The last week of the holiday passed in a blur. Wade felt like he had barely finished reading a few books before time had slipped away from him.
Professor Murray had left him a small box, inside of which was a tiny, curled-up, blue-black piece of material. It resembled a dried-up caterpillar or a piece of wing membrane torn from a bat.
Since he couldn't use a wand, Wade simply observed it under a magnifying glass without using any destructive methods. He planned to study it more thoroughly once he returned to school.
Just as Marchionne had promised, the "Book of Friends" was launched right on schedule.
Wade received an invitation to the launch event from Aslan's Magic Workshop, and an owl delivered samples of each design—two sets of every style. The note mentioned that he could keep one set for his own collection and gift the other.
Rather than joining the "launch day" frenzy, Wade preferred to stay at home reading.
However, when Fiona saw the Book of Friends advertisement in the Daily Prophet, she excitedly wanted to attend, and so both father and son accompanied her.
The family drove to Charing Cross Road in London, parked nearby, and walked towards the Leaky Cauldron. It had recently snowed, leaving the ground wet and slippery. Fiona clung tightly to Fred's arm, but even then, she struggled to keep her balance as they walked.
"I wish I could just fly straight to the Leaky Cauldron—for some Butterbeer—or no, Firewhiskey!" Fiona muttered as she cautiously navigated the slippery path.
"We're almost there," Fred reassured her. In fact, they could already see the sign for the Leaky Cauldron.
As Squibs, the Grey couple had not been accepted as students by any magical school, but the wizarding world had not entirely shut its doors to them. Both Fred and Fiona had traces of magic in them, though they couldn't use it, making them distinct from Muggles.
For instance, they could see the Leaky Cauldron, which was invisible to Muggle eyes, and magical potions worked on them as they would on any wizard.
For pure Muggles, some potions that are common for wizards could be deadly, like Skele-Gro. Minor injuries that wizards wouldn't think twice about could cause irreversible harm to Muggles.
When Wade was attending Hogwarts, the Grey couple would occasionally stroll through Diagon Alley.
Although they didn't have wands, as long as they followed someone else opening the entrance, they could enter the alley without any problems, and no one usually said anything.
At this moment, Wade felt that as soon as his parents entered Diagon Alley, it was as if they were returning home.
Naturally, they first stopped at the Leaky Cauldron for a pint of beer (Fiona no longer seemed to mind the hygiene of the place), and then, after following the winding path, they arrived at the entrance, and they both turned to look at Wade.
Wade took out his wand and tapped on one of the bricks on the wall. Instantly, the familiar archway appeared, revealing a massive poster right in front of them:
[The Book of Friends: A Symbol of a New Era!]
[Haven't bought a Book of Friends for your child yet? Merlin's beard, how will they manage at school?]
[Top quality at an affordable price, an irreplaceable experience of the new age!]
[With me by your side, the world is different—communicate anytime, anywhere. The Book of Friends changes the world for you and me!]
"Oh my—" Fiona couldn't help but exclaim.
Colorful posters covered almost every visible corner, with various slogans flashing continuously, urging people to buy one immediately. Diagon Alley was packed with people—parents of children and even many foreign wizards were everywhere.
There was no need to head to Marchionne's shop because along the streets of Diagon Alley, every ten meters, there was a sales point. The staff shouted loudly, "Only one per person! One per person! Hey, sir, you've grabbed too many!"
"Don't worry! We'll have more products ready soon! No rush. If you're willing to wait two days, you can sit in the shop and take your time choosing from all the styles!"
But no one was listening. People kept pushing forward, clutching their Galleons, shouting—
"Give me three! I've got three kids!"
"Stop pushing from the back! Who stepped on my shoe?!"
"I want that red one, give me the red one!"
Suddenly, a loud cry came from the crowd, and with a commotion, the mob parted. Two wizards had started brawling on the ground, and amidst the screams and shouts, they were quickly pulled apart by others nearby.
Fiona swallowed nervously, "Maybe—maybe we should just stay here and watch—"
"—A wise choice."
Fred bought some ice cream, and the three of them sat at a small table outside the shop, observing the chaotic scene of the frenzied buyers in the distance.
The shop owner, Fosco, wearing a little vest, brought the ice cream over to the table and asked with a smile, "Are you here to buy a Book of Friends for your child too?"
"Uh—yeah—" Fred replied vaguely.
"Then you'd better go buy one soon," Fosco said as he adjusted his bowtie.
"I've got some insider info: the Book of Friends that Aslan Magic Workshop has been working overtime to produce—this is the only batch for now. Once they sell out, the workers are taking a break before production resumes. So if you miss this chance, you'll have to wait at least a week to get one."
Wade looked up at him—no wonder the staff's attempts to maintain order were useless. With Diagon Alley shop owners spreading "insider info" and stirring up anxiety, it was no surprise everyone was worried about missing out.
"Your insider info is...?" Fred asked cautiously.
"Oh, a neighbor of my distant aunt's daughter works at Aslan Magic Workshop, and she's directly involved in the production of Book of Friends. So my info is absolutely real and reliable!" Fosco said proudly.
"Oh—" Fred nodded, half believing.
Wade: ...
Is this "insider info" something Marchionne instructed his employees to spread?
To boost sales by deliberately creating rumors—while the official word is "we have plenty of stock," someone leaks the "real" story that "supplies are tight."
Of course, people would believe the latter.
"Waiting a week—doesn't seem like a big deal, does it? Weren't owls just fine before?" Fiona asked curiously.
"How could it be the same?" Fosco looked at Wade and said:
"Think about your son, ma'am—when he gets to school, if all his classmates are talking about and trading the Book of Friends, and he doesn't have one, won't he feel left out?
At the very least, he'd feel embarrassed, right? Imagine that scene—wouldn't you, as parents, feel heartbroken?"
Fiona imagined it—students at school playing together in groups, chatting and laughing over their Book of Friends, all in sync with each other, while her Wade stood alone in the corner, pitifully watching.
Her heart sank, and she nodded quickly, "Yes, of course! That would be so sad! We can't let that happen!"
"Exactly, that's what everyone thinks. At the very least, you have to send your child to school with a Book of Friends, so they don't feel out of place with the other kids. So who can resist buying one?"
"Right, you can't resist. You have to buy one!" Fiona eagerly agreed.
Fosco sighed as he walked away, still talking about the love parents have for their children. Fiona, increasingly anxious, kept eyeing the crowd rushing to buy Book of Friends.
Suddenly, she stood up, only for Fred to grab her arm. Wade looked at her in surprise.
"Fred—"
"Wade already has a Book of Friends, remember?" Fred said helplessly. "He has plenty—he can trade with anyone he meets. He's not some poor kid."
—Not to mention, he's the inventor of the Book of Friends himself. He can have any version he wants.
Fiona blinked, realizing, "Oh—right!"
Wade: ...
So, you were genuinely swayed by the hype, not secretly promoting it on my behalf, right?
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