After Wade stepped off the stage, two strikingly attractive witches and wizards took his place to demonstrate the use and various functions of the Communication Beans.
There were still many segments planned for the rest of the launch event, but none of them had anything to do with Wade anymore.
Originally, to boost sales, there was going to be a cocktail party afterward. As a highly regarded alchemist, Wade could've used that occasion to meet some influential people.
But when Marchionne asked for his opinion, Professor Murray directly declined on his behalf.
"Showing up to this extent is enough. Those greedy merchants are the kind who keep pushing the closer they get!"
Professor Murray said this right in front of Marchionne, who didn't seem to realize he himself was also a "greedy merchant." He stroked his chin and nodded thoughtfully.
"True… What if they find out Wade's easy to talk to and trick him into signing a few binding contracts?"
He joked, "If Wade got lured away by some sly adult, I'd have nowhere to cry!"
Wade was already impatient with this kind of social occasion. Upon hearing this, he nodded immediately, secretly relieved.
Now that his speech was over, he had free time to hang out with his friends. As he stepped down from the stage, his steps grew noticeably lighter. He lifted the curtain and entered backstage—only to suddenly freeze in place.
Professor Murray was looking at him with a particularly gratified expression, his eyes were slightly moist.
"My goodness, I'm just so proud of you! That was truly amazing! I can hardly believe it! Watching you grow from just a little thing into such an outstanding young man… Your effort and achievements fill me with immense joy and happiness. It makes all the hard work and dedication feel worth it…"
Standing next to him, Marchionne spoke in an exaggerated tone while dabbing at the corner of his eyes with a handkerchief. Then he winked at Professor Murray:
"—Isn't that what you meant to say, Professor? Don't be shy! Just tell Wade how moved you are… I already set the tone for you. Come on, your turn!"
Professor Murray's lips trembled for a second before he barked, "Get lost!"
"At once, sir!"
Marchionne gave a flamboyant and somewhat ridiculous bow. As he passed by Wade, he patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "You were absolutely fantastic today, Wade!"
Wade gave a gentle smile. "Thanks."
Marchionne went off to continue hosting the launch event, leaving only Wade and Professor Murray backstage.
Looking at his most exceptional student, Professor Murray's brow relaxed with a small smile playing at his lips. Joy naturally spilled from the corners of his eyes and brows.
He had originally been bursting with things he wanted to say, but they got stuck in his throat and he didn't know where to start. After Marchionne's interruption, his emotions had calmed a great deal.
"Although Marchionne is a scoundrel, he wasn't wrong about one thing—" Professor Murray paused, then said, "I'm truly proud of you, child."
"Thank you for your recognition, Professor," Wade said sincerely, bowing his head slightly. "I will definitely not let you down."
Looking at the young man whose height was nearly up to his chin, Professor Murray was filled with emotion. He wanted to pat Wade on the head, but after raising his hand and hesitating for a moment, he finally let it fall gently on his shoulder instead.
"You've already achieved accomplishments that surpass mine, but there's an even broader world ahead of you. Keep that passion alive, keep striving, and don't let temptations along the way trip you up."
"Yes, sir," Wade replied.
"By the way, why did the second half of your speech change?" Professor Murray asked. "I remember your original draft was much easier to understand."
"Uh… there were a lot of people, and I kind of forgot my lines," Wade admitted, embarrassed. "I was afraid of an awkward silence, so I just talked about the design concept instead."
Professor Murray chuckled. "There were quite a few professionals in the audience! I was almost ready to step in and stop you—but thankfully, you didn't reveal the core details."
For a young person facing such a large crowd for the first time, Professor Murray was already very satisfied with Wade's performance. As for that small misstep, he didn't mind it at all.
What's more, although Wade's content might not have been very beginner-friendly, it clearly proved he had real skill. Judging by the audience's overall reaction, Professor Murray still considered it a successful speech.
"Alright then, your friends must still be waiting for you?" Professor Murray said kindly. "Go on, before some annoying people try to latch onto you."
…
When Wade exited through the back door of the venue, he was still feeling a bit guilty.
Just before parting, Professor Murray had cast a spell to unlock the door, and seeing his wand suddenly reminded Wade—he still had Professor Murray's old wand.
