Shop Opening, Lockhart's Early Retirement?

Sitting at the Ravenclaw Table, Lucien watched the junior student run up to him and quickly recalled a casual conversation he had with the Sorting Hat:

"Once the new students are assigned to suitable colleges, I'll mention your name so they can thank you..."

"After you wore it, I feel like I've become a lot smarter..."

The Sorting Hat's words seemed to echo in Lucien's ears, and a bad feeling crept into his mind:

It's been a year, surely that hat still remembers this?!

Seeing the hopeful look in his junior's eyes, Lucien nodded stiffly.

The junior blinked her big eyes.

"Hehe, that's great, I didn't mistake you for someone else, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing."

"The Sorting Hat says it can sort students into schools more accurately now, though it was accurate before. It's all thanks to you, senior!"

"It said it wanted to thank you properly, take you as its role model, and learn from you. It said you're easy to recognize, senior, with dark blond hair, distinctive dark green eyes, and, um, you're very handsome..."

Lucien wasn't really listening to what was said after that; he was completely numb.

His name was destined to spread among the new students.

What's the fastest way to become famous?

Lucien could already picture the Sorting Hat whispering in the minds of the freshmen.

Wait, that's not right.

After recovering from his initial shock and embarrassment, Lucien also started to think about a question.

To sell alchemical tools and potions, wasn't my original plan to simultaneously handle design, production, sales, and promotion?

Because the products are sold under the seller's own name, the products are directly linked to the seller's reputation.

As more people recognize and praise the quality of the products, they will also pay more attention to Lucien's inventions and designs.

Lucien's own fame can also serve as a promotional tool for his products.

Although the Sorting Hat's behavior was outrageous.

But you could call it helping?

So Lucien temporarily abandoned his plan to throw the Sorting Hat into the Black Lake for a bath.

The female student bowed to Lucien again, then ran to the adjacent freshman area and sat down.

"Hey, Lucien, why did the Sorting Hat specifically mention you?"

Roommate Terry nudged Lucien gently, his face full of curiosity.

Lucien glanced at the Sorting Hat bobbing around the heads of the freshmen.

"I paid it a fee."

Thankfully, there were no more Ravenclaw freshmen like the junior student from before, and no one came over to greet Lucien or pay him any more respects.

Without exception, they all glanced in Lucien's direction from time to time.

And so, this year's Sorting Ceremony came to a successful conclusion.

There were no more instances of a young wizard spending several minutes without finding a result.

The Gryffindor Common Room.

"Alright, this is our lounge. Remember, this year's opening password is 'Honey Eater'."

"Feel free to ask me any questions. I'm the Prefect."

Percy led the new students to the lounge, explained the arrangements, and then prepared to leave.

The young wizards, who were just beginning to explore the magical world, were clearly excited, looking around their academy's lounge, hoping to find some magical traces.

Soon, everyone saw a counter.

There was no way around it; a truly dazzling banner hung on the counter.

The letters on it flowed slowly, bursting forth with tiny, firework-like sparks.

Above the words "Seventh Workshop (Hogwarts Special)" on both sides of the banner, holographic projections of several items float, rotating and displaying their charm from all angles.

The banner's border is not static; it is composed of four figures—a lion, an eagle, a snake, and a badger—constantly chasing and playing around the text, occasionally letting out cries.

At the very bottom of the banner, a line of flowing silver lettering flashed by like a shooting star:

The secret of wisdom and courage lies here--

A pair of twin brothers with identical red hair and freckles stood behind the counter.

Noticing the new students looking this way, their eyes lit up, and they shouted in unison:

"New students, whether you're a young man or a young woman, come and take a look around!"

"You probably don't realize how troublesome the stairs at Hogwarts are!"

"The patterns in their changes, wow~~"

"You won't even remember being a few years late to Hogwarts!"

"If you're late for class, it's fine with other professors, but what about Professor Snape, the Potions Class Professor Snape?"

He will turn you into his test toads!

Most of the freshmen were so frightened that they turned pale.

After all, the idea of being turned into a toad by an evil wizard is mentioned in many fairy tales.

