No Business Without Deception

That night, the Weasley Twins were engrossed in copying the History of Magic, while Albert and Lee Jordan sat by the window playing cards, casually making a few carefree jokes at each other.

" For Gryffindor Team's first Quidditch match, Wood drew Slytherin Team. That guy's been demanding we practice extra all the time, saying he's going to beat Slytherin's Nimbus 2001. It's driving us crazy," Fred complained to Albert, his head buried in parchment.

Just then, Kenneth Toller came up to Albert and said he wanted to do a business deal with him.

"You want to sell amulets and exorcism items to Muggle- born wizards at the school?"

Albert looked up from the cards in his hand and asked Kenneth Toller, "So what do you want from me? Are you planning to invite me to sell amulets together?"

"We can work together," Kenneth Toller said without hesitation. "We can all make money together."

hehe...

"Nobody would pay for that stuff, and you wouldn't make much money reselling it." Albert naturally didn't believe the other party's nonsense and politely declined.

"Come with me." Kenneth Toller reached out to pull Albert away, trying to lead him out of the Common Room, as if he intended to tell him something private.

"Alright!"

Albert was exasperated; he didn't like getting tangled up with strangers, and their relationship wasn't that good enough yet.

Just as Albert and Kenneth Toller left the Common Room, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan all looked up at their departing figures, exchanged glances, and then stood up together, driven by curiosity, and secretly followed them.

Kenneth Toller glanced at Albert, then at the three who had secretly followed him. Although there was some distance between them, it wasn't hard to guess what the three were thinking, judging from their expressions.

"Come over if you want to hear it!"

Albert glanced at Kenneth Toller and then called out to Fred, George, and Lee Jordan.

The three men walked over with smiles and greeted Kenneth Toller.

"You should know the legend of the Chamber of Secrets," Kenneth Toller glanced at the three of them, then looked back at Albert and began to get down to business.

"I know." Albert raised an eyebrow slightly, and after meeting Kenneth Toller's eyes, he understood what Kenneth Toller wanted to say. He was a little surprised that this guy knew these things.

"I wrote to someone and asked him, and he told me that fifty years ago, the Chamber of Secrets was opened by the Slytherin Heir," Kenneth Toller said mysteriously.

"We already knew about this." George looked at Kenneth Toller with a strange expression, thinking that the other man wanted to say something.

So that's it? Kenneth Toller was taken aback by George's words and regretted bringing the three of them over to cause him trouble. He glared at George with dissatisfaction and continued, "Back then, Hogwarts was attacked many times, causing panic throughout the school. In the end, a Ravenclaw Muggle-born wizard died as a result, and the school almost had to close down."

"Your information is terrible; we found out about this on Halloween." Fred's face was full of undisguised disappointment, as if he were saying to Kenneth Toller: I thought you knew some big secret, but it turns out you called Albert out for this? "In the end, the murderer was caught. Apparently, he later became the Hunting Grounds at the school." Kenneth Toller ignored Fred's words and glanced at Albert; he knew Albert had a good relationship with the Hunting Grounds.

"We already knew all this," Lee Jordan said to Albert. "I think we should just go back to playing cards!"

"Let me finish what I have to say." Kenneth Toller felt a tightness in his chest and really wanted to punch these annoying guys in front of him to the ground.

"I know what you mean, you think the attacks will continue," Albert finished Kenneth Toller's sentence for him.

"Can't you let me tell you myself? You know it's really frustrating keeping this to myself," Kenneth Toller couldn't help but complain. He was surprised that Albert knew anything about the Chamber of Secrets. If he hadn't written home to ask, he would still be just as clueless as everyone else.

"Hagrid ... well, I mean Hagrid isn't the Heir of Slytherin. How could he possibly be the Heir of Slytherin back in Gryffindor? He was just an unlucky scapegoat because the real culprits haven't been caught yet." Kenneth Toller said this without any hesitation. "Now that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened by the Heir of Slytherin, Filch's cat definitely won't be the first unlucky victim. Attacks will definitely happen again, and the school will be in panic again. Amulets and exorcism items will definitely sell very well."

"You're definitely better at selling things than I am," Albert said honestly. "Besides, I don't have the patience to sell things."

"So, we can cooperate." Kenneth Toller looked into Albert's eyes, his sincerity practically written all over his face.

"Cooperation? How?" Albert asked. "You want me to provide you with a protective charm?"