Thinking back, the time they returned from the island would've been a perfect chance to return it. But Mabel's sudden transformation into an Obscurus had been such a shock, and things got so busy, he completely forgot.
Still, when Wade thought about the people sitting at that table inside the venue, he felt reassured again.
We are bound to cross paths again sooner or later… I'd find a proper and reasonable time to return it then…
…
Over the past few years, Aslan Magic Workshop had grown bigger and bigger, bringing change to many places—but Gringotts had remained as unchanged as ever.
After reuniting with Lupin and the others, Wade arrived at the wizarding world's only bank. They were all planning to withdraw some pocket money, and Harry needed to exchange some for British pounds.
Lupin now rented a vault at Gringotts too. Thanks to the generous share Wade gave him, his vault was already piling up with Galleons and Sickles.
While Wade and the others waited outside, they saw Lupin stuffing nearly all his money into a pouch, leaving behind only a few overlooked Knuts in the corner of the vault.
"Remus, why are you taking out so much money?" Harry asked curiously.
"There's something I want to buy," Lupin replied with a slightly awkward expression.
"Do you have enough money?" Wade asked. "If not, I can lend you some first."
Lupin smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's just enough."
As the cart sped them back to the surface, the group saw a worried-looking man being led out of the main hall by a goblin and into a stone corridor.
The man climbed into the same cart Wade and the others had just ridden, and the young goblin jumped on as well, taking the driver's position.
"Vault No. 716, is that right? Please hold on, sir. We're off!" the goblin announced.
Wade instinctively looked back and saw the cart rattling and clanking as it took off, gaining speed quickly before vanishing along the twisting track.
"What is it?" Michael asked. "Do you know that guy?"
"No," Wade shook his head. "It's just… I remember vaults that start with a '7' have really high rental fees. That man didn't look like someone who could afford it, so I found it a bit odd."
At Gringotts, the vaults are numbered from top to bottom. The higher the number, the deeper underground the vault—and the more expensive the rent. Lower-numbered vaults are closer to the surface, cheaper to rent, and a bit less secure.
Maybe Marchionne's constant nagging had left an impression, but Wade found himself subconsciously observing the man's clothing.
He noticed the man was dressed very plainly. His black wizard robe was barely respectable, and a closer look revealed that the cuffs were fraying and the wand pocket was worn shiny at the edges.
"Maybe he's a descendant of some old wizarding family?" Michael guessed. "His ancestors might've rented the vault for a few hundred years, so even if he's broke now, he can still use it."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Wade nodded, thinking that was probably the case.
…
Standing on the bustling street, Lupin checked the time and said, "You guys go buy the gifts first. I… um… I want to go pick up something too."
He hurried off. Harry frowned and said, "Remus is acting kind of strange… He's not getting scammed, is he?"
He was reminded of the times back at the Dursleys' house when he'd occasionally see news about people who lost everything to gambling or fraud.
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Harry took a step to follow. "Come on, let's see what he's up to."
But he barely took two steps before Michael grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back.
"Oh, come on. Lupin's probably off to buy a Christmas gift for his girlfriend! If we're there, he'd be too embarrassed."
"Girlfriend?!" Harry exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah! Did you see that look on his face? Like he wanted to say something but didn't, and that smile he couldn't hide—he was definitely thinking of someone!" Michael said confidently, then pointed to the side. "Look, Wade noticed too!"
Wade: "…"
Actually, he hadn't noticed anything, but when Michael mentioned a girlfriend, Wade naturally thought of the "Tonks" Lupin had brought up the day before.
That was Lupin's future wife, after all—the kind who would live and die together with him. The two of them would even leave behind a son in the end.
Harry glanced at Wade and, sure enough, he didn't look surprised at all, which made Harry feel a bit annoyed with himself—why am I the only one so slow to catch on?
…
Lupin, carrying a pouch full of coins, arrived at the Aslan Magic Workshop store. When he saw the light red vest still displayed inside the glass cabinet, he let out a quiet breath of relief.
He placed the money pouch on the counter and said, "I'd like to buy that vest."
"Sorry, that's just a display item—we haven't officially started selling it yet…" The shop assistant hadn't even finished the sentence when they looked up, saw the customer's face, and paused in surprise. "Mr. Lupin?"
"Yes." Lupin pulled down his scarf slightly and said gently, "I know this product hasn't been officially released yet, but could you sell me this one?"
