Chapter 013: The Gift (Part I)

Unprepared, Harry let out a cry of pain and stared at his sister fiercely, blaming her for her pranks.

But Catherine ignored him, and the rose, which had sucked Harry's blood and magic, began to change from the inside out, from light to dark, as before, until the fifth petal turned bloody. The box then opens again to reveal a ring with a five-petaled blood rose, and a string of golden characters similar to the one before emerges from the lid:

My descendant, Harry James Potter, congratulations on receiving the five-petal Blood Rose Ring, which you can wear on your hand so that you can always inherit the family legacy.

"As soon as you put on the ring," Catherine said earnestly, picking it up and placing it in Harry's hand, "the information about the family heritage will automatically break into your mind, like a fast-playing movie, and you have to try to remember, the more the merrier, you know?" ”

Harry thought for a moment, nodded, and carefully put the ring on his left hand, the ring shrank suddenly, and Catherine saw Harry close his eyes in pain, and his body began to tremble slightly, and he held on for more than half a minute, Harry finally opened his eyes and gasped sharply, Catherine stroked his back to make him more comfortable.

"How long did I hold out?" Harry gasped.

"More than half a minute."

"Oh my God, more than half a minute is so hard, how can you manage to hold on for so long, ten minutes?" Harry exclaimed.

"I don't know." Catherine thought to herself that it must be because she had never forgotten it.

"Sure enough, it faded!" At Harry's call, Catherine saw that the ring on his hand had turned into a five-petaled white rose.

"It's okay, as long as you remember it again, the color of the ring will become darker." Catherine comforted that it seemed that the inheritance was also counted, "Let's go, they should be very worried." ”

"What about this box?" Harry pressed his chest and straightened up and asked, "Put it back where it was?" ”

Catherine thought for a moment and nodded, and as soon as Harry buried the box back in the money pile, the two of them left the vault.

Ron and the Granger family, who were waiting outside, were already in a hurry, and they couldn't see the two children, only the voices they heard, which made them want to rush in to find out, but the goblin was very dedicated.

Seeing that Catherine and Harry were finally willing to come out, the others finally breathed a sigh of relief, naturally complained, Harry hurriedly said the reason, which immediately attracted Ron's exclamation, Hermione couldn't help but curiously pull Harry's left hand and look carefully, but couldn't see a trace of it, wanted to see Catherine, but found that there was only a ring wrapped around the leaves on the middle finger of her left hand, thinking of Catherine's concealment of her background, Hermione immediately shut up and interrupted Ron's questioning.

Harry, though a little confused by the inheritance information, quickly sensed the swagger of the ring at Hermione's signal, and after closing his eyes and searching for a while, he learned how to hide it like Catherine.

Catherine hadn't spoken since she came out, just staring at the goblin who was busy with his duties, and it seemed that he didn't have the slightest interest in the topic of rings, but his behavior of allowing Catherine to enter the Potter family vault at will showed that he was pretending to be deaf and dumb.

Catherine realized that her knowledge of the natives of the wizarding world except for wizards was only a brief introduction, which was obviously a huge mistake.

By the time they got back to the lobby, the others had been waiting impatiently, so they gave another explanation, surprise, and admonition, and then they parted on the marble steps.

Percy mutters about buying a new quill, the twins see their friend Lee Jordan, Arthur insists on taking the Granger couple to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink, and Molly is going to take Ginny to a store that sells old robes, but Catherine and Hermione sneak Ginny away while the others are not looking, leaving only the sluggish Ron to be caught by his mother, and although Harry is reluctant to follow the adults, he ends up suffering with his good brother.

"Catherine, Hermione, where are we going now?" Ginny, who had left her mother's side for the first time, excitedly asked the two senior sisters.

"I'll take you to pick out a wand, of course." Catherine pulled her through the crowd.

"But I didn't—I didn't bring any money!" Ginny said with a red face.

"It's a birthday gift." The girls came to the door of Ollivander's shop.

"Thank you!" Ginny's face was filled with anticipation.

"Huh?" Hermione asked, "When is Ginny's birthday?" ”

"August 11th."

"Ahh Then I'll have to give you a birthday present. Despite the little girl's objections, Hermione asked her classmates directly, "Catherine, what do you think I should give?" ”

"How's the robe?" Catherine pushed the door open.

"Good idea." Hermione clapped her hands vigorously and pushed Ginny into the store.

"New students, huh?" Ollivander, who popped out of the back of the shop, began to show his superior ability to read people, "Red hair, the youngest child of the Weasleys - Ginny Weasley, come on, let me see." As he spoke, he pulled out his tape measure, "Which arm do you use to make your wand?" ”

"Right hand, sir."

