Strange Customers and New Challenges
The next day, Jack opened the store with renewed energy. He felt a bit proud of selling the Alohomora card yesterday. But deep down, he was still annoyed by the small profit. However, he reminded himself that customers were more important than just money—at least that's what he kept telling himself.
The first customer of the day was an old woman with a large cat on her shoulder. She entered the store with slow but commanding steps.
"Good morning, Ma'am. Can I help you with anything?" Jack greeted her warmly.
The woman eyed the store shelves sharply. "I heard there's something interesting here."
Jack smiled faintly. "We have a variety of unique items you can't find anywhere else. Are you looking for something specific?"
The woman stopped in front of the glass display where the Alohomora cards were placed. "What does this card do?"
"It's the Alohomora ability card. By using it, you can unlock almost any type of lock, whether mechanical or magical," Jack explained.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "How much is it?"
"5 Galleons," Jack replied calmly.
The woman frowned immediately. "That's quite expensive! For something that just opens locks?"
Jack smiled thinly and explained, "This card is unique, Ma'am. Not only is it hard to make, but it's also rare. It requires special materials and a very complicated process to create."
The woman seemed to consider this for a moment but eventually pulled out her coin purse. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
Jack took the card from the display and handed it to the woman after receiving the 5 Galleons. "Thank you for your purchase. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to come back."
The woman said nothing further and left with her cat. Jack sighed in relief.
After the customer left, Jack pulled another Alohomora card from the storage box. He looked at the card for a moment before deciding to try it himself.
"Alright, let's see how this works," Jack murmured.
He took the card and tore it slowly. As the card shattered, a soft light emanated from the pieces, swirling around his body and vanishing into him.
Jack felt something different within him. He closed his eyes and tried to summon the ability. In his mind, he could sense the new power rising, as though he knew exactly how to use it.
"Alohomora," Jack whispered, waving his hand toward the locked drawer on the cashier's desk. With a soft click, the drawer opened.
Jack smiled broadly. "Interesting. So this is how it works."
He checked the sensation in his body and noticed something else. A vague feeling that the ability could grow stronger if he had more cards like this.
"It seems like every card I add will boost this ability. Hmm, I need to test this further later," Jack thought.
In the afternoon, a young man named Henry entered the store. He seemed eager and immediately greeted Jack.
"I need something that can help me sneak around," he said, glancing at the store's shelves.
Jack smiled faintly. "We have a few items that might be a good fit. But I should remind you, all the items here are unique and rare."
Henry seemed intrigued as Jack showed him the Silencio card, which allows the user to erase the sound of their footsteps.
"How much is this?" Henry asked, holding the card.
"8 Galleons," Jack answered casually.
Henry was shocked. "8 Galleons? That's really expensive! I could buy a dozen Butterbeers with that kind of money."
Jack smiled patiently. "Items like this can't be found in a regular store. The process to make it is very complicated, and its function is far more valuable than Butterbeer."
Henry seemed to think for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'll buy it."
After the transaction was complete, Jack counted his money and sighed. Another small profit, just 1 Galleon from each card sold.
"I need a lot more customers if it's going to be like this," Jack muttered, feeling a bit down.
But he quickly cheered himself up. "It's okay. Every small step is the start of a bigger journey. After all, a good business takes patience."
Jack looked at the shelves in his store and smiled. He knew a great adventure awaited him—both as a merchant and as someone who could use these unique abilities.