."
William spouted nonsense without a second thought—the words spoken in this place had a high alcohol content anyway. Everyone was just here for a laugh; no one took anything seriously.
Nonsense was the perfect accompaniment to alcohol. No one cared how much you were boasting. If the other person paid a bit more attention, they'd know he was staying upstairs at the pub, but clearly, they had no interest in an investigation and just wanted to brag a bit themselves.
"Well, here's to making a fortune!"
The other man laughed and took a swig of his drink.
William smiled in response and took a swig as well.
"By the way, you remember that unicorn you were talking about last time?"
"I remember, I remember," William replied casually, frantically trying to recall what kind of nonsense he'd been spouting.
"Right, didn't you say that in the Muggle world, this creature only approaches—"
He seemed to recall saying something like that, but wasn't that just drunken boasting? A Wizard's legends were a mix of truth and lies, so how could you believe a Muggle's?
"Unicorn tail hair is very expensive, you know that, right?"
"I know, ridiculously expensive!"
"I'm telling you, I found a place where a unicorn might be appearing. If that legend of yours is true, we could make a fortune."
This guy was drunk off his rocker, his boasting didn't even have any logic.
William agreed half-heartedly, "I don't have time recently. Let's research it some more. Next time for sure, next time for sure."
Unicorn hair cost seven Galleons a strand, non-negotiable. Trying to catch a unicorn with a Muggle legend? What a joke! (Note 1)
"Don't be like that, seriously, let's look into it. A unicorn—hic—I really found one."
"What unicorn?"
A huge shadow suddenly loomed over William's side.
It was Hagrid.
He sat down on a chair that had been magically reinforced—and the amazing little thing didn't even make a sound.
Note: In *Half-Blood Prince*, the price is ten Galleons, but isn't it normal for the price of strategic supplies to rise during wartime?
(end of chapter)
