What a secretary-type talent!
Ivan thought, waiting patiently for Penelope to make her request.
"I... I want to know about my future life, like my career," she said.
'Heh~' As Ivan had expected, Penelope's wish was simple—she wanted to know about her future profession.
This kind of practical, law-abiding thinking was common among most wizards.
"Alright."
Ivan smiled slightly and gestured toward the lake beside them.
A sphere of water floated up in front of them, then slowly shifted, turning into a water mirror that reflected their faces.
"What is this?" Penelope asked.
"It's better for you to see the prophecy with your own eyes than to hear my explanation," Ivan said, his eyes glimmering with silver.
As he spoke, the image in the water mirror began to change.
It showed a woman in a trench coat, around seventeen or eighteen years old, walking down a busy street.
"That's me," Penelope whispered.
She recognized the woman immediately—it was her, but a few years older.
Clearly, this was a glimpse of what she would look like in the future.
"Where is she going?"
The scene in the water mirror shifted, and Penelope saw herself walking into a building where many wizards were gathered. "The Ministry of Magic?"
"Will I work at the Ministry of Magic in the future?" she asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.
However, before Penelope could fully process her excitement, the scene changed to a dim office.
In that office, her future self wore glasses and sifted through stacks of documents, looking tired and clearly unhappy.
"..."
Penelope stood there, speechless for a long time.
She knew exactly what this vision meant.
After graduating from Hogwarts, she would end up working at the Ministry of Magic, but as an ordinary office worker.
Penelope wasn't Newt Scamander—she didn't view office work as her greatest fear.
But...
If this was her future, why had she studied so hard?
Ivan heard her internal monologue clearly.
Ever since learning Occlumency, Ivan had become increasingly adept at controlling his Legilimency.
He had now set up multiple passive triggers for Legilimency.
For instance, when someone mentioned his name or formed an image of him in their mind, he could "hear" their thoughts within the range of his Legilimency.
With a thinking attribute of 3 points, Ivan's mind was more than capable of processing this information.
In addition, Ivan could set specific people in advance to feel their thoughts and emotions more easily.
But Ivan typically controlled this power.
For friends like Harry and Hermione, Ivan would block their thoughts in reverse to avoid invading their privacy.
"Senior, don't you want to work at the Ministry of Magic?"
"Well... sigh..."
Penelope lowered her head slightly and said, "I just feel like if my future job is going to be like that, what's the point of working so hard at Hogwarts?"
She was confident that she could graduate from Hogwarts with top marks.
Yet, despite her abilities, she could only foresee herself ending up with a low-level job at the Ministry of Magic.
Ivan was a bit surprised.
It wasn't Penelope's sentiment that caught him off guard, but rather the fact that she trusted him so much.
What she said out loud aligned perfectly with her innermost thoughts.
This meant that Penelope genuinely saw Ivan as someone she could confide in, without pretense or reservation.
"I've actually thought about that same doubt, senior."
Ivan didn't mind Penelope's complaints.
She was clearly more capable than most people, yet she saw herself headed for a job that could easily be filled by anyone.
Who wouldn't feel frustrated by that?
However, that's the way society works. Penelope wasn't just complaining; her words were a disguised form of envy.
She may have known it all along.
The wizarding world and Hogwarts were two entirely different places.
Everything learned or experienced here might feel meaningless once you leave school.
"You've had these doubts too?" Penelope asked, surprised. After all, Ivan always seemed so confident.
"Isn't it a little early for you to be thinking about this?"
She was already in her fifth year and would soon enter her sixth. Graduation and life in the real world were fast approaching, so it was normal for her to worry about the future and feel uncertain.
But Ivan...
Penelope regretted bringing it up.
She felt she shouldn't have said these things, fearing she had put unnecessary pressure on Ivan.
"I'm sorry, I..."
Ivan's maturity and strength had made Penelope subconsciously view him as a peer.
First-year wizards are usually still filled with dreams and fantasies, but she had projected her own concerns onto him, possibly shattering his idealism.
"There's no need to apologize, Senior Penelope."
Ivan smiled and said, "And I'm not that fragile."
Penelope was a kind and simple girl. Ivan had heard that many wizards at Hogwarts regarded her as their "white moonlight."
"Senior, have you ever considered a question?" Ivan gently comforted Penelope before continuing with his point.
"What is it?"
"Muggles have a saying: 'Apply what you have learned.'"
Ivan explained, "But in today's magical world, many of our spells are actually... useless."
Penelope listened intently but didn't fully grasp what Ivan was getting at.
"Are you confused, senior?" Ivan smiled slightly. "How does this relate to your future career?"
"Yeah," Penelope responded, falling into deep thought. She truly didn't understand.
But Ivan's next words left her stunned.
