Mr. Wallop's Shrewdness

Summer vacation has begun, Sean, who was originally very busy, suddenly has a lot of free time.

Magic courses still emphasize practice; without hands-on experience in spellcasting, the effectiveness of self-study is greatly reduced. Sean had already used the Dark Mark to ask Barty Jr., and even with an adult wand, he couldn't freely cast spells during the summer vacation.

Every year on Hogwarts ' return day, Ministry of Magic staff are stationed at King's Cross Station. Their job is Trace spread Trace. As young wizards exit the platform, these magical wisps automatically wrap around each underage wizard, allowing the Ministry of Magic to monitor whether they are casting spells outside of school.

However, the accuracy of the Trace is insufficient; they can only monitor a general area, making it difficult for the Ministry of Magic to determine whether a young wizard in the Wizarding Family has violated spellcasting regulations.

Moreover, probably because they thought that constant monitoring would be too much work, the Ministry of Magic only started monitoring during holidays such as summer vacation and Christmas, with the main targets being wizards from the Muggle Family.

In other words, the Trace is a monitoring device for the inherently unstable properties of underage wizards. It is not attached to the wand and only detects magical fluctuations within a certain area.

For example, Sean is the only wizard in his area. If any magical fluctuations are detected, the Ministry of Magic will immediately send a letter alerting him to the violation. Specialists will then use Prior Incantato to examine his wand to determine if he has broken the law. In areas with a higher concentration of wizards, the Ministry of Magic wouldn't even bother.

Currently, the Trace will only stop working once the wizard has reached adulthood.

Sean was somewhat annoyed upon hearing this news, as it meant that if he wanted to cast spells freely, he would have to wait until the start of the school year or during the summer vacation to go to Diagon Alley and Godric's Hollow.

After a brief period of gloom, Sean quickly regained his optimism. Since he couldn't use magic, he could do something else.

For example, you can look through the textbooks for the next school year, or you can deepen your bond with your Magical Creatures.

The Basilisk was in good condition, but after the Wallop Family went on vacation abroad and Sean secretly let it wander around the forest a few times, the creature became even more excited.

Kangaroo tastes good, that's what they say.

However, fearing discovery by the Australian Ministry of Magic, Sean only dared to let it out for a drive in secluded places at night. But the Basilisk had lived at the Black Lake for hundreds of years, was quite satisfied and felt that it had chosen the right person to follow.

When Sean returned to London after his vacation, he deliberately piled up a lot of Daily Prophet in the open window of the attic. After playing with Ayla for a while, he went to the attic to read through the news from the Wizarding World during that period.

Nothing major has happened, except that the space occupied by Grindelwald's wanted poster in the lower left corner is getting smaller and smaller. The biggest news recently is that the election for Minister of British Ministry of Magic is about to begin.

Fudge is clearly very enthusiastic about being re-elected, and every issue of the Daily Prophet features footage of him giving various speeches.

Besides Fudge, Barty Crouch was naturally the most popular choice, as the current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had the support of many people.

The Minister for Magic is elected through a democratic vote, and several committee members have already clearly expressed their intentions.

Sancho Peter, a prominent contributor to the Daily Prophet, wrote in his article, "With the ministerial election in full swing, whether Fudge will be re-elected or Crouch will take over, I believe Dumbledore has remained silent on the matter, will be the key. Of course, according to reliable sources, Dumbledore has been busy hunting Grindelwald, and this great wizard, who has repeatedly refused the Ministry of Magic's invitations to become minister, seems to have never been particularly interested in power..."

"For example, the position of Supreme Mugwump was highly favored when Dumbledore was serving as the representative of the England office, but in the end, it was Luan Lal who became the president. This can also reveal a lot about Dumbledore's attitude towards life."

"Of course, there is another thing worth noting: the Supreme Mugwump is about to step down. I wonder if Dumbledore will be interested in the position this time."