"Yes," Kenneth Toller said, giving a thumbs up. "Truly Albert."

"If I want to sell something, I can easily ask Fred, George, and Lee Jordan for help," Albert said, gesturing to the three men beside him.

The three grinned, looked at Kenneth Toller, and said in unison, "Yes, you're superfluous."

"Don't say that. I can offer you a lot of conveniences." Kenneth Toller realized he had made a mistake and waved his hand, saying, "We can make more money by cooperating, so why not?"

"I'm not planning to sell amulets. Those things are completely useless against the monsters in the Chamber of Secrets," Albert said, shaking his head. "If you want to sell something, you might as well buy a bunch of Peeping Mirror wholesale. At least Peeping Mirror can still be somewhat effective."

"Peeping Mirror?" Kenneth Toller muttered under his breath. "You can buy those things in Hogsmeade. Who would want to buy them from me?"

"Are you trying to say that people buy amulets just for peace of mind?" Albert looked at Kenneth Toller with a strange expression.

Kenneth Toller: "..."

"Albert can tell what you're thinking at a glance." The three of them had gloating expressions on their faces.

"I'm not angry, I'm not angry." He took several deep breaths. "I think you can make some effective amulets, right?"

"I told you, that stuff has no effect on the monsters in the Chamber of Secrets."

"You said it yourself, they're just trying to put their minds at ease," Kenneth Toller said earnestly. "Many vendors sell counterfeit or substandard products. At least we sell genuine goods."

"Us?"

The three of them once again felt the shamelessness of the guy opposite them.

"I don't have the materials," Albert said. "If you can get me the materials, I'll work with you on a 60/40 split, I get 60% and you get 40%.

"We'll split it 50/50; I'll help find the materials."

"Six for six, you get six and I get four, you don't lose out," Albert checked. "And don't say I made it."

"Albert can handle it by himself," George reminded him.

"What do you need?" Kenneth Toller compromised, adding, "If the materials are too expensive, we'll split them 50/50."

"Amethyst, or obsidian, Guardian Tree or yew," Albert casually explained. "The first two are exorcising items, and the latter two can be used to make amulets that ward off Dark Creatures. If you have any other suitable materials, you can bring them over as well."

"As expected of you, I knew I hadn't chosen the wrong person." Kenneth Toller wasn't haggling; they were all cheap, worthless items.

"To be honest, a talisman is not as practical as Peeping Mirror. If we could detect them in advance..." Albert stopped abruptly, suddenly realizing it was a good idea. Basilisk are Dark Creatures, so if he could create an alarm that could detect Dark Creatures, he wouldn't have to worry about encountering Basilisk all the time.

At the very least, risks can be detected in advance and effectively avoided.

Albert narrowed his eyes. He knew the manufacturing principle of the Peeping Mirror. That thing could detect suspicious people. Why couldn't he modify it to detect Basilisk or Dark Creatures?

"You gather the materials first, and I'll make a finished product for you. If someone wants one, they can pay for a custom order, and I'll manufacture it for them then," Albert said, looking up at Kenneth Toller. "If it doesn't sell, I'll cover the cost of the materials."

"Good."

Kenneth Toller left satisfied.

"I don't think you really need to work with Kenneth," George said to Albert after Kenneth Toller left. "If you sell it yourself, all the profits are yours, and we can help you too."

"The amulet might have some effect, but that's all. It definitely won't work on the monsters in the Chamber of Secrets," Albert shook his head. "If Kenneth Toller wants to make some money, let him sell it. If he's unlucky and finds out the item doesn't work, he can't blame me. Besides, I doubt many people will buy it anyway, so it's not worth the trouble."

After all, students have limited financial resources, and it's already quite difficult for them to come up with even a few Galleon.

On their way back to the Common Room, the four of them encountered Fred and George's sister, Ginny, who looked slightly pale and in poor spirits.

Is your sister sick?

"Percy said Ginny has been having nightmares lately," Fred said, frowning. "Mrs. Norris's murder has really bothered her."

"This is very unusual," Albert said, squinting.

"Abnormal?"

"It's nothing. As an older brother, I have to fulfill my responsibilities. If Ginny has nightmares, take her to Madam Pomfrey. She knows how to brew a potion that prevents nightmares." Albert changed the subject, watching Ginny's retreating figure, his eyes narrowing slightly. "If she's really emotionally unstable, give her a small amount of Calming Draught. I have some left; I'll get it for you when I get back."