Chapter 1116: Priceless Dark Magic Defense
Chapter 1116: Priceless Dark Magic Defense
After leaving the safe house, Albert used a Disillusionment Charm on himself, disguising himself as a middle-aged man with red hair. He couldn't go directly to Diagon Alley; that would be too conspicuous and put himself in danger, possibly even bringing trouble to the trio and their newly opened joke shop.
It was best not to let too many people know of his association with the shop, or he would likely attract the attention of Death Eaters.
After all, what he was about to do would definitely attract some enmity.
As Albert lifted his foot to step into the Leaky Cauldron, he found the once bustling pub eerily quiet, without a single customer in sight. The elderly proprietor was sitting at the bar, and upon hearing Albert's footsteps, he paused from polishing a glass and looked up hopefully, expecting the customer to sit down for a drink.
Albert nodded to old Tom, and under his disappointed gaze, he crossed the pub's hall and made his way to the small yard at the back where the dustbins were kept.
The entrance to Diagon Alley was located here.
Instead of apparating directly to Diagon Alley, he chose to enter through the Leaky Cauldron, wanting to gauge the current situation in the wizarding world without drawing attention to himself.
Albert raised his wand and gently tapped a brick on the wall, and a doorway immediately appeared, leading to a winding cobblestone path. He stepped through the doorway and into Diagon Alley.
The Diagon Alley of today had completely transformed. The former bustling street was now replaced by a gloomy and deserted lane. Wanted posters of Death Eaters were plastered everywhere, and on both sides of the street were shabby stalls manned by wizards who used to operate in the gray areas of the law. With the Ministry of Magic preoccupied, the scum that used to hide in Knockturn Alley had now come out into the open.
On his way to number 93, Albert saw a shabby and sleazy little wizard trying to sell silver amulets to passersby, claiming that they could protect against werewolves, inferi, and Dementors.
Such suspicious trinkets were obviously useless and only a fool would believe and be willing to spend money on them.
However, there were actually people hesitating around the stall.
It just went to show that the resurrection of the Dark Lord had most people in a panic, desperately seeking protection.
Pedestrians on the street were no longer willing to stop and chat, nor did they want to linger in Diagon Alley for too long. People always came and went in a hurry, or moved in small groups, as if being alone would lead to some terrible fate.
It was human nature to seek safety in numbers.
Those wizards in the gray areas wouldn't pay them any mind.
However, Albert still doubted the effectiveness of grouping up. While there was safety in numbers, it might only provide a false sense of security.
But what about when they truly faced Death Eaters or the Dark Lord himself?
Would they try to outnumber them?
There was a saying: You can't outrun a bear, but you can outrun your friend.
Would they band together to resist?
If people truly had the courage to stand against the dark forces, Voldemort would have been driven out of Britain long ago.
When he arrived in front of number 93, he found that the place was still under construction.
The renovation of "House of Fun" was still in its preliminary stages, and Lee Jordan was talking to two male witches, who were apparently wizards specializing in shop renovation.
As long as there was money to be made, there would always be someone willing to take on the job.
Money, after all, was nothing to be ashamed of.
"Why are you here alone?" Albert smiled and greeted Lee Jordan.
"Y-you... How did you get here?" Lee Jordan was slightly startled when the red-haired middle-aged man waved at him, but then he realized it was Albert.
He probably didn't want to be recognized, so he disguised himself.
Albert had mentioned this last night, that he would be assuming the identity of a wealthy Weasley, and the red hair was proof of that.
"Just came to see how your shop is doing."
Albert smiled and nodded to the two wizards, then turned his attention back to Lee Jordan, "So, it's just you? Where are Fred and George?"
"They're both busy, so I'm the one left to watch the shop," Lee Jordan said resentfully, leading Albert towards the back of the shop.
When they reached an area out of earshot of the two wizards, Lee Jordan lowered his voice and asked, "Why did you change your appearance? I almost didn't recognize you."
"It's better if people don't recognize me," Albert said with a smile, "You don't want trouble either, right?"