Sean put down the newspaper. If nothing unexpected happened, Fudge probably wouldn't be able to win re-election. Lucius had been supporting him on the surface, but Sean knew that once the election officially started, the Malfoy Family would turn against him.

Hopefully, Mr. Fudge won't be so angry that he'll suddenly die.

Sean was about to close the attic window when he noticed a black dot outside gradually growing larger. He quickly recognized it as a brownish-yellow owl.

Sure enough, the Hogwarts public owl arrived with the reading list for the next semester and the Hogsmeade Permit.

He gave the messenger a few owl crackers, and Sean took the document downstairs.

"Hey Dad, I need your signature. The school allows us to visit Hogsmeade next school year, but a guardian's signature is required."

Mr. Wallop took the form, glanced at it, and muttered, "A village full of wizards? Wow, that looks good. But why does this thing need a guardian's signature?"

"Who knows?" Sean shrugged.

Mr. Wallop signed his name in a dashing manner and handed it over, saying, "What do you want to buy this year? We can take Ayla to Diagon Alley this time. Good heavens, how can she like those smoking candies so much?"

"Of course, but speaking of Diagon Alley ..." Sean pursed his lips and glanced at his father.

"What's wrong, child?"

Sean hesitated for a moment, then finally pulled his father into the study. "Dad, there's something I want to ask you."

In fact, Sean had been hesitating for a long time about whether or not to ask his father for advice.

He wanted to gain more influence in the Magical World, and he wanted to acquire power within official institutions that he could use for his own purposes. But for now, he was only considered capable in combat. Among the forces he controlled, the Death Eaters were, after all, an evil organization that was not worth mentioning, and the Golden Dawn needed time to develop and grow stronger.

Mr. Wallop. Allen Waller is clearly far more experienced than him in getting involved in official institutions.

After listening to Sean's description, Allen habitually took out a cigar and sniffed it. He had quit smoking a long time ago because of his two children, and this was a little habit he had kept.

"To summarize, you want to gain a voice, access to information channels, and ideally, some official and private support, right?"

Sean nodded. "Mr. Wallop, your summary is very accurate."

Allen raised an eyebrow and made a move that Sean hadn't expected.

He patted Sean on the shoulder and said with satisfaction, "Very good, Sean, I'm very pleased with your idea."

"Oh, I thought you would advise me not to get involved."

Allen smiled, "You've already stepped into this world, and it's unrealistic to try to escape. So, in my opinion, your actions of preparing in advance to increase your trump cards and strength are certainly commendable. Standing still and waiting for all sorts of unexpected situations to happen before making preparations? That's the thinking of a weak person. We don't take risks, but we need to strengthen our protective layers."

"What makes me even happier is that you are still willing to ask your father for help. To be honest, your mother and I were worried that our son might have some kind of identity gap with us because of his identity as a wizard, but now it seems that we have no need to worry at all."

Sean sat down next to his father and said rather displeasedly, "I'm not happy that you doubt your own son."

"Okay, okay, I apologize, kid."

"Okay, I forgive you, Mr. Wallop."

The father and son smiled at each other.

That evening, Allen led Sean to his private study and pulled out a safe.

With a "click," the safe opened, and Sean peeked out to see a bunch of tiny figures moving around on the newspaper, next to a large pile of books about the Wizarding World.

Sean stared wide-eyed at his father. "How did you get that?"

Allen smiled smugly, "Remember when I asked you to help me order a cloak?"

"I remember." Sean nodded. About four months ago, his father asked him to buy a Dragon-hide Cloak from Diagon Alley and send it home. He didn't think much of it at the time, just that his dad wanted to experience the wonder of magic, so he did as he was told.

Allen continued, "Geller Jennings, that wizard bodyguard, I gave him the Dragon-hide Cloak and then ordered the Daily Prophet and these books in his name—to avoid the owls Accio in every day and attracting attention, I bought a house in the suburbs and go to pick it up every few days."

"As expected of you, Dad."

