Chapter 95: Trendy Accessories
Chapter 95: Trendy Accessories
For a whole week, Kyle, lured by Galen, stayed in a small, stuffy abandoned classroom and ended up making over 300 'Exam Passing Charms'.
Over a hundred of them were meticulously hand-carved, stroke by stroke, completely authentic and without any semblance of forgery.
The remaining two hundred, on the other hand, were mass-produced on an assembly line. The pattern was first carved and then transferred to the rowan twigs using the Replication Charm; they could be considered perfunctory copies, but they looked quite convincing nonetheless.
By the end of the week, the group had become extremely proficient in using the Replication Charm, a spell that was originally not taught until the sixth year.
"It's all up to you now," Kyle said solemnly to the other five during the feast before the start of term. "You know the process. Just do it the same way we sold the maps."
Fred, George, and the others nodded solemnly.
Though they understood the process, this was by no means a small-scale operation like selling maps; this was a major enterprise targeting the entire school, and they couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
"Kyle, should we charge Hufflepuff as well?" Cedric, the kind-hearted, asked hesitantly.
"This isn't exactly a necessity, Cedric," Kyle said, patting him on the shoulder. "But we can offer Hufflepuff a nice discount."
"Fifty percent off?"
"No, nine-five percent!" Kyle thought for a moment and added, "But we can round down and charge one Knut less."
"......"
Cedric twitched his mouth. He wanted to persist with his suggestion, but there was no use; Kyle firmly held the pricing power, and his decision was final.
After a brief discussion, the group dispersed to prepare for their plan the next day.
To maximize their promotional efforts, Fred and George wrote a large advertisement and posted it in the most conspicuous position in the Gryffindor common room.
"Are you still worried about exams? Are you still anxious about underperforming and getting poor results?
Now, you don't have to worry anymore!
To ensure that everyone can enjoy a wonderful summer vacation, we proudly present the 'Exam Passing Charm'.
Featured in 'Hogwarts: A History', it was once all the rage at Hogwarts for over a hundred years and was the hottest-selling product of its time, even worn by Headmaster Dumbledore during exams.
Interested buyers, please contact Fred Weasley and George Weasley of the second year.
[Note: This product is symbolic and does not enhance the wearer's intelligence or substitute for taking the exam. Purchase with discretion.]"
In the initial version of the advertisement, the last sentence was actually absent. However, after learning about it, Kyle specifically asked them to add it.
Not for any other reason, but to emphasize stability and to avoid returns.
Fred and George had initially been concerned that adding this sentence would deter people from buying their product.
But that concern vanished within just half a day.
As soon as the first person found the meaning of the wand and quill graphic in 'Hogwarts: A History' and spread the word, young wizards began rushing to Fred and George's dormitory with Sickles and Galons in hand, afraid that they would miss out on the 'Exam Passing Charms' if they hesitated for even a second.
The dormitory door had been broken down several times, and eventually, Fred didn't even bother with the repair spell, opting instead to simply remove the door altogether.
The situation in Hufflepuff was similar, except that the little badgers were crowding into Cedric's dormitory.
...
Several days later, in the same abandoned classroom.
The floor, once littered with wood shavings and small knives, was now replaced by a square table piled high with Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons.
"Gulp," Fred swallowed, his eyes glued to the money. "How much is all this?"
"In total, it's seven hundred and nine Galleons, fifteen Sickles, and five Knuts after conversion," Qiu blurted out. "I didn't expect so many people to order customized ones, so it's quite a bit more than expected."
"Seven hundred Galleons..." George's eyes glazed over slightly. "Am I dreaming?"
Fred sighed enviously, "If so, I hope this dream never ends."
Kyle picked up a Galleon from the table and smiled, "Then you'd better decide quickly, because this dream will come true seven times."
"In that case, I'd better wake up soon," Fred laughed heartily.
But as he laughed, his face suddenly twisted into a scowl.
Fred suddenly remembered that he was a year ahead of Kyle. By the time Kyle reached his seventh year, Fred would have already graduated, missing out on that year's profits.
The thought of losing out on hundreds of Galleons pained Fred, and he shot a plaintive glance at Kyle as he said, "Why didn't you enroll last year?"
Kyle shuddered at Fred's intense gaze and shifted slightly away from him.
"It's not like I had a say in when I started school. You'll have to take that up with Dumbledore," he replied.
"Oh, it's decided by the Book of Admittance," Cedric quietly reminded them. "It has nothing to do with the headmaster, either."
But Fred and George clearly weren't listening, as they were already plotting ways to delay their graduation by a year.
When they left, each of their pockets was a hundred Galleons heavier.
As for the rest of the money, the group unanimously decided that Kyle should keep it as capital for their next venture.
Kyle agreed.
He had originally intended to invest this money with the Weasley twins, but they were currently occupied with searching for the complete password to the Marauder's Map and had no time to spare for joke products.
Perhaps next year.
...
In the following weeks, the professors noticed that a unique wooden accessory had become all the rage at Hogwarts. Almost every student seemed to be wearing one.
It wasn't a magical item, just ordinary rowan wood, shaped into circles or squares.
There was also a smaller number of these accessories adorned with gold lacquer and a layer of wax, looking more refined than the others but still non-magical.
Ordinarily, the professors wouldn't have paid much attention to such accessory trends, as they happened every year and posed no danger.
But this time was different. They noticed that since these accessories became popular, the young witches and wizards seemed much more relaxed in class, their attitudes improved significantly.
To be honest, the professors weren't sure if this development was entirely positive.
(End of Chapter)
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