Chapter 61: Buying a Mouse Is of Course to Feed the Owl

To keep Harry Potter from stubbornly running off on his own, Leonard had no choice but to take him along for a stroll through Diagon Alley.

Walking with Harry didn’t feel dramatic at all—no one screamed, rushed over for photos, or begged for an autograph. In fact, hardly anyone realized this little boy was the savior who had defeated Voldemort. And Harry himself wasn’t arrogant or spoiled by his fame. After years of struggling just to survive in his aunt and uncle’s house, he was used to being ignored.

Right now, he only felt free and at ease. After spending days locked in his room studying magic around the clock, getting out with a friend to wander the shops felt amazing. Morning was the busiest time in Diagon Alley, with most shops already open. That was when Leonard’s suffering began.

“Look, Leonard, that’s the Quidditch shop! I heard Quidditch is wizards’ favorite sport!”

“It’s a candy shop! I’ve never been to one here. Want to check it out, Leonard?”

“What’s this shop? Ugh… it stinks. Hey, Leonard, is that shopkeeper waving at you? Should we go in?”

“Leonard…”

“…Leonard.”

...

Leonard regretted it. He never should have brought Harry Potter to Diagon Alley—it was far too noisy. He understood Harry’s excitement, though. Growing up with almost no friends, Harry had developed the habit of treating anyone who showed him kindness as a true friend.

Luckily, Harry still knew when to stop. After Leonard firmly refused to visit the candy shop, ice cream parlor, and apothecary, Harry didn’t insist. He just happily tagged along. He looked like the silly young master of a rich family.

The two of them dawdled for over twenty minutes before finally crossing the crowded district and reaching the Magical Creatures shop. Even before spotting the sign for the Magical Menagerie, a foul stench hit them.

“This place really stinks,” Harry said, holding his nose.

“Animal shops are all like this,” Leonard replied, glancing around.

At the entrance, several Magical Creatures were on display: turtles with jewel-encrusted shells, giant orange snails, fluffy stuffed-animal-like creatures of unknown species, rabbits with rubbery elastic bodies, cats in all colors, and large gray-black rats. Leonard nodded in approval at the sight of the rats.

Harry stared curiously at the animals, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to touch them.

“Don’t touch. They could be poisonous,” Leonard warned, noticing The Chosen One’s restless hands.

“You’re quite right,” said a man emerging from the shop. Dressed in a linen robe, he looked to be in his thirties or forties, slightly plump, with a kindly expression. “Many Magical Creatures can be dangerous. Best not to touch ones you don’t recognize, even if they seem friendly.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Harry said politely.

“You’re welcome.” The man smiled, but then his gaze landed on Harry’s face. The sudden shift in his expression gave Leonard a bad feeling…

Sure enough, the man’s expression grew far more animated.

“By Merlin’s beard, you're Harry Potter!” the man exclaimed excitedly, bowing slightly. “It's an honor to meet you. I'm the owner of this shop, Burton Felim.”

“Hello, Mr. Felim. I'm Harry Potter, and this is my friend Leonard William,” Harry Potter replied.

The two began chatting cheerfully, leaving Leonard, who had genuinely intended to shop, exasperatedly rubbing his temples. The title of “The Chosen One” sure was troublesome.

After talking with Harry Potter for a while, shopkeeper Felim finally noticed the other person. He gave Leonard an apologetic nod. “My apologies, I got a bit carried away. Are you two here to buy Magical Creatures as pets?”

“Leonard is the one shopping,” Harry Potter replied, turning to Leonard. “What are you looking for, Leonard?”

“How much are the rats?” Leonard asked, pointing to a cage filled with black rodents.

“You want to buy rats?” Harry Potter bent down to examine the cage. Though the rats were relatively clean, the idea of keeping such vermin as pets was rather unsettling.

“These are perfectly healthy little creatures, thirteen Sickles each. But since you're Harry Potter's friend, I'll give you a discount—ten Sickles,” Felim said generously.

Harry Potter felt a bit embarrassed by the offer. Just as he was about to thank him, Leonard's calm voice cut in.

“If I buy more, can I get another discount?”

“Buy more? How many do you want?” Felim asked, puzzled.

“Let's start with twelve,” Leonard said after a moment's thought.

Twelve would be divided into three groups for a rough control experiment: one as a blank control, one given regular aconite, and one given enhanced aconite berries, to compare the toxicity of the enhanced berries.

“Leonard, what do you need so many rats for?” Harry Potter asked in surprise.

The sheer number of rodents, even caged, made his scalp crawl.

Before Leonard could answer, Felim chimed in. “Oh, you're conducting potion experiments, I see? Seems you're a diligent young wizard.” Felim showed no shock at the quantity. Wizards typically kept rodents or toads for potion experimentation; very few actually treated them as pets.

“No.” Leonard disliked others guessing his intentions. “Actually, I bought them to feed my owl. Compared to the dried rodent feed from Eeylops Owl Emporium, I think live rodents are healthier.”

“Oh...” Felim froze for a moment before finally managing, “Sounds good.”

Feeding an owl?

Harry Potter immediately thought of his own Hedwig. He seemed to have been feeding his owl nuts all along—that couldn't be good.

“Then give me ten too,” Harry Potter said. “I think it's time to change my owl's diet as well.”

“Alright then.” Felim looked utterly bewildered as he retrieved the mice from the cage, momentarily questioning whether he was actually selling animals or feed.

...

After purchasing the mice, Leonard stopped by Jigger's shop on the way back to buy a fresh aconite plant. Carrying the cage, he returned to the Leaky Cauldron with Harry Potter.

At the room’s entrance, after bidding Harry Potter farewell, Leonard set the mice aside and prepared to begin his experiment.