great-warnovel Chapter 124 The Golden Hall
Chapter 124 The Golden Hall
Chapter 124 The Golden Hall
Judging from the atmosphere, Beauxbatons didn't seem to care much about the two students' lives, because they were still in the mood to give Hogwarts students and teachers a 20% discount.
For them, losing two students is probably more like a farmer losing two sheep. If they can find them, they'll look for them; if not, they'll let it go. Rather than wasting time on this, they might as well take this opportunity to offer discounts and make a quick buck at Hogwarts.
Therefore, Professor McGonagall did not rush to put in the effort for Hogwarts. She simply ensured that there would always be a professor involved in the search for the other school, but the professors needed to complete their own course schedules, so they would try to have available professors take turns to help.
The Hogwarts students didn't care much. The castle was very secure, and the basilisk couldn't possibly climb up there. They preferred to talk about the half-giant headmistress or Beauxbatons' shopping list.
In fact, Hermione was also preparing for this. She had last year's royalties and a sum of money that Professor Lily had given her at the end of the summer vacation, although Hermione felt unworthy of it.
These Galleons add up to a considerable amount. Apart from spending some during my summer trip to Malfoy Castle, I had saved most of them. This time, I could take advantage of the opportunity to buy some things using the Beauxbatons carriage.
Professor Lily hasn't made much progress in exploring perfumery ingredients, as she's been too busy and her research leans more towards potions. The silver teardrop shells needed for the invigorating incense are actually closer to the realm of alchemy, and Hermione plans to see if the alchemy sweatshop has any usable items.
And Christmas is just over a month away, so I need to plan ahead and prepare gifts for everyone I know. Last year I was broke, and even the incense I gave to the professors was bought with Hogwarts wool. I don't need to be so stingy this year.
Ron and Neville, like her, had the start-up funds given by Professor Lily, but Harry was the only one whose mother kept a tight rein on him.
However, in order to go shopping with his friends, he pestered Mrs. Potter for an entire afternoon and finally got his allowance.
They were considered a relatively wealthy group within the school. Even the children from other wizarding families were mostly like the Weasley twins, whose families didn't give them money. They only had a little bit of money they had saved up during the summer holidays, since they usually didn't have any way to spend money at school.
On the contrary, Muggle children, during their summer study abroad trips, were able to earn some money, whether it was from the salary given by the professor, from hunting aberrant beasts to sell, or simply from working in Malfoy Castle. They could save some money and became rich. Many wizarding families' children even had to borrow money from them.
"I promise I'll return it to you after Christmas! You know we'll be home for Christmas!" Fred said to Hermione with such certainty. Of course, even if it was just out of kindness that he lent her the book, she wouldn't refuse.
She hadn't really grasped the value of her royalties before, especially since Malfoy Castle had paid out a million in compensation, which made her think that Galleons weren't that powerful. But in reality, these little golden things were worth more than before the war. Two hundred Galleons would be enough to tempt a dark wizard to kill her and rob her on the way.
She didn't think it was worth spending so much money on gifts for her friends, so lending some to Fred and the others was fine.
The next afternoon, as soon as classes ended, many students rushed to the Beauxbatons carriage, but Hermione leisurely finished her meal in the Great Hall before setting off refreshed. After all, nothing was more important than eating, and besides, she could also enjoy Harry's impatient and restless state.
When they arrived at the carriage, some students had already finished shopping and were carrying their exquisite little bags back home. Judging from their expressions, they were clearly very satisfied with Beauxbatons' products.
The pale blue carriage, which resembled a house, had now been unloaded of its Pegasus and stabilized with several pillar-like wooden supports. A widened and thickened staircase, covered with a red carpet, extended down from the carriage door. Above the entrance hung the Beauxbatons school emblem. Two beautiful girls in exquisite light blue silk dresses stood at the door to greet guests with perfect smiles.
"They look only a little older than us, probably not even in fifth grade," Ron whispered.
"If I remember correctly, the carriages opened this morning, so that means they've been standing there until now?" Harry whispered. "But there weren't many people this morning."
As they talked, the four of them boarded the carriage.
The interior space was obviously much larger than it appeared from the outside. Beauxbatons generously unleashed countless layers of the Unfathomable Strength Spell, and stepping into the carriage felt like entering a French palace.
The ceiling is a circular, openwork glass dome, enchanted to reveal a clear sky and even birds flying by. Some tree shadows extend through the glass, making one feel as if they are in a jungle. Brilliant but not glaring sunlight filters through the gaps in the trees, bringing a touch of warmth. However, these are all magical illusions.
The interior of the carriage was like a huge marketplace. Apart from the floor they had entered, there were three floors above and three floors below, each nearly five meters high, with shops stretching out. This was only what they saw upon entering; looking along the wide walkway, they couldn't see the end of it. Hermione suspected that this place could fit the entire New Diagon Alley.
The Hogwarts students were scattered among them, making the place seem sparse and deserted. Beauxbatons even went so far as to provide each group of students with a sales assistant, and it was clear that these sales assistants were students of similar age to them.
"Hello, I am Fleur Delacour, a fifth-year student in the Sales Department at Beauxbatons. I will be showing you around the entire Golden Hall." A slightly hoarse female voice interrupted their gaze, and standing before them was a stunningly beautiful upperclassman.
The three boys were stunned for a moment, but they were still young, so they were only amazed by her beauty and quickly came to their senses.
"Hello, senior, is this hall called the Golden Hall?" Harry looked around. Indeed, with its extremely luxurious decorations, it could certainly be called the Golden Hall.
"Do you provide a sales assistant for every guest?" Ron was a little surprised, since Beauxbatons clearly didn't have as many students as Hogwarts.
Hibiscus smiled, looking even more beautiful: "Normally, only distinguished guests have dedicated sales assistants. However, since we are not officially open for business yet and are only serving Hogwarts students and teachers, we can indeed provide guidance to each group of guests."
"It's really impolite to talk here. Let's walk and talk, and I'll explain this amazing carriage to you."
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