The rooms in the inn on the second floor were slightly better than those downstairs—perhaps because there weren't many guests staying here regularly. At the very least, the floors weren't covered in as much grime.
For wizards, cleaning is much easier than for ordinary people. Most messes could be taken care of with a simple Scourgify.
But for a place as filthy as the first floor, no amount of magic would be enough—a proper cleanup would require large amounts of detergent and vigorous scrubbing.
Just as Aberforth was about to leave, Lupin called out to him, "Please wait a moment, sir."
Aberforth turned back with a dark expression. "What else do you want?"
"Before… I wanted to thank you for your care and shelter," Lupin said sincerely. "And also for not revealing my identity to others."
Aberforth let out a cold snort. "No need. Just don't cause any trouble here."
With that, he turned around and shut the door behind him. The sound of creaking floorboards gradually faded as he made his way downstairs.
"Remus…"
"Hold on."
Wade was just about to speak when Lupin shook his head, then drew his wand and cast a series of anti-eavesdropping and anti-intrusion spells. Only after that did he finally relax and sit down.
"I have to say, meeting here wasn't the best idea. The Hog's Head always has some shady guests—some of whom have a habit of eavesdropping on other people's secrets," Lupin said.
Wade almost thought he was referring to Snape.
After all, back in the day, when Snape was still a Death Eater, he had overheard Trelawney's prophecy here at the Hog's Head and reported it to Voldemort, indirectly leading to the deaths of James and Lily Potter.
But after carefully observing Lupin's expression, Wade realized that he was simply speaking from experience—he wasn't implying anything specific.
Otherwise, his expression would have been filled with hatred, and he wouldn't have felt any gratitude toward Snape for his help in treating him.
"What is it?" Lupin asked, noticing Wade's inspecting gaze. He touched his face and asked, "Is there something on my face?"
"You've got a bit of dust."
Wade covered up his thoughts by reaching for the kettle to pour himself a cup of tea. But after seeing the layer of dust on it, he quietly put it back down.
Then, after casting over a dozen Scourgify spells, he finally managed to make the surroundings somewhat presentable.
"I think I've figured out why the rooms here are still somewhat clean—every guest who stays probably has no choice but to clean up for the owner," Wade muttered.
Lupin chuckled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a canned Muggle drink. He placed it on the table in front of Wade and said, "Here, drink this instead."
Wade raised an eyebrow at the impossibly small pocket Lupin had pulled the drink from. Then, after carefully checking the label to confirm it was a non-alcoholic beverage, he finally twisted the cap open.
Before long, Marchionne pushed open the door and spread his arms wide with excitement.
"Long time no see, Wade! How's the new school term going?"
"As good as always."
Wade gave him a brief hug, and then Marchionne enthusiastically embraced Lupin as well, patting him on the back. "Mate, I'm so glad to see you're recovered!"
Lupin had been unwell for a while, and all communication with Aslan Magic Workshop had been cut off. Wade had previously explained on his behalf that he had been sick.
By now, Marchionne had more or less figured out that Lupin is a werewolf—but he didn't care.
—As long as there is money to be made, Marchionne wouldn't hesitate to hire even a Dementor, let alone a well-mannered werewolf.
Before even sitting down, Marchionne eagerly asked, "Wade, I bet you've got a surprise for me?"
Wade knew his style and didn't waste words. He simply opened his palm and revealed several beans of different colors.
"Communication Beans. Want to give them a try?" Wade said.
He handed one to Marchionne and another to Lupin, then gestured for them to wear it on their ears, just like he did.
Wade's own bean changed to match his skin tone. Once in place, it was nearly invisible, even without a Disillusionment Charm.
Then, he lightly tapped the bean and murmured, "Marco Marchionne."
Marchionne's bean buzzed in his ear, making his eyes widen in surprise. Across from him, Wade's mouth moved.
"Money brings honor, honor brings friends, friends bring conquest, and conquest brings realms"
The same words echoed in Marchionne's ear, as if spoken in stereo.
He didn't even notice Lupin giving him a long, scrutinizing look—he was too stunned.
He took the bean out and stared at it, then looked at Wade, then back at the bean. He pointed at Wade, then at the bean again, his mouth opening and closing in shock.
Suddenly, he clutched the bean and let out a loud shout, jumping to his feet and pacing the room in excitement.
"Ha! Communication Beans! Communication Beans! Wade, you're my lucky star!"
He jumped over and hugged Wade tightly, laughing with sheer joy.
Lupin, not quite understanding the excitement, mimicked Wade's action and tapped the bean, speaking softly: "Wade Grey?"
Wade tapped his own bean and chuckled. "I can hear you."
At the same time, Lupin heard his voice as well, realizing how the beans worked—but he still didn't understand why Marchionne was so ecstatic.
"So… this is basically a two-way version of the Book of friends?" Lupin asked. "He seems a bit too excited."
Marchionne, who was in the same room, naturally overheard that and immediately retorted loudly: "That's because you don't understand its significance!"
He pulled his chair closer to Wade and sat down, unable to suppress the wide grin on his face. "This is amazing, Wade! You've just solved a huge problem for me!"
"You were having trouble?" Wade asked.
"Of course! Business is nothing but trouble every day. But this time, it's been particularly tricky."
Marchionne explained:
"There aren't any in Britain yet, but in other countries, there are already tons of counterfeit Book of Friends. Their quality isn't as good as ours, and their transmission isn't as stable, but… they're cheap!
Since last year, Book of Friends hasn't been selling as well…"
"Huh?" Lupin said in confusion. "I thought it was just because the people who needed them had already bought enough, so the profits naturally slowed down…"
"Ugh!" Marchionne waved dismissively. "This kind of thing is like women's clothing—there's no such thing as 'enough.' Sales have dropped because of all the knockoffs flooding the market."
"But my earnings don't seem to have decreased?" Wade asked, puzzled.
Gringotts sent him financial reports every week, and his monthly income hadn't shown any noticeable decline.
"That's because the Soft Glow Badges and Magic Dolls are selling too well."
Marchionne explained:
"Especially the Magic Dolls. Right now, no one can even make a decent knockoff of those—the difference in quality is way too obvious. The counterfeit dolls aren't even as smart as a troll! Some of them even attack their owners. They don't even compare to ours."
"I even bought one myself… Look, here it is!"
With a loud "thud," Marchionne slammed a gray-green Magic Doll onto the table.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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