Dusk was falling, and the corridors were full of people. Some were worrying about the approaching exams, while others had gathered to discuss where to go during the summer holidays.
Pomona's gaze swept quickly over the students' carefree faces.
In fact, besides investing in real estate, the Malfoys had other ways to recover the losses caused by the repeal of the Corn Laws. When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert toured Scotland in 1842, the railways had not yet opened. Compared with railways, urban housing cost more, took longer, and yielded lower profits, making it difficult to attract commercial investment. Yet the investor behind the Crystal Palace in 1851 had been the owner of a railway company. At the time, however, the Wizarding World had planned to introduce Muggle railways to transport Hogwarts students, and Malfoy, like the other pure-blood advocates, had chosen to oppose it.
"You've never heard of Bloody Mary?" Pomona heard a girl say in a shrill voice as she passed a small group, as though anyone unfamiliar with the Bloody Mary game must have come from another world.
"So what? You didn't know about the Shrieking Shack before, either," the mocked girl retorted.
Pomona shook her head. Every summer, there were always "explorers" who loved going to places like that to "build up" their courage.
In fact, not long after Malfoy sold the land in Wilt to Muggles for the construction of manor houses, those manors began to be "haunted," and most of their residents moved away. Only one family remained. The master of that household was an enthusiast of "paranormal" incidents, and he often invited friends to the manor for gatherings. Later, it was said that a tragedy had occurred there, after which the manor was completely abandoned.
As times changed, the land that had been