Chapter 814 Opening a Store
“I feel like I’m going crazy!”
Sirius threw the rag aside and sat down on the chair. They have been cleaning No. 12 Grimmauld Place for several days, and have spent a lot of effort cleaning out a lot of dust, cobwebs and messy debris.
However, even one room has not been completely cleaned until now. It is not easy to clean this place enough for people to live in it.
Sometimes magic is not as practical as expected, especially when dealing with a house that has not been cleaned for more than ten years. Even if you direct the rag to wipe carefully, it is difficult to completely wipe things clean. Many stubborn molds require a lot of effort to clean slowly.
"Don't be lazy Sirius, if you want to bring Harry to live with you at No. 12 Grimmauld Place, you have to clean this place properly." Lupine frowned and looked at Sirius who was not energetic. He had already guessed that the other party's patience was about to run out. Most wizards were not good at handling housework, and they usually liked to use magic to solve problems.
"I will give Harry a new home, but you have to let me rest first!" Sirius poured himself a glass of butterbeer, took a sip, and then changed the subject and asked, "You gave him back the galleons?" ?”
"Mr. Anderson has received the third-class Medal of Merlin. I think he probably no longer needs me to cooperate with him in testing the humanoid restoration spell." Lupine sighed softly: "And, from the beginning, I felt that he was worthy of the award. Too much."
"He just gave you some of the five thousand galleons he got from me." Sirius drank all the butterbeer in the cup, glared at the sneaky shadow outside the door, and used his wand to close the wooden door. , continued: "Of course, it is undeniable that that guy is very generous and powerful. He was able to get himself a third-level medal of the Order of Merlin under a minor. He is really an amazing guy. I think some people will be furious. Bar!"
"I heard that he also won the International Wizarding Chess Championship and the Magic School Potions Championship." Lupine was also very surprised when he first learned about these things. "That Mr. Anderson made me feel like seeing Dumbledore." The delusion of Professor Lido’s youth.”
“Tell me about Harry, is the smart little girl he was with last time his girlfriend?” Sirius was obviously more interested in his godson.
"No, Harry and Hermione should just be good friends." Lupine reminded helplessly: "Besides, they are only fourteen years old now."
"I remember that James started to like Lily when he was very young." Sirius recalled: "I remember on the train. Well, you probably don't know, we were in the same carriage at the time. Later, James Had some unpleasant run-ins with Snape."
"Lily was in the same carriage as Snape. I think James probably had a crush on Lily at that time."
“Later, you also know that as long as Lily is around, James’s clever head seems to be rusty?”
“Becoming stupid,” Lupine added with a smile.
“Yes, that’s it.” Sirius has been thinking about interesting things about his old friends lately. "They are both still young now. Maybe when they grow up, they may be together."
"Maybe."
"By the way, how are you thinking about opening a store?" As he spoke, Sirius jumped to another topic.
"Then what kind of store do you think we should open?" When mentioning the matter of opening a store, Lu Ping asked with a frown, "Is your personality really suitable for opening a store? And can you really make money by opening a store? You can't keep losing money. Money, right?”
“Tell me what you think!” Sirius said nonchalantly.
"Last time, when I wrote to Albert, I mentioned opening a store in passing. When he replied, he came with two suggestions." Lupine said and poured himself a glass of butterbeer.
“What advice?” Sirius asked curiously.
"Open a gourmet shop in Hogsmeade, specifically selling to Hogwarts students. The premise is that we are interested in all kinds of food, drinks and sweets, or there are famous house elves who are good at this." Lupine said with a bitter smile. , "He thinks this should be able to make us a lot of money, and he has a way to help us solve most of our problems, but it will be busier at night."
“What’s the second suggestion?” Sirius asked, frowning. To be honest, he has no talent for cooking.
At least, Sirius hadn't used the kitchen for a long time.
"The second way is to publish a magazine that is suitable for Hogwarts students to buy." Lupine continued: "And establish a radio station of his own. He did not say the specific plan, but Mr. Anderson said that we will You may need to use this thing to spread your voice.”
“What do you mean?” Sirius felt that there was something else in the words.
