Chapter 522: Chapter 522: Try It (Edited)
"So, what should we sell?" Fred frowned. He thought Tom had come with a plate of food specifically to console them, right?
"Some harmless little items," Tom said discreetly, taking out a small box. "The products I bought from you before... I'm really glad I didn't bring the Skiving Snackboxes."
Facing Mrs. Weasley's indiscriminate Summoning Charm, Tom was sure that if he had brought the Skiving Snackboxes, they would have been discovered. The situation would have been very embarrassing.
Seeing the box in Tom's hands, Fred and George's eyes lit up.
"I'll pay you the initial price."
Fred, George: ???
"I need the money to buy some souvenirs," Tom shrugged. During this time, he had invested too much money in alchemy, which had quickly depleted his cash reserves. Without an option, he needed to get some money from Fred and George.
But the way to get money was not through these small items in the box. The contents of the box weren't even worth two Galleons. What interested Tom was the future development of the Weasley brothers.
"You surely have other intentions with us," Fred and George were very shrewd and perceptive people, and at a glance, they understood Tom's intentions.
"That's right," Tom snapped his fingers. Talking to intelligent people was much easier. He explained his idea of surprise boxes to Fred and George.
"It's just an idea, an immature idea. Right now, we probably don't have a chance to make it happen, but when we return to Hogwarts, the possibilities will be great..."
After hearing the idea of surprise boxes, Fred and George were amazed by Tom.
"Brother, you're a trading genius," Fred put his hand on Tom's shoulder and said seriously.
"Great boss, please have some tea," George raised a cup of tea over his head, offering it to Tom as a sign of respect.
While the three of them were conversing in hushed voices, they had already caught Hermione's attention. She approached behind the three and suddenly leaned towards Tom, asking in a whisper, "What are you talking about?"
Hermione's sudden appearance startled Tom, but Fred and George had "strong hearts" and smirked at Hermione.
"Dear Miss Granger, haven't you heard a saying? A secret makes a man a man."
Not only did she not get a response, but she also felt bad, and Hermione walked away in a huff.
"What I envision goes beyond surprise boxes," Tom showed a devilish smile. Next year, Hogwarts would welcome many visitors, and the wealthy ladies from Beauxbatons would be an ideal group of consumers. This would be the opportunity for him, Fred, and George to shine.
Magical prizes, surprise boxes, limited-edition toys, customized action figures, and even a casino based on test scores... Tom could do it all.
Tom loved making money. But it wasn't Tom's fault; it was because alchemy was a bottomless pit, and Tom couldn't even gather enough money for materials. Plus, the pressure from a certain weird bald guy forced him to find ways to enhance his power.
Next year, he would focus on making money. Tom set his goal for the upcoming semester.
While Tom chatted with Fred and George, Bill, Charlie, and Percy approached them from the forest. Since they could all use Apparition, they could sleep in and come when it was already bright.
"What a feast!" Bill sniffed a couple of times and sincerely praised. Percy quickly approached and took a slice of tortilla and put it on his plate.
Fred and George were devouring the food they had brought. They were eager to do business and sell the items they had retrieved from Tom at a good price.
But the appearance of a special guest interrupted their plans.
"Ludo!" Mr. Weasley jumped up, smiling and waving to a conspicuously dressed man.
The person who appeared was Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. He was wearing a long Quidditch robe in the colors yellow and black, with a large bee emblem on the chest. It was the uniform of the Wimbourne Wasps team he had played for in the past.
Since Quidditch was a sport, it naturally fell under the jurisdiction of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, but Bagman seemed exceptionally idle. That was his way of managing his department: delegating all the work to his subordinates.
"What great weather! All the preparation work is going smoothly, I have nothing to do," Bagman said as a group of exhausted Ministry of Magic officials ran past behind him, and in the background, there were more problems that required the Ministry's attention.
He had only had a brief encounter with him, but Tom had already noticed that this individual was untrustworthy.
But even if Bagman was untrustworthy, he was still the head of a department, and Percy was eager to get along with him. When Bagman appeared, Percy quickly stepped forward, extended his hand, and shook his.
Unfortunately, Harry stole Percy's spotlight, and Bagman was completely drawn to the "boy who lived."
After chatting for a while, Ludo Bagman revealed his true intentions by seeking out Mr. Weasley: he wanted to involve him in a betting game!
Mr. Weasley wasn't interested in the game, but Fred and George were excited about it.
Tom watched as they pulled out their money bags and prepared to bet. He sincerely admired the twins' bravery.
They weren't reckless; their bet of "Ireland winning and Krum catching the Golden Snitch" was the result of careful calculation. Although it sounded very risky, they were actually betting that Krum wouldn't catch the Snitch in time.
Suddenly, the bet didn't seem so far-fetched. On the contrary, they had good odds of winning.
Fred and George had no other choice. They were desperate for money, needing to save enough capital before graduating to support their dream: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. That's why they were willing to take risks and use gambling to expand their funding.
If they won, they would have enough money to open the shop. If they lost, it would only be thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, and three Knuts.
That was their entire net worth, but they didn't care. Because the money, whether they lost it or not, wouldn't be enough to back their shop.
So why not take a little risk?
That's what characterized Fred and George: their gambling spirit.
They had confidence because they now had enough new products for steady production. If they managed to open a market at school, the money would come back quickly.
Tom watched indifferently from the sidelines. He had no intention of stopping the twins, as Fred and George's failure would simply be bad luck: they won at the gaming table, but the casino collapsed, which was truly disappointing.
In any case, he was there to support them. If the two brothers were only technical investors, he might even increase his influence.
