bookpub Chapter 198 Questioning Ginny
Chapter 198 Questioning Ginny
Chapter 198 Questioning Ginny
The afternoon sun at Hogwarts Castle cast warm, bright dappled light on the floor through the tall, diamond-shaped glass windows of Professor McGonagall's office.
However, this warmth did nothing to dispel the chill in Ginny-Weasley's heart.
She stood somewhat awkwardly in the center of the office, her fingers unconsciously twisting the cuffs of her wizard's robe, her gaze lowered, staring at a crack in the wood grain on the floor.
She had just been summoned to Professor McGonagall's office by Percy—her stern-faced brother who was proud of his prefectural title.
As soon as she entered, she saw Professors McGonagall and Lynch waiting for her.
This unexpected conversation involving two professors made the first-year girl, who was already feeling uneasy because of recent school rumors and her own secrets, feel a little uneasy.
"Relax, Miss Weasley." Professor McGonagall sat behind her desk, her expression as serious as ever, but her tone was not harsh. "Please have a seat." She gestured to a chair in front of her.
Ginny sat down as instructed, placing her hands neatly on her knees.
Only then did she dare to slightly raise her eyes and quickly scan the room. Sitting next to Professor McGonagall was Professor Lynch, the professor of Magical Studies, who was also the person mentioned in the message responsible for handling recent matters related to the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin.
He was still wearing that exquisite suit, with a gentle smile on his face, looking even more approachable than usual in the classroom.
"Good afternoon, Ginny," Professor Lynch said, using a casual form of address in a relaxed and friendly tone.
He noticed the girl's nervousness, picked up a glass of chilled pumpkin juice from the table, gently pushed it in front of Ginny, and said softly, "Have something to drink first. Don't worry, it's just a normal conversation. I wanted to find out how you're adjusting."
Ginny glanced gratefully at Professor Lynch, whispered "Thank you, Professor," and picked up the cool glass with both hands, sipping the sweet liquid.
This small act of kindness eased her tense nerves a little.
Professor Lynch's reputation among Hogwarts students is mixed, with criticism mainly focusing on his overly grueling course content and the pure-bloods' disapproval of his theories.
But no one denies that Professor Lynch is a reliable and powerful wizard.
In the magical world, powerful wizards are usually respected and admired.
"How's your first year at Hogwarts?" Lynch asked casually, sitting in his chair. "Are you keeping up with the classes? Have you made any good friends?"
He asked her the usual questions that teachers and mentors care about when they see a student: her classes, her social life, and how she adapted to life in the castle.
Professor McGonagall occasionally nodded or added a word or two about things that first-year students generally need to pay attention to. The atmosphere was peaceful, like a normal teacher-student conversation.
Ginny answered cautiously at first, but gradually relaxed later.
After a casual chat, Lin Qi abruptly changed the subject, as if he had just remembered something: "Oh, by the way, Ginny, there's something I'm curious about." He still had a friendly smile on his face. "Do you remember? We met in Diagon Alley before school started, and I gave your parents a small gift—a discount for purchases made through the Stone Tower Merchant Guild."
Ginny nodded and whispered, "I remember, Professor. Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome." Lin Qi smiled, then gave a perfectly timed look of confusion. "However, I was chatting with the Chamber of Commerce manager the other day, and he said he hasn't seen any Weasley family spending records since the start of the semester. I was wondering if there's something wrong with our Chamber of Commerce's services, or if our selection of goods isn't as comprehensive as Flourish and Blotts? After all, as business owners, we always want to retain every important customer."
He spoke very frankly, as if he were sharing a small trouble he was experiencing in running a business.
This question made Ginny's heart beat a little faster.
She recalled a conversation she overheard the night before school started. Her father, fixing a dripping pipe in the kitchen, said to her mother with some confusion and unease, "—Professor Lynch's 30% discount on purchases from the Stone Tower Merchant Guild is unusually low. I inquired around in the department, and someone who used the Malfoy family's connections at the Stone Tower Merchant Guild only got a 40% discount through official channels. Isn't this favor—a bit too much? Should we—"
The father didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: they were worried that they couldn't afford such a generous gift, or that there were complicated relationships behind it that they didn't want to get involved in. So, the whole family was later forbidden from shopping at the Shita Merchant Guild.
At this moment, Ginny felt extremely awkward in the face of Professor Lynch's gentle questioning and with Professor McGonagall present.
She absolutely could not directly repeat her father's concerns about "being too sentimental" and "background relationships," that would be too impolite; she needed to phrase it more tactfully.
Ginny took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound natural: "It's because—because of my father. He heard from his colleagues at the Ministry of Magic—he heard about the Stone Tower Merchant Guild's internal discounts, and actually—actually, the prices weren't as low as they seemed. So—"
We never went back.
Her voice grew softer and softer.
"Oh! So that's why!" Lin Qi had a look of sudden realization. "It was my fault. My bad, my bad, I forgot to explain it to you."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming increasingly sincere: "This must be a misunderstanding. The discount system within the Chamber of Commerce is indeed quite complex, with many levels. The price I gave you was the highest friend price within my personal authority, completely different from the treatment given to regular partners."
He smiled helplessly, as if blaming himself for not explaining clearly, "It's quite natural that the officials of the Ministry of Magic wouldn't know these details."
Ginny was stunned. She looked up at Lin Qi with a blank expression: "Is that so? There are different internal price levels?"
'
Lin Qi smiled, his tone gentle yet carrying a matter-of-fact certainty: "Of course. Why would I lie to you?"
These words carried a peculiar comforting power, causing Ginny to nod subconsciously, and even feel a faint sense of guilt, thinking that her parents might have misunderstood Professor Lynch's good intentions.
The atmosphere in the office remained relaxed. Professor McGonagall picked up her teacup and took a sip, seemingly not very interested in the discussion about business discounts.
Professor Lynch also picked up his teacup and took a sip.
Just when Ginny thought the relaxed conversation was about to end, Professor Lynch gently placed the teacup back on the tray with a crisp, soft sound.
He looked at her again, his smile unchanged, and asked in a pure, casual tone of curiosity, "By the way, there's something else I'm curious about, Ginny." His gaze lingered gently on the girl's face, as if it were just a casual question, "About that shopping trip before school started—when you got home and were sorting through the textbooks and items you bought, did you notice—anything 'extra' that accidentally ended up in your basket?"
He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to recall vague details: "For example—a worn-out black-covered diary that looked a bit old and wasn't on your shopping list?"