France, Magical Shopping Street.
Christmas had just passed, but the holiday was still ongoing. Beauxbatons students came and went along the streets, wondering how to squeeze more happiness out of their limited pocket money.
Whenever they hurried past an inconspicuous street corner, they would occasionally mention in conversation the shop that seemed as though it would never open.
Probably before term started. The shop's sign had been hanging there for months now, but its doors had never opened.
Not even once.
And in the basement beneath that unseen shop, Fleur Delacour, once a prominent figure at Beauxbatons, was taking stock of the potions on the shelves as she said, "Bill has already taken all the potions back to England."
"That's good." Kanna looked up from the cauldron.
"He asked me to thank you. That batch of potions was very useful," Fleur said. "Bill told me that Aurors in England can barely buy high-quality blood-replenishing potions and antidotes now, even with Galleons."
"Then I made the right decision." Kanna smiled.
Although neither Kyle nor Snape wanted her to remain in dangerous England, that did not mean there was nothing she could do.
Logistics were just as vital to a war... and for wizards, potions were logistics.
Fortunately, she had some talent for potion-making.
"You're right." Fleur packed the counted potions into a box.
"But there's something I have to tell you. France has been affected too. Since last week, the prices of certain key ingredients have been steadily rising, especially bezoars—their price has already tripled.
"With the same number of Galleons, we can buy fewer and fewer materials."
As she spoke, Fleur snapped the box shut irritably. "I went to see my father, but he refused to fund us."
"That's perfectly normal." Kanna did not find it surprising. "The Delacours are