After being caught several times by the Weasley twins and suffering all kinds of torment, from vomiting to nosebleeds, Harry and Ron finally realized that the two of them seemed to be stopping them from following Adam.
Just as they indignantly planned to tell Hermione about it once the effects of the potion wore off, Hermione came to find them in high spirits:
"I found information about Nicolas Flamel! Uh, what happened to you two...?"
Hermione eyed their faces suspiciously.
"Ahem, it's nothing."
Harry calmly replaced the tissue plugging his nose. The pristine white tissue was visibly soaked through with blood:
"Tell us about Nicolas Flamel first!"
"That was what happened."
Having finally entered the Headmaster's Office again, Adam expertly stroked Fawkes's body as he told Professor Dumbledore about Harry and Ron's abrupt surveillance of him, and how it had ended.
"I think they've probably found information about Nicolas Flamel on their own. I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore."
"No, no, child. You have nothing to apologize for. You kept our agreement, didn't you?"
Professor Dumbledore smiled kindly.
"Perhaps. I'm just a little worried about the Sorcerer's Stone."
"Sometimes children develop an exceptionally persistent urge to explore. Giving them a little freedom may not be a bad thing. As for the Sorcerer's Stone..."
Professor Dumbledore winked at Adam.
"Don't worry. I'll protect it."
Yeah, right. As if I'd believe that.
Suddenly, Adam's hand paused as he stroked Fawkes. With practiced ease, he tucked a naturally shed phoenix feather into his pocket, then pulled out a piece of malt bamboo rice cake and fed it to Fawkes to replenish its nutrition.
The smoothness of those movements made Professor Dumbledore's eye twitch almost imperceptibly.
After feeding Fawkes, Adam said his goodbyes and left. Professor Dumbledore looked somewhat mournfully at his old companion, who had returned to its perch the moment Adam departed. Tentatively, he held out a hand with a Fizzing Whizbee resting in his palm.
Fawkes glanced at it, ignored Dumbledore, and silently turned its head away.
After leaving the Headmaster's Office, Adam ran into the Weasley twins on his way back to the dormitory.
"Hey, Adam! We completed your commission perfectly~"
"So, the proposal we gave you last time..."
"Ah, you came at just the right time. I think the contract could use a few more revisions."
Adam took out the proposal the twins had given him earlier and looked at their frozen smiles.
"As for the profit split, I think forty percent is a more suitable figure."
In that moment, Adam seemed to shine behind his back in the twins' eyes, as though he had risen from the abyss to heaven.
"Oh, Adam! You're an angel!"
"Let's have a friendly hug!"
"Let me finish first!"
Adam had no idea whether the two of them were somehow related to Newt's older brother. Otherwise, why did they like hugging so much? He pulled them off himself and said seriously:
"The forty percent I mentioned isn't merely a share of the profits."
The smiles on the twins' faces faded slightly. Forty percent of the sale price... That was lower than their previous bottom line, but perhaps that bottom line could be lowered a little further.
"It's equity."
"...Equity?"
"You don't have any money left now, do you?"
Adam waved the proposal in his hand and raised an eyebrow at the twins.
"Renting a shop, buying materials, processing and production, bulk packaging... How many of those steps can your funds cover?"
"Ahem! Well... our preliminary plan was to conduct a small-scale trial operation within Hogwarts..."
"On campus, we don't really need to consider things like shops and packaging..."
Fred and George's gazes drifted as they awkwardly used terms they had picked up from Muggle-born dormmates over the past few days.
"So?"
"So we really don't have any money now QAQ."
Watching the twins pull miserable faces and hug each other as if sobbing their hearts out, Adam reached into his shoulder bag again.
"Given your current financial situation, as well as my assessment of the feasibility of your proposal, I've decided to inject some capital into your Magical Trick Emporium to help you with your initial business operations."
Adam took out a bulging money pouch and shook it in his hand. The clinking of coins immediately drew Fred and George's attention.
"And this money isn't a gift. It's to buy shares in your Magical Trick Emporium."
"...We think we understand. So how much do you intend to invest, and how much equity do you want?"
After exchanging glances, Fred and George grew serious. After all, equity concerned the future operation of the Magical Trick Emporium, even its ownership.
"I already said it. I want forty percent. As for how much I'll invest..."
Adam held the money pouch out before the twins.
"There are one hundred Galleons here, as the first round of investment. If your business fails, consider it a failed investment that I gave to you. If it succeeds, I'll gradually add another one thousand nine hundred Galleons and settle the full amount before you graduate."
"One hundred... Galleons?"
"Another one thousand nine hundred Galleons later?!"
"Then altogether, wouldn't that be..."
"Two thousand Galleons?!"
Fred and George swallowed.
In their worldview, that much money was already enough to buy both of them outright.
"Adam, are you serious?"
Fred could not help confirming it with Adam.
"That's right. Actually, for forty percent equity, one hundred... no, five hundred Galleons would be enough."
George even felt that he was already asking for an outrageously high price.
"Don't underestimate your talents, Fred, George."
Adam smiled and stuffed the money pouch into Fred's hand, then patted both of them on the shoulders.
"From your proposal, I can see your love for this venture. That pure passion was actually the main thing that moved me—believe it or not, when I first agreed to consider it, I simply didn't want to reject you to your faces."
Adam was telling the truth. That was indeed what he had thought at the time. But when the twins handed him the proposal they had spent a week working on, that immature yet utterly sincere plan truly moved him.
Thinking more deeply, if they suffered a setback on his side, perhaps Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes might even die before it was ever born.
"For that passion, and because your talent in this area is truly unmatched, I think it's worth a try. Your proposal is indeed highly feasible, and the market for prank products still has plenty of room to grow..."
"Oh, Adam!"
Before Adam could finish, the two of them hugged him again. This time, Adam struggled but failed to break free.
"Of course we believe you..."
"Oh, God, Fred, I think I'm going to cry..."
George dramatically wiped at the corners of his eyes several times to conceal the gleam in them.
Only after a long while did the two finally let Adam go. He coughed awkwardly—those two were quite a bit taller than he was, and during that hug, he had to keep his head tilted back the entire time just to breathe freely.
"Then it's settled. I'll prepare a magical contract."
"No, Adam, we think the terms of the contract can be revised a little more!"
Fred and George exchanged glances and revealed identical smiles.
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