"Little Honey Bear, come downstairs; we need to talk." Mr. Grossman called his daughter.
Tom found it amusing, witnessing his father using "honey bear" to address his daughter for the first time. He was more accustomed to hearing terms like "sweetheart" or "honey," so "Honey Bear" was a first.
Peggy Grossman descended the stairs gradually. Wearing a black dress paired with a white blouse, she looked elegant.
As she reached the table, Mr. Grossman also prepared a cup of hot chocolate for her, her favorite beverage. Like a little angel, she sat quietly by the table, sipping her hot chocolate.
After taking several sips, she finally looked up at Tom. "You've disrupted my life," she said. Her voice was melodious, but it was evident that the intrusion of the magical world into her life displeased her.
"Your destiny is determined at birth, whether born into a magical or Muggle family. Every child with magical talent is automatically listed in Hogwarts' enrollment, without exception," Tom said verbally, but in his mind, he recalled Professor McGonagall's third sentence when she first saw him, "But you're not on the list." This sentence had always bothered him, but given his special status, there might have been some issue.
"You're lying," Peggy's expression suddenly turned cold. "You're hiding something."
"?" Tom didn't expect the girl to be quite perceptive.
"I do have something to tell you, but I'll discuss it with your father shortly, whether you want to join Hogwarts or not," Tom certainly wouldn't reveal his true thoughts from earlier. However, he did have something to discuss privately with Mr. Grossman.
"Okay," Peggy didn't dwell on that topic, "So, you mean I'm a natural witch?"
Tom thought her understanding was not wrong. In the magical world, every wizard is born with inherent talent, regardless of whether their parents are wizards. Of course, the probability is higher if both parents are wizards, but it's not absolute. Squibs are individuals born into wizarding families but lack magical abilities.
From a scientific perspective, magical talent might be a rare recessive gene, somewhat like Mendel's peas—AaBb, long stems, short stems, and so on, but more complex. Wizards might possess unique genes allowing them to produce a magical amino acid or something similar, enabling them to perform magic.
Of course, this was just scientific speculation; magic is mysterious and may indeed have some connection to genetics.
After Tom confirmed Peggy's understanding, she shrugged. "I've heard this countless times since I was a child."
"Her teachers say she's a natural artist, scientist, actress, and more," Mr. Grossman explained for his daughter.
"A well-rounded girl..." Tom realized another reason why Professor McGonagall sent him here.
Peggy seemed uninterested in the magical world; she didn't want to change her current lifestyle.
"Alright, let's skip the topic of being a natural witch. Can you tell me what happens to your students after graduation? Attending Hogwarts to learn magic might disrupt my studies."
"Hogwarts graduates have broad employment opportunities; our alumni are everywhere in the Ministry of Magic and various authoritative fields..." The British magical world is mainly led by Hogwarts graduates. Although a wizard may have other paths to success, they generally pale in comparison to Hogwarts graduates.
Children born with magical talent in the British Isles and Ireland are admitted to Hogwarts. However, the other two magical schools in Europe, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, are not as inclusive. They have admission criteria, and those not accepted have to find other ways to study magic—such as attending less-known primary schools or other privately run "wizarding schools," etc.
Yes, besides the eleven prestigious magical schools worldwide, there are also other small magical schools and educational institutions. The eleven renowned magical schools are registered with the International Confederation of Wizards. On the other hand, these smaller institutions come and go, difficult to trace, and rarely register with the corresponding government departments, with no guarantee of their educational quality.
Countries with magical schools are far fewer than those without. Hence, most wizards in countries without magical schools either choose to self-study magic at home or opt for correspondence courses. Wizards in such situations naturally have lower status than graduates of prestigious schools like Hogwarts.
So, in reality, Hogwarts students are equivalent to Harvard graduates in the Muggle world.
"This rhetoric sounds like promotional material for a mediocre school," Peggy's perception of the magical world seemed to be diminishing, "How much do your graduates earn?"
