Chapter 252: A Warm Family - Part 2
Chapter 252: A Warm Family - Part 2
"Wow, I never thought you were an Alchemist. I heard Alchemists make a lot of money. Is that true?" Ron asked Liam with excitement.
"It depends on the individual's skill. I just happen to have had some good luck and learned a bit more", Liam replied. He then reached into his Spatial Bag and pulled out two Copper Bracelets, tossing them to the Weasley Twins. "Luckily, I had some in stock. I also have a half-finished product that I can complete if I have good luck, maybe by dinner."
"Do you need us to leave?" Fred asked, aware of the importance of knowledge as a member of a Pure-blood Wizard Family.
"No, I actually hope you can learn this to make my life easier. That way, I can focus on other things", Liam said. He then pulled out a small altar about the size of a washbasin, adorned with various runes in gold. He placed a half-finished copper bracelet on the altar and began adding ingredients from his Spatial Bag while reciting spells.
The Weasley Twins sat quietly and attentively, watching as Liam made various gestures and chanted different incantations. The materials, under Liam's direction, turned into liquids and mixed together on the Magic Array of the altar, filling the grooves of the bracelet. When all the grooves were filled, silver flames rose from the altar, fusing the bracelet's components into a single piece.
"Done." Liam took the still-warm finished product from the altar and tossed it to Fred. "The next one will take longer, so remind Percy to sell it to his close friends first."
Fred examined the bracelet. "Every time I look at it, I'm amazed by its intricacy. Unfortunately, I still can't figure out how you do it. So, I guess we'll have to keep bothering you." George nodded in agreement.
"Um, Liam, could you tell us what we need to learn to become an Alchemist?" Ron asked softly, clearly impressed by Liam's demonstration.
"Actually, Hogwarts sometimes offers an Alchemy class in sixth year, but it requires students to achieve all Outstanding grades in Transfiguration, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Potions in their O.W.L. Exams", Liam explained as he tidied up.
"What? Isn't there an easier way?" Ron felt a sense of despair, realizing that these requirements were far too high for him, a borderline slacker.
"Actually, Hogwarts's requirements are already the lowest. I also studied Ancient Runes and other knowledge from multiple civilizations", Liam said, pointing to the runes on the altar. "For example, there's Ancient Greek, Seal Script, Ancient Latin, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, and Cuneiform—"
Before Liam could finish, Ron quickly waved his hands. "Now I understand why Alchemists are so valuable."
"I'm just a beginner", Liam said. "Someone like Nicolas Flamel is a true Alchemy master who makes a lot of money. But Fred and George's joke products will also be very popular in the future."
Ron wasn't particularly interested in the extensive learning required and quickly changed the topic to discuss things about the Wizarding World, which Liam also found intriguing. The conversation flowed smoothly, with one person talking and the other listening, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
A few hours later, at Mrs. Weasley's call, everyone went downstairs for dinner. Since the kitchen was too small, they decided to eat outside. Mrs. Weasley, like a general, organized everyone with precision.
Liam and the Weasley Twins were assigned the task of moving the chairs, but he noticed that the twins had already drawn their wands.
"Aren't we not allowed to use Magic during the summer vacation?" Liam asked upon seeing this.
"No worries, it's fine at home. The Ministry of Magic can't tell who's casting the spells", the twins said as they used their wands to direct the chairs to move on their own. Seeing this, Liam also drew his wand and joined them.
By the time Liam came out, everyone had almost finished preparing. Once everything was ready, Mrs. Weasley brought out the dinner.
At seven o'clock, the two tables groaned under the weight of the delicious dishes Mrs. Weasley had prepared. They all ate under the clear, deep blue night sky, with the table laden with roast chicken, ham pie, boiled potatoes, and salads, making for a sumptuous meal.
At one end of the table, Mr. Weasley mentioned that he had helped Ludo Bagman with something, which was why he was able to get so many tickets. If Liam remembered correctly, to prevent too many Portkeys or gatherings of wizards from affecting Muggle society, the cheaper tickets required people to arrive earlier, with some even having to camp out a month in advance.
It had to be said that even if they were a bit poor, the Sacred Twenty-Eight Families still had their resources. Liam didn't think a regular wizard could get so many valuable tickets just by helping Bagman with a favor.
Apart from Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley was also giving her opinions on Bill's hairstyle and accessories, much to Bill's helpless defense. It was clear that no matter how old you were, you were always a child in your parents' eyes.
As the sky grew darker, everyone had finished their meal and was enjoying strawberry ice cream dessert. The conversation then turned to the upcoming match, with most of the Weasleys believing that the Irish team would win. After all, Quidditch was a team sport, and the Irish team had better coordination.
They chatted in this warm atmosphere for a long time until the sky turned completely dark.
"It's getting late", Mrs. Weasley said, glancing at her watch. "You should all go to bed. You have to get up early tomorrow morning to watch the match. Liam, Hermione, leave your lists of school supplies, and I'll go to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get them for you. I'm buying for the others anyway. Once the Quidditch World Cup is over, it might be too late. The last match lasted five days."
"Five days? Don't the players get tired?" Liam asked in surprise.
"Of course they do, but professional Quidditch teams have enough substitutes to rotate in and let some players rest", Bill explained to Liam.
After reading for a while, Liam tidied up and went to bed.
However, he hadn't been asleep for long when someone shook him awake. Liam instinctively reached for his wand by the pillow. Fortunately, he remembered he was at the Weasleys' and there was no danger.
"It's time to go, Liam, dear", Mrs. Weasley whispered. Then she started waking Ron up.
"Is it time to leave?" Liam glanced out the window at the dark sky and began to get ready. At this point, the others were also being woken up, but everyone was groggy from the early hour.
"Have one of these", Liam said, handing a green candy to each of the other three as they went downstairs.
"What is it?" Fred and George tossed the candy into their mouths and immediately perked up. "Good, it's so refreshing."
"Don't worry, it's a Powerful Mint Candy I made from concentrated mint", Liam said, popping one into his own mouth.
The mint candy worked wonders, and by the time they reached the kitchen, everyone was wide awake.
(End of Chapter)
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