Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 659: A Galleon's Nest for Norbert - Novel Cool

Chapter 659: A Galleon's Nest for Norbert

Chapter 659: A Galleon's Nest for Norbert

The same tearoom on the sixth floor, the same booth Kyle had occupied a few days ago with Dumbledore, and even the seating arrangement remained unchanged. However, the person across from him was no longer Dumbledore but Headmistress Saxia.

For some reason, Kyle couldn't shake the feeling that the renowned Potioneer seemed a bit nervous.

He had seen this same expression on others before. When he and Fred and George first divided the profits from selling the map, they had looked just like this.

Nervous, but more than that, they were filled with anticipation.

But this was the Headmistress of St. Mungo's herself, a Potioneer even more renowned than Snape, surely she wouldn't be lacking in Galleons...

"How have you been lately?" Headmistress Saxia poured two cups of tea. "Is your academic performance going well?"

It had to be said that this opening was a bit stiff, like running into a relative you hadn't seen in over a decade and feeling awkward but having to exchange a few words.

That's exactly how Kyle felt at the moment.

"Yeah, it's going well," he took the tea and said, "By the time I graduate next year, I should be able to get around ten certificates."

"Ten certificates? That's quite an impressive achievement." Headmistress Saxia commented.

"It's just a possibility," Kyle said softly, "Maybe even less than that."

"Is that so?"

At this point, the conversation seemed to stall, and the atmosphere in the booth became a bit awkward.

Kyle felt a bit uncomfortable with the situation and wanted to break the ice, but as he didn't know Saxia's purpose, he could only bring up a random topic.

"By the way, Headmistress Saxia, how is Mr. Stodge's injury doing?"

"It's going well. Your method was very effective." When it came to Dark Magic, Headmistress Saxia's tone immediately became more natural. "I brewed the corresponding antidote by dawn the next day, and it worked wonderfully. The effects of the Dark Magic have started to gradually fade, and he should be able to recover fully in about a month."

"That's great." Kyle smiled and said, "Within just one night, you were able to brew a brand new and effective antidote based on the characteristics of Dark Magic. No wonder Professor Dumbledore always says you're the greatest Potioneer."

"It's not entirely a new antidote." Headmistress Saxia shook her head and said seriously, "Dark Magic is actually interconnected, just with different branches. The Dark Magic on Mr. Stodge is a type of the Heart-Seeking Curse."

"This type of Dark Magic was prevalent over a decade ago, and I've seen too much of it. Plus, with the Phoenix Tears provided by Professor Dumbledore, brewing the antidote wasn't that difficult. The only thing required was time.

"And the Basilisk... happens to solve this problem."

When she mentioned the Basilisk, Headmistress Saxia paused for a moment before continuing, "I never thought I'd live to see a living Basilisk, and it seems to listen to you so obediently."

"But I've always wondered, don't Basilisks only obey the commands of the wizard who created them? Judging by the size of that Basilisk, it must have existed for several hundred years at least."

"To be precise, it's over a thousand years," Kyle said, "But I'm sorry, due to certain special circumstances, I can't reveal the origins of this Basilisk."

"That's understandable."

Headmistress Saxia didn't seem to mind the origins of the Basilisk, or perhaps what she cared about the most was the Basilisk itself.

After the conversation turned to the Basilisk, she decided to be direct instead of beating around the bush, "The reason I'm here is to ask if you're willing to sell the Basilisk. St. Mungo's is willing to offer ten times the price of a Dragon."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Kyle replied without hesitation.

The price of ten Dragons was indeed tempting, but the value of the Basilisk far exceeded that of Galleons. Moreover, as an extremely dangerous creature, it was safer to keep the Basilisk under his control.

He didn't want to look up one day and see a pair of bright yellow eyes staring back at him.

To dispel Headmistress Saxia's idea, Kyle continued, "Furthermore, this Basilisk has a special origin, and I only have the right to use it. Even if I wanted to sell it, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't agree."

"Alright." Headmistress Saxia seemed to have anticipated this outcome and didn't seem too disappointed.