At this moment, Tom was truly grateful for the greed of the goblins. Monthly salaries for Hogwarts graduates were substantial, thanks to Gringotts' involvement. If the official optimal exchange rate was considered, Hogwarts graduates could earn up to 250 galleons per month. Without Gringotts' intervention, Tom would likely have had a hard time convincing anyone to join Hogwarts based on mere theoretical benefits. But with Gringotts involved, our Hogwarts graduates receive a monthly salary equivalent to half a pound of gold!
It sounded much better now.
Of course, fresh graduates probably wouldn't get fifty galleons per month.
Well, a monthly salary of several hundred grams of gold for a graduate still had a significant impact.
Peggy and her father were speechless. It seemed like the magical world might be worth considering?
"The key to the magical world isn't wealth; it's about truly mastering your own destiny after learning magic and the convenience in daily life. For example..."
Tom poured the last bit of hot chocolate on the table and cleaned it up with a cleaning charm.
"At least, you won't have to clean anymore."
Upon hearing Tom's words and witnessing magic firsthand, Peggy's pupils enlarged for a moment.
She fell silent for a while.
"Can you really master your own destiny? From now on, I dictate my world?"
Tom instinctively felt that something seemed off, but he still nodded.
"The school has prepared a scholarship for students from Muggle families," Tom took out a small money bag, "though it may not be sufficient. You need to prepare some gold for exchange—unless you want to use second-hand textbooks and wear old robes. Gringotts offers Hogwarts students a preferential exchange rate for galleons. Consider it a student benefit."
Looking at the father-daughter duo in silence, Tom waited for their response.
Yes, apart from the eleven prestigious magical schools worldwide, there are also some small magical schools and educational institutions. The eleven renowned magical schools are registered with the International Confederation of Wizards. On the other hand, these smaller institutions come and go, difficult to trace, and rarely register with the corresponding government departments, with no guarantee of their educational quality.
Countries with magical schools are far fewer than those without. Hence, most wizards in countries without magical schools either choose to self-study magic at home or opt for correspondence courses. Wizards in such situations naturally have lower status than graduates of prestigious schools like Hogwarts.
So, in reality, Hogwarts students are equivalent to Harvard graduates in the Muggle world.
"This rhetoric sounds like promotional material for a mediocre school," Peggy's perception of the magical world seemed to be diminishing, "How much do your graduates earn?"
At this moment, Tom was truly grateful for the greed of the goblins. Monthly salaries for Hogwarts graduates were substantial, thanks to Gringotts' involvement. If the official optimal exchange rate was considered, Hogwarts graduates could earn up to 250 galleons per month. Without Gringotts' intervention, Tom would likely have had a hard time convincing anyone to join Hogwarts based on mere theoretical benefits. But with Gringotts involved, our Hogwarts graduates receive a monthly salary equivalent to half a pound of gold!
It sounded much better now.
Of course, fresh graduates probably wouldn't get fifty galleons per month.
Well, a monthly salary of several hundred grams of gold for a graduate still had a significant impact.
Peggy and her father were speechless. It seemed like the magical world might be worth considering?
"The key to the magical world isn't wealth; it's about truly mastering your own destiny after learning magic and the convenience in daily life. For example..."
Tom poured the last bit of hot chocolate on the table and cleaned it up with a cleaning charm.
"At least, you won't have to clean anymore."
Upon hearing Tom's words and witnessing magic firsthand, Peggy's pupils enlarged for a moment.
She fell silent for a while.
"Can you really master your own destiny? From now on, I dictate my world?"
Tom instinctively felt that something seemed off, but he still nodded.
"The school has prepared a scholarship for students from Muggle families," Tom took out a small money bag, "though it may not be sufficient. You need to prepare some gold for exchange—unless you want to use second-hand textbooks and wear old robes. Gringotts offers Hogwarts students a preferential exchange rate for galleons. Consider it a student benefit."
Looking at the father-daughter duo in silence, Tom waited for their response.
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(End of this chapter)