In the colorful Magical Menagerie, the scent of dry grass and animal fur mingled with the soft chirps, hisses, and low growls from rows of cages. Crystal lamps glimmered, illuminating shimmering frogs, rainbow-feathered birds, and mice dancing on tiny wheels.
Larry stood before a small aquarium, his bright green eyes, like spring leaves, fixed on an emerald-green snake coiled gracefully. Beside him, Hermione watched the snake with a raised eyebrow, her hand gripping Larry's arm. Behind them, Mr. and Mrs. Granger observed curiously, while a golden cage in Larry's hand swayed gently, housing a golden eagle that surveyed the world with aristocratic poise.
"Hermione, what if I give this snake to my brother?" Larry asked, pointing to the small snake whose scales gleamed like gems under the lamplight.
Hermione eyed the snake, her face full of doubt. "A snake? Larry, isn't that… a bit dangerous?" she said, her voice soft but concerned.
Larry grinned, his cheeky smile flashing with charm that made Hermione glance at him briefly. "Don't worry, Hermione. I'm sure Harry'll love it," he said, his voice brimming with confidence.
His mind raced. 'Parseltongue and a pet snake? Perfect combo. If the Chamber of Secrets opens next year, this could make Harry the center of attention… maybe even help.' He chuckled inwardly. 'Interesting. Let's do it.'
Without hesitation, Larry waved to the shop assistant, a woman with a ponytail busy feeding a magical rabbit.
"Galleon for this snake," he said, pointing to the aquarium. "And please put it in a nice glass box."
The assistant nodded, quickly preparing a transparent glass box with delicate engravings on its sides. The green snake was carefully transferred, coiling gracefully inside, its eyes still fixed on Larry as if it knew him.
"Ten Galleons," the assistant said, and Larry handed over the coins with a smile that made her smile back.
Mrs. Granger, standing near the door, approached with curiosity. "Hermione, you haven't picked a pet?" she asked, then glanced at the glass box in Larry's hand. "And what's this?"
"Mum, I haven't found the right one," Hermione replied, her voice slightly glum but quickly brightening. "But Larry got this snake for his brother."
Mr. Granger took the glass box, admiring the green snake with awe. "It's beautiful," he said, his eyes gleaming. "Great choice, Larry."
Larry grinned widely, his charm flowing naturally. "Right, Uncle Granger? I'm sure Harry'll love it."
Inwardly, he chuckled. 'If Harry doesn't like it, would he really reject a gift from his orphanage-raised twin brother? No way.' He felt a small spark in his chest—points from his strange system, perhaps from Mr. Granger's admiration or Hermione's attentive gaze.
"Cool," Mr. Granger said, nodding as he handed the box back. "He's gonna love it."
They left the pet shop, continuing through Diagon Alley as the sun began to set, painting the sky with streaks of orange and purple. Shops started lighting their lamps, and the aroma of toasted bread from a sweet shop filled the air. After ensuring all school supplies were bought, the group decided to head home.
"What're we eating tonight?" Mrs. Granger asked, her voice soft as they walked toward Diagon Alley's exit.
"Your pasta!" Hermione answered without hesitation, her face glowing with enthusiasm.
"Larry?" Mrs. Granger turned to him.
"I'm with Hermione, Aunt Granger," Larry said, smiling casually. "Pasta sounds great."
He wasn't picky about food, especially not Mrs. Granger's cooking, which always had a magical touch—even without a wand.
"Pasta it is," Mrs. Granger said, smiling contentedly. "Let's go home."
The journey home felt long, with London's crowded streets making Larry sigh softly as he gazed out the car window.
'If my magic were stronger, I'd invent traffic-free transport,' he thought, half-joking. 'Muggles need wizard help with this.'
He imagined a world where magic and technology blended, the Statute of Secrecy abolished, and him—maybe—leading the revolution.
'One step at a time, Larry,' he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Larry? Larry!" Hermione's voice snapped him out of it, her tone half-annoyed, half-amused. "We're home. Daydreaming about what now?"
Larry chuckled, running a hand through his hair in a gesture that made Hermione glance at him briefly. "Just thinking… how good that pasta's gonna be," he teased, stepping out of the car. "C'mon, let's go in."
Hermione shook her head, but her hand casually grabbed Larry's arm as they walked to the house. "You're always like that," she muttered, though her smile couldn't be hidden.
At the dinner table, the aroma of Mrs. Granger's tomato pasta filled the room, accompanied by warm garlic bread. Larry devoured a large bowl, occasionally praising the food with a smile that made Mrs. Granger beam proudly.
Hermione, beside him, ate more gracefully but just as eagerly, stealing glances at Larry.
