Meanwhile, the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica had made huge strides over the past year. What started as a supplier for the Ministry of Magic had grown rapidly into something much more.
Not long after its founding, the company partnered with St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries, becoming their official supplier for medical equipment.
Then, Alex landed another major deal with the British Wizarding Broadcasting Corporation, offering to produce magical tape recorders at a lower cost and taking over part of their manufacturing.
That partnership opened more doors. Through the broadcasting network, he connected with the Wizarding Wireless Network, and to his surprise, found out that one of his former senior, Quirinus Quirrell, was now the host of the popular "Magic Time" music program.
Thanks to Quirinus's introduction, Alex managed to connect with Celestina Warbeck, the internationally famous singing sorceress, as well as the iconic band "The Weird Sisters" and other magical musicians. Through these connections, he signed deals to produce their record albums. The profits were split evenly, fifty-fifty.
The combined publicity from the artists and the broadcasting firms, along with several in-store signing events, caused sales of Magical gramophones and records to skyrocket. Celestina's international fame even helped push the brand abroad.
Soon, gramophones and albums bearing the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica logo were selling in foreign markets, and now, alchemy firms from the French wizarding world were approaching Alex, hoping to become official distributors.
But the business didn't stop there. Beyond music, other magical consumer products under the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica brand were doing well too.
A big part of that success came from Shalltear, the vampire. Her background in the Toledo clan, a group known for their love of art, gave her the perfect opportunity to shine. She brought in a unique aesthetic and taste that added charm to their product lines and helped elevate the brand's image further.
All in all, it had been a wild, intense year for Alex, but things were just starting to get interesting.
Shalltear had recently taken on a new role as the second product designer for the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica, stepping in after Vivian's promotion.
With her keen eye for detail and a flair for dramatic aesthetics, she began designing a variety of amulet cases and other magical consumer items for the shop. Her work, heavily influenced by a rich medieval Gothic style, quickly became a hit among witches and wizards alike. The distinct designs gave the store a unique charm that set it apart from other magical shops in Diagon Alley.
Thanks to the rapid development in the past year, Alex's humble shop had transformed into a flourishing business. What started as a small space with only a few items on the shelves had grown into a proper storefront, now spanning over a hundred square meters.
Inside, the place was packed with eye-catching products, magical tools, accessories, enchanted trinkets, and more. The store's layout was elegant yet functional, and business was steadily growing.
**
It was around noon, a typically quiet time for the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica. With few customers coming in, the shop had taken on a sleepy atmosphere.
Fang was crouched at the front counter, his chin resting on one of his large paws as he let out a long, lazy yawn.
Shalltear, meanwhile, was aimlessly wandering through the store, visibly bored. She stared at the tips of her Lolita-style leather boots, hoping to spot a speck of dust, anything to distract herself.
With no customers to assist, her role as a part-time salesperson had become unbearably dull. Alex didn't allow anyone to just sit around doing nothing, so she at least had to look busy.
"Wimzy, what's for lunch?" Shalltear called out, glancing toward the girl tidying the shelves. "I haven't had black pudding in ages. Or blood sausage, blood pie, blood soup, ugh, just saying it's making me hungrier."
"You're always hungry," Fang muttered from his corner, giving her a side-eye. "Ever since you moved in, you haven't stopped eating. Honestly, you might've even lost weight from overeating."
Shalltear snapped her head toward him, already annoyed. "You've got a lot of nerve for a mutt who eats the most out of everyone! All you do is pick out the meat and leave the vegetables. Ever heard of being a vegetarian?"
"Oh please," Fang scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Show me one wolf that's a vegetarian. What about you? Maybe you should try learning how to be a dead bat instead."
"You, !"
The bickering between the two was a near-daily occurrence, and Shalltear was already getting used to life with Alex and the others.
Especially after tasting Wimzy's cooking, she had no intention of leaving anytime soon. Alex wasn't overbearing, aside from helping around the store, the only thing he occasionally asked from her was a little blood for his experiments. It wasn't a bad trade-off.
Life here was relatively easy, even peaceful... if not for Fang constantly picking fights.
As always, Fang seemed to enjoy riling her up. He turned to Wimzy now and said, "Hey, the boss said we've got a few days off coming up. Got any ideas where we should go?"
Wimzy, still polishing the shelves, replied calmly, "Honestly, I'm fine just staying home. It's barely been a month since Christmas. Still freezing out there."
"I think we should go visit the Weasleys," Shalltear chimed in with a smirk. "Bet Ginny's been missing Fang like crazy. After all, it has been half a year since last summer, hasn't it? Hehehe…"
"Don't even joke about that!" Fang growled, glaring daggers at her.
But then, his expression twisted with a mischievous grin of his own. "You know what I think? We should go camping. Somewhere really sunny. Maybe soak up enough sunlight to roast a certain vampire."
"You, !" Shalltear's eyes flared with indignation.
Before she could unleash her next round of insults, however, Alex's presence from the back, cutting off their squabble in an instant.
"My Prince!" "Master!"
The three employees, who had been busy working in the shop, immediately stood up straight when Alex apparated into the center of the room.
Alex didn't look much different from how he did a year ago, though his black hair had grown out again.
He wasn't dressed in his usual formal attire today. Instead, he wore a hunter's outfit, something much easier to move around in. Leather wristbands wrapped around his wrists.
"I'll be heading into the Forbidden Forest for a few days," Alex said casually, not bothering with pleasantries. "You three look after the shop while I'm gone."
Then he turned to Fang. "You coming with me this time? I'm visiting the centaur tribe. It's been a while since you've seen Firenze, Ronan, and the others, hasn't it?"
Fang lit up immediately. "Going back to the Forbidden Forest? Yes! Absolutely!" he said, practically jumping in place.