Mr. Granger stared unhappily at the young man in front of him who might very well have stolen his daughter.
Argus's hair stood on end at the sight.
"Mom and Dad, let me introduce you to Argus Grindelwald, my good friend at Hogwarts!"
"The first time I couldn't find the station at 9¾, it was him who led me onto the train."
"He's also the head of Slytherin's house, which means... well... Slytherin's most outstanding student!"
"Last year, despite missing one exam, he still ranked first in our grade..."
Hermione got more and more excited as she talked, completely oblivious to Mr. Granger's increasingly dark face.
Mrs. Granger, however, looked at Argus with great interest.
Argus maintained a polite smile and stepped aside in an inviting gesture: "Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger, hello."
"It's an honor to meet you all."
"Please come in!"
Led by Argus, the group arrived at the Acolytes Bookstore.
Instead of taking him to a private room like an office, he chose a spot in the second-floor lobby near the railing.
Argus knew that the Grangers had come to experience life in the wizarding world, and also to see if it was a suitable place for their daughter.
Therefore, the second floor, with its wide view, was the best choice.
"Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger, please have a seat."
"What about me? What about me!" Hermione pouted, dissatisfied.
"You too, Miss Granger!"
Argus reluctantly extended an invitation, and Hermione, head held high, smugly sat down.
Mrs. Granger gave Argus a slightly apologetic smile.
"You're interested in finance?" Mr. Granger noticed the books on the table, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Putting aside Argus's age, as far as he knew, people in the magical world seemed to have always held a contemptuous attitude towards the world inhabited by ordinary people like them.
Especially for a young master like Argus, who clearly comes from a prestigious family, his attitude should be even more resolute.
But he doesn't seem to be opposed to it.
"I was born into this Muggle world, and was only found by my family later."
"Their attitude toward the Muggle world may be quite different from that of ordinary wizards."
"In my opinion, many things in the Muggle world are no less than magic in the wizarding world."
"Isn't that so?"
Argus's words surprised the Grangers, but also made them feel a sense of closeness.
Nobody wants to be seen as a country bumpkin.
Similarly, no one wants their world to be looked down upon.
Argus's attitude clearly won the favor of the two of them.
Mr. Granger casually picked up a book and flipped through a few pages.
"Aren't these things a bit too profound for a little wizard like you?"
"Can you understand it?"
"There are some parts that I really don't understand." Argus shook his head, but didn't show any embarrassment.
"That's right, you don't understand it. How old are you? How could you possibly understand all this?" Mr. Granger smiled kindly.
He thought for a moment and continued, "If you'd like, I can recommend some finance books that might be suitable for you."
"Although I am not an expert in this field, I know a few people who work in finance."
"I learned some things from talking to them."
"I couldn't ask for more!" Argus hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.
The original plan was to first establish contact with Mr. Granger, and then gradually make use of his connections.
Surprisingly, the other party offered their help.
Hermione glared at Argus and her father, annoyed, as they chatted more and more intimately.
With puffed-out cheeks, she was extremely dissatisfied with the two men's performance.
Mrs. Granger gently hugged her daughter: "Little witch, take your mother to visit the library in the magical world."
"Judging from their expressions, they're going to chat for a while!"
Hermione glanced at the two of them and nodded.
A pang of regret quietly rose in her heart.
I shouldn't have brought my dad along. He made me barely exchange a few words with Argus the whole time!
"Argus, the event is about to begin."
"Do you want to..." Vinda hurriedly went upstairs.
The voice came from the stairwell before the person even arrived.
Upon seeing Hermione and her family, the conversation abruptly ended.
A polite and elegant smile appeared on her face.
"Vinda Rosier."
"Welcome to Acolytes, Mr. and Mrs. Granger."
Vinda's dignified and composed demeanor made Mr. Granger's expression turn serious.
He had met many people from the upper echelons of society and could tell at a glance that Vinda was no ordinary person.
She came from at least a prestigious family in the wizarding world!
Fortunately, he didn't know Vinda's age, otherwise, he probably would have been so shocked that his jaw would have dropped to the ground.
"Hello, Ms. Rosier."
He turned to look at Argus: "Since Mr. Grindelwald has other matters to attend to, we won't disturb you any longer."
"Not at all," Argus said with a slight hint of apology.
"It's my fault for not managing my time well."
"If Mr. Granger doesn't mind, you can take a look around the area first. The Acolytes area has quite a few shops here."
"Okay, then let's go check out other places first."
Mr. Granger reluctantly got up and left with Hermione.
Argus also came with Vinda to the place where the Acolytes were holding their Christmas event.
The bustling crowd almost completely blocked the street.
Especially near the Acolytes' shop, it was so crowded that you could hardly move.
To protect her parents, Hermione only dared to watch from the outside with them.
On the high platform, Argus confidently and elegantly introduced the Acolytes Shop's series of preferential policies and a large number of new products recently launched to the crowd.
This drew cheers and jubilation from countless wizards in the vicinity.
After the introduction, various tasks were arranged in an orderly manner.
Hermione, watching from a distance, wore a complicated expression.
She knew that Argus was excellent, but she had only realized it that day.
A deep chasm had already separated the two of them.
The other party was too dazzling, so dazzling that the entire Hogwarts could not overshadow his brilliance.
Noticing their daughter's disappointment, the Grangers exchanged a glance.
They clearly realized that their daughter was deeply involved.
She sighed softly, but there was nothing she could do.
The three of them watched quietly as the elegant young man stood on the stage.
Hermione looked up abruptly at her father.
"Dad, when we get back, could you help me find some financial or management-related materials?"
"What's wrong? Did something upset you?" Mrs. Granger stroked Hermione's hair and teased her softly.
Mr. Granger frowned: "Hermione, you don't need to be like this everywhere..."
"No!" Hermione interrupted Mr. Granger with a firm expression before he could finish speaking.
"I must learn!"
"There's something Argus said that's true: many things in the Muggle world aren't necessarily inferior to magic!"
"I don't want to never see his back again, and I don't want to only see him in the newspapers in the future!"