Chapter 236: A Wealthy Mark
Chapter 236: A Wealthy Mark
"Fred and the others should be back by now." Albert rose from the sofa, yawned, and gazed out at the gloomy sky. He recalled his engaging conversation with Dagworthy about potions, and how the house-elf had gently guided him to rest on the sofa when his mind started to feel weary.
Mr. Dagworthy truly is a kind man! The master potion-maker left a good impression on Albert, treating a child like him as an equal. Not many would be so humble, especially given Dagworthy's reputation as a renowned master of potions.
Perhaps this is what they mean by academics transcending borders, personalities, and even age! Of course, Albert was completely oblivious to the fact that Dagworthy valued him so highly because he was the first person to ever leave the master speechless and compromise, coupled with his extraordinary talent in potions, which caused Dagworthy to subconsciously overlook Albert's age and view him as a fellow colleague in the field.
Dagworthy, a genius himself, standing at the pinnacle of his craft, lacked nothing. But upon discovering Albert's talent, he was more than willing to lend a helping hand. He understood that the development, improvement, invention, and innovation of potions was not something he could achieve alone.
"Speaking of which, the Pepper-Up Potion is indeed a wonderful concoction!" Albert draped his cloak over his shoulders again and his eyes fell on the long box on the table. Inside lay a dried mandrake root that he had purchased from Dagworthy for a hefty sum of twenty galleons.
"With this, I have all the ingredients I need. But as for the ancient runes..." Albert opened his skill panel and scrolled through the myriad of skills, taking several minutes to locate the Runic Magic skill. He was still over eighteen hundred experience points away from reaching Level 3, and he had originally intended to slowly accumulate experience and rely on his own abilities to break through to the next level.
However, it seemed like he couldn't wait that long! Just then, footsteps echoed down the corridor.
"Mr. Anderson, are you awake?" The slightly sharp voice of a house-elf carried from a short distance away.
"I'm up," Albert said, smiling at the nervous-looking house-elf. "Please take me back to Hogwarts Castle."
"It would be my honor!" The house-elf bowed slightly to Albert and extended its hand. "Are you ready?"
"Oh, yes." Albert picked up the box and took the house-elf's hand, allowing it to lead him back to Hogwarts.
The principle behind the house-elf's Disguise was not too different from a wizard's Disguise, but the magic system of house-elves allowed them to ignore the anti-Disguise magic cast by wizards.
They reappeared in a secluded corner of Hogwarts, where no one would notice their sudden appearance.
The gloomy sky continued to drift with feather-like snowflakes, and the cold outdoors prompted Albert to tighten his cloak around himself. He turned to glance at the shivering house-elf and said, "You should head back now so you don't catch a chill."
"Goodbye, Mr. Anderson," the house-elf said, and in the blink of an eye, it vanished.
Albert watched the spot where the house-elf had disappeared, then turned and made his way back into the castle.
Soon after, he found Fred and the others in the Great Hall, discussing the plans for tomorrow's club gathering. As the four pillars of the Wizarding Club, they were doing their best to help share Albert's burden.
"I have some good news," Fred said, waving to Albert as he approached. When Albert drew near, Fred continued, "We've managed to gather thirty-two participants for the tournament.
"That is indeed good news!" Albert sat down next to George, not bothering to take the list that Lee Jordan was offering. Instead, he asked curiously, "Why do we suddenly have so many participants signing up for the tournament?"
Fred shrugged and replied, "Someone must've spread the word that you're a wealthy soft touch and that the tournament's champion prize would definitely involve galleons, so..." He gestured helplessly at Albert, "You get the idea."
"Wealthy soft touch?" Albert froze, repeating the phrase in a daze. He figured the person who would say such a thing was probably someone who had gotten galleons out of him in the past. And it wouldn't be hard to guess who that might be—most likely one of the McDougal sisters.
Albert let out a soft sigh and couldn't help but marvel, "So, that's how they see me—a wealthy soft touch, huh?"
"I think it suits you," George grinned, "At least, in all my years, I've never seen anyone spend galleons the way you do. Speaking of which, what's in the box you're holding?"
"Mandrake root," Albert explained casually.
"Where did you get it?" Fred opened the box and peeked inside, indeed finding a dried mandrake root. Come to think of it, this kind of root wasn't commonly seen in its raw form like this; the mandrake roots in stores were usually processed in some way.
"Bought it from Dagworthy," Albert winked, "It cost me twenty galleons. I plan to use it to craft the new Protective Wristband 2.1 version."
"I think they're right about you being a wealthy soft touch." Fred and the others couldn't help but cover their faces. Spending twenty galleons to buy an ingredient for crafting wristbands left them at a loss for words.
Being wealthy didn't mean spending money like this! "Don't worry, I never make a loss-making deal." Albert reassured them casually. Even the leftover bits and pieces from crafting magical items could be used to make other things. After all, mandrake root was a medicinal ingredient, and Albert knew many ways to reuse mandrake root, so there was no waste at all.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot, should we set up prizes for second and third place too?" Lee Jordan steered the conversation in a different direction.
"And consolation prizes," Fred added.
"First place can choose between ten galleons or a set of wizard cards. Second place will get a barrel of butterbeer, and third place will receive a brand-new quill. There won't be any prizes for consolation winners, though," Albert explained.
Fred and the others exchanged glances, surprised. They had assumed Albert would be giving out galleons as prizes, but it seemed like...
"Is there a problem?" Albert noticed the astonished looks on their faces and asked.
"No... it's just... what do you mean by wizard cards?" Fred inquired.
"The cards we're going to sell in the future!" Albert explained, "We'll be selling a starter set of cards, and then players will be able to get card packs through other means. Each card pack will contain different cards, and the number of cards will be limited. For example, the Dumbledore card will be a rare card, with a total quantity limited to one thousand. The cards will also have authentic serial numbers, just like galleons, to prevent counterfeiting. As for our future plans, I'll have to keep them confidential for now." (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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