Lockhart furiously scanned the latest edition of the Daily Prophet for the third time, his frustration mounting.
"No... why still not?!" he muttered, gripping the paper tightly.
Not a single mention of his name.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
He had written to his friend, the editor-in-chief, someone with whom he had made a great deal of money. There was no reason he shouldn't have been featured! But now...
Not a word.
Worse still, his so-called friend hadn't even sent him a letter of explanation. Just silence.
Lockhart stormed back to his office and hastily penned another letter.
Cassandra put down her newspaper, deep in thought.
"After that guy was rejected by me, didn't he say he wanted to cooperate with the Delacour family?" she mused.
Yet the article claimed that Green's Potion Store was only selling a single potion—the Life Extension Potion. Production was limited to 5,000 bottles a day due to material and labor shortages. Originally, they could only produce 3,000 bottles, but Blake had increased output despite the costs.
"Could it be that he didn't seek cooperation from the Delacour family after all?" Cassandra frowned.
It didn't make sense. With the media attention and a Merlin Medal endorsement, the potion was destined for massive success. Anyone would have sought partnerships to scale production. But Blake... hadn't?
She recalled their conversation. Could her rejection have influenced him so much that he didn't seek alternative partnerships?
If that were the case…
A pang of guilt struck her. Her words had limited production, meaning fewer people could access the potion. Some might even need it desperately.
"I... I really deserve to die…" Cassandra groaned, sinking onto her bed.
She had to fix this.
"No! I have to convince Blake! The Warley and Delacour families must cooperate!"
At Green's Potions Store, Blake opened five large cans of diluent and immediately recoiled at the overpowering stench.
Old Lepp wrinkled his nose. "This… seems a bit too strong, doesn't it?"
Blake, covering his face, scowled at the barrels. Snape, could you not have used cleaner containers?!
"It's not a big problem," he assured, pulling out his Ruyi Wand. He waved it toward the barrels.
Immediately, the foul odor vanished, replaced by the refreshing scent of herbs and grass.
Everyone inhaled deeply, feeling invigorated.
Blake grinned. The Ruyi Wand's ability to transform magic purely through intent was beyond convenient.
"Blake," Agatha said, eyes shining, "what kind of spell is that? Can you teach me? If we master it, we won't need perfume anymore!"
Blake hesitated. The wand didn't use spoken spells, meaning he didn't actually know the incantation.
Just as he considered an excuse, warmth spread through his wand, and suddenly, the spell's incantation appeared in his mind.
Blake's eyes widened. Did the wand just… translate the spell for me?!
This was incredible! If he could use this to extract incantations from newly created spells, it would revolutionize spell invention!
"Agatha, the incantation is Alomo. Imagine the scent you desire while casting it."
Agatha eagerly lifted her wand. "Alomo!"
A rich jasmine fragrance filled the air.
"It worked!" she beamed.
Blake exhaled in relief. If others could use the spell, he could publicly display new magic, impressing others while secretly collecting spell knowledge.
"How long does it last?" Agatha asked.
Blake smirked. "Until the spell is removed."
Old Lepp chuckled, pulling out his tobacco pouch. "I imagine perfume merchants won't like this one bit."
"Alright, we'll deal with that later. For now, let's bottle the potions." Blake waved his wand, filling the table with empty bottles.
Lepp lifted his wand, causing the potion to rise in five shimmering streams and flow precisely into the vials.
Agatha watched in fascination. I need to duel Old Lepp sometime, she thought, admiring his control.
By the time Blake returned to Hogwarts, it was already evening. He made his way toward the Room of Requirement, eager to test his wand's new ability.
Turning the corner, he halted.
Cassandra stood outside the Room of Requirement, looking anxious.
Blake rubbed his nose. "Are you waiting for me?"
"Yes—no!" Cassandra flustered, staring at the tapestry as if it were suddenly fascinating. "I was just passing by."
Blake gave her a knowing look. "Oh? Really?"
"O-Of course!"
"Alright then. I'll be going inside. Good night."
"Wait!" Cassandra blurted.
Blake turned. "Hmm?"
"I… It's nothing…"
Blake sighed. "If you need to talk to me, just say so."
"I—who said I was looking for you?!"
Blake chuckled. "Okay, then. Want to come in for tea? I learned a new way to enhance flavor."
Cassandra hesitated. "Fine… but only because you invited me."
Inside, the tea filled the room with an enchanting aroma. Cassandra took a sip, her expression softening.
"So? What did you want to talk about?" Blake asked.
Cassandra fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "I told you, I wasn't looking for you…"
Blake simply smiled, waiting.
She sighed. "Fine! I was looking for you."
Blake sipped his tea, silently prompting her to continue.
"Didn't you say you wanted to cooperate with the Warley and Delacour families?" she asked.
"Yeah. But you refused."
Cassandra lowered her gaze. "Did you really not seek another partnership just because of what I said?"
"Of course," Blake answered without hesitation.
Her heart clenched. "I'm sorry, Blake…"
She took a deep breath. "Would you still be willing to cooperate with us?"
Blake raised an eyebrow.
"If not with the Warley family, I can introduce you to other influential families in the herbal trade…"
Blake stared at her, surprised. "Wait, did I hear you correctly? You're apologizing and telling me to work with Fleur?"
Cassandra's eyes narrowed. "I meant the Delacour family, not Fleur specifically!"
Blake smirked. "Absolutely."
He pulled his chair closer, sitting beside her. Cassandra flinched at the sudden proximity. "W-What are you doing?!"
"Relax. Just showing you the partnership plan I drafted." Blake laid out the documents.
As he explained the details, Cassandra's cheeks burned.
"No wonder you didn't approach other families… You were already prepared!"
Blake grinned. "Did you really think I wouldn't expect you to change your mind?"
=============
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