Diagon Alley Convention

February has arrived, bringing with it warmer and more humid weather.

Although Penelope has always been in charge of managing Shield Security Consulting Company, many in the wizarding world wonder where a young Muggle-born witch gets the audacity to so brazenly refuse cooperation offers from numerous business tycoons.

The mystery didn't last long. Soon, many people connected it to the predecessor of Shield Security Consulting Company — Malfoy Armor Shop, and Skylar Malfoy's identity as the true behind-the-scenes boss of SHIELD was exposed.

The news spread throughout the Great Britain wizarding world in just a few days, and even the Daily Prophet published a special report digging into the inside story.

But all of this was actually part of Skylar's plan.

The following day, Penelope sent a formal letter in Skylar's name to all the merchants in Diagon Alley, leaving no one out.

The most important content of the letter is--

Skylar Malfoy, in his capacity as the head of Shield Security Consulting Company, is about to officially convene a Diagon Alley conference!

His position was clearly expressed in the letter:

He believes that the Ministry of Magic is no longer capable of protecting the safety of numerous businesses, nor has it provided any compensation for the losses they have suffered.

He believed that businesses should no longer rely on the Ministry of Magic, but should instead become self-reliant.

His first proposal was to establish the "Diagon Alley Commercial Alliance," bringing together all the businesses in Diagon Alley to form a united force. This way, the businesses could help each other through difficult times and rely on their collective strength to protect their businesses, safety, and interests.

The letter was signed off, with the words "--" clearly written at the end.

"The conference is scheduled for ten days from now, February 10th, at the Leaky Cauldron. -- Skylar Malfoy, Order of Merlin Special Medal, Order of Merlin, Second Class, International Wizarding Award of Merit, Wizengamot Youth Representative, Youth Representative of the Medieval European Wizards Association, Honorary Member of the Society of Extraordinary Potioneers."

When the businesses in Diagon Alley received the letter, almost everyone was talking about it.

The Ministry of Magic was naturally aware of this matter, but without Fudge's permission, Umbridge dared not provoke Skylar. After all, the Ministry of Magic couldn't function without the support of Pure-blood families. Minister for Magic Fudge did extend several invitations to meet with his old friend Lucius, but received no response.

The date is February 10th, Sunday.

Today, the lobby of the Leaky Cauldron is not open to the public; instead, it has been carefully decorated as a serious and solemn meeting room.

Bright candles hung from the ceiling, their pale yellow light casting a warm and mysterious atmosphere on the walls. A long oak conference table stood in the center, surrounded by various chairs for the attendees. Directly in front of the table was an exquisitely carved high-backed chair, clearly intended for the organizer of the conference.

A thick stack of documents was laid out on the table, with one set prepared in front of each person's seat. Various teas and snacks were also available, but most people were not in the mood to touch them, and the atmosphere was exceptionally solemn.

Despite the Ministry of Magic's attempts to stop the convention, businessmen, with their keener sense of self-interest, outpaced politicians. Thus, over 90% of the merchants ignored the Ministry of Magic's warnings and resolutely attended—they all understood that this convention was crucial to their future survival and interests.

The flames exploded with a roar, and a figure slowly walked out of the fireplace.

Skylar Malfoy wore a well-tailored, deep black robe, the gold buttons gleaming slightly in the firelight. He stood tall and his steps were steady, each one seemingly controlling the rhythm of the entire room. He had already requested leave from Dumbledore in advance, which was why he was able to use the fireplace in the Headmaster's Office and arrive via Floo Network.

Penelope Clearwater was already waiting nearby. She nodded slightly and exchanged a glance with Skylar. Although she was used to navigating the business world, the scene today still made her heart tighten slightly.

The room was completely Silencio.

The businessmen present all focused their attention on this young man—this boy who was still nominally a Hogwarts student, but now actually controlled the most influential company in Diagon Alley, and even launched such a conference that shook the entire wizarding business world.

"Then, let's begin." Skylar's voice was calm and powerful. He sat down in the main seat, his sharp, hawk-like gaze sweeping across the room.

The first item on the Diagon Alley Conference was to establish the "Diagon Alley Commercial Alliance" and elect its first leader.

