I Was Going to Say No

A good story packed a punch, especially when someone was pushing it.

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Magical Legends was already a strong-selling magazine. After an editorial discussion, the staff decided to throw their full weight behind the new serial. The authorization, adaptation, and even the public statement were settled. What else was there to consider? Time to promote it!

Rival magazines were out of the question, of course, but the Editorial Office bought the front pages of all the major daily papers with Galleons. Radio stations like the Wizarding Wireless Network and Voice of Magic went without saying. They even paid the Weird Sisters, all for a single ad read between songs!

While Andrew worked hard at practicing Transfiguration, Flourish and Blotts hung a new banner outside its doors.

"Dumbledore, A Legend"—now serializing in Magical Legends magazine!

Without a doubt, the magazine had a hit.

Dumbledore's name was the best advertising slogan there was, and the story was genuinely entertaining. After several editors fixed Andrew's slipups, it fit the Wizarding world perfectly. The details drawn from fairy tales and legends made wizards who had grown up reading those stories believe every word.

A legendary figure had acquired legendary things. What was wrong with that logic?

Nothing at all!

Dumbledore had bathed in the Fountain of Fair Fortune, taken up the Elder Wand, discovered an ancient potion recipe and brewed it, entered Hogwarts as a genius who had stumped the Sorting Hat and proved the Gaunt family wrong after they broke off his engagement (the editors feared Curses even less than Andrew did), and found Gryffindor's Treasure buried beneath the Castle while attending Hogwarts (Andrew had originally written that he won the recognition of a tower spirit in Hogwarts Castle, but the editors changed it). Was there a problem with any of that?

Not a single one!

The biggest problem with this tale of Dumbledore was that the teaser mentioned so many fascinating adventures, while the actual installment only covered him finding the ancient potion recipe at the beginning!

When was next month's Magical Legends coming out?

Couldn't they learn from Lockhart and release a complete adventure book in one go?

As wizards debated and cursed, Magical Legends ordered two more print runs—in three days.

Even Lockhart's adventure series had been pushed into second place. It couldn't be helped. Magical Legends hadn't raised its price, and it was already a mass-market magazine. The value was simply too good.

Unfortunately, Andrew, the man who had started it all, knew nothing about the sensation. His increased payment and a letter from the Editorial Office were already on their way, but he had only just woken up. He washed his face, got himself presentable, and went out for his morning run.

It was a good habit he had developed since arriving here. Being able to run fast could solve a lot of problems.

If Apparition hadn't been so difficult, he would have made it the first magic he learned.

Run, eat, go back and polish a little more of the manuscript. Then he could happily get down to studying.

Now that he had solved the problem of Galleons, which could solve most problems in the Wizarding world, he could finally try his hand at Charms and Transfiguration.

As for Potions, what he still remembered of laboratory safety rules made it impossible for him to feel comfortable brewing them in the orphanage. After getting a rough idea of the potions he would need to brew and the common herbs they required, he put the book aside.

He hadn't received any notice forbidding him from using magic yet, but he doubted he would have much longer to practice freely. Even the movie recap he had watched at speed had stressed that casting spells during the summer holiday was strictly forbidden. He figured he would lose this freedom once school started.

"The Unlocking Charm..."

Andrew carefully read the description of the spell, which was said to open most locks, and wondered what wizards used it for these days. (In the 1600s, Eldrick had learned it from an elderly African wizard and gone on a spree of burglaries in Muggle and wizard homes across London.) Then he took an old lock from the storeroom out of his drawer.

It was so old it was nearly rusted shut, but a little pencil lead should still get it open.

As Andrew considered the lock, he tapped it lightly with his Wand. "Alohomora!"

The softly spoken incantation drew a hoarse series of clicks from the lock before magic finally sprung it open. Clearly, Andrew had successfully cast the spell that let wizards turn on automatic looting in the Muggle world.

Whether he could master it completely would depend on how diligently he practiced from here on.

"Another day off to a very good start..."

Andrew smiled, though something felt a little off.

The Transfiguration he had mastered so far let him make a sturdy needle. The first spell he had learned made small objects float. Next came Lumos, which produced light in the dark. Now he was practicing how to open locks, all while working desperately to become a better runner.

No matter how he looked at it, he was making great strides toward Azkaban.

"Right, Azkaban..."

Inspiration struck. He wrote on a sticky note: "Destroyed the plot at the original site of Azkaban, but failed to stop the evil experiments entirely, leaving it a dark place fit only for Dementors to inhabit."

"Now that's how I earn my fee. I'll stitch every last bit of it in!"

Tap, tap, tap!

A noise came from beside the window, followed by another. When Andrew looked over, he saw a Snowy Owl pecking at the glass.

"Hm?"

Puzzled, he hurried over and let it in.

"What?"

After reading just a few lines of the letter, Andrew's jaw dropped.

Seriously? Were there actually people with a death wish?

If you want to get yourselves killed, don't drag me into it, you bastards!

Did you have any idea who Dumbledore was? Did you think you could mess with just anyone?

He was the top dog in England! He had Hogwarts Castle at his back, defeated Grindelwald abroad, and taken down The Dark Lord at home. He was the undisputed number one in the Wizarding world, and no ordinary fighter. I wouldn't say his students were everywhere in the Wizarding world, but they had to make up at least ninety-eight percent of England. Go die somewhere far away. Don't get blood on me!

These Galleons—I...!

Andrew froze, looked at the amount on the Gringotts bank draft, then rubbed his eyes.

"The editors had their reasons for being so confident."

"Honestly, Dumbledore was Gryffindor's finest student. Borrowing that for the story wouldn't hurt. As long as I didn't write anything that smeared him, the Editorial Office should be able to handle it."

"What I need to remember is: absolutely no gossip, and absolutely nothing that paints him in a bad light."

"Exactly."

Andrew prudently tucked away the bank draft. It was more than enough to cover a year of miscellaneous purchases and expenses, with money left over to donate to the orphanage—and that was just one month's payment.