"What about things related to the Basilisk, but not affecting it directly? I hope you'll consider selling those to St. Mungo's. I won't let you lose out, and I'm offering ten times the market price."

"The price of dragon blood is six Galleons per ounce, while basilisk blood is sixty Galleons per ounce. As for venom, it's priced similarly to the venom of an Eight-Eyed Spider, at a thousand Galleons per pint."

Purchase basilisk blood and venom?

Kyle couldn't shake the feeling that this was Headmistress Saxia's true intention.

Moreover, the price she offered was indeed tempting.

Sixty Galleons was almost equivalent to a month's salary for most Ministry of Magic employees, and that was just for one ounce.

Basilisks are not small creatures... To put it simply, even if a phoenix casually pecked at a basilisk, it could still spew out several hundred Galleons worth of venom.

The venom was even more impressive; if drawing blood might affect the basilisk to some extent, then the venom was truly invaluable.

It was like the flames spewed by a dragon, available in abundance.

Even with the most conservative collection method, a gallon of venom would last no more than a few days. Afterward, feeding just two Tuberous Toads would replenish the supply.

Tuberous Toads were worth a pittance compared to the venom priced at a thousand Galleons per gallon.

If he included basilisk skin and scales, he could earn at least five thousand Galleons in a month.

If this were the case, by the time he graduated, he might be able to build Norbert a cave with Galleons alone."

Kyle's heart began to race, and all he could see were Galleons, everywhere.

However, after the initial excitement, Kyle soon considered another possibility. He took a sip of tea to calm himself and asked, "Headmistress Saxia, I assume St. Mungo's won't be purchasing venom and basilisk blood continuously, right?"

"You're correct," Saxia smiled and refilled Kyle's tea. "St. Mungo's purpose for acquiring basilisk materials is to research and prepare related potions.

"I've been searching through the potions recipes and books left by previous St. Mungo's Headmasters, and I found records of basilisks in a three-hundred-year-old notebook.

"According to the notes, basilisk-related ingredients, including basilisk blood, skin, venom, and scales, are naturally resistant to most herbs. They are only compatible with a small number of equally poisonous ingredients, and the difficulty is the highest. There are no more than three healers in St. Mungo's capable of preparing such potions.

"We can't dedicate all our time to researching new potions. I did a rough calculation, and a gallon of venom is sufficient for us to use for six months."

Kyle's heart sank.

Six months for a thousand Galleons was still a considerable sum, but he had initially thought of earning a thousand Galleons in just three to five days. The difference was significant, which explained why Headmistress Saxia had offered such a high price.

Kyle caressed his teacup, deep in thought.

"I don't have any venom or basilisk blood at the moment, but I have this." He reached into the Transfigured Lizard Hide Bag and took out a piece about the size of his palm, a vibrant green with visible scale marks.

"Is this basilisk skin?" Headmistress Saxia asked excitedly.

She was more interested in the basilisk skin than the venom.

Basilisk skin was the only non-toxic material, the least resistant, and the most widely used ingredient.

She had found potion recipes related to basilisks in the records of previous headmasters, and eighty percent of them included basilisk skin.

The reason she hadn't mentioned it earlier was that basilisks shed their skin only once every hundred years, and she wasn't sure if Kyle had any.

She hadn't expected Kyle to actually have it.

Moreover, it was a thousand-year-old basilisk skin, and there was surely more than just this piece.

A glint of excitement flashed in Headmistress Saxia's eyes, and she asked with a slightly trembling voice, "Do you have more?"

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"A whole piece of basilisk skin, about fifty feet long..." Kyle said.

"Clink!"

As soon as Kyle finished speaking, Headmistress Saxia clinked her teacup against the table.

Generally, there were very few things that could make her lose her composure like this. The first time she saw a basilisk was one such occasion, and this was the second as she heard Kyle had a whole piece of basilisk skin, fifty feet long.

The former was a surprise, and the latter was a delight...

"I wonder if you'd be willing to sell it to St. Mungo's," Headmistress Saxia said hastily, but then she seemed to remember something, and her tone paused before continuing.

