Chapter 59: The Rush
Chapter 59: The Rush
The last week of the holidays flew by in a flash. Ved felt that he had barely read a few books before time stealthily slipped away.
Professor Moriarity had left him with a small matchbox containing a small, curled, bluish-black fragment that resembled a dried caterpillar or a wing membrane torn from a bat's wing.
As he couldn't use his wand, Ved merely examined its appearance with a magnifying glass, refraining from more destructive inspection methods. He would have to wait until he returned to school to study it in detail.
Just as he had promised, Marcioni released the 'Friendship Register' on schedule. Ved also received an invitation letter from Aslan's Magic Workshop for the release date, and an owl delivered samples to him—two sets of each style, with a note that he could keep one set and give the other set as a gift.
Rather than joining the crowd on the first day of sales, Ved preferred to stay at home and read. However, Fiona had seen the advertisement for the Friendship Register in the 'Daily Prophet' and was eager to go, so father and son accompanied her.
The family drove to Charing Cross Road in Westminster, parked nearby, and then walked towards the Leaky Cauldron. It had snowed recently, and the ground was wet and slippery. Fiona clung tightly to Ferdinand's arm, but her feet still slipped as she walked.
"I really wish I could fly straight to the Leaky Cauldron—for a butter beer—no, make it a fire whiskey," Fiona muttered nervously.
"We're almost there," Ferdinand reassured her, although they could already see the sign of the Leaky Cauldron.
As Squibs, the Gray couple had not been accepted as students by the magic school, but the wizarding world had not completely shut them out. Ferdinand and Fiona had magic in their bodies, and although they couldn't use it, it set them apart from Muggles.
For instance, they could see the Leaky Cauldron, which was invisible to Muggle eyes, and potions had their intended effects on them.
For pure Muggles, some potions that wizards considered commonplace could be deadly poisons, such as the Skeletal Sage potion. Some injuries that wizards wouldn't bat an eye at could be irreparable and severe for Muggles.
When Ved was studying at Hogwarts, the Gray couple would sometimes wander through Diagon Alley. Although they didn't have wands, as long as they followed other wizards through the entrance, they could enter Diagon Alley without incident, and people generally didn't mind.
At this moment, Ved felt that his parents entering Diagon Alley was like coming home. They naturally started at the Leaky Cauldron with a pint of beer (at some point, Fiona had stopped complaining about the hygiene here), and then walked along the winding road to the entrance, where they gazed at Ved expectantly.
Ved took out his wand and tapped a brick on the wall, and the familiar arch immediately appeared, along with a huge poster.
【Friendship Register, a Revolutionary Landmark!】
【Haven't bought a Friendship Register for your child yet? Merlin, how will they manage at school?】
【Peak Quality, Excellent yet Affordable, an Irreplaceable Experience in the New Era!】
【With Me by Your Side, a Different World—Stay Connected Anywhere, Anytime. The Friendship Register Changes Our World!】
"My goodness," Fiona exclaimed.
The colorful posters were almost everywhere one looked, and various slogans scrolled continuously, urging people to buy immediately. Diagon Alley was bustling with people, mostly parents with their children, and there were even many foreign wizards.
They didn't need to go to Marcioni's shop because, along Diagon Alley, there was a sales point every ten meters. A shop assistant shouted, "One per customer! One per customer! Hey, sir, you took too many!"
"Don't panic! We'll be producing more very soon! Don't rush, if you're willing to wait a couple of days, you can sit in the store and take your time to choose! All kinds of styles!"
But no one listened to him. People kept pushing forward, holding onto their Galleons and shouting—
"Give me three! I have three children!"
"Don't push from the back! Who stepped on my shoe?"
Fiona's eyes widened as a sudden cry rang out from the crowd, and people hastily stepped aside as two wizards tumbled to the ground, brawling and screaming at each other. The scuffle was quickly broken up by bystanders.
Fiona swallowed nervously. "Maybe... maybe we should just watch from here..."
"A wise choice," came a voice.
Ferdinand bought some ice cream, and the trio sat down at a small table outside, watching the intimidating scene of people scrambling to buy the registers.
Fosco, the owner, clad in a vest, served them their ice cream with a smile. "Are you here to buy a Friendship Register for your child as well?"
"Er... yes..." Ferdinand replied vaguely.
Adjusting his necktie, Fosco said, "Let me share some inside information with you. The current batch of Friendship Registers from Aslan's Magic Workshop is the only one available for now. After they sell out, the staff will be taking a few days off before resuming production. So, if you miss this batch, you'll have to wait at least a week to get your hands on one."
Ved looked up at him, realizing why the shop assistants' attempts to maintain order were futile. With these Diagon Alley shop owners spreading "inside information" and creating anxiety, it was no wonder that everyone was worried about missing out.
"And your source for this information is...?" Ferdinand asked cautiously.
"Oh, I have a cousin whose neighbor's daughter works at Aslan's Magic Workshop, specifically on the production of the Friendship Registers," Fosco replied proudly. "So, my information is absolutely reliable!"
"Oh..." Ferdinand nodded, somewhat skeptical.
Ved: ...
Could this "inside information" be something Marcioni instructed his employees to spread to stimulate sales, he wondered. Deliberately spreading rumors, with official statements claiming ample stock while simultaneously leaking "insider information" about limited quantities, would naturally make people believe the latter.
"Waiting a week... is that bad?" Fiona asked, puzzled. "Owls used to be fine, didn't they?"
"How are those the same?" Fosco looked at Ved and continued, "Think about your son, ma'am. When he gets to school and sees all his classmates discussing and exchanging Friendship Registers, wouldn't he feel left out and inferior? Imagine that scene—as parents, wouldn't you feel sad for your child?"
Fiona pictured the scenario he described—students huddled together, chatting and laughing as they played with their registers, while her Ved stood alone in a corner, looking pitiful. Her heart sank at the thought, and she nodded vigorously. "Yes, of course! It would be so sad and lonely for him! We can't let that happen!"
"Exactly," Fosco said. "That's what every parent is thinking. They at least want their child to have one register so they won't feel out of place. So, who could resist buying one?"
"No one, that's who!" Fiona exclaimed, playing along.
Fosco sighed and walked away, muttering something about parents' love for their children. Fiona fidgeted in her seat, her eyes glued to the frenzied crowd, before suddenly standing up. But Ferdinand pulled her back down by the arm, and Ved looked at her in surprise.
"Ferdi—"
"Ved already has a Friendship Register, remember?" Ferdinand said helplessly. "He has plenty and can exchange them with anyone he meets. He's not some poor kid."
—In fact, he's the inventor of the registers. What couldn't he have?
Fiona blinked, realization dawning on her. "Oh, right!"
Ved: ...
So, you were genuinely influenced by their tactics and weren't secretly promoting it for me, were you?
(End of Chapter)
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