Evelyn was amused by her “forced to work against her will” expression and got up, walking over to her side.
She helped Nora toss a thick stack of Ministry of Magic Employee Regulations into the “to be dealt with” pile.
“Seriously, are you really planning to reject the Ministry’s invitation?
The position they offered you is trainee inspector in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Countless people would fight tooth and nail for that job.”
“Not going.” Nora shook her head without even thinking, her tone firm and decisive.
“The Ministry of Magic?
That place is the very center of the whirlpool.
Think about it.
In just a few months, the Savior is going to arrive at Hogwarts.
After that, it’ll be the Chamber of Secrets, the Prisoner, the Goblet of Fire… things will get more chaotic year after year.
The Ministry is full of Dumbledore’s and Voldemort’s spies.
Why would I go in there?
To become the cream filling in a sandwich?”
Seeing her friend once again spouting things she could not understand, Evelyn silently shifted her attention back to her nails.
Meanwhile, as Nora spoke, she swiftly packed away everything related to her studies.
There actually were not that many things.
Aside from a few boxes of textbooks and notes, the rest were “treasures” she had brought with her from the Muggle world.
A worn-out Walkman, a battered copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and a few comic pages she had secretly drawn herself.
The protagonist was a wizard version of “Superman” who rode a broomstick.
“Then what kind of job are you looking for?” In the end, Evelyn could not suppress her curiosity and took the initiative to ask again.
“You can’t seriously be planning to do what you said and set up a stall in Knockturn Alley selling magical snacks, right?”
“It’s not that bad.” Nora snorted, bending down to fasten her suitcase shut.
“My goal is to find a relaxed, safe job that keeps me far away from every main storyline.
Ideally, one that lets me save enough money for travel and living expenses in Australia within three years.”
She had planned everything out long ago.
According to her memories of the original story, starting from Harry’s enrollment in 1991, the turbulence in the wizarding world would gradually escalate.
By the Triwizard Tournament in 1994, Voldemort would more or less officially return, and after that would come several years of chaos and war.
So her plan was to find a job in 1991, save enough money before 1994, and then immediately flee to Australia.
That place was far away from the European continent, and supposedly so remote that even owls were too lazy to fly there.
She would stay there for four years.
Once Voldemort was completely finished off in 1998, she would consider whether or not to come back.
Perfect!
“But where would you find such a good job…” Evelyn sighed.
“Either the pay is low, there’s too much work, or, like those shops in Diagon Alley, you have to deal with all kinds of strange customers every day.”
Nora knew this would not be easy either.
Over the past few days, she had already turned down several job offers.
Did she really have to open a little shop in Hogsmeade and sell Muggle snacks?
She touched her chin, feeling that the idea might not be impossible.
It was just a little unworthy of her twelve O’s.
Just then, a light breeze blew through the open window, carrying the scent of wisteria from outside the tower.
It gently lifted a piece of parchment at the corner of the desk.
Nora frowned and walked over, intending to press the paper back down.
But the instant she saw it, she froze.
That was not hers.
Printed on the parchment was an ancient-looking emblem.
It resembled an eagle’s claw spreading its wings while gripping a wand.
Beneath it, written in elegant cursive, was a line of text:
Merlin’s Antique Shop.
In the very center of the page was an invitation letter written in dark-green ink:
“To Miss Nora Fiteska:
“It has come to our attention that you have graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with outstanding results and obtained twelve Outstanding certificates in your NEWTs.
Such an achievement is truly rare.
Our shop is located at 173 Diagon Alley and specializes in the appraisal and sale of antique magical items.
Due to business development needs, we sincerely invite you to take up the position of shop manager.
Job duties: Responsible for daily store operations, item appraisal, and customer reception.
Salary and benefits: 150 Galleons per month, with a year-end bonus calculated separately.
Working hours: 10:00 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m.
daily, with weekends off.
We look forward to your reply.
Respectfully,
Merlin’s Antique Shop”
Nora’s eyes gradually lit up.
One hundred and fifty Galleons a month?
Diagon Alley?
An antique shop?
Shop manager?
Those words circled around in her mind, and the more she thought about them, the more suitable the offer seemed.
First of all, although Diagon Alley had plenty of people, it was mainly a commercial district.
As long as she did not get involved with anything related to Gringotts, she generally would not be dragged into any Dark Magic conflicts.
Second, an antique shop sounded leisurely by nature.
Watching the store every day and appraising a few objects here and there was practically tailor-made for someone like her, who only wanted to lie low and survive.
Lastly, a monthly salary of 150 Galleons was already quite good for a newly graduated wizard.
If she spent frugally, saving enough money to go to Australia in three years should not be a problem.
“Merlin’s Antique Shop…”
Nora turned the parchment over and examined it several times, confirming that there were no strange magical marks on it and no hidden writing either.
“That name is pretty bold.
Aren’t they afraid the real Merlin will show up and cause trouble?”
Evelyn leaned over for a look and said in surprise, “I think I’ve heard of this shop before.
It’s near the end of Diagon Alley.
Supposedly, everything they sell inside is very old, and the owner is an elderly wizard who rarely shows his face.
But why would they suddenly ask you to be the manager?
Do you know how to appraise antiques?”
“A little.”
Nora answered vaguely.
In truth, she knew next to nothing about appraising magical antiques.
However, her seven years at Hogwarts had not been wasted.
She had read quite a few books like An Illustrated Guide to Ancient Magical Objects and A Complete Collection of Medieval Wizarding Artifacts.
Combined with her photographic memory and powerful logical analysis skills, handling ordinary appraisal work should not be a problem.
Most importantly, this job perfectly met all her requirements: leisurely, safe, far from the main plot, and capable of helping her save money.
“This is practically a pie falling from the sky.”
Nora carefully folded the invitation letter and placed it in the pocket close to her body.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and even the off-key tune she was humming became more cheerful.
“Looks like heaven still doesn’t want me to go pick up trash on Wall Street.”
She turned back toward the pile of things she had yet to finish packing, her movements several times faster than before.
Her ice-blue hair traced light, lively arcs through the air.
“Evelyn, help me carry that box of notes downstairs.
I’m going to call a house-elf to help with the luggage!”
“Hey, aren’t you going to confirm whether this shop is reliable first?”
“Who cares if it’s reliable?
I’ll go take a look first!” Nora’s voice had already drifted into the corridor, carrying a long-lost sense of anticipation for the future.
“The worst-case scenario is that I get tricked into washing dishes.
With my abilities, do you really think I’d be afraid of not finding another job?”
Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of Ravenclaw Tower, casting colorful patches of light and shadow across the floor.
The air was filled with the fragrance of wisteria and Nora’s off-key singing.
“Goodbye, Mom.
Tonight I set sail, heading toward Happy Planet…”