"You guys said you'd buy me a new wand..."
Ron looked at Fred and George, his eyes filled with half hope, half worry. The joy from earlier was gone, now replaced with the fear that this might be another one of their pranks.
After all, Fred and George had a record, and things like this had happened in their house more than once.
"Of course, my dear brother." Fred patted his shoulder with a smile and said, "Do you doubt your own brother?"
Beside him, George put on a look of deep sorrow.
"Ron, you've hurt our feelings."
"Sorry... I didn't mean it like that."
Ron's heart suddenly tightened. His face flushed as he stammered an explanation, "I was just... afraid, no, not afraid, I trust you guys, really, I..."
"Alright Ron, relax." Kael said with a smile, "They're joking this time, don't worry, you'll definitely get a new wand today, I promise."
Ron was indeed a bit overly nervous, it wasn't like him usually... Well, maybe not that much different.
Compared to Fred and George, Kael was clearly more trustworthy in Ron's heart.
"Thank you, Kael." Ron's blush faded quite a bit.
Although he was still very nervous now, he was not as exaggerated as before, and he looked much more normal overall.
But Fred and George were not pleased.
"Why are you thanking Kael?"
"So you really don't trust us after all."
...
Ron started to get nervous again.
"No, it's not like that, thank you guys too."
Only then did Fred and George nod in satisfaction.
After that, the four left the noisy Leaky Cauldron and headed for Diagon Alley.
At the entrance, Kael deliberately walked at the back, naturally extending his leg to kick a trash can, intending to move it aside.
"Thud!"
With a dull thud, the trash can didn't budge an inch.
"Huh?"
Kael turned his head to examine it closely and found that the bottom of the trash can had been fixed to the ground with a Fixing Charm.
No wonder he couldn't kick it just now.
"It must have been Tom Senior's doing..." Kael's face didn't look too good.
It was too much. He said he trusted him last year, but secretly stayed up to anchor the trash can to the ground instead.
Is trust between people really this fragile?
The more Kael thought about it, the angrier he got. He swiftly took out his wand and pointed it at the trash can when the others weren't paying attention.
"Engorgio!"
The trash can grew slightly taller, about the thickness of a brick.
Kael put away his wand and nonchalantly caught up with the Weasleys ahead.
George asked, puzzled, "What were you doing back there? Why are you so slow?"
Kael casually said, "Nothing, I just dropped a Sickle by accident."
"Found it?"
"Yeah, found it."
George nodded, not thinking much of it.
The group had a clear goal, heading straight towards Olivander's.
Ron walked at the front, with Kael and the twins following a bit behind, whispering amongst themselves.
"What do you think would happen if we suddenly left now?" Fred whispered.
"Little Ron would be devastated." George suppressed a laugh and said, "And then we'd get a hiding from Mum."
"There's also..." Kael added, "the thirty Galleons you just got wouldn't stay with you either."
"Alright, let's forget it then." Fred shrugged and said, "Let's consider it for the sake of the Galleons."
Ron, walking at the front, seemed to hear their conversation, quickly glanced back to see they were still there, and let out a sigh of relief.
"Speaking of which, do you have a plan?"
After Ron turned his head back, George asked quietly, "Little Ron, not being too bright, doesn't usually ask such questions for no reason."
Fred nodded in agreement, "Yeah, he's probably got nothing else in his head but the new wand, so he wouldn't notice if Olivander's shop is dirty or not."
"If he doesn't ask, we can remind him."
Kael rubbed his chin and whispered a few words to the two of them.
After hearing it, Fred furrowed his brows and asked with some skepticism, "Will that work?"
"It should be fine..." Kael shrugged, "If it doesn't work, never mind, I'm just curious, it's not like I have to know."
"Tsk, your curiosity comes at quite the price." George pouted, "Seven Galleons, you know."
Kael just smiled without saying a word.
Olivander's shop isn't too far from the entrance to Diagon Alley, just around a corner and you're there.
Looking at that small and shabby shop, Ron's eyes grew more excited.
But just as he was about to go inside, Fred stepped over first.
He had his head down, as if deep in thought.
"Watch out, Fred!" Ron struggled to remind him, "You're going the wrong way, that's not... the door."
"Bang!"
Before Ron could finish, Fred "heavily" bumped into the shop window.
"Oh, damn it, why is this shop so dirty?"
Fred dusted off the dirt on himself, annoyed, "I should have known not to wear robes today, they're brand new."
George went over to help.
The two of them patted off the dust for quite a while, but the robes still looked dirty, covered in a layer of grime.
"Fred, you were way too careless," George exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Mum's definitely going to scold you when she sees this."
"Can't help it, this place is so filthy, I feel like the dust here has been accumulating for a hundred years or so."
Kael walked over, putting on a serious demeanor, "But I think you should ask Olivander for compensation.
Remember my roommate Mikel? He got his new robes dirty in a pet shop last year, and the clerk gave him extra pet feed for it."
"Unfortunately... we're not buying wands."
Fred looked a bit regretful, "Otherwise, I'd definitely find Olivander and get an extra Wand Maintenance Kit."
"Yeah, what a shame." George shook his head and said, "Maintenance Kits cost seven Sickles, you know."
"Nothing we can do." Fred sighed, "Forget it, go ahead and take Little Ron in first."
"Alright..."
George nodded, then opened the door to Olivander's and went inside.
"Little Ron, come on over."
Ron seemed to have been pondering something, but at George's voice, he quickly ran over.
However, Kael noticed that as he entered, Ron intentionally rubbed against the door frame.
"So, did he buy it?"
Once the two left, Fred couldn't wait to ask.
"I feel like he did."
Kael took out his wand and pointed it at Fred's robes.
"Scourgify."
In an instant, all the dust vanished.