"If you had seen the advertisement Fred and George are preparing, you wouldn't think that," Lee Jordan pushed open the back door and led Albert into a strange room with a tent set up inside.
Since the shop was still under renovation, the three of them could only temporarily live in the tent.
There was a large box inside the tent, and when opened, it revealed a downward staircase. Although it wasn't as spacious and comfortable as Albert's briefcase, it served its purpose as a laboratory for creating Dark Magic Defense artifacts.
"They're busy crafting Dark Magic Defense artifacts," Lee Jordan said mysteriously, "Yesterday, three Aurors from the Ministry of Magic came to the store and placed a large order for Dark Magic Defense artifacts. Fred and George are planning to make a killing."
"So, they left you to handle the shop renovation?"
Albert didn't step into the box but instead headed towards the tent's kitchen, where Fred and George were enjoying chilled watermelon.
These watermelons were actually grown by Albert's house-elves. He had to find something to keep the house-elves in Hogsmeade occupied.
"You are..."
Upon seeing Lee Jordan bringing a red-haired middle-aged man into their midst, Fred and George were both slightly startled, their hands instinctively reaching for their wands.
"It's me," Albert said.
"Why did you change your appearance?" George's reaction was faster than Fred's, and he quickly recognized the disguised Albert. He had mentioned it last night, but with everything going on, they had forgotten about it.
"You two idiots..."
Lee Jordan angrily grabbed a large piece of chilled watermelon and took a big bite, momentarily forgetting his grievances.
"Yesterday, the Ministry placed an order for fifty sets," Fred excitedly shared the good news with Albert, "They said they might continue to place more orders, maybe even for all the staff at the Ministry. That would be a huge bulk order!"
"The Ministry has at least five hundred staff members," Lee Jordan mumbled, "To be honest, I doubt the Ministry will be willing to pay for that."
"They will, it's a way to buy the loyalty of their employees," Albert didn't think the Ministry would try to back out of the deal, after all, the money was coming out of the Ministry's coffers, and the new Minister would be the one reaping the benefits.
"The Defense Rings, Defense Badges, and Detection Watches are the most popular items," George informed Albert, "By the way, Scrimgeour seems interested in purchasing more advanced defense artifacts from you. As per your instructions, we've kept his contact information. You can get in touch with him whenever you're free to discuss the details."
"The shop offers custom-made advanced Dark Magic Defense artifacts with stronger and longer-lasting effects, but they are very expensive and may not always be available for purchase."
"It seems to be working well." Albert was a bit surprised by Scrimgeour's actions. Was he trying to intentionally build a good relationship with him?
If he were Scrimgeour, he could understand this approach.
After all, Albert was a master of prophecies and had demonstrated extraordinary abilities, making him worth cultivating a good relationship with.
Currently, his prophecy about the new Minister of Magic was coming true, but the latter half of the prophecy foretold that the Minister might lose his life during his tenure.
This was certainly not good news for Scrimgeour.
By spending some money to build a good relationship with Albert, perhaps the latter would give him a hint at a critical moment, helping him through difficult times.
Everyone could benefit from such a cooperation.
"It's working well?" The trio turned to look at Albert simultaneously.
"I gave Scrimgeour a book with an advertisement for Dark Magic Defense artifacts inside. It seems they have acknowledged our products." Albert was quite satisfied with the result, as he had expected that the field of Dark Magic Defense would become a gold mine during this period.
"I see, no wonder the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic came knocking." Fred suddenly realized, "I thought it was because of the advertisement we placed in the Prophet."
"They tested the samples you left, and their expressions were priceless," George said, munching on a watermelon, "They immediately placed an order for fifty sets, but it's a bit rushed. It would be great if you could help us out."
"You can find someone to help." Albert suggested without hesitation, "Like Lupin, he's getting married soon and could probably use the money. Offer him a good salary, and I'm sure he won't refuse such a lucrative job."
"Lupin is getting married?"
Fred and George exchanged surprised looks, amazed that they were hearing this news from Albert.