"Senior, when you asked me to tell your fortune, what you really wanted to know was your future income, right?"
"..."
Penelope hesitated, trying to find the words.
She wanted to hide her embarrassment, but in the end, she could only lower her head in shame.
"There's no need to feel embarrassed," Ivan reassured her. "Every wizard likes gold Galleons. I like them too."
Penelope didn't love money for the sake of it; she was simply worried that after graduating from Hogwarts, she wouldn't be able to find a good job to support herself.
"Are both your parents Muggles?"
"My mother is a witch."
Penelope, being half-blood, explained, "My mother fell in love with my father, so she gave up magic and chose to live in the Muggle world."
Her father had been an ordinary man with an ordinary job.
So, while the Clearwater family wasn't struggling, they couldn't be described as wealthy either.
But when Penelope was five or six years old, her father passed away.
"My mother is an outstanding Hogwarts graduate," Penelope continued, "but the Muggle world doesn't recognize those qualifications. To Muggles, my mother is like someone who never even finished elementary school."
"As a result, she couldn't find a decent job in the Muggle world..."
Though Penelope's mother had lived in the Muggle world for a while, she still struggled to integrate into Muggle society.
To make ends meet, her mother had to return to the magical world to earn gold Galleons to support both her and Penelope.
"..."
Hearing this, Ivan understood Penelope's concerns.
First, Penelope, like her mother, would have no qualifications or resume in the Muggle world.
This meant that if Penelope ever chose to leave the magical world and live among Muggles, she would face significant challenges.
Some might ask, how could wizards not survive in the Muggle world?
Any magic would be a huge advantage, right?
But is that really the case?
It's important to remember that the British Ministry of Magic has a department called the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures that includes the Office for the Prohibition of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts.
Casting spells on Muggle objects or transforming them is illegal in the British magical world.
Not to mention that wizards casting spells on Muggles, harming them, or being seen by Muggles while using magic is strictly prohibited.
"Because of the Statute of Secrecy.." Penelope muttered, a bit uneasy. She felt like she shouldn't have brought up the Statute.
Maintaining the secrecy of the wizarding world is the responsibility of the entire magical community.
Anyone who dares to break the rules can be held accountable, possibly even sent to a place like Azkaban.
"Ahem."
Ivan coughed lightly, and they exchanged a look of mutual understanding.
They both silently agreed to steer clear of the Statute of Secrecy topic.
It had become a sensitive issue. After the first wizarding war that had shaken the world decades ago, no one dared to question the Statute openly.
"Do you know how many wizards there are in the British wizarding world?"
"A few thousand—probably over 3,000, but less than 4,000."
"Yes, around 3,000 or 4,000."
Ivan continued, "Then how many jobs are there in the Ministry of Magic?"
"..."
The British Ministry of Magic may have a grand name, but the number of wizards they manage is at most 3,000.
In Ivan's previous life, even a slightly larger village would exceed that number of people.
"Do you understand, senior?" Ivan asked. "There are only so many jobs available for wizards, and the number of positions is limited."
This presents a significant problem.
Wizards from Muggle backgrounds have no foundation in the magical world, and certainly no savings.
If they want to live in the wizarding world, they must compete for the few available jobs.
They don't earn much from these positions, and it's already a struggle just to support themselves.
Not to mention, doing magical research to further improve their skills is nearly impossible. "The job market in the wizarding world has long been saturated, and there's little room for newcomers."
"Even if new positions were available, they certainly wouldn't go to wizards like us."
Ivan's words carried a certain provocative tone.
But Penelope had to admit that Ivan was speaking to her concerns. This was exactly what troubled her most.
"The Ministry of Magic prohibits wizards from studying and modifying Muggle items."
"This has caused the magical world to stagnate—no new industries have been created for a long time."
"Without the development of newer industries, what can young wizards do after graduating from Hogwarts?"
Look at the Weasley brothers: Bill works at Gringotts, Charlie raises dragons, Percy joins the Ministry of Magic in future, and the twins plan to open a joke shop.
It seems like everyone makes their own choices, but in reality, aside from the twins, the Weasley brothers are all just working for others—nothing new or innovative about it.
"Jobs aren't squeezed out, they're created."
But the Ministry of Magic has long been corrupt. They don't want change, and they won't let others bring change either.
If anyone questions their methods, they point to the "Statute of Secrecy."
Anything you do could increase the risk of exposing the wizarding world.
"They won't allow us to do what we want."
"If we insist on pushing for change, they'll send people to arrest us."
"And even if they can't catch us, they'll use the law to stop us."
Ivan's words, like a sharp sword, tore through the last bit of self-deception Penelope had: "We'd end up becoming enemies of wizards everywhere, seen as the villains who threaten the balance of the magical world."
"Then, what if we return to the Muggle world?"
