Chapter 178 The Return Journey

Chapter 178 The Return Journey

As Henry walked back to the bookstore entrance, Mrs. Weasley came out after paying her bill.

She was carrying large and small bags, with a satisfied smile on her face.

The packages looked quite heavy, the brown paper bags were bulging, and in some places the corners of the books inside were dented, but she carried them very steadily, which was obviously the strength she had developed from years of doing housework.

"Henry!" she called out as soon as she saw him. "Where have you been? I was just looking for you!"

'

"Just browsing," Henry said with a smile, stepping forward. "Diagon Alley is quite interesting."

Mrs. Weasley nodded and switched the bags she was carrying to the other hand.

"Of course, the first time I came here, I spent a long time shopping, I almost wanted to bring the whole street home." She looked at the bags in her hands, then at Henry's empty hands. "By the way, have you bought everything? Do you need me to help you see if you need anything else? We have a lot of kids in our family, I have experience, I know what things are essential and what can be made do with."

"All bought," Henry said. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley laughed: "You're much easier to take care of than the rest of our family."

George and Fred appeared from the side, each carrying several bags. George's bag was bulging, its contents unclear; Fred's bag looked lighter, but its shape was strange, resembling a bent wooden stick.

"Your Highness!" George's eyes gleamed with excitement. "We just saw a really interesting shop that sells all sorts of magical items! Would you like to check it out? It's just around the corner in the alley, and the sign has a picture of a winking owl on it!"

Fred added from the side, "There's a gadget that turns a person's voice into a chicken's clucking, it's really fun! We tried it, and George cackled like a chicken for a full three minutes. The boss laughed so hard he almost dropped his wand."

"You two," Mrs. Weasley's voice came, "stop thinking about all that nonsense all day."

Have you bought all the proper stuff?

George and Fred exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing a hint of guilt.

"Uh...more or less?"

"What do you mean by 'almost'?" Mrs. Weasley's eyes narrowed slightly, a look that made George and Fred both take a half step back.

"Well—how many more are we missing?" George's voice trailed off.

"How many?"

"Uh... three books?"

"Three books?" Mrs. Weasley's voice rose slightly.

"Actually—there are four books," Fred added in a low voice.

Mrs. Weasley took a deep breath.

"I'll deal with you when we get back."

George and Fred exchanged a glance, both giving each other a "we're doomed" look, but their eyes still held a hint of amusement.

Ron and Harry came over too. Ron was carrying a stack of secondhand books. The books looked tattered, some with cracked spines, some with worn covers, and some with curled corners, but he held them very carefully, as if they were some precious treasures.

"Henry!" Ron called out, hurrying over with a stack of books in his arms, almost bumping into a passing witch. "Where have you been? We've been looking for you for ages."

"Just browsing," Henry said, then looked at Harry, "Have you finished shopping?"

Harry nodded, holding several new books in his hand, wrapped in brown paper and seemingly unopened.

"I've bought them. Mrs. Weasley picked them out for me."

He looked very happy, probably because this was the first time someone had helped him choose things, and he didn't have to face those unfamiliar choices alone, or feel lost in front of the shelves.

In the Dursley household, his things were always what Dudley had left over; there was never any "selection" involved.

Ginny stood to the side, holding a few books in her hands.

What she just said to Draco was the first time she had spoken to Harry on her own initiative. Although it was only a short sentence, it was the first step that took her a great deal of courage.

"Ginny," Henry suddenly spoke.

Ginny was startled and looked up at him, her eyes filled with panic.

Have you bought all your books?

Ginny nodded, her voice soft.

"I've bought everything."

"That's good," Henry said with a smile.

Ginny blushed again and looked down at her toes.

Ron whispered to Harry, "Why is my sister blushing so much today?"

Harry shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.

Ginny's face turned even redder.

The group returned to the Leaky Cauldron bar, ready to go home.

The bar was still the same as before: dim lighting, mottled wooden tables, and a few scattered customers sitting in a corner drinking butterbeer.

Tom stood behind the bar, smiling and nodding at them.

Mrs. Weasley placed her bags on a table and began counting the number of people.

Her gaze swept from one person to another, muttering to herself.

"Percy? George? Fred? Ron? Harry? Ginny? They're all here."

She looked at Henry.

"Henry, are you really not going to come back to the Burrow with us for a while? I can make you something nice to eat. My kids love my pies."

"I can't go today, Mrs. Weasley," Henry said regretfully. "I'm going to do a visit with my grandmother tomorrow. I'll definitely go next time if I have the chance."

Mrs. Weasley nodded, a hint of regret on her face.

"Alright then, next time you come, I'll cook you something delicious. My apple pie, I'm not bragging, is unmatched in the entire wizarding world."

She hesitated for a moment, then added, "Actually, I should have let you try it today—never mind, maybe next time."

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley, I look forward to it," Henry said with a smile.

Mr. Weasley came over and shook hands with Henry.

"Henry, come over sometime," he said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I have a lot of interesting things in my garage; you can take a look. I recently acquired a Muggle toaster. I don't know how it works, but I took it apart, and the internal mechanism is incredibly ingenious!"

Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"Arthur, stop thinking about your junk."

"That's not junk!" Mr. Weasley retorted immediately, his expression as serious as if he were defending something sacred. "That's Muggle wisdom! You know, they can make bread pop out of the air without magic, it's amazing!"

Henry suppressed a laugh and nodded.

"Of course, Mr. Weasley. I'd love to see your collection—my grandfather would love to meet you too."

Mr. Weasley's eyes lit up, and his smile became even brighter.

George and Fred came over and stood on either side of Henry.

George lowered his voice and asked mysteriously, "Your Highness, have you inquired with Prince Philip on our behalf?"

"Not yet, but I'll ask," Henry said.