“I don’t know.” Lupine shook his head.
“Which one do you think is more suitable?” Sirius asked.
To be honest, Sirius didn't like either of these proposals, but if the two wanted to open a shop, he would undoubtedly need to make some compromises to help his old buddy get a suitable job.
Lu Ping shook his head and said no more. He didn't think Sirius was qualified for these jobs. The most his old buddy wanted to do was to spend some money to help him open a store, that's all.
"We can talk to him again then." Sirius said: "That guy has no prejudice against you."
At this time, a snow-white owl flew in from the window.
"It's a letter from Harry." Sirius recognized Harry's Hedwig at a glance and had been in touch with her through letters every few days recently.
“What was written in the letter?” Lupine asked.
“Harry asked me when I was going to pick him up, and said that the Weasleys had invited him to watch the Quidditch World Cup.”
Sirius looked at the surrounding environment, sighed softly, and murmured: "I suddenly feel that I am very incompetent as a godfather."
"Don't say that, you just haven't gotten used to the role you play yet." Lu Ping comforted him softly.
"No, I messed everything up." Sirius was a little discouraged, "Now I should try to get a few tickets to the Quidditch World Cup first. I need two, three, or five tickets, and I also need invitations. Harry's friend, I haven't thanked Crookshanks properly yet."
"Mr. Anderson said he doesn't need it anymore. He mentioned this in his letter to me. A friend gave him several tickets to the Quidditch World Cup." Lupine thought of something and suddenly said: "He seems to have guessed what I am. I’m helping you clean, so let me tell you about it.”
"Forget it, first make sure how many you need, and then go get the tickets for the Quidditch World Cup." Sirius looked at Lupine and said: "We can go to the World Cup in advance. Anyway, there is still a long time before the full moon, so don't refuse , otherwise I would be embarrassed to ask you to help me clean this house."
"Okay." Lupine hesitated for a moment and could only accept Black's kindness.
…
"How was the job fair? Did it go well?" Mrs. Weasley looked at her son expectantly.
"It's very successful. I have entered the Department of International Magical Cooperation of the Ministry of Magic, and I have been appreciated by Mr. Crouch." Percy proudly announced the good news to everyone.
With his impressive resume, there were many departments in the Ministry of Magic willing to recruit him. Percy finally chose to trust Albert's judgment and entered the Department of International Magical Cooperation of the Ministry of Magic.
Of course, Percy did not make his choice blindly. Barty Crouch, the director of the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation, is a very capable person who likes to do practical things. The opportunity for promotion is better when you are around such a person. big.
It turns out that Mr. Crouch quickly chose himself to be his assistant based on his resume, even though he could not even remember his own name.
“That’s great, I’m proud of you.” Mrs. Weasley was pleased with this.
“Oh, congratulations Percy, the boring office life will always be with you.” Fred and George, one on each side, patted Percy on the shoulder hard to express their congratulations.
“Shut up,” Percy said impatiently.
“If only you two could save me some trouble like Percy did.”
Mrs. Weasley glared dissatisfied at her two sons, who made her very worried. Fred and George's O.W.Ls results disappointed her. Each of them only passed five subjects, and they were very reluctant.
"What's so good about working in the Ministry of Magic?" Fred curled his lips disdainfully: "Albert doesn't want to work in the Ministry of Magic."
“He is him and you are you.” Mrs. Weasley said angrily.
"He is a genius and a master of prophecy. He sees things more accurately than anyone else. If the Ministry of Magic is so good, why doesn't Albert want to work in the Ministry of Magic?" Fred retorted, "George and I don't want to work in the Ministry of Magic, either. I don’t want to have to face a boring office for the rest of my life.”
"Don't talk back." Mrs. Weasley put her hands on her hips and glared at her son.
"Actually, many people say that if Albert enters the Ministry of Magic after graduation, he will be able to become the Minister of Magic in up to ten years." George interjected, "But he is just unwilling to enter the Ministry of Magic. He even predicted that the Ministry of Magic will be It will collapse in a few years.
