On Christmas Day, the Gray family enjoyed a grand meal, watched a musical, and took many photos. The old-fashioned camera, a Christmas gift from Ferdinand to Wade, and Fiona's gift of developing solution were put to good use.
"This camera was bought in Diagon Alley; they said it works fine at Hogwarts," Ferdinand said with a smile. "This way you can take pictures of your school life."
"The ice cream parlor owner in Diagon Alley told me that with the right developing solution, the people in the photos move!" Fiona exclaimed excitedly. "So what are we waiting for? Let's take pictures today!"
However, after taking the photos, they realized that even a small task like developing them required a wand, and Wade couldn't use magic at home.
Seeing Fiona's disappointment, Wade suggested, "Actually, we could stay a night at the Leaky Cauldron—there are many adult wizards there. Even if magic is used, the Ministry of Magic can't pinpoint who did it, so you wouldn't get a warning letter."
Fiona was tempted but still shook her head. "Forget it, it would be bad for you if you were caught! Anyway, you'll be going back to school in a few days..."
As she spoke, she grew wistful. Wade hadn't even left, and she was already missing him.
Ferdinand frowned. "Wade, is the Ministry of Magic's enforcement not very precise?"
"For monitoring underage magic, it can only detect a rough area. As for other things—" Wade thought about the Ministry of Magic's increasingly poor performance in the plot, "—other things don't seem very good either."
"Don't underestimate the Ministry of Magic, Wade," Ferdinand warned. "No law enforcement agency isn't a force of power. If you don't take it seriously, you're prone to making wrong judgments."
Wade said earnestly, "I understand, Dad." Indeed, the Ministry of Magic, which he currently looked down upon, could imprison professors under Dumbledore in Azkaban and had the authority to expel Hogwarts students.
This power hadn't diminished much due to the Ministry's bloated, corrupt, and incompetent nature—quite the opposite, incompetent and corrupt people were more likely to abuse their authority.
The next day, the Gray family woke up early because they were going shopping in Diagon Alley, which was bound to take a long time.
They first went to Gringotts to exchange money, Ferdinand having already prepared a heavy pouch.
"Those goblins don't like paper money," he explained to Wade. "If it's paper money, you can only exchange a maximum of 20 Galleons. Coins have a higher limit, but there's no limit with gold. Goblins love gold."
"I don't need that much money, Dad," Wade persuaded. "Hogwarts provides food and lodging; some students manage with just 10 Galleons a year."
"That's because they can only buy second-hand goods, can't buy snacks, and have to save ink," Ferdinand ruffled his hair. "Your flaw, Wade, is being too sensible. Sometimes, you can be a bit more willful."
"And aren't you learning alchemy?" Fiona wiggled her finger. "Don't try to fool me! Even if I don't have magic, I know alchemy must cost a lot of money to learn. Hogwarts can't possibly provide you with unlimited practice materials, can it?"
Wade pursed his lips and said softly, "Thank you, Dad, Mom—I love you."
He had been introverted since childhood, and expressions like "I love you," which were common for other children, were difficult for him to say. Hearing it suddenly, the Grays were both surprised and exchanged glances, unable to help but smile.
"I love you too, darling," Fiona said, her voice gentle as water.
For the rest of the journey, Fiona held Wade's hand tightly.
After exchanging their money for Galleons, Ferdinand left for a moment, and Fiona accompanied Wade to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Hogwarts uniforms were loose robes, and even with Wade growing three centimeters, they still fit. But considering he would definitely continue to grow next semester, Fiona decided to order two more sets of uniforms for him.
"And a set of dress robes," Fiona said while discussing lining styles with Madam Malkin. "A simple style is fine, and don't make the color too flashy; Wade doesn't like that. We need to pick them up by this afternoon at the latest. If not, ready-made will do."
"Dress robes?" Wade, who was standing by as a clothing model, asked.
"Silly question, Wade," Fiona said gently, as if speaking to a child. "Are you planning to wear your school uniform when you go to Professor Morrie's party tomorrow? Oh, you really should have told me earlier, so we could have had a proper one custom-made."
Wade actually thought there was nothing wrong with the Hogwarts robes, and the dress robes displayed in Madam Malkin's shop looked very similar to his school robes anyway.
Of course, he couldn't say that out loud, or Fiona would spend at least a thousand words proving they were worlds apart.
Wade could only obediently keep quiet and listen to Madam Malkin tell his mother, "Don't worry, Mrs. Gray, I guarantee you'll have his new robes by three o'clock this afternoon at the latest. Let's look at the styles for the dress robes first... which color do you prefer? Ah, this color really suits his complexion, your taste is excellent... Any specific requirements for accessories? For boys, nothing too complicated or too much, noble elegance is best..."
"Mom!" Wade couldn't help but interject.
Fiona looked back at her son, and with a regretful sigh at his protesting gaze, she put down the useless but sparkling jewel-encrusted necklaces, bracelets, and rings in her hand. "Just the cufflinks, cufflinks will be fine—nothing else is needed."
Madam Malkin smiled and put away the other items, showing no impatience. She accompanied Fiona in choosing cufflinks for a long time.
After they finally settled on the dress robes, Madam Malkin seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "Dear, surely young Mr. Gray can't wear old shoes with his new dress robes, can he? Would you like to see our latest dragon-hide boots?"
Wade gazed blankly at the ceiling, regretting not bringing a book—he was now hoping for other customers to enter so Madam Malkin would get busy. Otherwise, Fiona could spend the entire day here.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Wade immediately turned his head, only to see Ferdinand entering with a newspaper.
Ferdinand nodded at Wade and asked, "Haven't finished buying clothes yet?"
"Not yet," Wade couldn't help but sigh. "Choosing shoes."
He tried hard to resist the urge to complain to his father.
"Have all the measurements been taken?"
"Finished as soon as we walked in."
"That's good," Ferdinand told his wife. "Fiona, take your time choosing. I'll take Wade to buy other things. You can wait for us here at Madam Malkin's once you've ordered the clothes."
Fiona waved her hand. "Okay. Don't make me wait too long!"
The Gray father and son left. Ferdinand told his son, "I subscribed to the Daily Prophet—I also subscribed to one for you; they'll send it by owl to the school. From now on, you should get used to regularly following political affairs."
Wade nodded.
The father and son walked around Diagon Alley, buying other items in less than half an hour. Wade also specifically noted down the names of several shop owners and product catalogs, so he could purchase needed items by owl when he returned to school.
Especially Potions ingredients—Hogwarts only provided the most basic ones for free. Rare and expensive materials were only provided in small quantities when relevant courses were officially taught, and it was impossible for a young wizard like him to practice freely.
When they returned to the robe shop, Fiona had just finished choosing shoes and was sitting, drinking tea, and flipping through a magazine called Witch Weekly. Hearing the bell at the door, she turned to look and immediately broke into a bright smile.
Wade smiled, but before he could speak, he saw Ferdinand, who had been walking behind him, stride over and ask softly, "Finished shopping? Are you tired?"
Fiona, who hadn't stepped out of the robe shop once, stretched her arms and said, "Yes, shopping is exhausting—what are we having for lunch?"
"Isn't there a nice French restaurant nearby? How about we go there? We could order a foie gras steak and roasted cod..."
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