Chapter 179
Passing through the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron Bar, they went directly to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions on the north side of Diagon Alley.
According to Professor Flitwick, while this store sells school uniforms, robes, and travel cloaks, Madame Malkin will be happy to make you a custom outfit if you’re willing to chip some money in.
Madame Malkin is a short, chubby witch with a big smile and wearing a dark purple robe, “Welcome, would you like to buy a robe or a ball gown that exudes glamour, sir?” She held a tape measure and wand in her hand.
Felix pointed to Dobby, “Not for me, ma’am, for him.”
Madame Malkin’s eyes fell on Dobby, and she said with difficulty, “Oh, uh …”
“Ma’am, I was referred to you by Professor Filius Flitwick, who had nothing but praise for your handiwork.”
“It is my pleasure as well.”
Under Felix’s verbal and monetary onslaught, Madame Malkin made a small suit on the spot, which made Dobby look fresh and brandish, like an English butler.
“Sir, you are so kind to your house-elf, but I don’t know if I should remind you that clothes …”
“Ma’am, Dobby is my friend, and he is free.”
All along the way, Dobby kept saying thank you to Felix in different ways, then Felix told him it is a uniform and a required dress code, which made him relent.
Felix led him to the dilapidated L.C.A. comic book publisher building and knocked on Andys’s door.
The room seemed to have gathered some of its smells again after ten days of absence, but the Andys looked in much better spirits, and at least he had changed into a clean shirt.
He pulled Felix into the room, then pulled out a stack of original manuscripts, and said with a heavy nasal voice: “I redrew part of the book, adding unique magic, see how it is?”
Felix looked carefully, each page of the comic strip is divided into five to ten grids, opening a page, the characters in that grid will begin to move in a fixed order when the plot of the first grid ends, only then the second began to play, the time precisely nailed.
It can be said that a page of comic books is an episode of the same film.
“The magic on it is interesting,” Felix said.
If he added everything in one page from the left to the right side of the book, is it possible to show the contents of all the frames of the two pages in one sequence, would it achieve the effect of a film?
He expressed this idea to Andys.
“Huh?”
Andys thought about it in his head, “It seems doable?” He said in an unsure tone.
“It’s not like I know your publisher’s magic, unless …”
“That’s an untold secret,” Andys said in a rush.
“Well,” Felix smacked his lips as he looked at the drawing in his hand and kept rubbing its surface, “then, using your professional eye, is the idea I just described feasible?”
Andys did not answer, this time he took longer to think, and as a result, the more he thought about it, the more excited he became and kept circling around the room.
“It’s absolutely feasible! It’s a new breakthrough in the wizarding world, oh my gosh, we’ll be a hit!”
“If you were to improve it, how long do you think it would take?”
“It’s hard to say, it’s a new technique, it will definitely take time, I already have two ideas, it’s not like I haven’t done anything over the years, the research of my grandfather could also help. But the magic has changed, and the entire process has to be adjusted, including rearranging the selection of the most appropriate medium and pigments for the comic book. It takes both time and–” Andys paused awkwardly.
“And it takes more money?”
“… Yeah.”
Felix calculated, “I can offer you almost twenty thousand Gold-Galleon, but what can I get?”
Andys struggled for a moment, he hesitated, this is a key decision, maybe L.C.A. comic books will be reborn in his hands.
But he made many wrong calls over a decade before, what about this one?
“You’re Felix Hap?” He asked through clenched teeth.
Felix gave him a look that said, “What do you mean? I’ve introduced myself”. Dobby the elf did proudly come forward and said, “Yes, this is the great Mr. Felix Hap!”
Andys glanced at Dobby, not paying much attention, he looked at Felix and said slowly: “I have asked people to inquire during this time, they said you have a lot of connections and power.”
“Let’s be frank, Andys, don’t beat around the bush.”
“Five thousand Galleons! If you can help me handle the Ministry of Magic, I’m willing to convert this money into an investment for 20% of the publisher, no! 30% of the shares.”
” Dealing with the Ministry of Magic?”
“I want the book to get an official recommendation and be placed in bookshops in other countries. It will save a lot of time.” Andys said.
“What’s the trouble?”
“Something to do with some pure-blood families who might not like the book.” Andys stammered.
“But none of my previously published books had any impact?” Felix inquired curiously.
“It’s different from publisher to publisher, and I have a previous record, plus the subject of your book …” he hinted, and Felix understood, so your previously published works offended some people, didn’t they?
“I need to see those controversial sketches of yours first.” Felix didn’t rush to agree.
If this person Andys had problems, he would decisively refuse.
Half a minute later, Felix looked up from a manuscript of books, he had only obtained the sales data of L.C.A. publishers before but hadn’t read all of them.
It is clear that the Andys has really worked hard to revive the publisher over the years, the theme is diverse, but there is a book with a villain who is from a pure-blood family, although there is no specific reference to which family it is, it is clear that it incurred some discontent.
Although in his opinion, this is a normal creation.
“Tsk!”
Felix thought for a moment, he needed to pay 5,000 galleons, as well as finite time and energy to solve the possible trouble; and the gain will be the acquisition of 30% of shares from the other side.
He also regarded the development of the new technology favourably and had confidence in L.C.A.
“OK, but I want all your spell data.”
Andys froze for a moment, “Sure, that’s your well-deserved right, as long as you do not casually reveal it.”
Felix nodded, then he had no problem.
Money is a minor thing, this kind of unique magic is what he values. But in the future, he would at least get a portion of the stable income, saving him from going to the black market and mugging people.
This is different from the 50% share the twins were talking about, and he had no intention of asking for that money in the first place.
Andys said to him, “Let’s sign a magic contract, for mutual assurance.”
Felix had no reason to refuse, and he took out a piece of parchment, and a string of golden words appeared on it, containing the obligations that both parties should fulfil and the powers they enjoyed. The two men then each left their names and blood.
As the three watched, golden flames burned the parchment to ashes, but the writing on it glistened and condensed in midair.
Soon, the golden words melted and condensed into two small glowing balls. Felix and Andys each had one.
This contract belongs to the most common “witness contract”, not mandatory binding, but protected by the Ministry of Magic. If there is a problem, just take the ball to the Ministry of Magic to complain, the Ministry of Magic will step in to solve the problem.
With the contract ball in his hand, Andys breathed a sigh of relief.
He could say that he had bet part of his future, but he is now full of anticipation because one of his friends said mysteriously: “Working with that gentleman, you will never have to worry about losing out. He’s a high-spirited Slytherin, not unlike those greedy pureblood rubbish.”
Felix looked at the elf, “Dobby, I need you to come in at least once a day to ask about progress or troubles, and to negotiate with the purebloods on my behalf if necessary.” He tapped his wand on the elf’s chest, and an ancient symbol in the shape of figure 8 appeared.
The pattern is static, but when you look over it, it swims swiftly, its emerald green snake eyes shining.
This is the symbol that Felix printed on his clothes when he was in fifth grade, and many pureblood families remember it, but it is not used much now.
“Dobby, I’m afraid, Dobby can’t …” the elf said in awe.
“You had the job of delivering letters when you were at the Malfoy, didn’t you?”
“But, but Dobby just delivers letters, and serves almost the same role as an owl.”
“Then try it, and come to me if you have a problem you can’t solve,” Felix said in a calm tone, “I’d also like to know who will bother me.”