"Who predicted the collapse of the Ministry of Magic?" Ginny just came down from upstairs, looked at Mrs. Weasley and asked: "Mum, did Charlie and Bill say when they would be back?"
"They wrote back, probably until August." After Mrs. Weasley finished speaking, she turned to look at Fred and George, "If you don't go to work in the Ministry of Magic, what are you going to do in the future?"
"We want to open a joke shop." Fred and George said in unison, "That is our dream. We have decided to open a joke shop after graduation a long time ago. You and Dad don't have to worry about us."
“Are you trying to make me mad?” Mrs. Weasley shouted.
"What's wrong with opening a shop?" Fred and George complained dissatisfiedly, "We have our own ideals, our own wishes, and the life we want. We don't want to go to the Ministry of Magic or live that boring life. Our Life is ours to decide."
"Don't worry, when we make money, mother will naturally stop objecting." Fred noticed Ginny's gaze and shrugged, "In Albert's words, it is to use facts and galleons to make the difference." you shut up."
"This is a very realistic thing. Mom just has a rigid mind and thinks that the Ministry of Magic's job is more stable." George laughed at himself, "If you can live a better life, who would refuse? What's more, the Ministry of Magic is about to collapse. "
“Who made the prediction about the downfall of the Ministry of Magic?” Ginny asked again.
“Of course it’s Albert.” Fred and George said in unison.
“Can he really predict?” Ginny had also heard this rumor.
"Of course, if you want to make money, this Quidditch World Cup is a good opportunity. Albert promised to help predict the outcome of the last game. You will definitely make a lot of money by betting with us." Fred Said with a smile.
“Remember to take me with you when the time comes.” Ron also came down from upstairs and said to the twin brothers.
“No gambling.” Mrs. Weasley looked at her sons angrily.
"Mom, this is a good opportunity to make a fortune. Albert has never lost a bet." Ron complained, "You don't know how many galleons Fred and George made following him."
“No gambling!” Mrs. Weasley warned.
“This isn’t gambling, this is a sure-fire deal,” Ron muttered.
"What did you say?"
Mrs. Weasley glared at her son. None of these guys gave him any peace of mind.
"Nothing, by the way, Mom, Harry just wrote me a letter. He seems to be in some trouble." Ron quickly changed the subject and asked Fred and George to take care of him when the time came.
"What's the problem?" Mrs. Weasley was successfully diverted by Harry's incident.
“Well, Uncle Harry’s son seems to be losing weight, so he plans to go on a diet for the whole family. Can you help Harry prepare some food to prevent him from going hungry?”
"Oh, no problem, I'll help Harry prepare some mince tonight." Mrs. Weasley walked away.
"lose weight?"
Fred and George had very strange expressions: "Albert always wants to lose weight for his cat, but he ends up getting fatter and fatter."
"Tom is quite cute." Ginny also touched Tom. She looked up at Fred and George and asked, "By the way, when do you plan to open a store? It will definitely cost a lot of money."
"They already have a lot of money." Ron said sourly. "Harry mentioned to me that Albert gave them 10% of the galleons he got from Black."
“How much is 10%?” Ginny asked curiously.
“Five hundred galleons.”
“Tell me again, how much?” Percy’s eyes almost bulged out.
“Five hundred galleons, each person.” George said with a smile, “So, we don’t have to worry about opening a store at all.”
“How is it possible, how is it possible.” Percy murmured, “Why did Black give Albert five thousand galleons.”
"Why is it impossible? Albert has been eyeing Black for a long time and was originally going to take us to capture him for a bounty." George glanced at Mrs. Weasley who was eavesdropping on their conversation and continued: "Later, After investigation, we found many unreasonable things and suspected that Black might be innocent, so we did not attack Black when he broke into Hogwarts."
"You mean Albert already knew when Black broke into Hogwarts." Percy asked in disbelief.
“Albert is a prophet, and it’s easy to predict when Sirius Black will appear.” Fred said proudly, “Black is just a money bag in his eyes.”
"Later, Albert reached an agreement with someone unknown to help Black restore his reputation, and Black paid a Galleons as a reward." George said matter-of-factly, "Otherwise, do you really think why Sirius Black could recover so smoothly? reputation?"