After all, Lupin's werewolf identity was a significant hindrance.
"Probably next year." Albert replied casually, "Remember to keep it confidential. Sometimes, talking about it might affect the outcome."
"Who's Lupin marrying?" Fred asked curiously.
"I think you should focus on the business at hand. This money-making opportunity won't last forever." Albert reminded them, "At most, you have a couple of years to make the most of it, so seize the chance, maintain product quality, and build a good reputation. That way, you can enjoy a steady stream of business in the future."
The three friends looked at each other, surprised that Albert was suggesting they hire someone.
However, they were indeed very busy. Lately, they had been staying in Diagon Alley, working late into the night. Thankfully, they had house-elves to help, or their lives would have been even more chaotic.
"We'll ask Lupin for his opinion when we have the chance. If he's willing to help, we'll take him up on the offer."
"You should create packages for the Dark Magic Defense artifacts," Albert began to impart sales strategies, "Offer a variety of artifacts at a slightly discounted price compared to buying them individually, and include a proper user guide."
Albert went on to explain the preventive and protective effects of these artifacts, suggesting that they be bundled into packages and sold to wizarding families lacking a sense of security.
"You can try out the packages first. If they work well, you can consult Lupin, Moody, and others for various self-protection measures in your free time." Albert continued, "You can pay them a fee or provide some Dark Magic Defense artifacts to the Order of the Phoenix."
"As you can see, this way, not only us and the Order of the Phoenix but also the wizards who purchase these defense packages will benefit and be able to better protect themselves during these turbulent times." Albert continued his persuasive argument, and he wasn't wrong. While the true effectiveness of the artifacts remained to be seen without real-world testing, they were at least worth the Galleons paid for them.
As Albert pointed out, it was a proposal where everyone stood to gain.
"Then, based on Moody's suggestions, we can develop corresponding Dark Magic Defense artifacts." George thought Albert's proposal was brilliant.
"I think we should change the name of the shop." Lee Jordan blurted out, "Something like 'Dark Magic Defense Specialty Store' would be great."
"We're just trying to make some money right now, and Albert said this business won't last forever." Fred and George didn't mind Lee Jordan's comment and seriously took notes of Albert's suggestions.
They had never thought of doing things this way before, and Albert's ideas were indeed brilliant.
Those suggestions were entirely feasible.
From the Ministry of Magic's booklet that they received earlier, it was clear how ill-prepared ordinary wizards were.
The so-called safety measures against Death Eaters in that booklet were laughable, and they had shamelessly plagiarized parts of Albert's 'Self-Defense Guide.' The Ministry didn't seem to care about the well-being of other wizards, or those booklets wouldn't have been so inadequate. It wouldn't be surprising if the Ministry started recommending everyone to buy the 'Self-Defense Guide' one day.
With the Ministry being unreliable, it was up to individuals to ensure their own safety.
In the following days, Albert continued to impart strategic directions to the trio, also reminding them that they were not just making money but contributing to a noble cause (providing as much help as possible to the Order of the Phoenix), striving for a grand ideal (supporting Harry and working towards defeating Voldemort and restoring peace to the Ministry), and ultimately, helping others (teaching people how to protect themselves during these turbulent times). With all these motivations combined, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were undoubtedly driven to work hard.
After Albert's encouragement, the rejuvenated trio felt satisfied with their current endeavors.
Albert was also pleased. These two years were the best time to make a fortune, and if they wanted to escape poverty and get rich, they had to work hard.
As for competitors trying to steal their business, Albert wasn't worried at all. He had spent so much time researching and planning that it was impossible for others to easily crack his creations and take away his success. Moreover, once the brand was established, no competitor would be able to pose any real threat.
Who knew if knock-off products would even work when it mattered? People's lives were at stake, and no one would want to gamble with that.
Most importantly, Arthur Weasley would become the director of the Detection and Confiscation Office for Defensive Spells and Protective Items, making him an insider. Any other competitor wouldn't stand a chance.
(End of Chapter)
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