The First Deal

Upon hearing the name "Scrimgeour," Mrs. Greengrass's eyes flashed with undisguised disdain.

His tone turned colder. "That's right, he's the Head of the Auror Office, but he's a complete incompetent."

"Aside from being tough on foreigners and having a fairly upright stance, he has absolutely no real skills and doesn't have a single friend in the Ministry of Magic."

"If you go directly to him, he'll definitely find all sorts of reasons to lower the price, claiming it's to save the Ministry of Magic money, but really it's just to enhance his own reputation."

"Amelia Bones is his boss, so letting her make the decisions is both compliant and worry-free, and it also saves a lot of trouble."

Tom wasn't very familiar with the inner workings of the Ministry of Magic, only knowing a few key names.

Since his mother-in-law had said so, he immediately added Scrimgeour to his "uncooperative" list.

In his previous life, when he read the original book, he thought that this hardliner who would rather die than reveal Harry's whereabouts had some backbone.

It turns out he was all show and no substance, all bravado and no skill, purely for show and no substance.

To be honest, people with good character but no ability are the most troublesome, as they can easily do more harm than good.

You can't get angry with him, or you'll discourage his followers and partners.

Just like Albus Dumbledore, he was tricked by Hagrid time and time again, and had to clean up his messes every day. Just thinking about it makes me feel sorry for Old Dumbledore.

"Selling to the Ministry of Magic is no problem, but I also want to open a shop in Diagon Alley that is open to ordinary wizards as well."

He was secretly calculating: academic papers award credits based on their impact, so what if selling products could earn him credits?

It's highly likely related to market awareness and market share; opening more channels is always a good idea.

Mrs. Greengrass readily nodded. "That's nothing. But can you guarantee a sufficient supply by yourself?"

Tom laughed, "How many wizards are there in all of Britain? And even fewer who can afford and actually need these wristbands. I can gather enough stock in a while."

Tom then took out a piece of parchment. "This is a list of the materials we need. You can buy more; the larger the quantity, the lower the price, which will save you a lot of Galleon."

The two then discussed the store's location and decoration needs before Tom turned and left the study to return and continue refining the wristbands.

The following afternoon, Amelia Bones appeared in the drawing room of the Greengrass Manor.

She was tall, with her hair tightly tied up, wearing square glasses, and her expression was as serious as if she were in court.

"Tom, let me introduce you," Mrs. Greengrass said with a smile and a wave.

"This is Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She's here today specifically to provide you with the anti-magic wand wrist guards."

"Hello, Madam Bones," Tom greeted politely, but inwardly he was thinking something.

This woman looks so serious, like a young Professor McGonagall, with a very commanding presence.

Surprisingly, despite his serious demeanor, Amelia Bones was very polite when Tom greeted him.

"Mr. Riddle, I've heard Susan mention you before. She said you were the best student in the first year. It seems she underestimated you."

"Actually, I didn't underestimate it. After all, you can't hide your talent, right?" Tom boasted earnestly, his tone tinged with a touch of silly smugness.

Amelia Bones paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh; it had been a long time since anyone had dared to joke with her like that.

Even the younger members of the family are like mice before a cat when they see her, not daring to breathe loudly.

"Let's eat first, then we can talk business," Mrs. Greengrass said with a smile, inviting everyone to sit down.

At the dinner table, the two adults chatted about trivial matters of the Ministry of Magic, while Tom completely acted like a "master," enjoying being fed by the two sisters.

Amelia Bones watched this scene with surprise, and quietly gave Mrs. Greengrass a wink.

Mrs. Greengrass gave a wry smile and lowered her voice, saying, "I won't concern myself with the children's affairs. Right now, Tom is Astoria's only hope."

Amelia Bones instantly understood. Back in Hogwarts, she was an upperclassman of the previous generation of the Greengrass sisters, had a good relationship with them, and knew the truth about the Blood Curse.

She looked at Tom with a hint of understanding in her eyes, and whispered a promise.

"As long as the products meet the requirements, I guarantee the Ministry of Magic will purchase a batch and will not make things difficult for him."

"Thank you for your help, senior." The two middle-aged beauties exchanged a smile, everything understood without words.

After dinner, Tom took Amelia Bones to the basement, where there was an indoor training room, which was perfect for demonstrating the wristband's effectiveness.

"First, channel magic into the wristband to complete the binding. After that, as soon as the wand leaves your hand, simply think of the summoning command, and it will automatically fly back."

Tom demonstrated the bracelet's functions, and Amelia Bones took the bracelet, put it on his wrist, and drew his wand.

"Throw it out?"

The wand flew out, and she shouted "Come back!" The wand curved in the air and landed steadily back in her hand.

She raised an eyebrow and tried three more times, each time with great success.

A hint of approval appeared on Amelia Bones's face; for a seasoned Auror like her, this was a piece of cake.

She even couldn't resist having a real duel with Tom to test the wristband's stability in actual combat.

After several tests, the wristband performed flawlessly, and Amelia Bones was completely satisfied.

"Maximum distance?"

"Five hundred meters, there will be no reaction beyond that."

"Mr. Riddle, these wristbands are perfectly fine; they meet the needs of law enforcement perfectly."

Amelia Bones put away his wand and asked seriously, "What is your production volume? What is the price?"

Tom was prepared. "Each wristband is priced at one hundred Galleon, and I can provide two hundred before school starts."

Amelia Bones tapped his fingers twice on the table. "How many times can the recall function be used?"

"After about a hundred uses, the internal texture will show wear and tear, bringing it close to being unusable."

Amelia Bones did the math: one hundred times, one Galleon each time. But then he thought, the moment the wand slipped from his hand, it was always a critical moment.

There's no chance to pick up a wand on the battlefield; every successful summoning has the potential to save an Auror's life.

Compared to the development costs of Auror and Hit Wizard, Galleon's costs are negligible.

Especially in recent years, the quality of Hogwarts graduates has been declining, and the Auror ranks are facing a shortage of promising young talents.

Every Auror lost was a painful blow to the Ministry of Magic, and understanding this, Amelia Bones didn't try to negotiate.

He only said he would give Tom an answer in three days, and then got up and left Greengrass Castle.

Tom did the math in his head and realized that it would be exactly three days later on the 14th. If he left one day later, he would be leaving for United States. The timing was just right.

He went to tell Mrs. Greengrass the results of the negotiations, and then returned to his bedroom.