Hogwarts: I Obtained the Paternal System, Part 19

"You're... I remember now. You're Peeves, Fremont's House-elf. Are you here to collect the dividends?"

Dividends?

What dividends?

"The old master bought ten percent of Ollivanders Wand Shop's shares."

Huh?

Darren stared at Peeves in shock.

No way?

That was incredible.

"It was Darren's grandfather, Fremont, who told Peeves to buy them. Later, the old master forgot where he put the shares, so Peeves will go back and look for them."

Peeves said this as she tapped her head.

She was truly very old. If news of her young master had not suddenly reached her, she might have chosen to die this year.

Though she could not have her master chop off her head and hang it on the wall, dying by her master's side would still have been wonderful.

But now that her young master needed her, she would live on until the day he no longer did.

Peeves thought silently.

Completely unaware that Darren was looking at her as though she were an ancestor.

Damn!

How much money had Harry missed out on in the original story?

And that old schemer Ollivander—if he had not brought Peeves here, the man would never have mentioned this.

Ollivander might not have known for certain whether the Potter family had transferred the shares, but he could at least have asked, couldn't he?

He had not mentioned it even until his death in the original story. Shameless beyond belief.

No wonder that old man knew Lily and James so well. They were his shareholders—how could he not know them?

Darren had thought the old man simply had an excellent memory, that he could remember every person who bought a wand, even if they never gave their name.

Though perhaps Ollivander really had recorded the wands of every famous person.

Of course, as a child who supposedly knew nothing, Darren naturally could not think of that.

Nor could he take the initiative to bring up money with Ollivander. It would be too easy to break character.

So after giving it some thought, he put on an "innocent and pure" expression and said to Peeves:

"Peeves, that's wonderful! We have shares in Mr. Ollivander's wand shop now, so you won't have to go out and earn money anymore. You can stay with my brother and me forever!"

"Young Master Darren, you are so adorable and kind, but Peeves cannot agree to that request.

"Even if Peeves finds the shares in Ollivanders Wand Shop, Peeves will still need to register them with the Ministry of Magic.

"Then Peeves must settle the accounts with Mr. Ollivander, because the Potter family has not come here to collect dividends for many years."

Peeves looked at Darren regretfully. Poor young master—he must like Peeves too much. Perhaps Peeves should find a female elf and have children?

Then her children could accompany her young master, as well as her young master's children!

P.S. The vote is over just like that. Slytherin got far too many votes, so Slytherin it is. But little readers who like the other Houses needn't worry about the story falling apart.

Think about it—Slytherin usually shares classes with Gryffindor.

In class, Snape deducts twenty points from Harry for meddling by helping Neville, while Slytherin gains twenty points because Darren showed compassion by helping Neville. Just imagining that scene is fun.

Chapter 21: Listen to Me, Child

Darren naturally had no idea what Peeves was thinking. He merely smiled in satisfaction at her response.

Even a slave owner had to keep his slaves motivated, let alone a highly useful House-elf like Peeves.

It was just that he had no idea when Ollivander's money would finally make its way into his hands.

"Ahem, Mr. Potter, I believe we can discuss your wand now."

Ollivander slapped his forehead in annoyance.

He clearly regretted having said too much.

Without his reminder, that foolish House-elf might very well have forgotten all about it.

But after he reminded her, they would come to claim all those years of dividends.

What an enormous expense that would be!

Back when Grindelwald had stirred up revolution in the Wizarding World, he had monopolized the sources of magical creatures, nearly driving Ollivanders Wand Shop out of business.

At the time, Ollivander had been so poor he could barely afford food, leaving him no choice but to sell shares in the wand shop.

But people could also buy wands from Grigoriwch in Germany. Combined with Grindelwald's dominance, no one thought much of his little shop. Everyone believed it was finished.

Only Fremont, who had made a fortune in Galleons selling shampoo, had bought ten percent of Ollivander's shares for two thousand Galleons on a whim.

Not long after Fremont purchased those shares, Grindelwald was suddenly defeated by Dumbledore, and Ollivander's wand shop came back to life.

After that, he had to hand over tens of thousands of Galleons to the Potter family every year for nothing, and this went on for many years. It finally stopped after James Potter died.

He had tacitly treated Ollivanders Wand Shop as his own private property.

He knew very well that only Harry Potter remained of the Potter family.

No one would know that the Potter family owned shares in Ollivanders Wand Shop. Not even Harry Potter himself.

Who would have thought that he would suddenly see Peeves just now? In his guilty panic, the words had slipped out, and now he regretted them bitterly.

What terrible luck!

What an enormous fortune that was!

Wasn't this little brat from the Potter family supposed to be kind?

Why had he not said Ollivander could keep all those years of dividends?

Ollivander thought resentfully.

His favorable impression of Darren plummeted.

In a strictly businesslike manner, he asked, "Which hand do you normally use?"

"My right hand."

Darren answered indifferently.

If he had lost that many Galleons, he would have been upset too.

Right now, he was more curious about what sort of wand he would get.

A measuring tape took orderly measurements all over Darren's body. It even measured his nostrils.

Darren touched it and discovered that it actually shyly withdrew on its own.

"Come, try this one. Nine and one-third inches long, made of Aspen wood, with a strand of Unicorn hair inside.

"This is a dependable wand, highly adaptable, powerful, and possessed of steadfast strength..."

Ollivander rambled on as he introduced the wand.

Darren picked it up curiously.

But he did not hold out much hope. Most people had to try many wands before finding the one best suited to them.

Yet the moment he touched it, multicolored fireworks burst from the wand's tip.

"Wonderful! This is clearly the one!"

Ollivander praised him and moved to wrap it up for Darren.

Darren stared blankly at the wand. Did he really not need to try any others?

"Hmm?"

Just as Darren resigned himself to taking his wand, Ollivander raised his head in confusion.

His aged face leaned toward another wand box.

"Wait, child. Perhaps you should try this wand. When you released your magic, it trembled as well."

Ollivander took out the wand.

Darren picked it up in confusion.

Then pink bubbles filled the entire room.

"Wonderful! Amazing, truly amazing! I have never seen a wizard chosen by two wands... Hmm?"

Ollivander froze again.

Because at that moment, thousands upon thousands of wands in the shop had begun trembling.

If magic had not been placed on every box, they might have burst out.

"Could something be wrong?"