Harry Potter: I Am Big D

Chapter 32.

As they hurried out of Ollivander's wand shop, they found themselves right across the street at a pet shop.

Dudley suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh, Harry! I almost forgot—I didn't get you a birthday gift, it has been a couple of days already!"

"Harry's birthday?" Hermione chimed in, curious. "When was it?"

"Just the day before yesterday," Dudley replied.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully and then suggested, "What if I join Dudley in getting you a pet?"

Even though she and Harry had only met a few times, and she wouldn't have known him if it weren't for Dudley, who was his cousin, the idea of a pet was exciting!

"A pet?!" Harry's interest was instantly piqued; he hadn't had any pets besides spiders. "But it's already passed; I don't think it's necessary."

While Dudley was his brother, Hermione didn't know him that well yet. It felt a bit odd to accept gifts from others.

"I've never skipped a year without giving you gifts, and I'm not about to start now! Plus, Hermione's birthday is next month, so you can get her something nice since you're the wealthy one in the group!" Dudley said with a smile, giving Harry a friendly tap on the shoulder. "Come on, let's check out what's inside!

With his arm around Harry's shoulder, Dudley led the way to the pet shop. 

When Hermione heard her birthday mentioned, a slight blush crept onto her cheeks. She quickly tidied her hair and followed the boys into the pet shop.

At the entrance, a few samba-dancing mice caught the attention of many young wizards, though their parents didn't seem keen on buying them.

"The notice said you can choose either an owl or a cat as a pet," Dudley pointed out.

He quickly dismissed toads; most people didn't like them, and he certainly didn't, nor did Harry. 

Hermione, being a girl, probably wouldn't like them either. The pet shop had a variety of animals, mostly mice, toads, owls, and cats.

Dudley also spotted some small lizards and parrots, one of which even breathed fire! But these were just ordinary animals, maybe a bit smarter than average, and Dudley couldn't really communicate with them like magical creatures.

He had hoped to find a magical creature to raise, but sadly, there were none in this shop. After browsing several pet shops on the street, Harry finally found the pet he wanted—a snowy owl with black spots.

"Why not choose a cat?" Hermione asked, her preference clear. "Don't you like cats?"

"Dudley likes cats more," Harry explained, shaking his head. "But Aunt Petunia is allergic to cat fur, so Dudley never had one." To be honest, Harry wasn't really fond of cats either; he found their smell quite unpleasant, especially when he was at Mrs. Figg's house, where Dudley preferred to hang out with her cats.

"That's such a pity," Hermione said, looking a bit disappointed. She had wanted to adopt a cat but hadn't found one she liked in the shops.

Finding a cat is a lot like finding a partner; it's all about the connection! Listening to their conversation, Dudley felt inspired and turned to Hermione. "If I get a cat in the future, can I keep it at your house during the holidays?" Aunt Petunia wasn't a fan of furry things, so if he brought one home, it would have to stay at the other house he bought.

"Of course!" Hermione replied with a warm smile. It was impressive how far a Galleon could go in the wizarding world. After browsing and buying a few things, including an owl, Dudley still had plenty left.

Mainly because he didn't buy any potion materials; otherwise, he would have been broke. For instance, the dragon liver being sold nearby caught Dudley's eye.

Unfortunately, his Galleons were quite limited. 

The 100 Galleons he needed for school each year was enough, but if he wanted to splurge a little, that would be unrealistic, especially since potions could be a money pit, particularly when brewing rare ones that required expensive materials.

Seventeen Sickles for an ounce of dragon liver, which is about 28 grams. And seventeen Sickles equal one Galleon. That's why potion masters are so rare—being poor is a pretty straightforward reason!

Besides brewing potions, Dudley also wanted to taste these things. Dragon liver, phoenix marrow, and the like. He thought about finding a way to earn some Galleons before diving into this food plan. No matter where you are, money is always essential when trade exists.

When the three of them arrived at the agreed meeting spot, they found only McGonagall, Petunia, and Mrs. Granger sitting in the small shop, while Vernon and Mr. Granger had gone to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. The Dursleys only took the textbooks required by Hogwarts.

They knew their son was quite independent, so they didn't misuse the Galleons, leaving it all for Dudley. The Grangers, on the other hand, bought many other books because they knew how much their daughter loved reading.

"With a month left until school starts, Hermione, can I come over to your place to study during this month?" Dudley asked. Although he had read some magical books at Mrs. Figg's before, they were somewhat limited, and no one could ever complain about having too much knowledge.

Especially with an unknown magical place to study in a month, having some basic knowledge would be super important. Dudley looked at the towering mountain of books with wide eyes. How many Galleons must have been spent on that? He couldn't help but feel a bit envious.

"Um." Naturally, Hermione wouldn't refuse Dudley's simple request, giving a gentle nod. Then she seemed to think of something, and her face turned slightly red.

It seemed that besides Dudley, no boy had ever come to her house. 

Dudley swore he really just wanted to study. He would definitely buy all those books himself, but why spend money when he could get them for free now? Even if he had a small amount of assets in the ordinary world, he was still broke in the magical world. 

Making good use of existing resources was important.

Even though he still had over a hundred Galleons left, the 100 Galleons he exchanged with Harry naturally ended up in Dudley's pocket—legitimate and lawful, with no reason to waste.

The car ride home was driven by Petunia, as Vernon and Mr. Granger had enjoyed a bit too much to drink; in their words, the alcohol in the magical world has a unique flavor.

The next day, after finishing his morning exercise, the family sat at the dining table enjoying a delicious meal.

"I expect that on September 1st, Harry and I will leave here for Hogwarts." After swallowing a small sausage, Dudley cleared his throat and continued, "Before that, there's something I need to share with you. I originally planned to tell you this after I turned eighteen." 

At this point, his expression became a bit serious.

Seeing Dudley so earnest, Vernon and Petunia sat up straight, and Harry could guess what Dudley was about to say.

"Actually, I started a company outside."

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