DECEMBER 9 MONDAY
One day Remus made a very important realisation: he didn't have anything nice to wear.
He really hadn't intended to attend any ball.
And now, somehow he felt as if he desperately needed something to wear that a bog mosquito hadn't sat on.
Maybe it was because Sirius would whisper in his ear at night: You need something to wear that a bog mosquito hasn't sat on.
So he counted his gold coins after school and took the entire jar with him to Hoity Street in Swinesale.
A bell rang when he entered Chenille's. A shop assistant met him at the entrance.
"Can I help you?" He asked, oozing superiority.
"I'm just looking for something, like, something for the Yule Ball?"
"There's a Red Cross on Bum Street. We don't allow pockets in here."
"I could be a disguised prince for all you know!"
"I can see that you brought some gold. We only accept silver."
"Why?"
"It's to keep unwanted quasi-wizards out of here."
Well, wasn't that a shame.
"I suppose I brought the gold for nothing."
Remus threw the jar at a window and broke both. The shop assistant was already summoning aurors. Remus released Shishi from his catchemal ball and the kappa knocked the shop assistant right out with his toxic gas.
Weewooweewoo. Remus collected Shishi, fled Chenille's and hopped inside the nearest floo station.
It spat him out at the terminus, which happened to be on Bum Street. Which was fortunate because aurors never set their foot in Bum Street.
It was chilly. Remus zipped his coat to his chin and released Shishi for the company. They began to walk down Bum Street.
"Well Shishi, I guess I'm officially a terrorist now."
He felt pleased at first, in a rebellious sort of way. Then Dumbledore entered his mind, and his heart sank.
Crack. A hideous crone appeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Boy," she said, in that old-witch voice, pointing an old-witch finger. "Did you really just say... you're prepared to sell that kappa?"
"No."
"Not even for five magic jelly beans?"
The witch opened her bony and warty hand. Colourful beans sparkled like jewels. Remus had never seen magic jelly beans before!
"One bean is enough to take you to the Giant's castle!" said the old witch. "He has geese that lay golden eggs and lots of treasure!"
"How nice for him."
"Yes he's aquired it all by scamming people on Wizard Stock Exchange and exploiting the working class."
Gold eggs and lots of treasure? Perhaps if Remus were to just borrow some of it he could get some nice clothes and then Shishi back!
"Can I buy Shishi back later?"
"Oh sure! Just call on Mathilda!"
It was a deal!