Let's Do Business

Chapter 24: Let's Do Business

By the time Charles returned to Hogwarts Castle on Sunday evening, he immediately reported to Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall didn't say much, just led him to Dumbledore's office.

Snape was also in the office. Dumbledore was saying to him, "Nothing has happened so far, so there shouldn't be any problems. Smith also said his Divination can be inaccurate, not everything is always right."

Charles pouted upon hearing this. He had been busy teaching the Centaurs how to roast spider legs and hadn't had time to complain to the old man yet.

"Oh, Smith is here," Dumbledore saw them. "It seems your Divination was wrong; Professor Snape's house didn't explode."

Charles scratched his head and said, "It was inaccurate again? Then I'll try harder next time."

Everyone found his words a bit strange. A portrait of a former headmistress on the wall asked him, "Are you trying to make the professor's house explode?"

All eyes turned to Charles, and Snape's hand instinctively moved towards his wand.

At this moment, Professor McGonagall changed the subject, handing Dumbledore a letter from the Centaur elder. "You should see this," she said.

Dumbledore took the letter and read it carefully. He asked Charles with some surprise, "Did you really go to the Centaur tribe?"

"Yes, I just got back," Charles replied truthfully. "They found me under the guidance of the stars, we became friends, and I helped them with some things."

Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Snape, and the headmistresses in the portraits were all astonished.

"Sit down and tell us," Dumbledore summoned chairs, tea, and sweets like cockroach clusters.

Snape was not interested in this matter and left without sitting down.

Charles recounted what had happened in detail, without lying, but he omitted mentioning the old man's box and things like killing Acromantulas the next day. He only described saving Twilight as something he did on the way to the tribe.

During the explanation, he nearly finished all of Dumbledore's desserts.

Professor McGonagall asked him curiously, "Can you use the Levitation Charm?"

Charles nodded, took out his wand, and made the small plate of cockroach clusters in front of him float.

He said to Professor McGonagall a little sheepishly, "I saw it looked interesting."

Professor McGonagall assumed he had seen it in a textbook, found it interesting, and taught himself, so she said very seriously, "Charles, learning spells requires great seriousness and not a shred of carelessness. Otherwise, even the Levitation Charm can be dangerous."

Charles nodded seriously. If it weren't for the old man finding killing cows troublesome, they wouldn't have to pay for beef at home.

Then, Professor McGonagall began to subtly encourage him, "Whatever you do, don't tell anyone about this, and don't demonstrate it to others. When the time comes in Charms class to teach this spell, you can use it right from the start. Professor Flitwick will be so happy that he'll give Gryffindor more points."

Charles looked at Professor McGonagall doubtfully, wondering if she had a centipede tattoo somewhere on her body.

At this moment, Professor McGonagall wore a dignified smile.

Charles turned to Dumbledore, who also nodded slightly. He was also a Gryffindor, after all.

He was truly impressed.

Dumbledore had already considered the matter of trade with the Centaurs. He said to Charles, "I believe it was your bravery, your justice... and your Bag of Holding that led the stars to choose you."

Then, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Charles, are you interested in working for the Ministry of Magic?"

Charles was full of confusion. What was going on?

Dumbledore explained, "There is a Centaur Liaison Office in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic. It has never been used since its establishment, and being assigned to this office means you are about to be fired by the Ministry."

"I still have some influence at the Ministry, so I can get you a nominal position in this office. It will make future interactions with the Centaurs much easier."

He then smiled and added, "Perhaps I can even make you the director and you can receive a salary. If you have any friends you know, you can also arrange for them to receive a salary from the office, and no one will say anything."

Charles feigned surprise while quickly thinking.

He didn't doubt Dumbledore's influence could achieve this. It was a marginal office, after all. Minister Fudge would probably grant it as a favor.

However, Charles suspected something was amiss with Dumbledore's offer to arrange for friends. Based on his past life experience, he quickly figured it out and asked, "Headmaster, do you have a friend who needs help?"

Magic also involved human relationships. Everyone had friends who needed help.

Charles quickly thought of someone Dumbledore might need to help – Remus Lupin, an unlucky but incredibly resilient and just fellow.

Of course, if it were Gellert Grindelwald, he wouldn't object either.

Dumbledore was somewhat surprised, not expecting this young man to be so perceptive.

However, he didn't dwell on the matter. Nothing was set in stone yet.

After glossing over the question, Dumbledore asked Charles again, "How do you plan to procure the items the Centaurs need?"

Charles took out a few bottles of Acromantula venom and a small handful of Unicorn tail hairs from his Bag of Holding and placed them on the table. He said to Dumbledore, "These were given to me by the Centaurs. I'd like to ask you to sell them, give the Galleons to my grandfather, and have him exchange them for money to purchase supplies, and then find a way to send them over."

A bottle of Acromantula venom on the table was worth about 88 Galleons, and a single Unicorn tail hair could sell for 10 Galleons. Together, that was about 2,000 Galleons, which, at the normal exchange rate, was only 10,000 Pounds.

He had long wanted to exploit the financial loopholes in the wizarding world. Although the Goblin-minted gold coins had magical protections that prevented them from being melted down into gold bars, they could be used to buy other gold products, right?

He had been thinking about this for the past two days. If this venture succeeded, and he invested in the remaining months of the year, then continued to go all-in on Dale's stocks, by 1999, he would have over a hundredfold return.

At that time, he would be able to return to his home country just in time for a new trend. On the other side, Yui Aragaki would be 11 years old, and Kanna Hashimoto would have just been born.

Dumbledore didn't know what he was thinking. He assumed Charles wanted Jack to go to Gringotts to exchange Galleons for Pounds to buy things, so he didn't pay much attention.

"Charles," Dumbledore said, looking at the two items on the table, "these are both very expensive magical materials. If you want to sell them quickly, selling only in Britain, there aren't enough wizards who would buy them."

Charles immediately replied, "Then I'll entrust Hogwarts to sell them. I believe there are other magical schools in the world, and they have their own channels. I can pay a ten percent commission."

"If you, the Headmaster, sell them yourself, the commission will be yours."

"Oh, and it's best to pay with ordinary gold, without any magic."