Twenty minutes later, they left Ollivanders.

"Thank you, Catherine, I never thought I'd be able to bring a new wand to school, you know, the things Ron used to go to school were old." Ginny said excitedly holding the wand box.

"Speaking of Ron, Harry asked me to buy him a Chadri artillery uniform as a birthday present," Catherine asked, "and I should buy one too, but I don't know what to buy?" ”

"I think a book called 'How to Study Well' would be a perfect fit for him." Hermione said seriously.

"Great idea!" Catherine almost burst out laughing, "Then I'll give him a set of stationery, hoping that he can write better." ”

When they walked into the Quidditch boutique to buy a Chadri artillery uniform, they accidentally bumped into Malfoys and their sons. Although the three girls were not seen because of the heavy crowd, Catherine gave Hermione a look and walked over to greet them alone.

"I didn't expect to meet again so soon." Catherine greeted them with a smile.

Lucius only nodded to her, and Draco excitedly pulled her to the counter, pointing to the ornamented light wheel "2001" and said, "My dad just agreed to sponsor seven light wheels '2001' for our team, and we're definitely going to beat Gryffindor this year." ”

"Count me in." Catherine took out her checkbook and swiped it and filled in a string of numbers.

"This—" Draco looked back at his father in amazement, but Lucius had no intention of objecting, he was staring at the ring that had suddenly appeared on Catherine's left hand.

"I think it's best to send the broom directly to the team's house," Catherine handed the filled check to the clerk who entertained them, "so they can master the performance of the new broom, don't you think?" Draco. ”

"Well, yes, you're right." Draco hurriedly grabbed a piece of parchment from the counter and wrote the names of the team members.

"I remember saying on Halloween last year that I'm not going to be a Seeker this year." Catherine looked up at the other items on the counter.

"But your skills are so good." Draco hesitated.

"Don't tell me—" Catherine looked back lazily, "you don't want to be a Seeker." ”

"But—" Draco was about to say something, but Catherine interrupted with a wave of his hand.

"I don't have any free time to train this year." Catherine smiled and greeted him and Lucius again, "Sorry, it's time for me to go." ”

"Oh! Good bye. Draco's gaze followed Catherine's departure, frowning at the sight of the other two girls who had left with her.

Lucius didn't say anything about the conversation between the two children from beginning to end, and it wasn't until he found out his son's displeasure that he said, "Don't think about it, she really didn't have time to participate in training this year." ”

Draco was puzzled, but when he saw his father's serious eyes, he had to cross Catherine's name off the list.

As soon as they met, Catherine asked about the price of the robes, and Hermione only answered the number, and did not make any inquiries, as if Catherine had not left just now, and continued to discuss with her what to buy next, Ginny was very puzzled by this, but seeing that the topic had changed, she could only follow them to Lady Morkin's robes store.

"Oh! Catherine! As soon as she entered, Mrs. Morkin complained to Catherine, "If you don't come again, I'll have to consider whether I should come and collect the debt myself." ”

"You wanted to come here when you informed me, but considering that you had an appointment with Hermione today," Catherine introduced her friend to Lady Morkin, "and I didn't come here until today, sorry to worry you." ”

"It's funny, although Mr. Snape has a bad temper, his character is commendable, how can his junior disciple not pay his debts!" Mrs. Morkin handed over the guests to her assistant, and she warmly came over to entertain the three girls, "Is this the best first-year wizard of last year, Miss Hermione Granger?" ”

"Huh? You know me? Hermione's face was full of surprise.

"Miss Granger, as a good friend of Miss Catherine and Mr. Potter, is naturally known to everyone!" Mrs. Morkin's words made Hermione's face flush suddenly.

"This one is Ginny Weasley." Catherine diverted the conversation at the right time.

"Weasley's little girl, this year's freshman, right?" Madame Morkin didn't show any disdain, but quickly summoned another assistant, "I'm sorry I can't entertain you personally, I have to take Catherine to try on her custom-made clothes." ”

"It's all right, Mrs. Morkin." Ginny's face also turned red, she never thought that she had been apologized by a shopkeeper, looking at Catherine who had left with Mrs. Morkin, she couldn't help but whisper to Hermione, "Catherine is so mysterious! ”

"Mystery is the safest mask in Slytherin, because ignorance is the most feared." Hermione explained with a Slytherin precept.

"It's hard to believe she's a Slytherin." Ginny hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Of course she's a Slytherin, otherwise Professor Snape would spoil her like that." Hermione said with a smile.