Chapter 523: Chapter 523: The Weasleys Have Been Knights for Generations (Edited)
Tom wasn't a greedy person. Investing in Fred and George's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes shop was primarily to raise funds needed for alchemy and also to help fulfill the dreams of the two brothers. Killing two birds with one stone, isn't it great?
As for the bet that was destined to fail, let's consider it as a little lesson for Fred and George. They should learn through a painful defeat that gamblers don't have a happy ending.
Betting isn't terrifying; what's terrifying is winning a lot of money on the first bet. That would be like taking half a step towards the door of hell.
During the conversation, Barty Crouch Sr. also made his appearance.
Percy seemed excited and on the verge of fainting. He quickly served a cup of hot tea to Crouch and handed it over with great respect.
"How much do you think Percy would pay for a small sculpture of Crouch?" Tom quipped from behind, unable to contain himself.
"He'd probably part with his last Knut," Fred winked. He hadn't liked Percy's behavior for a long time.
Crouch had come to speak with Mr. Weasley. There was a Middle Eastern trader trying to bypass the Magical Objects Registry and sell flying carpets in the UK.
Arthur's stance on the matter was also clear: it was absolutely impossible. He didn't want flying carpets entering the UK market and competing with broomsticks, even if a flying carpet could carry many people at once. Wizards were self-taught in trade protectionism.
After dealing with official matters, Crouch and Bagman disappeared together as they had to meet with representatives from the Ministry of Magic in Bulgaria.
Just as Percy was about to express his opinion about them, he saw someone. Upon seeing that person, his face turned pink, and all the long words he had prepared got stuck in his throat.
A beautiful girl with long, curly brown hair was standing not far away, glaring angrily at Percy.
The girl's name was Penelope Clearwater, and she was Percy's girlfriend.
Fred was the first to notice something was amiss. He immediately elbowed Tom and George, signaling them to prepare for a show.
George: (σ)σ
Tom: (@ο@)
Looks like things are not going well!
Soon, not only Tom and his friends but also others noticed Percy's discomfort. Under the strange gazes of his family and the guests, Percy couldn't keep his composure. He quickly cleared his throat a couple of times and adjusted his shirt collar as if he had buttoned it too tightly before leaving home.
"I have... I have a friend," he stammered.
"Since we don't have much more to do here, go meet your friend. Being punctual is a gentlemanly quality," Mr. Weasley took the empty plate from Percy's hands.
"We, the Weasley family, have always been gentlemen!" Fred and George joined in on the fun. Percy's face went from pink to peach-red, as if steam were about to come out of his ears.
"Go quickly," Charlie pushed his younger brother to stop delaying.
With the support and attention of his entire family, Percy quickly ran towards Penelope.
"Penelope, I..."
"Percy Weasley," Penelope interrupted, extending her hand. This beautiful young woman now looked angry and called Percy by his full name.
Most of the time, when someone calls you by your full name, it means trouble.
Percy understood this law, so when he heard his full name, his brain started working quickly. Where had he made a mistake?
Then, Percy understood.
He remembered a small bet they had made a long time ago: he and Penelope had bet on the outcome of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Percy lost that bet and owed his girlfriend some money.
His girlfriend hadn't caused him any trouble; she had only asked him to spend the summer with her watching the World Cup...
Yes, to watch the World Cup with her... but the problem was that Percy had completely forgotten about this matter!
After graduating, he entered the Ministry of Magic and was assigned an important task, busy as the hands of a clock, with almost no time to spare. Percy, fully focused on his work, completed one task after another, and Mr. Crouch's sympathy towards him continued to increase. Meanwhile, Penelope's feelings, his official girlfriend, for Percy continued to wane. Up until today, when the final was about to start, Percy still hadn't shown up.
She finally couldn't contain herself and went to look for Percy to see what he had to say about it.
"Penelope, let me explain..."
"Don't bother explaining to me. I'm just an ordinary student. How can I waste the time of the future star of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"
...
A short distance away, the Weasley family discreetly observed Percy's predicament. Looking back and forth, they all felt that something wasn't right. Why was there so much tension between this couple?
Finally, Percy managed to temporarily obtain his girlfriend's forgiveness through desperate apologies and sincere reflection. However, without a doubt, he couldn't temporarily return to his family's camp.
After witnessing Percy's "voluntary" performance, Fred and George sneaked away quietly. They had to sell the goods they had acquired from Tom. Although they wouldn't make a lot of money, it would at least be some income.
Time passed minute by minute, and as the sun began to set, the camp was filled with an exciting atmosphere. With the arrival of the night, the wizards shed their last pretenses, and the full-on celebration began. Faced with this situation, the Ministry of Magic also decided to surrender and release their control completely. They considered that instead of suppressing the wizards' enthusiasm, it was better to hit the Muggles with the Stunning Spell and then modify their memories.
Countless vendors appeared out of nowhere, carrying trays and carts filled with strange curiosities. These vendors were like Doraemon; they had everything: bright badges, green for Ireland and red for Bulgaria, even ones that could shout the players' names; flags that could play the national anthems of various countries; statues of famous players; miniature Firebolts...
There was nothing these vendors couldn't do.
Mr. Granger was dazzled by so many choices.
Before going on a big shopping spree, he whispered to Tom privately, "By the way, which team should we support?"
Tom: ...
He really didn't understand what Mr. Granger was thinking. Even from a geographical perspective, they should support the Irish team.
After getting a clear answer, Mr. Granger rushed to a cart and started picking out souvenirs he liked. This was tough for him because he wanted everything!
"Tom, how about this hat?" Hermione followed him, picking up a waving Irish clover hat.
"No, definitely not," Tom looked at the green hat and decisively rejected Hermione.
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