Chapter 407: A New Look for the Company
Chapter 407: A New Look for the Company
Felix watched as Ginny and Luna left the classroom, each holding a replica of the Goblet of Fire. To be honest, the thing was quite heavy, but he wisely refrained from suggesting they use magic to lighten the load.
They were both smart; they probably just didn’t want to, rather than not realizing they could use a Levitation Charm to make it easier... right?
...
The next morning, it was the weekend. He calmed the sleepy Niffler and stepped through the office fireplace to Diagon Alley.
Felix walked down a long cobblestone path, flanked by tightly packed restaurants and shops. Large umbrellas stretched over some storefronts, and the sign of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour shimmered in the warm, golden light.
Even with a casual glance, he could tell that Future World was doing well—along the way, he often saw magical lamps of various sizes displayed in shop windows, seamlessly blending into the heart of London’s magical community.
At the entrance of Future World’s headquarters, he was surprised to see a large crowd gathered, buzzing with excitement. People were laughing and chatting as they emerged from inside.
Two staff members were sweating profusely, trying to calm the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, please don’t push. Everyone will get a turn", one of them said, occasionally letting in a couple of people.
What was going on?
Felix stood to the side, observing for a moment, then stepped forward. The crowd parted automatically, and a staff member in front of him exclaimed in surprise, "Wait, sir... You are Mr. Hep, right?" He looked at Felix with admiration and led him into the castle-like building.
"Mr. Hep, please come in. I need to maintain order", the staff member said respectfully.
Felix nodded and ascended the steps, taking in the scene in the hall.
Everything had changed.
He remembered the place being empty, with a dark floor and a straight view from the center of the hall to the chandelier at the top. Spiral staircases connected each level of the castle.
Felix’s most vivid memory was of the fight he, Snape, and Lupin had here, followed by their discussions about the company’s development.
But the hall in front of him now looked like a magnificent museum, bustling with people.
Young witches pointed excitedly at several display cases, which likely contained new products developed by the company’s researchers. A few staff members in uniform were busy attending to them.
"Professor Hup", said a girl with long, curly hair.
"Krivat", Felix said to the person beside him, "the company has changed so much. I can hardly recognize it."
"It’s the result of everyone’s hard work", Penelope smiled. They began to walk up the spiral staircase to the second floor. As they went, she explained, "Opening the first-floor hall was Crimi’s idea. We display some of our unfinished products and regularly invite outsiders to visit and test them, gathering useful feedback."
"I can see you’re doing a great job", Felix nodded, reflecting, "Maybe I should give you all a raise."
He stood by the railing on the second floor, looking down.
A young witch, with the help of a staff member, put on an emerald diadem. The crowd gasped in awe as she glowed with a crimson light, her hair turning a pale frost color. Magical radiance intertwined and flowed down her neck, and she donned a light pink princess dress. Beautiful flowers bloomed at the hem of her dress, and she looked like a princess, her skin shimmering with a brilliant glow.
"How much is this? I want it!" the witch exclaimed. She now looked like a princess, every inch of her skin gleaming.
"It’s not for sale; we’re still in the testing phase..." the staff member had to explain, struggling to be heard.
Several feet away, a boy with dark purple hair blew a sea-blue bubble, enveloping his one-year-old brother inside. The bubble was very sturdy and floated a few feet off the ground. The baby sat inside, reaching out with chubby little hands toward a blooming orchid, but the bubble kept him out. When the sea-blue bubble landed on the orchid’s bud, the petals slowly opened, and a thumb-sized Flower Fairy emerged from the golden stamen, flitting around the baby and eliciting giggles.
Their parents watched carefully, repeatedly checking to ensure everything was safe...
Felix continued up the stairs and asked, "How is Percy doing at the Ministry of Magic?"
"He?" Penelope sighed, "He’s very busy, eager to make a name for himself. His boss, Mr. Crouch, is on a long leave and can only give instructions by owl, which gives Percy a lot of autonomy. He can make many decisions on his own... he’s really immersed in it..."
She added, somewhat discontentedly, "He even said he wanted to live at the Ministry, but I stopped him."
Felix paused. His impression of Percy was of someone who worked hard and was rigidly serious in daily life, with a complete lack of humor. While Felix himself didn’t often tell jokes, he could at least recognize and appreciate them, which was something he never saw in Percy.
As Mrs. Weasley once put it, "Once he makes a decision, ten bulls couldn’t pull him back."
Felix looked at Penelope thoughtfully.
"Can you convince him?"
"Usually... yes", Penelope answered, a bit puzzled.
"Good." Felix nodded.
