Chapter 61: Train, Hyena
Chapter 61: Train, Hyena
A sharp whistle pierced the air, signaling the closing of all carriage doors. As the engine puffed out steam, the train began to lurch forward. Ved waved goodbye through the window, watching as his father's figure gradually receded into the distance.
Turning back, he sat down with a heavy heart.
The friend's account book emitted a faint warmth. Upon opening it, Ved found several new messages on the first page.
[Fiona: Is your journey going well? The train should have departed by now.]
[Fiona: Miss Eva seems a little upset. I think it might be because you didn't bring her along.]
[Fiona: Is it cold on the train?]
Ved smiled and took out his quill to reply, writing each response with care.
[Ved: Our journey has been smooth so far, and the train has just left the station. Dad should be on his way home by now.
If Miss Eva is unhappy, perhaps you can offer her some fish treats? They're her favorite snacks, and I remember they're on the second shelf of the cabinet. Or you could try some beetles or dried locusts; she'll be delighted with those too—but don't overfeed her, or she might have digestive issues.]
[Of course, you already know all this.]
[Also, the train seems to have a warming charm, so it's not cold at all, and the scarf helps keep me warm.]
[I'll remember to take lots of pictures.]
"Hey, Ved!" Michael poked his head in just as Ved was about to put down his quill. "I knew I'd find you in this direction—fellows, he's here!"
He waved towards another direction and then dragged his trunk into the compartment, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Big news, isn't it, Ved?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Ved was a bit lost.
"The friend's account, of course!" Michael exclaimed.
He withdrew his wand, levitated his trunk to the luggage rack, and sat down. "Before the start of term, my parents were in a rush to get their hands on one! They were completely stunned when they found out I already had a whole book. But I thought it was a secret among SSC members, and then suddenly, I heard it was being sold in Diagon Alley—so the rumor was true, right?"
"What rumor?" Ved asked, feeling a bit out of the loop after not seeing Michael for three weeks.
"Oh, we've all heard it." As Theo entered the compartment, he continued, "People even came to ask me about it because they knew we're in the same year group—but I have to say, they didn't look like they believed it. They thought someone was pulling their leg!"
"Hey, Ved. It's been a while," Ryan said as he followed Theo into the compartment. "I guess you don't spend much time on the SSC chat page, huh?"
"Well... I have my books to read..." Ved trailed off.
"I guess so, or you wouldn't be so quiet about it," Ryan shrugged. "Let Theo explain; he knows the details."
Theo Mancini, despite his surname not being among the legendary Twenty-Eight Wizarding Families, was indeed pure-blooded and well-informed.
"It's like this," Theo began, fixing his gaze on Ved. "Even before the friend's account book was released, there were rumors—rumors of a brand-new, inexpensive, and more convenient means of communication that would revolutionize the wizarding world and bring people closer together."
"I suspected it might be the friend's account," Michael interjected.
And so, despite having a friend's account book in his possession, Michael had refrained from sharing it with his parents or friends. He had kept it hidden at the bottom of his trunk, using the pretext of studying to secretly chat with his friends and instructing them not to divulge the existence of the account books.
However, at that time, all his friends already had their own friend's accounts, and some had even given a page to their parents.
And so, everyone hastily tried to cover up the matter and instructed their parents to keep it confidential.
Unbeknownst to them, a few days later, the rumor mill had spread worldwide, and everyone seemed to know about it.
"Those few days, we used more Floo Powder than usual," Ryan said. "So many people wanted to get involved. My dad told me he knew a pure-blood noble who was desperate to get his hands on the distribution rights for the Americas."
"But the owner of Aslan's Magic Workshop, Machioni, is a cunning and unpredictable character," Theo continued. "According to my grandfather, he's like a hyena; if someone crosses him, he'll rip their guts out through their... backside."
Mr. Mancini's exact words were cruder, and Theo didn't dare repeat them, so he glossed over that part.
"No one dares to mess with Machioni. No one has ever gotten the better of him. But there are rumors that Machioni acquired the license for the friend's account from someone else, and the inventor is just a first-year student at Hogwarts," Theo said, looking at Ved.
"People went crazy trying to find you, Ved. I was really worried they'd learn your name," Ryan said with a hint of concern.
Theo continued, "But the Grand Alchemist, Terence Mori, publicly stated at a banquet that the inventor was his student, and he would not tolerate anyone causing trouble for his students. Approaching his student without going through him would be seen as an insult and provocation toward Terence Mori."
Ryan added, "It was then that I realized that Professor Mori holds a high position in certain circles, and there's also Professor Dumbledore of Hogwarts—"
Their conversation paused as the witch selling snacks from her trolley passed by their compartment. Each of them bought some treats before resuming their discussion.
"Professor Dumbledore also expressed his wish for everyone to respect his students; otherwise, he would have no choice but to defend their interests. And just like that, things calmed down," Theo said as he unwrapped a Chocolate Frog.
"I heard that those with ideas are now approaching Machioni again. I guess they feel the cost of provoking him is lower in comparison," Theo continued, "Oh, my Chocolate Frog!"
The frog leaped out, and Theo tried to catch it but failed. Ved reached out and grabbed it just before it could jump out the window.
"Thanks, Ved."
Ved handed the Chocolate Frog back to Theo and asked, "So... my name wasn't revealed?"
"Most people don't know. Many of them think it's a sixth or seventh-year student!" Ryan replied. "But I guess the pure-blood nobles must have their suspicions. Even with Professors Dumbledore and Mori speaking up, Ved, it's best if you don't wander around school alone—"
Michael draped an arm around Ved's shoulder and laughed. "Don't worry, we'll stick together like Siamese twins. Hey, bro, there's a rumor that Machioni spent a fortune to buy the usage rights. They say you're already filthy rich. Is it true?"
While the other two avoided the topic, Michael boldly asked the question.
Ved tried to sound nonchalant and not like he was bragging as he replied, "It's not that exaggerated. It was only fifty thousand Galleons."
Michael winced as if he had a toothache. "Fifty thousand Galleons! I've never seen that much money in my life!"
Theo, on the other hand, laughed it off. "Others say it's a million Galleons! That's just ridiculous—"
Ryan suddenly grabbed Theo's shoulder, and Theo immediately stopped talking.
There was a knock on the compartment door.
(End of Chapter)
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