Allen pursed his lips. "Mainly because of that thing last time, what was it called again, the Parasitic Maw? After that incident, I started thinking about what I should do."

His gaze toward Sean was both powerful and gentle. "I want to know what my child is facing every day in another world, and as a father, what can I do if my child asks for help?"

Sean pursed his lips, then stood up and hugged his father. "Thank you, Dad."

Mr. Wallop gave him a tight hug, then winked at him as he released him. "Oh, I'm thinking of doing something else before I tell you."

Sean laughed, "Is it the pride of an old man?"

"Oh, my child, your father is in the prime of his life."

After chatting and laughing for a while, the father and son got down to business. Allen pulled out another safe, which was filled with a huge amount of Galleon.

"I had Jennings take me to Diagon Alley when I went to Gringotts, and good heavens, a bank that doesn't accept currency exchange? Just because I'm what they call Muggle?! Luckily, bribing a Goblin only requires an ounce of gold."

"... Indeed, this is a common tactic used by capitalists, Mr. Wallop."

"Thank you for the compliment, son. I must remind you that our family's private hospital is the most ethical in all of London."

"So, what's your opinion, Dad?"

Allen pushed the safe back, then leaned back in his executive chair and sniffed his cigar. "I must say, the Wizarding World's financial system is terrible. I've never even heard of the most basic arbitrage trading. In fact, if I just assemble a team of seasoned financial experts, maybe before you even graduate, all the land deeds for the shops in Diagon Alley will be transferred to Wallerup, and what would I have to pay? A mere few hundred thousand pounds a year."

As he spoke, he shook his head again. "It's a pity that I don't know magic. I can't handle many things. The world of humans and the world of wizards are the same. Whoever has the bigger fist has more reason. This makes me afraid to operate. I can't even handle the most ordinary wizard's table-flipping."

"Moreover, because there are so few wizards and because magic is so readily available, this relatively primitive financial and social system has many drawbacks. But precisely because of this, the cost of its collapse and reconstruction is relatively smaller and the speed is faster."

Sean exclaimed, "Wow! Thorough! Please continue your performance, Mr. Wallop!"

Allen smiled smugly, "Therefore, we cannot treat wizards with the methods and thoughts of ordinary people. What we need to do is take advantage of the commonalities in human nature."

"How so?" Sean was completely intrigued.

"Only businessmen pursue profit? No, Sean, remember this: everyone's actions are driven by the word 'profit.' It's just that everyone understands profit differently. Money is profit, power is profit, and even more profound magic is profit. For one's inner beliefs, for one's dreams, that is also profit in another sense."

"If a person wants to move freely in this world, there are two ways. First, you must be invincible and completely surpass everyone else. Second, your interests must be intertwined with those of most people, so that you share in their successes and failures. In order to protect your own interests, they will naturally pave the way for you."

Mr. Wallop sat closer, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The Wizarding World is too small. How small? In all of England, a wizard's life is divided into two phases: Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic. It's the same in other England as well. So, can I say that if I can gain influence in both schools and official institutions, then I will have enough weight in the entire Wizarding World?"

"And none of them can do that. Your headmaster, Mr. Dumbledore, doesn't value power. He's even bound by the Ministry of Magic, despite how powerful he is—at least that's what the newspapers and books say."

"So, Sean," Allen said, placing his hands on his son's shoulders, "Where do you think we should start?"

"Uh, where?" Sean was stunned by his dad's series of punches.

Mr. Wallop licked his lips, a shrewd smile playing on his lips. "I've read all the news lately. Your entry point is very simple: First, the leaderless state of Newmontgard. Second, the election for Minister of British Ministry of Magic. Third, the Wizarding United Guard and the International Confederation of Wizards."

Sean fell into deep thought, and after a moment hesitantly said, "It's not easy for me to access higher levels for the time being."

Mr. Wallop laughed heartily, "No need. Getting too involved would be dangerous, and I don't want to see my son get into trouble. But—we can try a different approach."

"Ah?"