Everyone knew that the actual initiator of this conference was Skylar, but at this moment, he did not mention his own name. Instead, he tapped the table lightly with his knuckles and waited calmly for the first person to stand up.

Silence fell over the room, everyone's eyes darting between each other, no one willing to be the first to break the silence. Just then, a deep, husky voice slowly rang out.

Since no one else wants to speak, I'll do it.

Everyone turned to look, Agatha Tim stood up.

She was a tall witch, draped in an old, dark brown cloak, her face weathered, with a few gray hairs at her temples. Her eyes were sharp, carrying the calm decisiveness accumulated from years of debt collection—she was a woman who had weathered many storms and seen the coldness of human nature; she did not easily trust anyone, but her choices were always well-considered.

Agatha slowly surveyed the entire room, her voice deep and powerful—

"I've seen too many grand promises ultimately vanish like bubbles."

"The Ministry of Magic said it would protect merchants, but what happened? After the Death Eaters escaped, they disappeared without a trace."

A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips as she continued, "Two years ago, that damned Bagman swindled all my savings. The Ministry of Magic kept stalling and refused to get involved. I was almost ready to tear up the debt agreement and just accept my bad luck. But young Mr. Malfoy couldn't stand it and helped me recover all my losses."

Agatha Tim is the owner of the Eel Farm in Leicestershire and the leader of the "Debt Collection Alliance." This alliance consists of a group of creditors who were swindled out of their money by Ludo Bagman years ago, and is backed by Skylar behind the scenes (see Chapter 162 of Volume 4 for details). As the largest creditor among them, Agatha naturally has a very high reputation in the alliance, but in fact, she has long been bought off by Skylar.

She paused, scanned the crowd, and said firmly, "If you're looking for someone to lead the Diagon Alley Commercial Alliance, my only nomination is— Skylar Malfoy."

These words caused a brief silence to fall over the room.

The merchants exchanged glances, their faces flashing with complex emotions.

If they had any doubts at the beginning, now the proposal is hard to refute— Skylar not only controls the fastest-growing company in Diagon Alley, but also has the power to truly influence the market landscape, and more importantly... he was the one who orchestrated this conference.

At that moment, a gentle female voice broke the silence.

I support this proposal.

The speaker was Professor Will Gela-Plan, owner of Eeylops Owl Emporium and a close ally of the Greengrass Family.

She rose gracefully, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said slowly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we all know very well that the situation in Diagon Alley has changed. We are facing Death Eaters lurking in the shadows, and the Ministry of Magic doesn't even have a decent countermeasure. In this turbulent situation, we need someone who can lead us through this crisis."

Her words sparked a murmur among the crowd, and a hint of hesitation and unease appeared on everyone's faces.

"We need a leader, someone who can unite us." She smiled slightly, her gaze falling on Skylar, a hint of admiration in her eyes. "This young Mr. Malfoy, setting aside his influence in international organizations, academia, the Potions world, and the field of alchemy, just consider Shield Security Consulting Company —in a short period of time, he transformed an ordinary armor shop into the most influential company in Diagon Alley. Who among you can match his strategic vision and execution skills?"

"I am willing to follow his leadership."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight.

Upon hearing this, many people in the room showed thoughtful expressions, seemingly beginning to be swayed by her words.

Before long, Madam Malkin, the owner of the Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, also expressed her support for Skylar, followed by Mrs. Primpernelle, the owner of the beauty shop. Mr. Flourish and Mr. Brotter, the two owners of Flourish and Blotts and Blotts, exchanged a glance and also made their decision, casting their votes in support of Skylar.

These people made their choices based on their own judgment. Diagon Alley has been a disorganized mess for many years. This time, when it faced a crisis, it was Skylar who stepped forward to convene this conference. His courage alone is enough to earn everyone's admiration.

Garrick Ollivander sighed. The cunning old fox knew that Skylar's power was secured. Just as he was about to get up and make a statement, heavy footsteps came from the direction of the door.

A slight movement occurred in the crowd, and three figures stepped into the room simultaneously.

Griphook, Old Borgin of Knockturn Alley Gringotts, and the Night Cat of the Black Rose Society.

"Did this conference... perhaps overlook some important figures?"

Night Cat of the Black Rose Society narrowed his eyes slightly, a somewhat unfriendly smile on his face, as he scanned the attendees in the room.