After dinner, Larry brought Themis's cage and the glass box with the green snake to his room. He placed the cage near the window, where Themis promptly took an elegant perch, and the glass box on a small wooden table. Moonlight slipped through the window, making the snake's scales glint like jewels.
Larry sat at the desk, eyeing Themis and the snake, then let out a soft sigh.
"System, still alive? Say something," he muttered in his mind, half-joking.
[Bip!] The mechanical voice echoed in his head, making him smile with relief.
'Still there, good.'
His strange system was peculiar. Besides activating when he charmed someone—especially Hermione—it mostly stayed silent like a ghost.
'If it actually disappeared, I'd be in trouble,' he thought, chuckling softly.
"System, put a magic tracker on this snake," he ordered, opening the glass box. "I need to know where it is if Harry gets into trouble."
[Bip! Magic tracker installed.]
"Good," Larry murmured, extending his hand. The green snake coiled around his wrist obediently, its tongue flickering gently as if greeting him.
"You're a good kid," he said, stroking its scales with a finger. 'If Harry stirs up trouble in the Chamber of Secrets, I'll need to be ready to save him,' he thought, half-joking. 'Story heroes are too good at getting themselves killed.'
Themis, from her perch, eyed the snake sharply, as if sizing it up. The green snake trembled slightly, coiling tighter around Larry's hand. Larry glanced at his golden eagle, his eyebrow raised.
"Themis, she's not a snack," he said, his voice half-warning, half-amused. "This is a gift for Harry. Don't scare her."
Themis flapped her wings, turning her head with her signature cool demeanor. Larry could swear she was thinking: I'm not scaring her. She's just a sidekick.
"Yeah, yeah, just a sidekick," Larry teased, mimicking Themis's attitude. He returned the snake to its glass box, ensuring the lid was secure.
A soft knock at the door made him turn. He opened it to find Hermione standing there, holding a thick book with a worn leather cover. The hallway light reflected off her curly hair, creating a soft halo.
Larry leaned against the doorframe, his go-to charming smile appearing—just enough to tease without overdoing it.
"Evening, Hermione," he said, his voice soft but laced with charm. "What's up, visiting this late?"
Hermione looked at his smile, her cheeks flushing slightly. She looked down, quickly handing him the book.
"Larry, I… I found something about you and your brother in this book," she said, her voice soft but caring.
Larry took the book, reading the cover: A History of Magic. He chuckled inwardly.
'Hermione and her books. It's late, and she's still reading the most boring book in the world.'
"You're such a bookworm, huh?" he teased, but his eyes were warm as he opened the page Hermione pointed to.
There, a moving photo showed two babies—him and Harry—in James and Lily Potter's arms. James grinned goofily, his hair as messy as ever, while Lily gazed at him with love. The background was simple, likely the Potter family home, with a softly glowing fireplace. The photo was alive, capturing a moment of happiness Larry had never known.
He stared at it for a long time, an odd feeling stirring in his chest.
'These are my parents,' he thought, his fingers carefully tracing the paper. With a swift motion, he grabbed scissors from the desk, cut out the photo, and tucked it into his notebook with care.
"Larry…" Hermione called, her voice cautious, her eyes full of empathy.
"Thanks, Hermione," Larry said, looking down to hide the expression he'd carefully crafted. "I… don't like history books. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what they looked like."
Hermione gazed at him, her eyes glistening at the seemingly genuine sadness on Larry's face. Without thinking, she stood on her tiptoes and hugged him gently.
"Larry," she murmured, her voice warm.
Larry returned the hug, his arms holding Hermione carefully. "I'm okay," he said, his voice soft but controlled. "It's late, get some sleep. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Larry," Hermione replied, releasing the hug and walking back to her room, the door closing softly behind her.
Larry waited until Hermione's footsteps faded, then returned to his room, closing the door carefully. He sat at the desk, opened his notebook, and stared at the photo of James and Lily. A small smile crept onto his face, but his eyes glinted with something sharper.
'Not a bad performance,' he thought, his fingers tracing the photo. 'Dumbledore won't suspect I'm anything but a normal kid missing his parents.' He knew Dumbledore was cautious—the old man was too sharp to be fooled easily.
'If Voldemort hadn't made everything so complicated, I wouldn't need to play this act,' he thought, half-annoyed. 'But fine. I can outsmart a hundred-year-old wizard.'
He grabbed a pen, writing beside the photo in neat handwriting: I miss you, Mum and Dad. The words were simple but perfect for reinforcing his "character" as an innocent orphan.
'Perfect,' he thought, closing the notebook and storing it in a drawer.
Larry glanced at Themis, now dozing on her perch, and the glass box where the green snake slept peacefully.
'Wizarding world, get ready,' he thought, a small smile forming as he climbed into bed.
One boy and one eagle fell asleep under the soft moonlight.