Gemini waved his hand,

"But don't worry, a certain Ravenclaw senior has already prepared 'tools' for you to win!"

"Ta-da!"

As if by magic, Fred produced a bronze, uniquely shaped compass from under the counter.

Its pointer is not stationary, but rather rotates lightly.

First and foremost, for all you little Lions who are struggling with your sense of direction, we proudly present the "Stairway Compass"!

George immediately chimed in, explaining in an exaggerated tone:

"It won't show you any of those dizzying lines! All you have to do before you leave is tell it, 'I'm going to Potions Classroom!' Then, trust me, even if the stairs take you three circles in one place, its pointer will still point firmly to your destination!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fred flicked open a seemingly blank piece of parchment.

But with a gentle tap of the wand, the dark lines immediately spread out as if they came to life, quickly outlining the castle's silhouette, with one path shimmering with blue light clearly winding its way through the complex network of staircases.

"And for customers who value convenience and efficiency--"

We also provide "Shortcut Map"!

"See this glowing path? It will plan the most stable route for you for the next five minutes! Allowing you to move effortlessly between Moving Staircase, elegant and timeless!"

"Of course!" the twins exclaimed in unison, their faces beaming with that knowing smile. "We're also accepting pre-orders for the upcoming 'map' that will provide even more information!"

"As for the price... you must understand that knowledge has weight."

The freshmen were captivated by the dazzling demonstration, their initial unease replaced by curiosity.

Several of the bolder ones had already squeezed to the counter, clutching their purses of change tightly in their hands.

"How much does that... most basic compass cost?"

A short boy asked timidly.

George bent down, flashing a bright smile that said, "You got a great deal!"

"Since you're our first customer today, it'll only Sickle!"

After hesitating for a moment, the clinking of money bags echoed from the counter.

The Weasley Twins exchanged a glance, seeing the same meaning in each other's eyes:

My salary—no, my dream fund—is in hand!

My bed space, which I haven't been in for two months.

Standing in front of the workbench, Lucien extinguished the flames beneath the crucible, waiting for the potion inside to cool.

Stretching, Lucien brought up the system panel and then the section on Emerald Tablet loans.

Check the sales volume and sales amount.

Once the alchemical tools and potions you invented are officially traded, the system will display the transaction details in real time.

That's quite convenient.

After the start of the school year banquet, the growth rate of both the number and the amount increased slightly.

It seems the Gemini side has started experimenting in Gryffindor.

Once the Seventh Workshop officially opens at Hogwarts, and the new students truly experience the eerie and unpredictable nature of the staircase, they will definitely make even more purchases.

According to Lucien's estimate, not only first-year students, but also a considerable number of second-year and even third-year students will still need items such as Stairway Compass and Shortcut Map.

Hogwarts has 142 staircases, many of which can change direction, disappear, rise or fall, and so on.

The patterns of staircase changes vary; some change automatically after a certain time, some change based on the footsteps of those walking on them, and some change according to specific commands...

Only young wizards who can remember these patterns of change are qualified to be on time...

However, when time is tight, it's easy to get confused about the stairwell layout in a rush, resulting in being late for the day.

Actually, Lucien and Dumbledore had discussed the staircase issue beforehand, expressing concerns about whether it would interfere with the students' studies.

But Dumbledore's version is:

"Learning to cope with unexpected events and changes is also a form of growth. I believe that after graduation, the children will cherish the memories of these moving and changing staircases."

Lucien was speechless at that moment, if it weren't for the fact that this was a world of magic.

He even suspected that the headmaster of the magic school might have embezzled the funds, which was why he didn't undertake or did little to promote projects that would benefit the students.

There was nothing he could do. Lucien himself was the principal of his high school in his previous life. He claimed to be renovating the Great Hall, but when school started, it was discovered that he had only painted the walls once. As a result, he was reported and sent to jail.

Lucien thought that Dumbledore probably just wasn't really putting his heart into Hogwarts.

Ever since Voldemort emerged, Dumbledore's focus has been on this Dark Lord.

After Harry's birth, Voldemort was reduced to a wandering ghost, and Dumbledore began to groom Harry as his the Chosen One.