Penelope's hands trembled slightly. She lacked the courage—and the ability—to resist such authority.
"Let's not even talk about whether we'd want to return to ordinary life after experiencing the magic of the wizarding world."
Ivan continued, "Let's talk about survival."
How would they make a living if they returned to the Muggle world?
It's the same issue. Without the proper identity or education recognized by the Muggle world, wizards like them would struggle to live there.
Of course, if your parents are wealthy in the Muggle world, just ignore everything I've said," Ivan added with a slight smirk.
"I... I'm just worried about this..." Penelope looked at Ivan expectantly, wanting to know what he would do.
She had already realized that Ivan wasn't exactly a law-abiding person.
But so what?
Ivan's thoughts echoed the unspoken desires of countless young wizards—things they wanted to say but didn't dare to.
"Ahem."
Noticing that Penelope was starting to be swayed by his words, Ivan quickly cleared his throat. "First of all, I need to clarify something."
"What is it?" Penelope asked.
"Well, actually, I'm quite wealthy."
Ivan continued, "I mean, I have a lot of Muggle currency. Over there, I'm a rich man."
"Huh?"
Penelope's mouth fell open in disbelief, looking almost adorably confused.
"Of course, I earned all that Muggle money myself," Ivan added with a smirk.
"Err..."
Penelope was momentarily speechless. She suddenly felt that all her concerns about the future and the uncertainty she had voiced earlier now seemed trivial for Ivan.
Ivan's expression seemed to say: What you're worried about isn't even a problem for me.
Isn't it just about making a living?
Isn't Muggle currency still money?
Ivan could easily live a luxurious life in the Muggle world and continue his magical research in the wizarding world.
The Ministry of Magic may forbid wizards from transforming Muggle objects, but they don't prohibit wizards from purchasing Muggle goods.
Food, clothing, daily necessities, even cars and houses—there's nothing stopping a wizard from buying these.
As long as magic isn't used to temper with Muggles or in front of Muggles, the Ministry of Magic can't intervene.
"..."
"..."
Penelope was left speechless. She suddenly realized she didn't know her junior, Ivan, as well as she thought.
"How much did you make?" she asked, her tone filled with doubt.
Ivan claiming to have earned a lot of Muggle money was hard for Penelope to believe.
After all, her mother had tried everything to make ends meet in the Muggle world and hadn't earned much.
Even her father, before he passed, was just part of the ordinary working class.
How much could Ivan, an 11-year-old, have possibly made?
"Ahem."
Seeing her skepticism, Ivan replied, "Well, probably... hundreds of millions of pounds."
"Hundreds of millions!!!"
The number almost shocked Penelope to death. "How did you do that? How old are you to have made so much money?"
"At first, I bought lottery tickets," Ivan said casually, as if it were no big deal. "My ability to see prophecies allows me to see winning lottery numbers."
That alone was enough to astonish Penelope.
"But I only used that method once, just to earn some start-up capital."
Though using prophecies didn't break any secrecy laws, it would still attract attention from Muggles.
After all, winning the lottery repeatedly would be too unbelievable.
If anyone started thinking that Ivan had some kind of "special ability," the Ministry of Magic would likely intervene, suspecting that he had exposed the existence of magic.
Yes, the Ministry of Magic could be that fucked up.
Any action that might reveal the existence of magic and wizards could be considered a crime.
"After I got my initial capital, I started learning about finance."
"Do you know about stocks, senior?"
"Um, Yes," Penelope replied, though she didn't know much about them, she was familiar with the concept.
"There's also real estate, funds, securities, and some emerging industries I've chosen to invest in," Ivan explained briefly, outlining his business plan. "In this whole process, I didn't use magic—just this."
He pointed to his head, referring to his knowledge from his past life.
Though there were many differences between his previous life and his current one, the major trends remained the same.
For instance, it was now 1991, and Christmas was approaching.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was just around the corner!
And for this moment, Ivan had already pulled out all his liquid assets, preparing to take full advantage of the opportunity and watch his wealth skyrocket.
If everything went as planned, by the time he returned from the Christmas holiday, Ivan could legitimately call himself a billionaire.
And just to clarify—this 10 billion wasn't in RMB, but British pounds.
And not just any pounds, but 1991 British pounds!
In short, Muggle currency would soon be little more than a string of numbers in Ivan's eyes, and it would only continue to grow.
"Bloody...
..fucking
hell..."
Penelope was completely stunned.
She had thought Ivan was just exceptionally talented in magic, but she hadn't expected him to know so much about the financial world of Muggles.
The senior didn't know that Ivan was about to take advantage of the Soviet Union's collapse, but even the wealth he had already accumulated—hundreds of millions of pounds—was more than enough to leave her in shock.
___________
Read 15 Chaps ahead:
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