You Read People So Well!
13: Chapter 13: Dragon Fang!
You Read People So Well!
Ten minutes later.
Thorne and Harry finally stopped in front of a tiny, rundown shop that looked like it might collapse in a strong wind.
The gold lettering on the sign was faded and peeling, but you could still make out the words: Ollivander: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
In the dusty window, on a faded purple cushion, sat a single lonely wand.
Thorne nodded.
“Asking for directions really is the most reliable method.” As he spoke, he glanced down at the few copper Knuts now sitting in his palm.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
“Even if the price was a little steep…” Earlier, when he’d asked a passing witch for help, she’d taken one look at him and decided he was a beggar.
She’d pressed the coins into his hand and given him a heartfelt lecture about finding honest work instead of dragging a child around begging on the streets.
Thorne had been speechless at the time.
But now that he thought about it, with his own patched, soot-stained robes and Harry wearing clothes so oversized they looked like a maternity dress… yeah.
They probably did give off that vibe.
Still, they’d found the right place.
And the map had improved quite a bit.
He could tell from the exploration progress.
Thorne checked his system panel.
The notification was still floating in his vision.
[Ding!] [Current Special Environment exploration has reached 30%.
Reward: Soul Vessel Fragment ×1 has been issued.] [Current Fragments Held: 3] [Current Special Environment: Diagon Alley (42.1%)] “Another Soul Vessel Fragment…” Three pure white fragments had already appeared in his mental space.
Thorne did a quick mental count.
With what he already had, he could fuse two of them right now to increase his soul capacity.
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
They were standing in the middle of the street.
If fusing them made him fly into the air the way it had back in Hallownest, things would get awkward fast.
Better to wait.
Harry, on the other hand, clearly had zero interest in any of that.
The little stag beetle’s eyes were shining as he stared at the wand shop in front of them, excitement written all over his face.
“Professor, let’s go inside already.” “This is the last one… Professor?” Harry looked up.
Thorne’s gaze had already moved past Ollivander’s shop.
He was staring straight across the street at another storefront.
In that shop’s window sat something extremely eye-catching.
A massive tooth.
It was absurdly large and looked vicious.
Thorne’s first instinct was that it had to belong to some kind of large magical creature.
…Like a dragon.
Because honestly, he couldn’t think of any other animal that would grow teeth that ridiculous.
Right then, Thorne suddenly crouched down.
He took the bag of gold Hagrid had given him and placed it directly into Harry’s hands.
“Here, Harry.” “Go into the wand shop first.
Don’t wander off.” “I need to buy something.
I’ll be right back.” Before Harry could react, Thorne had already turned and taken off toward the shop across the street that looked like some kind of bone supplier.
“… ” Harry looked down at the heavy coin purse in his hands, then up at the direction Thorne had disappeared in.
He scratched his head.
For some reason… He felt like he’d just been taken advantage of.
But he quickly shook the thought away and pushed open the old wooden door with hopeful excitement.
— Inside Jim’s Bone Shop.
Apprentice Danny let out a huge yawn and rubbed his sore eyes, staring listlessly at the crowd flowing past outside.
He stretched, bones cracking softly.
“Looks like another slow day…” Danny muttered to himself.
“Might as well close early.
Boss isn’t even here today… If business keeps being this dead, this place really might go under—” He stopped mid-sentence.
A figure had appeared inside the previously empty shop without him noticing.
A man.
The guy hadn’t even glanced at the counter.
He’d walked straight toward the most prominent display in the store.
A huge dragon fang sat there, gleaming cold white under the magical lights.
“Hm?” Danny narrowed his eyes.
He gave the man a quick once-over.
His gaze lingered on the heavily patched, soot-stained robes for a second.
Almost without hesitation, he made his judgment.
Danny stood up and walked over.
“Sir.” “Please wait a moment.” The man seemed to snap out of whatever trance he’d been in.
He blinked, then instinctively tried to smooth down his hair and brush the coal dust off his shoulders.
“Oh, sorry, beetle—no, sir.” He caught himself mid-slip and corrected quickly.
“I was just so fascinated I forgot to say hello.
Actually, I came in because I wanted to—” “I know.” Danny cut him off with a blank expression.
“I’m very good at reading people.” As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, pulled out three copper Knuts, and smoothly slipped them into the man’s patched robe.
“There.
That’s all I’ve got.” The man’s expression froze.
“No, wait, I’m not here to—” “Oh?
Not enough?” Danny shook his head like he’d expected this.
He pulled out a silver Sickle and added it to the pocket as well.
“That’s the absolute maximum.” He paused, then added with a tone that almost sounded like professional respect.
“Still, you’ve got more self-control than most in your line of work.” “Last time we had a werewolf named Remus come in.
Same hesitant walk, same clothes.
Looked exactly like you.” “Five Knuts and he was gone.” Thorne looked down at the coins now sitting in his pocket, then up at the big beetle standing in front of him with that completely matter-of-fact expression.
He fell into a short, stunned silence.
…Wow.
This guy had him pegged as a beggar.
For a moment Thorne genuinely didn’t know whether he should explain first or just reflect on his life choices.
No.
He really did need to get some new clothes as soon as possible.
Otherwise, at this rate, every single shop he walked into was going to start handing him charity money.
That was just… Well.
Actually… not the worst thing in the world?
Thorne shook his head.
Either way, he needed to clear this up right now.
He took a deep breath and made his voice more serious.
“Yes, sir.” “Actually… I’m also very good at reading people.” As he spoke, he reached down and untied the pouch at his waist.
The next second, golden light spilled out from the opening.
The unmistakable glow of Galleons lit up the dim interior of the bone shop.
The big beetle had still been wearing that slightly disdainful look.
But the moment that golden light hit his eyes, his entire face went rigid.
Then his eyes flew wide open.
His wings snapped out with a sharp shhhk.
His whole body lurched forward like he’d been yanked by an invisible string, one hand already reaching out.
Thorne moved fast.
He yanked the pouch shut and retied it.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Well?” Clearly.
A Hogwarts professor’s monthly salary, even converted to cash, still carried serious weight.
The big beetle visibly swallowed.
His throat bobbed.
His wings started vibrating so hard they were almost a blur.
His entire attitude did a complete one-eighty.
“You… really do read people well!”