Harry Potter and the Hidden Treasure (Volume 3)

Chapter 503 Ron's Gala Robes

"Ever since Gryffindor left the Philosopher's Stone in the Centaurs' colony," When he heard the topic, Harry raised his voice and said with interest, "perhaps the other three Founders also left theirs near Hogwarts. I know there are Mermaids in the lake. Evan, you mentioned it earlier..."

"It is indeed worth investigating!" Evan nodded.

It wouldn't be surprising if Ravenclaw's Key was in the possession of the Mermaids in the lake.

Upon further consideration, the clue she left behind was: Beautiful Ravenclaw, from the peaceful riverbank! She believes that the sharpest minds deserve a reward! The treasure's key is brilliance, to be perpetually passed down by her equally intelligent allies!

Apart from the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, the only other intelligent population near Hogwarts was the clan of Mermaids living in the lake.

Mermaids are a non-human highly intelligent magical race with a long history that even surpasses the Centaurs.

Throughout the world, there are legends about them, often appearing in fairy tales.

Unlike the proud Centaurs, Mermaids and wizards have had frequent contacts.

While their specific origins are unknown, they have been invaluable allies of Hogwarts Castle for a long time.

In any case, they fit the clue left by Ravenclaw.

Evan had always thought about investigating in the lake and trying to contact the Mermaids, but he didn't speak their language and couldn't communicate with them.

It seemed that during this school term, he would have to include that in his study plan.

"This bag is truly good!" said Harry, returning the cloth bag to Evan. "I also want one, but I don't think I need it as much. I don't always carry a bunch of books and materials like you. But I bet it would be handy for brooms, sweets, and clothes."

These bags are good for hiding other things, thought Evan...

Elaine's underwear was in Evan's possession. He had planned to burn it straight away, but it didn't seem like a good idea. Evan could only continue carrying this "burden" with him and wait for the opportunity to return it to Elaine later on.

He had no qualms about giving the cloth bag to Harry for inspection. He couldn't see anything. Besides, he wouldn't take out his clothes and probably wouldn't be able to recognize the girl's underwear just by touch.

Harry lacked experience, but if it had been Hermione, he wouldn't have given her the cloth bag again even if she had threatened to kill him.

Evan continued to look down to organize the books, and Harry began to gather his own things, laboriously stuffing his clothes into his bag.

Just then, they heard Ron making a disgruntled noise behind them. "What is this supposed to be?" he exclaimed.

Evan and Harry turned and saw something in his hand. It looked like a long garnet velvet dress. It had a ruffled lace with a musty appearance on the collar and matching cuffs.

Everyone stared at this ugly velvet dress and wondered what it was for...

Mrs. Weasley entered, carrying a bunch of freshly laundered Hogwarts robes.

"Here they are," she said, sorting the robes into three piles. "Now, make sure to fold them properly so they don't wrinkle."

"Mom, you gave me Ginny's new dress," said Ron, handing it over.

"Of course not," said Mrs. Weasley. "That's for you. Gala robes."

"What?" said Ron, looking horrified.

"Gala robes!" Mrs. Weasley repeated. "It says on your school list that this year you need gala robes... robes for formal occasions."

"I can't believe it," said Ron incredulously. "I'm not going to put that on, not in any way."

"Everyone wears them, Ron!" Mrs. Weasley said irritably. "They're all like this! Your father has some for fancy parties!"

"I'd rather stay in the nude than put that on," Ron said stubbornly.

"Don't be silly," said Mrs. Weasley. "You have to have gala robes; they're on your list! I also bought some for Harry and Evan... show him, Harry, Evan..."

Evan glanced at his clothes, and he, too, had gala robes. But they had no lace. They were more or less the same as the regular school robes, except they were sky blue instead of black.

Next to him, Harry was also wearing bottle green robes in the same style.

"To both, these robes look very stylish," Mrs. Weasley said kindly, "the color suits Evan perfectly and will catch the attention of many girls. Harry, I thought these would bring out the color of your eyes."

Ron looked at Evan and Harry's attire and said angrily, "Why couldn't I have something like that?"

"Because... well, Ron, I had to get yours second-hand, and there wasn't much choice," Mrs. Weasley said, blushing.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the air, and no one spoke.

With so many children, the Weasleys had been struggling to keep up with their expenses.

Ginny's school robes were bought by Evan at the time.

He didn't offer to pay for Ron's dress robes, knowing Mrs. Weasley would never accept it.

Fred and George had earned some money recently, but they wouldn't give it to Ron.

They needed to buy raw materials for new products, expand production, and even rent a shop on their own. Therefore, there wasn't much money.

Also, they couldn't bring it up for Mrs. Weasley to find out. They couldn't let her know that they were still working on joke products.

The last time they were caught, Mrs. Weasley confiscated all the money and returned it to Evan.

Moreover, the twins had encountered many problems recently.

They had been writing to Ludo Bagman, urging him to pay them their betting winnings, in vain.

Bagman had no intention of paying them, and Fred and George couldn't really go to the Ministry of Magic to demand their money.

"I don't care. I will never wear them!" Ron said stubbornly. "Never!"

"Fine!" Mrs. Weasley retorted. "Go naked. Evan, Harry, be sure to take a picture of him. I could use a good laugh."

She left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Ka... ka... ka, a funny splashing sound was heard behind them. Pigwidgeon was struggling with a prize meant for owls that was too big.

"This isn't fair, why do I only have junk?" Ron said furiously, crossing the room to free Pigwidgeon's beak.

Evan and Harry watched him closely, unsure how to console Ron.