Old Borgin said in a chilling tone, "If even we're not on the list of the 'Diagon Alley Commercial Alliance'... then this 'alliance' isn't complete."

The air seemed to suddenly become tense.

Many people were whispering among themselves, their faces showing wariness and unease.

However, Skylar chuckled lightly, opened his arms nonchalantly, and spoke in a hearty tone—

"No, no, no, everyone has misunderstood."

How could we possibly have overlooked you?

"The prosperity of Diagon Alley is inseparable from the efforts of every businessman."

"Everyone in Knockturn Alley, everyone in Gringotts, friends of the Black Rose Society —we certainly welcome you to join us."

"I think everyone would agree with that."

It's not hard for readers to imagine what will happen next.

The Knockturn Alley Chamber of Commerce supports Skylar.

The underworld forces in Knockturn Alley support Skylar.

Gringotts faction – supports Skylar.

When the three "uninvited guests" nodded in approval, the entire conference had come to a close.

Skylar Malfoy has officially become the first leader of the "Diagon Alley Commercial Alliance"!

Skylar wasted no time; he quickly moved on to the next topic—

"We must admit that the Ministry of Magic is no longer capable of protecting Diagon Alley. We can no longer rely on them; we must rely on ourselves." With that, he took out a document and pushed it in front of everyone.

"To ensure the Alliance's true security, I am willing to lead by contributing one thousand Galleon to hire Troll security guards and Silver Spear adventurers to form our own self-defense force, so that Diagon Alley will have the power to protect itself, instead of relying solely on the Ministry of Magic."

Skylar continued, "But if I'm the only one funding it, the size of this self-defense force will ultimately be limited. I hope to gain everyone's support to jointly fund and build a truly powerful Diagon Alley Self-Defense Force capable of facing the Death Eaters."

The proposal received a warm response.

The merchants aren't stupid. By paying a small fee, they can ensure their own safety and property security, and even revitalize Diagon Alley's economy. Anyone can do the math.

Penelope was the first to pick up the quill pen and sign her name on the document.

Agatha Tim then signed her name.

Then there's Will Gera-Plain, Ollivander, Madam Malkin...

The sound of signatures filled the room, and finally, everyone in the conference room had signed their names.

The Ministry of Magic's representative, Rowden Burke, sat in the corner, his face ashen as if he had just swallowed a whole bottle of slug juice.

He was originally sent to "monitor" the conference. The Ministry of Magic's higher-ups hoped that his presence would at least exert some deterrent effect on the scene, and perhaps even allow him to say something at a crucial moment to make the merchants aware of the Ministry of Magic's presence.

However, reality delivered a harsh blow to the Ministry of Magic.

Throughout the entire event, almost no one looked him in the eye; all attention was focused on Skylar Malfoy and his "business alliance." Worse still, those businessmen who had previously held some trust in the Ministry of Magic developed resolute looks after hearing Skylar's speech, as if they had finally made up their minds to break free from their dependence on the Ministry of Magic.

Poker's fingers gripped the chair armrests tightly, his knuckles turning white.

He certainly wanted to stand up and say a few words of warning, even if it was just a symbolic reminder that the Ministry of Magic was the true power holder in this country, and security issues should be handled by them, not by a so-called "alliance" spontaneously organized by a group of merchants.

But he simply couldn't bring himself to speak.

He saw Agatha Tim's sharp gaze, as if to say, "Where was the Ministry of Magic back then?"

He saw Will Glash-Plane's lips curl into a slight, ambiguous smile, carrying a hint of scorn for the Ministry of Magic's incompetence.

He even saw the contempt and disdain in old Tom's cloudy eyes—this old bartender, who had run the Leaky Cauldron for most of his life, clearly knew better than anyone that the Ministry of Magic had always only restricted, not truly protected, merchants.

Poker's throat moved slightly, but he ultimately swallowed the word "oppose" that was on the tip of his tongue.

He wasn't stupid; he could see that this wasn't Ministry of Ministry of Magic territory, and the Ministry of Magic's authority carried no weight in this room. If he jumped out to object now, he would only become the target of everyone's anger, and might even be kicked out on the spot by the merchants.

So he could only maintain a stiff face, forcibly suppressing all his dissatisfaction and remaining silent.