Hogsmeade, Pippin's Potions.
George and Fred arrived early, set up a stall, and hung the banner they had made earlier high on the side wall of Pippin's Potions.
The banner of the "[Prewett and Weasley Joint Trading Company]" swayed in the December wind, but George and Fred's hearts burned as if scorched by embers; they felt no coldness, but rather a burning sensation.
"Hurry up, Weasley, my Galleons have been clamoring for a week!" shouted the impatient student, shaking his money pouch.
"I've already set up the game, just waiting for the models and decks to arrive!"
Some students, acting strangely, were adorned with various lucky charms and kept muttering, "Today is my lucky day! With all these lucky items I'm carrying, I'm sure I'll draw the Hippogriff one go!"
More and more students came to buy the models, completely crowding the area.
Originally worried about sales, Pippin was overjoyed to see so many students heading straight for his shop. He decided to temporarily close and help George and Fred serve the customers.
After all, this is also his business.
So many students flocked in that long queues formed at the stalls in front of the entrance.
"Welcome! How many modules would you like? Three. Come and choose for yourself. These modules will hear your wishes; maybe you'll get the one you want most." Pippin skillfully served the customer, glancing at the end of the line occasionally, and found it almost stretched as far as the eye could see.
The long queue didn't tire him out; instead, it gave him a surprisingly fulfilling and grounded feeling.
"Compared to the exciting big business of Potions auction, I still prefer this kind of small, steady business. This is really a bit pathetic..." Pippin thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile, but his hands never stopped packing the models that the students had chosen.
Those students who managed to buy the models struggled to squeeze out of the crowd and immediately found a place to open their blind boxes.
Several students huddled together, looking at the box with tense expressions, which was rather amusing.
"Merlin, please bless me! I'd trade Dean's three years of celibacy for me to draw the Hippogriff!" Seamus pleaded earnestly.
"How despicable! By Merlin, don't listen to his nonsense. I'd trade failing Seamus exam for him..." Dean earnestly.
Some of the students watching nearby were getting impatient and started urging the two of them to hurry up.
"Hurry up, you two!"
"You're Ron Weasley's roommates, and this model was made by their brother, so maybe you'll have good luck!"
"Stop dawdling, or I'll get so old I'll be preparing for my funeral..."
Surrounded by onlookers, Seamus and Dean slowly unpacked the model they had bought.
When the model's packaging was unpacked, a dazzling light illuminated both Seamus and Dean's faces.
Everyone held their breath and looked at the disassembled model.
The dazzling light gradually faded, revealing the original appearance of the models. Unfortunately, Seamus's was Mooncalf, Dean's was Augurey.
The students were greatly disappointed, shook their heads, and dispersed.
Seamus and Dean, on the other hand, had a good attitude.
"At least we won't have to be single for three years, or fail our exams," Dean said excitedly after assembling his model. "Shall we go back and play a game?"
"I'll come right away!" Seamus immediately agreed.
The model comes with some standard command cards, so you can play a couple of rounds even without buying them separately.
This is also Silan's strategy.
You have to get them engaged and have fun first before you can keep them invested.
Goyle and Crabbe each bought two models, holding them in their arms, one in each hand, and walked out excitedly.
"Do you think we can get the Hippogriff model?" Goyle asked, looking at the two model boxes in his arms with anticipation.
"If we're lucky," Crabbe, also hoping.
"Too bad, Draco isn't interested in that." Goyle shook his head with a regretful expression.
"Who says it isn't...?"
Crabbe responded, but before he could finish speaking, he suddenly saw a familiar figure standing in front of him.
"... Woolen cloth?"
Crabbe forced the rest of the sentence out of his throat.
"What's wrong with you? Did you see a ghost?!"
Goyle followed Crabbe's gaze and looked ahead. When he saw those familiar gray-white eyes, his voice trembled and spun.
"Draco...?" Goyle and Crabbe thought at the same time.