"So, you are all rich people now?" Ginny was also shocked by Albert's generosity. It was a thousand galleons, and he gave it as he asked.
“I’ll leave my dress to you,” Ron said, clasping his hands together. “God knows what a second-hand dress will look like.”
"We would like to buy you a new set, but those galleons are all in Albert's vault, and that money will be used as the start-up capital of the joke shop in the future." George shrugged, as if there is nothing I can do now. The expression said, "You can bet with us on the Quidditch World Cup finals. It's not easy to make money for a dress."
“He’s so kind to you.” Ron said enviously.
“Albert calls this the galleons that everyone earns together, and the galleons can never be earned.”
"By the way, Ron, have you mentioned going to the Quidditch World Cup with Harry?" Ginny asked.
"I'm not sure about this. Maybe Harry will go to the ball game with his godfather Sirius." Ron spread his hands and said he didn't know, "I think the probability of Harry going to the ball game with his godfather is higher. , he said he would contact me in two days.”
“Where’s Hermione?” Ginny asked again. She had a good relationship with Hermione.
"I don't know." Ron shook his head. "Harry said that he might invite Hermione to come with me. It seems that they intend to go beyond just watching a football match."
“It’s great, it would be great to spend most of the summer watching games,” said Fred and George.
"Percy, how's your application going?" At this moment, the kitchen door was pushed open, and Mr. Weasley walked in carrying a briefcase.
"I have successfully entered the Department of International Magical Cooperation of the Ministry of Magic." Percy said absently: "I will have about a month to familiarize myself with the work of the Ministry of Magic, and then I can officially start work."
“That’s great.” Mr. Weasley was genuinely happy for his son.
"Dad, Fred and I don't want to work in the Ministry of Magic. We plan to open a joke shop after graduation." George said suddenly.
“Oh, open a shop?” Mr. Weasley was silent. He could not help his son.
"Don't worry about money, we are ready." George knew the reason for his father's silence and continued, "I hope you can help us convince mom."
“Where did you get the money?” Mr. Weasley asked.
"The last time Black successfully restored his reputation, it was Albert who helped him." Ron briefly told the whole thing. The expression on Mr. Weasley's face was particularly wonderful, his mouth was wide open, and he didn't know what to say.
"You have grown up." Mr. Weasley said with a complicated expression. "Since Albert thinks highly of you and is willing to help you, I won't say anything. I will help you convince your mother."
"I agree." Mrs. Weasley was still very angry. "Even if I don't agree, what can I do? You all have strong wings and can fly by yourself."
"No, in Albert's words, this is called economic independence, and the whole person is independent." George couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief, Albert's method really worked.
"By the way, Dad, why didn't the newspaper report that Albert received the Order of Merlin, Third Class?" While eating, Fred suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but ask, "Besides, the Ministry of Magic sent The Medal of Merlin, Third Class given to him is still gold-plated."
“What’s gold-plated?” Ron asked curiously.
"Medal, Albert wrote to us two days ago and mentioned this." George added, "I remember he also complained about the gold crucible last time as being gold-plated."
"I'm actually not sure about this." Mr. Weasley was a little embarrassed. He had heard about it. It seemed that Fudge deliberately suppressed the news about Albert's award because some purebloods didn't want everyone to know. I knew that a minor wizard had actually received the third-level Order of Merlin.
In their internal words, it is a kind of protection for underage wizards.
Mr. Weasley was also very surprised when he accidentally learned the news from someone else.
"I think it's not unreasonable for Albert to hate the Ministry of Magic." Fred said, "I remember that the Ministry of Magic withheld his Youth Award last time and refused to give it to him."
“Wizengamot British Youth Representative Award.” George said.
“Yes, that’s it,” said Fred.
"Really? I mean the Wizengamot British Youth Award?" Mr. Weasley was very surprised, of course he knew what that meant.
"Of course it's true," said Fred. "Albert's friends in the Wizengamot told him, and we've all read the letter."
Issue first and change later
(End of this chapter)