During his time at Hogwarts over the past two years, he'd spent a lot of time exploring the forest and had grown close to a few of the younger centaurs. Getting the chance to head back and see his friends again was an opportunity he wasn't about to turn down.
Off to the side, Shalltear pouted enviously. "My Prince, why are you taking Fang and not me? I like nature too. And I've never even seen this Forbidden Forest."
Alex smirked, but it was Fang who jumped in first with a teasing grin. "You? Don't even think about it. The centaurs can't stand creatures of dark magic. If they see you, you'll be chopped into pieces before you can say 'hello.'"
Shalltear huffed and crossed her arms, not amused.
Alex chuckled and shook his head. "This trip's for business. You can't move around in broad daylight anyway, so it's better if you stay here."
With that, he looked back down at Fang. "Come with me to the lab. I need to prepare a few things before we go."
He reached out and gave Fang's dog-like head a quick pat before apparating them both straight into the basement.
The basement had changed a lot. Using the "Undetectable Extension Charm," Alex had dramatically expanded the underground space.
He'd picked up the technique while visiting Newt Scamander's magical zoo. If he'd had more top-quality materials, the space would be even larger, but the current size was already more than enough.
Now, the area had been completely reorganized. In addition to the original alchemy and spell labs, Alex had added a study, a private bedroom, a potions room, a medical bay, and a full-scale production workshop.
Iseron, who was still mentally unstable, had been moved into the medical bay for long-term care.
Alex and Fang entered the workshop, which had become the heart of his small manufacturing operation. Eight magical Arcana shapers stood neatly in rows, all of them custom-built.
With these machines, the shop's production efficiency had skyrocketed. The recent partnerships with St. Mungo's and the Wizarding Wireless Network had brought in more business, so naturally, production had to keep up with demand.
Alex had recently upgraded all the Arcana shapers. Instead of using general-purpose machines, he'd refined each Arcana shaper to handle only one specific type of product or component. It was a trade-off, less flexibility, but much higher precision.
The previous all-in-one Arcana shapers could do everything, but the results were rough around the edges. These new, specialized machines created high-quality items with near-perfect craftsmanship.
Most of the Arcana shapers were idle at the moment, except for one. That Arcana shaper was currently spinning away, producing vinyl records.
The music being printed was Celestina Warbeck's latest hit, "Beat Back Those Bludgers, Boys, and Chuck That Quaffle Here"
The song had recently been chosen as the official anthem for Puddlemere United in the Quidditch League, a big deal, and a big order.
Alex had heard from Celestina Warbeck that she planned to donate all the profits from her latest album to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries.
The only thing she could really give was her voice, and she was choosing to give it for a good cause.
Still, from a business standpoint, the whole thing was a goldmine. With so many hooks, "Famous Singer," "Official Quidditch Team Anthem," "Charity Album", all tied together, and with a signing event planned for the album's release, Alex could already picture the sales charts lighting up.
There was no doubt in his mind that this record was going to smash every previous sales record.
Because of that, he'd decided to ramp up production. Even if he ended up with more copies than needed, it wouldn't be a waste.
After all, when summer rolled around and the Hogwarts students went home for break, he could repackage the extras into a "Summer Special." He'd learned that little trick from a fat man on a game platform in his past life, bundle the leftovers with a fresh label, and people would still buy it.
And if even that didn't sell them all, he already had a backup plan, pair them with the new phonograph he was planning to release.
He'd even come up with a design theme for it: Summer Quidditch. As soon as the phonograph was switched on, little magical Quidditch figures would appear above the spinning record, flying around the disc like it was a stadium track, colorful broom tails trailing behind them.
The idea was already growing in his mind. He could launch special editions for different teams, fans could choose a phonograph in their team's colors, complete with mini-figures wearing that team's uniform. He could even include the rival team's mascot flying around as a target or obstacle, just for fun.
And that was just the beginning. There was potential for a tie-in with broomstick companies too.
Maybe something like, "Buy any Nimbus model along with the new Wilson's Arcane Alchemica phonograph and get a discount or exclusive gift." It would be a win-win. After all, a lot of his corporate clients already included broomstick companies, many had bought custom security gear from his shop, not to mention Gringotts across the street, which had ordered full-body magical equipment for their guards.
At this rate, it was safe to say Alex had fully grown into the role of a skilled and shameless profiteer.
But after stepping into the workshop, Alex didn't walk over to the Arcana shapers. Instead, he made his way to a corner of the room, where a large workbench had been set up. Sitting on it was a long, rectangular glass tank, over a meter in length, about half a meter wide and tall.
Inside the tank was a clear liquid, constantly flickering with intertwined arcs of silver and blue light. Sparks jumped and curled through the fluid like tiny bolts of lightning frozen in motion.
Suspended in the middle of it all was something that looked like a twisted, dried branch. But a closer look revealed what it truly was, the one-meter-long dragon heartstring Alex had taken from the Travers family nearly a year ago.
Now, after months submerged in the enchanted solution and subjected to a precise magical current, the dragon heartstring had transformed. It shimmered like polished silver, pulsing softly as arcs of lightning crackle across its surface.
Alex stood in front of the tank, gently resting his hand on the glass. "It's been soaking for ten months… its properties have completely fused by now," he muttered to himself, voice low with anticipation. "All that's left is the final shaping. Let's hope your last form is worthy."
Without hesitation, Alex reached into the tank, his hand steady as he grasped the heartstring and carefully lifted it out. He than put it into a long wooden box. With one hand on the box and the other holding tightly onto Fang, he apparated.