Despite being the headmaster, Dumbledore's actual involvement in the school was not particularly significant.

Lucien also spoke with Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, and others, who were also troubled by the declining quality of Hogwarts students in recent years.

We live in a peaceful era, and wizards learn magic primarily to find work and make a living.

So unlike the days when everyone was in danger, students back then studied and practiced their magic skills desperately, fearing that they would be banned as soon as they left school.

However, it is also a fact that the abilities of the school's graduates have been declining year after year, which is something that responsible educators can hardly ignore.

Lucien understood Dumbledore's actions; the wise and powerful old wizard had a long-term vision and thought things through.

Dumbledore was concerned with the safety and survival of the entire Wizarding World, and focused on the Dark Lord and the Chosen One.

As for the growth of those generations of young wizards, well, Dumbledore can "put that on hold" for now.

Lucien believed that school should be a place for learning knowledge.

He knew he didn't yet have the power or ability to completely change the status quo, but making a few small gadgets to help his classmates improve their learning efficiency was still okay.

Anyway, I was going to invent and sell alchemical tools and potions anyway, and in the process, I was also learning and practicing more about alchemy and potion making.

That's killing three birds with one stone!

Once the potions had cooled down enough, Lucien cut them into pieces of candy and sprinkled them with icing sugar.

I packaged this prototype and prepared to deliver it to Gemini tomorrow along with the other samples.

When designing and inventing a new product, it's essential to first gather customer feedback.

Actually, compared to tools like compasses and maps, these products are much cheaper, often costing only a few Knut each, while those from Sickle are considered expensive.

It is more in line with children's spending power.

As I said before, apart from a few exceptions, students don't have much money, so we can only rely on low profit margins and high volume to help boost sales.

The compass and map effects also have different durations, which limits how often the little wizard can buy and replace them.

But the young wizard quickly realized: this kind of thing can be bought in bulk.

For example, when money is tight, two or three people can share one.

Of course, even when always following their companions, they inevitably stray from each other at times.

When the time comes, you'll either have to rely on your own brilliant mind, pray that some upperclassmen will happen to pass by, or that a ghostly portrait will guide you.

But once we've saved up our allowance, we can each buy our own.

Great Hall.

As the group ate lunch, Harry scooped a spoonful of cream of mushroom soup but didn't drink it. Instead, he sighed.

"Although I haven't taken Defense Against the Dark Magic class yet, I'm a little worried about Professor Lockhart."

Lucien thought for a moment. According to the schedule, Gryffindor should have Herbology in the morning, so how did it get to Lockhart?

Seemingly because of the delicious meal, Ron's spirits improved slightly, and he was no longer as listless as yesterday. He continued:

"Yeah, Lockhart actually implied that he's better at herbs Professor Sprout? That guy's such a show-off. I really don't understand why people like my Mother like that peacock?"

"And what was he wearing? A turquoise robe, paired with a equally flashy hat, tsk tsk. By the way, Harry, what did he say to you before class?"

Hearing this Harry put down his spoon in annoyance and said irritably:

"What 'before class'? Class had already started! Professor Sprout clearly objected to this, but Lockhart dragged me away and rattled off a bunch of stuff about the taste of fame, newspaper front pages, the Most Charming Smile Award..."

"As for demonstrating to Professor Sprout how to treat the Whomping Willow... does bandage even work? It looks crooked to me..."

As Harry spoke, Harry also felt guilty, after all, it was he and Ron who had damaged that big willow tree, and it was said that the tree was older than the two of them combined!

Lucien roughly understood; it was simply Lockhart's habitual boasting of a wealth of experiences that didn't actually exist.

But it's one thing for that smooth-talking charlatan to fool naive women, but why did he dare to flaunt his herbal knowledge in front of a legitimate professor of Herbology?

The key issue is that it's all fake knowledge; it can only fool people, like someone brandishing a big sword in front of Guan Yu (a legendary Chinese martial arts master).

Sure enough, it's better for Lockhart to leave sooner, or rather, retire early.

Well, now that Tom's diary is in his hands, maybe learning the Obliviate and getting a decent Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts can solve the problem at the same time...