Chapter 217
Chapter 217 "As You Wish."
The next morning, Felix met Madam Longbottom at the entrance of St. Mungo's as usual, and then proceeded to treat the Longbottoms. Over time, his skills in piecing together, categorizing, and organizing memories had become increasingly proficient.
At times, he felt like a skilled paperhanger, having to handle the intricate and delicate memories with the utmost care. Even so, he couldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be any omissions or gaps in the process of combining memories.
Some memories would simply vanish forever, and there was nothing he could do about it. In fact, his job was to construct a stable memory structure and, following a logical sequence, gradually add more memories until the process surpassed a certain threshold, at which point the human body's self-repair mechanism would kick in. As for how long it would take for a full recovery, he couldn't be certain.
"Melanie is starting to have her suspicions", Madam Longbottom said. "I told her you're a specialist in memory restoration."
Felix responded calmly, "It's normal for her to be suspicious of a stranger who visits weekly, but I think we can keep her at bay for a while longer. Whether it's November or before Christmas, it doesn't really matter."
Mrs. Longbottom agreed with him. Her concern was clouding her judgment. By the time St. Mungo's notices any significant changes, it would mean her son and daughter-in-law were showing signs of improvement, and no one could interfere at that point.
"Besides", Felix added with a smile, "I'm almost done with my essay."
"Essay?"
"Dumbledore's suggestion—it's a treatment plan for memory restoration. I plan to split the essay into two parts. The first part will cover the theoretical explanation and derivation, which shouldn't cause much of a stir. The second part will include the data from this treatment, and it will definitely attract a lot of attention. I'm planning to publish it around Christmas."
In early October, the damp air quietly took over the castle, leaving wet traces on the ancient walls. Every morning, large volumes of cold mist from the Forbidden Forest were carried by the wind to the school, covering the front lawn with a silver frost. Many young wizards, who didn't pay attention to keeping warm, caught colds.
Even Professor Lupin wasn't spared. He had to wrap himself in a thick scarf, and every time he opened his mouth, the smell of Madame Pomfrey's pick-me-up potion filled the air.
On the same day, Felix received two letters, both concerning his new book.
The first letter from Little Red Book Publishing reported a "huge" piece of good news: his new book, The Magic of the Muggle World, had sold over a thousand copies. For each copy, he received three Galleons and seven Sickles, which meant his initial earnings would be around 3,400 Galleons.
However, the letter also mentioned that the majority of the buyers were from various Ministries of Magic and individuals interested in Muggles. Thanks to the reputation built by his previous two books, many people would buy his book as soon as they saw the name "Felix Hep."
Of course, the sales would drop significantly after the initial surge and then stabilize.
Felix was well aware that his book would earn a steady income but would never become a bestseller.
The second letter was brought to him by Dobby, who stood in front of him, looking expectant.
Dobby was still wearing his little suit, now much cleaner, and had a brown soft cap on his head.
"Mr. Heap, your book Young Wizards is complete. Mr. Andis sends his greetings", Dobby said respectfully.
"Let's sit down and talk", Felix said, leading Dobby to the sofa in his office and opening the letter. The handwriting was very messy, matching Andis's style—
"Completed!
I can't describe how I felt at that moment. It was like crawling out of hell and seeing the first ray of sunlight at dawn...
If this book fails, I might lose all hope and strangle myself, but that's unlikely, ha ha!
The Ministry of Magic's registration is done. At first, some people tried to trip me up, those damn pureblood scum! But after I took Dobby for a walk, everything was resolved. I still don't know if someone helped me or if the family backed down.
In any case, Mr. Heap, you can look forward to your new book being on the shelves in 27 countries. The book is divided into seven volumes, with each volume priced at 13 Sickles, and the complete set at five Galleons and six Sickles. After deducting costs, we should make about two Galleons—nothing compared to professional books, but if it becomes a hit, our sales will crush theirs by tenfold. I swear on my grandfather's name!
Andis is really good at slipping in requests whenever he can. Speaking of media friends, the only one I know is Rita Skeeter. I haven't really been keeping up with her lately, though.
"Fobby, I'll need you to run an errand to this place later and deliver a note for me." Felix tore off a strip of Parchment and handed it to him. The Parchment crackled with sparks that formed into an address.
After a moment's thought, he pulled a bag of coins from his pocket. "There are sixty Galleons here. Fifty for the woman—she'll understand. The remaining ten are your pay for the recent period."
Dobby's eyes widened, and he began to count the coins on his fingers. "Dobby, Dobby shouldn't take so much money! It's too much!" he screamed, his forehead's every hair trembling as if he might faint at any moment.
Felix said gently, "Your work deserves this pay, and I need you to continue working for me. Your tasks will only increase, not decrease..."
Dobby agonized over it for a long time, until Felix finished his third cup of tea, before he reluctantly agreed.
"Tell me about the situation with Andis."
"Of course, great and generous Mr. Heap. I've been staying there every day. Mr. Andis is very diligent, reminding me of my days of hard work. Two weeks ago, he finished all the comic strip drafts and started preparing to print them in bulk. Dobby has been helping too!"
"Was there anything unusual during this process?" Felix asked.
Dobby thought hard. "Ah, Dobby remembers! One day, Mr. Andis dressed up and left the house, saying he was going to the Ministry of Magic to file something. He came back not long after, looking very angry. However, he didn't explain why. Later, Mr. Andis took Dobby with him again and introduced me to some of his friends. About two days later, when Dobby asked him, he said the matter was resolved."
"Dobby found it strange but couldn't figure out why."
Felix toyed with his Ebony Wand and asked calmly, "Who did Andis introduce you to?"
"Many people, but Dobby doesn't know them... They seemed to be department heads, commissioners, and the like. Dobby got a bit dizzy."
Felix sighed. "Never mind."
The house-elf glanced at him cautiously. "Did Dobby do something wrong?"
"No, Dobby. Next, continue monitoring Andis for me. If anyone causes him trouble, remember that person's name, or their appearance."
"As you command, Mr. Heap!"
"Now, you can go to the address I gave you. Her last name is Skeeter. She might not recognize you or the Ouroboros emblem on you, so you should mention my name."
"Do I just deliver the letter?"
"This is a deal, though... I don't expect her to refuse."
Dobby said confidently, "Dobby has visited strangers before." Then his ears drooped. "It was delivering a letter to the Malfoys..."
"You are free now. Outside of work, you can do whatever you want." Felix said.
He comforted the house-elf, then seemed to think of something. "Right, I also need you to help me with a test." He waved his wand, and a silver-white Swift flew out of the tip, chirping softly before landing on Dobby's hat.
"What is this?" Dobby held his hat with both thin hands, his tennis-ball-sized eyes straining to see, but he could only make out a silver-white beak.
"That's my Patronus. You just need to keep it with you, and it will disappear when the time is right."
"Dobby understands. Dobby will take my leave now." He snapped his fingers lightly, and his body, along with the Patronus, disappeared.
Felix's eyes became distant, reflecting various fleeting images. After about seven or eight minutes, his eyes emitted a strong silver-white glow, and he said in a deep voice, "Rita, it's been a long time..."
Hundreds of kilometers away—
Rita Skeeter heard the voice from the silver-white Patronus that made her genuinely fearful. After a moment, she said respectfully and cunningly, "As you wish, sir."
(End of Chapter)
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