บท 49: Business Model

...

Arthur Weasley stood frozen in disbelief. The high-ranking figure he'd been speculating about for so long was none other than the young man right beside him—Dyroth Grindelwald! It was hard for Arthur to reconcile this revelation with the fact that Dyroth was about the same age as his own son.

He had assumed that one day he might be asked to look out for this young wizard, but here Dyroth was, mingling with the likes of Fudge and other Ministry officials, out of Arthur's league entirely.

Ginny's eyes sparkled with admiration, her young heart captivated by Dyroth. From the first moment she had seen him, she had been drawn to his gentle demeanor and dignified appearance. Now, after receiving a gift from him, her simple attraction blossomed into full-fledged admiration. Handsome, talented, and with an aura of nobility, he seemed perfect in her eyes—an almost insurmountable figure for a young girl to admire.

Mrs. Molly, ever practical, was less affected by all the fuss. She urged Dyroth forward. "Go on, dear, don't keep them waiting!"

"Alright, Mrs. Molly," Dyroth responded calmly. He strode gracefully onto the stage, his composure betraying no anxiety. His elegance and poise captivated the audience, especially as he took his place beside Fudge.

Cameras from *The Daily Prophet* immediately started clicking away, capturing the moment where Fudge, smiling brightly, put his arm around Dyroth's shoulders in a gesture of camaraderie.

Dyroth allowed the scene to unfold, knowing full well that moments like these helped raise his status even further. This was the reason he had made such significant financial contributions to the British Ministry of Magic—to cement his influence.

The pure-blood families observing the scene took note. Many had previously regarded Dyroth as a promising young wizard but still saw him as a mere junior due to his age. However, after witnessing this display, they began to reevaluate their opinions. It was clear that Dyroth's foresight and abilities went far beyond those of his peers. Shrewd pure-bloods now viewed him as a rising star, someone their children should connect with more often.

"Thank you all for coming!" Dyroth addressed the crowd after the photo session with Fudge and other Ministry dignitaries. He bowed slightly, his demeanor refined and graceful.

"To express our gratitude for your presence at today's opening ceremony, all products at the Saints stores will be on sale!" he continued. "One item gets a 10% discount, two items for 20%, and three for 30%! Additionally, we're offering a special promotion: invite three people, and your total purchases together will receive a greater discount—the more you buy, the bigger the discount!"

His announcement electrified the audience, and people immediately rushed toward the various Saints stores. Dyroth smiled to himself, thinking how these simple tactics, common in the Muggle world, were revolutionary in the wizarding one. If he rolled out larger promotions in the future, it would drive them all wild.

Fudge, who was now beaming from ear to ear, could hardly contain his happiness. The more the Saints stores sold, the more gold flowed into the coffers of the British Ministry of Magic.

Unlike the rest, Lucius Malfoy wasn't smiling. His sharp eyes had noticed something that troubled him. While others celebrated or socialized, Lucius approached Dyroth with a whisper. "Mr. Grindelwald, I must say I'm impressed with your business acumen. However, I'm concerned about our supply reserves. Will they hold up under this pressure?"

Dyroth remained calm and composed. "There's no need for concern, Mr. Malfoy. I've already made provisions for that. Come with me."

Lucius followed Dyroth through a series of narrow tunnels that led to an underground warehouse. With a wave of his wand, Dyroth revealed crates and containers filled with magical animal materials—everything Lucius had ever dreamed of in vast quantities.

Lucius's eyes widened in disbelief. He rubbed them to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "Are all these materials... for the store?"

"As you see, they are," Dyroth replied, a slight smile on his lips.

"This is... incredible," Lucius muttered, running his hand along the horn of a unicorn. Even the Malfoy family's centuries-old collection couldn't compare to the sheer quantity Dyroth had amassed. It was one thing to hoard rare materials; it was another entirely to move them at such a large scale.

"Mr. Grindelwald, forgive my curiosity, but are these supplies solely from the Saints' reserves? Or…"

"They're all from within the United Kingdom, of course," Dyroth replied smoothly. "In fact, I owe much of this to the pure-blood families. They delivered these materials to me, personally."

Lucius blinked in confusion. "Delivered them personally? I'm not sure I follow…"

Dyroth chuckled. "Mr. Malfoy, does none of this look familiar to you? Have you never come across these magical animals before?"

Lucius, more perplexed than ever, shook his head. "No, we've always dealt in property and magical heirlooms. Magical animal materials are not our specialty."

Dyroth's smile broadened. "All of these materials come from the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts!" Lucius's jaw dropped. As a Hogwarts governor, he was well aware of the vast resources within the Forbidden Forest. He couldn't believe that Dyroth had managed to exploit them. "But... how? What does this have to do with the pure-blood families?"

"Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts—you know him, I'm sure. A half-giant, hardly respected by most pure-blood families. He tried to sell some of the magical creatures' materials in Diagon Alley, but the pure-bloods turned up their noses at him. They either ignored him or offered absurdly low prices."

Dyroth's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I, however, bought all of Hagrid's materials at a fair market price. Not only that, but we've formed a long-term partnership. Every time he collects something from the Forbidden Forest, I get the first pick."

Lucius stood in stunned silence, realizing the magnitude of the missed opportunity. "They were too shortsighted," he muttered bitterly. If those pure-bloods had shown even a little respect to Hagrid, they could have secured these profits themselves. Instead, they had handed it all over to Dyroth, who now stood to make tens of thousands of Galleons.

"Well played, Mr. Grindelwald. Well played indeed," Lucius finally said, regaining his composure. "The Malfoy family is proud to be your most loyal partner."

Dyroth smiled. "I look forward to our continued success together, Mr. Malfoy."