"However, for basilisk skin... we might not be able to purchase it at ten times the price of dragon skin. We'll start with five thousand Galleons for five feet of basilisk skin.

"Five thousand Galleons for five feet... it's not that tall, relatively speaking. But the price is reasonable considering that snake skin isn't snake venom."

However, after some thought, Kyle shook his head and said, "No, Headmistress Saxia..."

"What about six thousand Galleons? That's the highest price we can offer."

"You misunderstand," Kyle said with a smile. "For a five-foot basilisk skin, I don't want a Knut. I'll donate it directly to St. Mungo's, along with a pint of venom."

Headmistress Saxia seemed surprised by Kyle's response and abruptly lifted her head.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "That's a significant amount of Galleons."

"If we continue this discussion, I might genuinely regret it," Kyle said, sounding conflicted.

Five feet of basilisk skin, plus a pint of venom, would amount to six thousand... no, seven thousand Galleons.

When Sirius was wanted, the bounty was only ten thousand Galleons, and seven thousand Galleons was almost enough to buy him out.

However, Headmistress Saxia had previously mentioned that the purpose of purchasing these items was to research and create new potions, and Kyle felt that accepting money for this seemed inappropriate.

Moreover, with seven thousand Galleons, he could gain the favor of a top-tier Potions master, and this deal wasn't a loss at all.

Look at Lucius Malfoy, who had donated so many Galleons to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement headed by Goyle, all for the favor of Minister Fudge.

In a way, Headmistress Saxia's favor was far more valuable and significant than Fudge's.

Kyle didn't hide his thoughts, and Headmistress Saxia could see right through him. However, she didn't mind, or rather, she was willing to owe this favor.

"How about this," she said, "these seven thousand Galleons worth of materials will be considered your donation to St. Mungo's. In return..." she paused, "I will personally support Albus' candidacy for Minister of Magic."

"What?" Kyle asked, blinking in surprise.

"Isn't your Headmaster running against Fudge for the position?" Headmistress Saxia continued, "I was torn between whom to support, but as the Headmistress of St. Mungo's, even if I support Albus personally, others will associate it with St. Mungo's. It's inevitable."

"However, I will resign from my position as Headmistress and fully support Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix."

"No, no, no... please don't do that!" Kyle waved his hands repeatedly, genuinely surprised that the news had reached St. Mungo's.

Headmistress Saxia didn't quite understand Kyle's reaction.

She was certain that Kyle was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, at least an associate. Weren't they trying to promote Dumbledore to become the Minister?

The newspapers from a few days ago were filled with this news, and many at St. Mungo's had heated debates about it. Why were they refusing now?

"You might not know this..." she reminded him, "I do have some influence in the Wizarding World. I should be able to garner more support for Dumbledore."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Kyle said. "Headmaster Dumbledore has no chance of becoming the Minister, and there's no opportunity for it."

"You underestimate Albus," Headmistress Saxia smiled.

"No, I'm serious," Kyle said. "In any case, trust me. Professor Dumbledore will never become the Minister, no matter how many supporters he has."

"If you publicly support him, you might soon find yourself at odds with the Ministry, which would be detrimental to both you personally and St. Mungo's."

Seeing that Kyle wasn't joking, Headmistress Saxia gradually dropped her smile and became serious.

If what Kyle said was true, she should indeed consider whether to support Dumbledore or not, as Fudge wasn't known for his magnanimity.

"How about this..." Kyle suggested, "Fox will send you a letter soon. When it arrives, you can open it in front of others, then write a letter to Professor Dumbledore, expressing a somewhat ambiguous attitude."

"Huh?" Headmistress Saxia blinked, not quite understanding Kyle's intention.

Hadn't Kyle just said that Professor Dumbledore wouldn't become the Minister? Why create an ambiguous pretense now?

She felt a bit out of touch with the thoughts of the younger witches and wizards.

But since Kyle had made this suggestion, she would follow through. After all, it was just a letter, and it wouldn't impact St. Mungo's in any way.

...

(End of Chapter)

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