They reached the third floor, pushed open a pair of solid wooden doors, and entered a spacious room where Lupin and a few others were having a serious conversation.
In the center of the room stood a massive canvas, colored in a sage green, displaying moving images—
Two intricate Magical Automatons were engaged in a duel, blue lightning and orange fire intertwining. The puppets were clearly being controlled by someone, often using the terrain to dodge attacks at the last possible moment, moving with natural fluidity. A few researchers below watched the canvas intently, occasionally gasping in unison or drawing sharp breaths at the intense action.
Felix keenly realized that this was not a magical painting, but some form of live broadcast. He saw Crema Vera and Alick Mcgee, surrounded by a crowd, directing the puppets from below the canvas screen. A large camera-like device was pointed at the 'battlefield' between them.
Seeing Felix approach, Lupin quickly walked over. He said with a hint of complaint, "If it weren't for the owls delivering letters, I would have thought you had gone missing."
"I did come by before, didn't I?" Felix said, somewhat awkwardly.
"Indeed", Lupin nodded, teasingly, "Let me think—when was it? If my memory hasn't been tampered with, I saw you last week, no, that was through the Communicating Mirror, the week before? That was your Patronus—delivering two alchemy material formulas. Or the week before that? I must have been mistaken, it was actually Dobby..."
"Cough, cough!" Felix's eyes darted, changing the subject, "That's the Space Capsule you told me about? Fascinating..."
They both turned their attention to the other side of the spacious room, where a young researcher took a capsule from a flat metal box and threw it on the ground. It exploded with a puff of white smoke, scattering various items—canvas bags, a kettle, clothes, and even a few logs.
The researcher let out a disappointed groan, "Oh~ still no good..."
When it came to business, Lupin's demeanor became serious. He turned his gaze from the scene and said to Felix, "The Ministry of Magic isn't budging, you know, they have a tight grip on the Undetectable Extension Charm."
"You don't need to worry about the Ministry of Magic's interference", Felix said.
Lupin stared at him, "The Department of Magical Artifacts says otherwise."
"Trust me, Remus", Felix reassured him, "As long as they allow the public sale of magical items with the Undetectable Extension Charm, whether it's tents or anything else... even if it's just one type, Future World will get the qualification."
"The only thing to watch out for is ensuring the anti-tampering measures are solid. The product's purpose must not be altered", Felix said, watching the young wizards conducting the experiment from a distance. "No living creatures, especially humans, should be allowed." He added after a moment's thought, "It would be best to encourage the Ministry of Magic to refine the laws on this, clearly defining the allowable extent of expanded space..."
"You make it sound like the Ministry of Magic is your personal business. I'm not as confident as you", Lupin muttered, but Felix pretended not to hear. He put an arm around Lupin's shoulders and led him to a large workbench, where various items were scattered.
Temperature-Regulating Pendant Box, magical lamps, Communicating Mirrors, Emerald Crown... the array of items was dazzling.
"Alright, give me a rundown. What new products do we have, and how is the company developing?"
"Currently, we have seventeen products, but twelve are still in the refinement stage, including those in the main hall... The remaining five, along with the Weasley Twins' Lover's Mirror—renamed to Communicating Mirror for the market, as it can't yet transmit images over long distances—are already on sale in seven branches."
"Not to mention the overseas orders..."
Lupin's face showed admiration, "The Quidditch World Cup light show was a huge success. We've been receiving a lot of orders, and we're short on staff, so we've had to partner with the owl post office."
As he spoke, a brown owl flew in through the castle window, circling Lupin twice before dropping a letter.
He quickly opened it and explained, "It's about the product launch dates. Your strategy has been effective. We included a list of upcoming products with the magical lamps we sent out... many people have written to inquire."
He concluded, "Including the overseas orders, 'Future World' now has over a hundred employees. Even the Daily Prophet doesn't have that many."
Felix, however, thought it wasn't enough, "Keep expanding. Hire more staff."
Lupin looked at him hesitantly, "We're just about managing for now. Although things are busy recently, it's because the company is still in the growth phase. Once we stabilize, we won't need as many people."
In the wizarding world, companies typically have very few employees. This is partly because there are only a few tens of thousands of wizards in all of Britain, and partly because magic makes it easy for a few skilled workers to handle the workload.
These small companies are often family businesses, hiring outsiders only every decade or so. In a sense, his 'Future World' company is the exception—given the current growth rate, if they don't slow down, it could take just two to three years to surpass the Ministry of Magic in terms of staff.
Felix looked at Lupin, his light blue eyes meeting his. He said steadily,
"I hope the company remains in the growth phase for a long time. As for stable operations... that might have to wait until after you retire."
(End of Chapter)
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