George is right; this shady gambling game entirely relies on Bagman's reputation and is fundamentally unreliable. Once Ludo Bagman, the person behind this, gets into trouble, Fred and George's actions will be no different from falling for a scam.
The origin of gambling is unknown, but graphic representations of betting and gambling tools have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. It can be said that this behavior has been present throughout human history.
Wizards are no exception. However, compared to the wealthy and meticulously calculated casinos of the non-magical world, wizard gambling is much simpler: one person, a bag of money, and a quill are all you need to get started. The risks also increase considerably. It's absurd for someone like Ludo Bagman, who organizes a gambling game, to end up bankrupt from losing.
And there's a significant issue with Fred and George: they didn't even confirm the authenticity of the coins they received; they were too naive. Bagman only needs to say, "I'm not responsible for money left unattended," and he can easily rid himself of all responsibility. After all, no one can prove whether their money truly disappeared or if they misplaced it themselves.
"They should prepare for the worst," Tom shared his viewpoint with Fred and George.
Hearing Tom's words, Fred and George wore serious expressions.
What does "prepare for the worst" mean? It means not being able to recover even the initial capital.
George said hesitantly, "That's unlikely... Bagman is the head of a department at the Ministry of Magic, after all..."
Although George was trying to stand firm, his expression gave him away.
Since they discovered the missing gold, they had already come to a vague conclusion in their minds, and Tom simply made it clear.
Fred was the most realistic; he smiled as he put his arms around Tom's neck and asked if he had any good ideas.
"I know, Tom, you're the most trustworthy..."
"Let go of me, let go!" Tom's hair stood on end; after all, this was England, and two men hugging like this... it was a bit strange!
But that's exactly what Fred wanted. He cornered Tom, determined to get something out of him.
"Listen carefully..."
It wasn't until Tom agreed that Fred let him go.
"I have insider information here; you two mustn't tell anyone else."
Tom lowered his voice and revealed some information. He didn't directly mention the Triwizard Tournament, just telling them that in the next quarter, students from two other schools would be coming to Hogwarts for an "exchange."
Businesses are built on information. Whoever gets the information first has the advantage. Tom's information could allow Fred and George to get ahead and make significant profits.
Tom had high expectations for the brothers because Fred and George had a unique advantage.
In the wizarding world without online shopping, young wizards at Hogwarts could only buy things by going to physical stores in the village of Hogsmeade or using owl orders. Both methods had significant drawbacks. Hogsmeade was limited in terms of time, and only older students could go, while owl orders were unreliable because young wizards had to order a specific product.
What does ordering a specific product mean? For example, if Draco Malfoy from Slytherin wanted to buy a bag of chocolate, he would have to find out which store sells chocolate, then send a letter to that store to place the order, and the shop owner would only send the order after receiving the letter and payment. There were too many steps, and it was too complicated. Moreover, most importantly, the shop owner wouldn't actively inform Malfoy how to get good quality chocolate at a low price. This is the need for advertising in modern business. Even good wine needs a good barrel!
But Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes by Fred and George was different. It was located within Hogwarts castle, allowing young wizards to enjoy a 24-hour immersive shopping experience. The difficulty in advertising was also significantly reduced, relying on word of mouth and the influence of older students to attract new customers.
Most surprisingly, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes remained a monopoly. It was the only store in all of Hogwarts, with no branches. This was intimidating, meaning they would have exclusive control over the potential consumption of thousands of students. In the non-magical world, opening a store at a school requires very strong connections, but at Hogwarts, it wasn't necessary since wizards had never considered the existence of a store before.
Fred and George were already at the top, just waiting for Tom to push them a little, and Tom was delighted to do so, planning to take advantage of the situation and make some extra money.
So Tom began.
He recommended to Fred and George to find a differentiated approach, leveraging the accumulation of potential energy to turn it into value. Through their unique experience, find their vertical field of specialization and achieve collaboration and connection with the industry. Using a focus strategy through points and lines, finding the refined explosion point in a saturated industry.
In short, opening a store at Hogwarts. The content would be similar to a convenience store near a school, offering a variety of stationery supplies, strange toys, and surprise boxes. Except for the impossibility of selling game credits, they would sell everything else.
After the conversation, Fred and George were amazed by Tom's ideas.
"Merlin, Tom, how does your brain work like that?" Fred looked at Tom in astonishment. "How do you come up with so many crazy ideas?"
Tom humbly replied, "The reason I see farther than others is that I am standing on the shoulders of giants."
Tom's ideas would ultimately have to be realized through Fred and George's products. Without tangible products, as brilliant as the ideas were, once the trend passed, they would be exposed as naked swimmers.
After discussing the sales plan, the two families had finished dinner. Mr. Granger considered it time to leave. Finally, after rejecting Mr. Weasley's proposal to rent a car back to London, Tom and the Granger family returned to their home in London via the Floo Network. Harry stayed at the Burrow until the end of the summer vacation.
As the saying goes, there's no place like home. Once they returned home, the Granger family sighed in relief, finally back in their familiar place. Mrs. Granger went to the kitchen to prepare tea after putting on her slippers, while Mr. Granger sank into the sofa and turned on the television.
From the television, the characteristic voice of the presenter could be heard: "Last night, between 1 and 2 in the morning, a forest fire broke out in northern Scotland for unknown reasons. Currently, the fire is under control, and the cause of the accident is being investigated. Experts suggest it could have been caused by the irresponsible use of fire by tourists..."
Tom: ...
Wait!
He realized that this could be a good opportunity to meet an old acquaintance who is now the Prime Minister.