It was his first time using his identity to ask for special treatment, and he couldn't help but feel his face burning with embarrassment, though he forced himself to stay calm.
The shop assistant hesitated for a moment, then stepped out from behind the counter and said:
"If it's you, of course that's not a problem… But wouldn't it be easier to just talk to Mr. Grey? After all, this vest was invented by Mr. Grey and the two Mr. Weasleys."
—And you wouldn't even have to spend so much money unnecessarily.
"This is a gift I'm planning to give someone," Lupin explained. "It's something I want to acquire on my own."
Currently, the entire focus of Aslan Magic Workshop's sales was on the Communication Beans. Only a few prototypes of the Jinx-Off vest had been produced.
Marchionne foresaw that the vest would also become a huge hit, so to avoid having the two products eat into each other's profit margins—and to ensure a sufficient stockpile—he hadn't even revealed the name of the vest yet.
One vest was simply placed in the shop as a display item, with an intentionally high price tag.
If anyone asked about it, the salespeople were instructed to say it was not for sale, and that it wouldn't be sold no matter the offer.
But Remus Lupin was a special case. In a sense, he represented Wade himself. He had even helped the Weasley twins sign their contract with the workshop.
So when the shop assistant saw how insistent Lupin was, though still very surprised, they took the vest out of the display and wrapped it in a gift box.
Lupin emptied his pockets to pay for it, then used his last few Sickles to hire two owls at the post office. He watched as the unnamed gift box was carried off into the sky, feeling only a quiet contentment in his heart.
She doesn't need to know who sent the gift… Being an Auror is a dangerous job—I hope this vest could keep her safe…
Lupin thought to himself, feeling both joy and a twinge of sorrow.
…
Wade and the other two wandered around Diagon Alley for over an hour, buying everything they had planned to. During that time, Wade and Harry kept most of their faces wrapped in scarves to avoid being recognized.
The weather was cold, so their attire didn't look out of place at all. Blended in with the students who were out shopping for Christmas gifts during the holidays, they didn't attract any attention.
However, there was one downside to this approach—their field of vision was inevitably limited. Just as Harry picked out a book he wanted to give Hermione and turned around after paying, he accidentally bumped into a passerby.
That person had been standing on tiptoe, reaching for a book on a high shelf. The bump knocked him off balance, and he fell against the bookshelf with a loud bang.
Three or four bookshelves toppled over like dominoes, crashing down one after another until the last one slammed into the wall.
Hundreds, maybe thousands, of books scattered across the floor in a chaotic mess. Fortunately, they were all ordinary books, so nothing too disastrous happened.
The shop assistant, who had been ringing up another customer, was stunned by the scene. He stood frozen, holding a few Sickles, completely forgetting to react—like a statue.
Michael instinctively took a step back and whispered, "I... I think we should run…"
Harry looked at him, then at the disaster in the bookstore, and was dumbfounded for a moment—until he heard the person who had fallen calling out in pain.
With a jolt, Harry rushed forward and helped the man up, then stared blankly at the mess of books on the ground.
"Don't be scared, child."
The man who had been knocked over held his waist and cheerfully took all the blame.
"It was my fault—I lost my balance. But fixing something like this is easy, look—"
He pulled out his wand and gave it a wave. The bookshelves stood back up on their own, and the books lifted into the air, flying neatly back into their places on the shelves as if time were rewinding.
The assistant dropped the Sickles and rushed over, but by the time he arrived, the shelves had already been restored to their original state. He stood there, mouth agape, looking dazed and silly.
"Looks like we're lucky—none of the books seem damaged," the passerby said lazily. "In that case, there's no need to hold us responsible, right?"
"Ah… of course, of course…" the assistant mumbled awkwardly.
"That was amazing!" Harry said in genuine admiration. "Thank you, sir. I thought I'd caused a huge disaster."
"No need to be so polite. You're students from Hogwarts, right?" the man asked, looking at their height.
"Yes," Harry nodded.
The man smiled. "Then I'll be your professor soon. I hope we'll get along for the next half year… Oh, I'm Ryan Troka."
"A new professor?"
The group exchanged puzzled looks. "But we aren't missing any professors right now…"
"Huh?" Ryan Troka scratched his head and said, "I heard the last Defense Against the Dark Arts professor resigned?"
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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