Ian truly felt more offended than ever before.
Even when Voldemort pointed at him and cursed, it hadn't felt this bad. Was the so-called "Human Weakness: Prince's Secret" really just a children's psychology book?
"Nonsense! Your grandfather is completely speaking nonsense! He's just a magic wand player, what does he know about writing books!" Ian's gritted his teeth, looking like he wanted to tear Grindelwald's latest work to pieces.
"I completely understand how you feel, if it were me, I'd be extremely angry too," Aurora quickly chimed in, easing some of the anger on Ian's face.
"Only you, my friend, know what's right. If it weren't for the fact that I can't beat your grandfather, I would definitely argue with him." Ian sat back in his chair with an indignant tone.
"Don't worry, there will come a day when you can beat him, then he won't dare to gossip about you like that." Aurora's continued response made Ian feel her understanding.
However.
The next moment, this German girl pulled out a small snack from her robe.
"If you're feeling upset, how about a crystal lollipop?" Her gentle voice sounded like she was coaxing a child, instantly making Ian's face turn red again.
It was no longer a pig's liver.
It was almost like a monkey's bottom.
"Children's psychology doesn't work on me! Do you think a childish kid would do something like this?" Ian snatched the lollipop from Aurora's hand.
Immediately.
He got up and walked directly to the other end of the Slytherin table to a third-year senior.
"Want to buy some Christmas candy?"
The little wizard directly stuffed the crystal lollipop into the third-year's hand, and under the third-year's slightly confused gaze, extended his hand.
"You touched it, I don't sell second-hand goods, so five Silver Sickles, please!" Ian's words finally made the third-year student give a frustrated expression.
But this third-year Slytherin didn't hesitate, and without a word, he took out a Golden Galleon from his money bag and handed it to Ian.
"No, I should thank you. This must be the best candy I've ever had; it's definitely worth more than five Silver Sickles." The Slytherin senior's voice was filled with passionate emotion.
Ian didn't bother to perceive what the senior thought in his heart, anyway, the Slytherin's face was full of sincerity and even gave him a very very standard smile.
"..."
Ian successfully received a Golden Galleon, returning to Aurora with the shiny coin, but he couldn't be happy because he realized a terrifying problem.
"You just proved this book is indeed useful." Aurora concisely stated, before Ian came back, she had already turned to a chapter in "Human Weakness: Prince's Secret".
[Ian doesn't hit someone with a smile: On How to Provide Him with Emotional Value]
Despite suspecting something was off with the Slytherin senior, Ian couldn't help but twitch his eye when he saw Grindelwald's chapter title in the book.
"How many of the old guy's books have you sold?"
The little wizard's voice suddenly became somewhat hoarse.
Aurora didn't respond.
She just pushed the heavy bag of Golden Galleons once again in front of Ian.
"It's selling well."
With that simple sentence,
Ian felt like he had fallen into a fishing boat's freezing chamber.
"Surely, he doesn't plan to publish it outside too?"
The little wizard still clung to a sliver of hope.
"Gilderoy Lockhart is a very excellent writer, do you know what that means?" Aurora pointed to the corner of the cover of "Human Weakness: Prince's Secret".
And before Ian could respond, the little witch continued with a smile, "It means that when you see his book, all the bookstores in the wizard gathering places have already started stocking it."
Her finger was pointing right at the publisher's logo.
"..."
Ian felt completely numb.
"Can such a lousy book get published outside? How many people out there even know me?" Ian was genuinely exasperated now, almost ready to recklessly expose Grindelwald's past.
But then he thought again.
Even the Prophet Daily had been overtaken by Grindelwald, the channels of expression had been blocked long ago, perhaps this was all part of Grindelwald's plan?
"Has he controlled all the bookstores in various places too?" Ian recalled when he first met Aurora, and the bookstore in Hogwarts Village had already been taken over by the Saints.
He couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine… with Grindelwald's forward-thinking, maybe this Old Deng started planning to control all the wizards' information channels as soon as he came out.
Just like many Muggle World's super oligarchs, who could control public opinion by controlling the media… perhaps Grindelwald was secretly doing something similar in the Wizarding World?
"To those booksellers, Lockhart's book, regardless of content, his name alone guaranteed profits, not to mention you come from a once renowned Magic Potion Family."
"Most wizards have a curiosity about the mysterious and now fallen Magic Potion Family, so its sales outside of school probably wouldn't be low either."
"Of course, according to my grandfather's public statements, this book is his guide to surviving Hogwarts for those who will enter in the next seven years, written after a year of teaching."