Although Draco had covered his face with a scarf and wore a hat that hid his hair, Goyle and Crabbe knew him too well and recognized him at a glance.
They exchanged a glance, Goyle simultaneously Crabbe hard. A thought struck them, and they wondered, "Draco said he wasn't interested in this kind of game. Why is he here?"
Their eyes met, and all three of them panicked.
"Damn it, didn't those two say they had stomach aches and went to the Hospital Wing?!" Draco cursed under his breath.
"Calm down, I disguised myself when I left, they definitely won't be able to tell." Draco gritted his teeth, trying hard to remain calm, and said in a rough voice, in a tone completely different from his usual one, "Please don't block the way, thank you."
"Oh... okay." Goyle and Crabbe stepped aside, somewhat bewildered.
Draco immediately walked past them and rushed towards the stall.
Goyle and Crabbe took a few steps forward, then turned to look at Draco suspiciously.
"You think he didn't notice us?" Goyle asked.
"Definitely not," Crabbe said decisively. "Our disguise is flawless."
Goyle his hat; it was too small for him and was making his head ache.
"To be honest, Draco's disguise was terrible..."
Draco, who had just reached the stall, curled his lip in disdain. "These two idiots, they couldn't even disguise themselves properly. Did they think I wouldn't recognize them just because they're wearing scarves?"
Draco walked straight to the stall, looked at the hundreds of models neatly arranged on the small table, and declared with great fanfare, "I'll take them all!"
George and Fred exchanged a glance, but before they could speak, the other students objected.
"Everyone here is waiting to buy, you'll have to wait in line if you want to buy!"
"That is!"
Dirk glared angrily at the speaker and said coldly, "Do you know who I am? How dare you talk to me like that?!"
Even if you were Merlin, you'd have to wait in line!
The students in front of the stall weren't afraid at all; they were just as annoyed with him.
"I am..."
"Who cares who you are!" the students retorted impatiently to Draco.
Realizing he had come under a false identity and couldn't reveal it, Draco was instantly speechless.
So what if we have to queue!
What's so great about that!
Furious, Draco walked towards the back of the line, but after walking for ages, he still hadn't reached the end. A wave of despair washed over him. "How can there be so many people?! Has everyone from Hogwarts come?"
Draco grumbled and cursed all the way to the end, then waited anxiously for over an hour before finally getting to the front of the line.
By this time, Draco was like Flobberworm that had been squeezed clean of its slime, and his eyes only regained some sparkle when he heard Pippin ask him how many models he wanted.
"I'll take them all!" Draco readily handed over his money.
The students behind him were dumbfounded. There were still more than twenty models left, which would cost hundreds of Galleons in total. Was he that rich?
"What makes you think you can?! There are other people who want to buy it!" some students protested.
Draco curled his lip in disdain, pulled a handful of Galleons from his bag, and threw them onto the stall. "Just because it's my turn to sell, just because I'm rich!"
Perhaps the brilliance of the Galleon was too dazzling, for the students who had been speaking earlier all fell silent, regretting that they were late, and cursing the inexplicable guy under their breath.
For some reason, this person always reminded them of Malfoy from Slytherin House...
"Don't worry, students. We'll have another shipment next week at the same time!" George and Fred reassured them.
Pippin was packing Draco quickly, wrapping the model he'd bought in three large paper bags.
Draco walked away arrogantly, carrying three large paper bags.
As he passed a crowd, he suddenly heard a loud scream.
"Hippogriff, I got it!"
The surrounding classmates looked on with envy, and some even offered a high price to buy it, but they were unsuccessful.
The young wizard who drew the Hippogriff hugged the model tightly to his chest, a smug smile on his face that seemed to sway the sun in the sky.
Draco glanced at it, scoffing, "It's just a Hippogriff, what's there to be happy about?"
That's what he said, but he quickened his pace considerably.
"I can draw it right away too!"
... Divider Line...
One chapter this morning, the other one will be added tonight.