Chapter 502: The Gathering
Chapter 502: The Gathering
Under a large tree in the Forbidden Forest, Lupin spoke to Liam with a worried tone, “Most of Britain’s Magic Plants cultivation is controlled by the old Pureblood Families. They keep the costs of growing these plants very low thanks to House-Elves. Our plantation only meets the orders for the store, and it’s hard to compete with those Noble Families in the market. That’s why I’m concerned about the arrival of new people. If we produce more, the British market won’t be able to absorb it.”
“I understand your concerns, Professor Lupin,” Liam replied with a smile. “But I’ve found a huge market. During my summer vacation, I signed a Trade Agreement with China. They are willing to purchase certain Raw Materials that they don’t produce.”
“Really?” Lupin’s eyes widened, and he cautiously asked, “But can their market handle such a large quantity of goods?”
“Don’t worry, Professor. We’ll be selling processed Magic Plants that have high demand. Their population is twenty times ours, and they have an uninterrupted magical heritage spanning thousands of years. Such a thriving market could easily consume whatever we produce.”
“Good to hear,” Lupin finally relaxed and smiled. After chatting a bit more about recent events, they parted ways and left the Forbidden Forest.
It was lunchtime when they emerged, and at the dining table, Liam learned that Cormac Mclaggen, who was competing with Ron for the Keeper position, had wanted it last year as well. Unfortunately, he was in the Hospital Wing during the tryouts because he had taken a bet to eat a pound of Vixen eggs.
“Mclaggen not being selected is a very good thing,” Hermione commented after hearing the news from Ginny. “His mental state is not suitable for a team sport that requires brains.”
Liam agreed. In the Wizarding World, Vixen was akin to cockroaches or flies in the Muggle world. If someone took a bet to eat a pound of such things and then boasted about it, it only showed that their brain was malfunctioning.
The afternoon was spent studying in the Library. Liam used the time to finish reading the Alchemy Manual that Sirius Black had given him, a book from the Black Family’s collection. Although the manual described Dark Magic products, many of the intricate ideas were worth learning. More importantly, with this introduction to Dark Magic products, Liam could create Alchemy Items that effectively countered the Family Heirlooms of the Pureblood Family-born Death Eaters.
“The Death Power you possess is different from the Dark Lord’s. It’s not the final death but a cycle of death transformed from life, much like the cycle of life in nature,” Liam explained to Hermione on their way to the Great Hall for dinner. As a Precursor, Liam’s knowledge was sufficient to address Hermione’s current questions, and she looked enlightened after his explanation.
“So you mean the Death Power I control is like plants growing from the earth and returning to it, a cycle of life and death, right?” Hermione asked, looking at Liam.
“Yes,” Liam replied. He noticed that Hermione, after learning Life Magic from Iceland a few years ago, was gradually getting the hang of studying rules. He believed she would soon master independent research.
As they were about to descend the main staircase to the Great Hall, Professor Slughorn suddenly appeared, blocking their path.
“Mr. Liang, Miss Granger, I’ve been looking for you,” he said enthusiastically, his hands resting on his bulging belly. “Thank Merlin, I caught you before dinner. How about joining me for a simple dinner tonight? I’ve arranged a small Dinner Party with a few Rising Stars. I’ve invited Mclaggen, Zabini, and the charming Melinda Bobbin—do you know her? Her family runs a large chain of Pharmacies—”
"Of course, we are honored." Liam gave Slughorn a slight bow. "We will be there on time. Is there any dress code we should follow?"
"No, I just want everyone to relax. You can wear your school uniforms." Slughorn's smile grew even wider. "I need to go downstairs and find Harry. Let's meet up at eight."
With that, Slughorn headed towards the Great Hall. Hermione watched his retreating figure and asked Liam, "It feels a bit strange. I always thought wizards didn't have things like fraternities or sororities like in regular high schools or colleges."
"Wherever there are people, such things are inevitable." Liam smiled. "But I don't think we'll be the main focus today. Slughorn probably invited us because he sees a bright future for us. He'll likely focus more on those from well-off families. We're just there to enjoy some good food and relax."
At half past seven, Professor Slughorn's small gathering took place as scheduled. However, Liam didn't see Harry there. According to Professor Slughorn, Snape insisted that Harry should attend his detention, so unfortunately, he couldn't make it to the gathering.
As Liam had predicted, Slughorn spent most of his time focusing on Mclaggen, who knew many influential people. For instance, a large part of the gathering was spent listening to Mclaggen recount his recent hunting trip with several important figures from the Ministry of Magic. The rest of the time was mostly spent listening to Slughorn talk about how famous his former students had become. Despite this, Liam maintained a humble and attentive demeanor throughout, given the excellent dinner provided.
However, Slughorn was a skilled socialite. Although he focused on Mclaggen, he didn't neglect the others. He praised Liam's alchemy and Hermione's outstanding academic performance during the gathering. When everyone was enjoying their dessert, the arrival of Gwenog Jones, the Captain of the Holyhead Harpies, brought the gathering to a new high.
The gathering finally concluded at nine o'clock. When Liam and Hermione returned to the Common Room, they saw Harry coming back from Snape.
"Good evening. How was your gathering tonight?" Harry greeted them half-heartedly. Picking out rotten flobberworms from a pile wasn't a pleasant task, especially when they smelled so bad.
"It was okay. The food was really good", Liam nodded seriously. "But you had to listen to Slughorn boasting about his former students' achievements or Mclaggen bragging about how many important people he knows for two hours."
"Sounds like it wasn't as exciting as I imagined, but at least it's better than sorting through a pile of dead, smelly worms", Harry shrugged.
"However, the Captain of the Holyhead Harpies, Gwenog Jones, did join us at the end. But since neither of us is interested in Quidditch, we didn't really talk to her much."
"You two, sigh!" Harry suddenly felt a sense of loss. The Holyhead Harpies was a strong Quidditch team with nearly 800 years of history. For Quidditch enthusiasts, meeting their Captain in person was a fantastic opportunity.
"But we got her autograph for you", Liam handed Harry an autographed photo of Gwenog Jones. "I just mentioned that it was a shame you couldn't come, and Professor Slughorn offered to get this for us."
"Thank you so much!" Harry said, taking the autographed photo. He felt that his evening wasn't entirely disastrous after all.
(End of Chapter)
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