A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 338: The Branch Store

The next morning, Felix Harp entered the Leaky Cauldron with a somewhat lethargic Snuffles by his side. He was about to reexamine the interior of the hidden chamber based on the residual magical traces. Also accompanying him was the house-elf Gernook. Felix noticed that Gernook hadn't mentioned the theft of the gemstone, so he gave Snuffles a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Seems like the lessons had paid off; Snuffles hadn't pocketed a gemstone for himself. But there was no room for complacency in the days ahead. Whether it was the Quidditch World Cup, the Magical Lamp Exhibition, visiting Beauxbatons, or returning to Hogwarts, these were all places of risk.

Clementine took Hermione to explore the city center of Cairo. "I'm taking you to see the Pharaoh's Museum. It has a lot of things made by wizards, though the locals don't know..."

Hermione was highly intrigued. "I've read about this museum in books. There should be the Obelisk nearby, right?"

"What's that?"

"A pointed pillar, a monument the ancient Egyptians built to honor their sun god. I've seen them in France and London, but Egypt is where the Obelisks originated, so they should be different."

Clementine pondered for a moment. "I'm not too sure, but I can ask around for you."

They enjoyed themselves thoroughly for two days. During the day, they visited various attractions. Clementine was familiar with the magical stations within Cairo, and Hermione had absorbed a plethora of information from her books. They took turns choosing locations to explore and had a great time.

As evening approached, Hermione joined Felix to learn the Golden Flame magic. Felix advised her, "You have enough self-control to attempt arranging runic sequences in private, but formal casting should wait until after the school starts."

On the third day, they returned to Diagon Alley in London. Clementine also followed, using the excuse of not wanting to be alone with the greedy Gernook. She took a break from work to enjoy the World Cup. But as soon as they arrived at Diagon Alley, she disappeared into the headquarters of the Future World Company and didn't come out.

The Future World Company was bustling lately because it had finally opened a branch in Diagon Alley, selling merchandise to the public. Lu Ping had paid a hefty rent and secured the rights to the shop for the next two years. The store was located not far from Ollivanders Wand Shop.

This shop currently sold only one type of product magical lamps, all sorts of them. When Sirius and Harry came to Diagon Alley to buy books, their attention was immediately captured by two imposing dragon-shaped magical lamps at the storefront. They approached, and the vertical poster outside the shop showcased various other styles of magical lamps, incredibly eye-catching.

A young, blond shop attendant maintained order at the entrance. Harry and Sirius entered the shop, finding rows of shelves displaying magical lamps of various designs within translucent boxes. Additionally, the magical lamps that had appeared on the posters were floating in mid-air, easily reachable.

A young boy reached up to touch the dragon above his head but found himself unable to. His father lifted him, and the boy struggled frantically. Anxious and embarrassed, he exclaimed, "I'm starting school this year!"

"Dennis" The father was about to speak when the dragon-shaped magical lamp above them emitted a fan-shaped light, startling them.

Harry also spotted Luna, who had her back turned to them. She was wearing a very conspicuous bright yellow robe and was examining an exquisite box. Inside the box were twelve palm-sized magical lamp dolls, even cuter in design, resembling something he had seen in an animated film.

"Luna," he greeted.

"Oh, Harry," Luna turned around, looking surprised, holding a small eagle with short wings in her hand. "Are you shopping for the World Cup too? I had a feeling I would run into some familiar faces today."

Harry examined her, sensing something off. "Where's your Dirigible Plum earring?"

"It's at home," Luna regretfully replied. She then turned and grabbed the arm of a wizard next to her, who was fixated on a purple-patterned item on the shelf. "Dad"

The middle-aged wizard, Luna's father Xenophilius Lovegood, turned around. A silver pendant hanging around his neck swayed on his chest. "What is it, dear?"

"Can we take it home?" She raised the palm-sized eagle in her hand.

"Oh, not a good idea," Xenophilius frowned, his gaze shifting between the eagle and the box. His cotton candy-like white hair billowed on his shoulders. "I think it's not advisable... separating them might disrupt some mysterious connection between them."

And so, Harry watched as Luna happily held the box containing twelve magical lamp dolls, ready to pay at the counter.

"Goodbye until the World Cup, Harry."

Luna waved at him, and Harry waved back. As father and daughter passed by Sirius, Xenophilius Lovegood stopped, his gaze fixed on Sirius's face. Sirius became a bit impatient, but he didn't say much. People giving him strange looks had become all too common on this journey.

However, Xenophilius had been staring at him for quite a while. Luna moved the box to the other side, engaging in conversation with Harry. She asked earnestly, "Have you seen Hermione? I need to talk to her."

"Not" Harry hurriedly replied, glancing at Sirius. The atmosphere was getting tense.

Xenophilius leaned in, his shallow silver eyes locking onto Sirius's face. He showed his teeth, his voice dripping with mystery, "Are you Boddyman?"

"Bodwhat?" Sirius's eyes widened.

"The lead singer of the Naughty Nifflers, the chubby Boddyman, who was quite famous a decade ago." Xenophilius whispered, "Sirius must be your alias, right?"

Sirius stared back blankly, "No." He said with a strained voice. Xenophilius left with a disappointed expression, seemingly taken aback by something.

Harry stood by, chuckling, tears almost welling up. "Short, chubby Boddyman... was he talking about you?"

Sirius playfully tapped the back of his head, saying thoughtfully, "A whole family of Ravenclaws? I always thought there were peculiar folks in that house."

"They are an exception, just a bit quirky," Harry defended Luna.

Sirius said grumpily, "You just asked that girl about her Dirigible Plum earring."

...

Future World Company Headquarters.

"What's this?" Lupin held a golden stick with a straight shaft and a dog's head-shaped handle.

"The Pharaoh's scepter," Felix flipped through various forms.

"What's it for?" Lupin asked with curiosity. Was it some new product that suddenly leaped up to hit people on the head? He shook his head, pushing that thought aside. He'd been talking to the Weasley twins too much these days, and he felt a bit off.

"A souvenir from Egypt, you can have it if you like." Felix remarked casually.

"Never mind, maybe Sirius will like it, um, or Valen..." Lupin handed the scepter to Snuffles, who was eagerly watching from the desk, then shifted the topic to Clementine. "What's the deal with that girl? Are you fond of her too, planning to mentor her like the Weasley twins?"

Felix pondered for a moment. "They're different. Villiers is likely to stay on. Currently, it's more like a pre-employment assessment. She needs to firm up her determination."

Lupin nodded knowingly. "I'll make things convenient for her."

Felix added, "Villiers is quite fond of ancient runic languages. Given more time, her achievements could be quite remarkable."

Lupin chuckled, "So, you're planning to recruit a long-term apprentice."

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