Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 355 Recommending Child Labor
The club's gathering was held on the top floor of the Three Brooms. It wasn't a large event, but quite a few wizards were invited to attend.

The place is divided into several circles. One circle is occupied by pure-blood nobles who occupy the central position. Malfoy and Nott are the center, surrounded by Goyle, Crabbe, Parkinson and others. Their robes are decorated with intricate patterns inlaid with gold thread, and the candlelight casts a gorgeous soft glow on them.

On either side of the room were merchants from various wizarding villages, regardless of pure-blood or half-blood, and they didn't even discriminate against Muggle-born people; they were a group of pure businessmen.

Many pub owners also mingled there, raising their glasses and exchanging cheerful greetings. They had no need for advertising business; they attended the gathering to support the club.

"Boom..."

The glasses clinked lightly, and Taclot and Malcolm took a swig of ice-cold beer and let out a refreshing sigh. They were just trying their luck, not expecting much, and didn't want to mingle in the noisy crowd.

The two saw the young wizard loitering in the doorway, looking rather uninterested, and assumed he was also a young man trying his luck.

"Those guys inside used to be Death Eaters, and now they're putting on a friendly and approachable act. Their voices are more nauseating than the hooting of a harbinger bird!"

They invited Melvin to clink glasses and casually asked, "By the way, what kind of business does your family run?"

"The call of the 'evil bird'... wasn't that used to describe the cheers of Canadian fans at the last World Cup?"

Melvin arrived late, clinked glasses with the two, and, realizing they didn't recognize him, joined the small group: "There are so many businesses participating this time. Aren't you afraid of an upset like last time in the final, making fans resent your products?"

"The result of the competition has nothing to do with the advertisements. Besides, isn't holding a grudge still holding a grudge?"

Tacroft blinked and picked up another beer, then, in the tone of an old wizard, imparted his wisdom: "Whether it's a good impression or a bad impression, as long as your product is the first thing he thinks of when he wants to buy something, the advertising will work."

Melvin was somewhat surprised, not expecting a wizard to understand advertising to this extent. He took a sip of his beer and asked, "So what does your family do?"

"The outdoor lighting is made from sine punk, providing long-lasting illumination and repelling annoying little creatures like mosquitoes."

Tacroft spoke of his family's lamps with pride: "My family was once a prominent one. We started making lamps when Hogwarts was founded. It's a skill passed down for more than ten generations. I could barely be considered an alchemist. The Chocolate Frog Factory even wanted to turn my ancestor into a picture."

"You'd only ever lie around spending your savings; you'd be destitute by now."

Malcolm mercilessly exposed the truth: "Lady Levina Monkstanley created the Illumination Charm, and your family's lamp business has declined ever since. Moreover, the Monkstanley family has worked hard for generations to become a true alchemical family. Look at that Wright, the Shadow Mirror will keep his family prosperous for at least several hundred years."

Tacrot glared at him, but he couldn't refute her words. After a few more glares, he slunk down and lowered his head.

Unexpectedly, the Monk Stanley family was involved here. Melvin glanced at Wright, who was giving a speech on stage, and then looked at the descendant of the fallen wizarding family beside him: "The advertising for this final is not the only one. There are sponsors, stadium billboards, virtual advertisements during the televised broadcast, and logos printed on souvenirs. The club can also help sign players later. It doesn't matter if you can't get the first few, the other promotional effects are also very good."

“It’s not a problem with advertising. He makes all the lamps himself. He used to just coast along, not caring about the number of orders. Now he wants to save some money for his kids, but he has too many orders and can’t keep up with them.” Malcolm continued to rub salt in the wound.

Tacroft: ...

They've been rivals for decades, since their student days, with each side having its share of victories and defeats, but now Tacrot feels he's lost.

Melvin pondered for a moment, then said, "If sales aren't going up, then increase the unit price. How much did a lamp cost before?"

"Six Galleons".

"Then let's find a way to multiply it tenfold, a hundredfold, so that one is worth a hundred."

"How is this possible?" Taclot couldn't even imagine that his own lamps would sell for hundreds of Galleons.

"Why not?"

Melvin adopted the air of a Muggle studies professor: "You've thoroughly studied the role of advertising, and you must have come into contact with goods in the Muggle world. Why didn't you expand on that? Take lamps, for example; the price difference between Muggle stores is far more outrageous. What's the fundamental difference between them?"

The two stood there, stunned, and shook their heads at the encouraging look in the young wizard's eyes.

This feeling is strangely familiar, like being called on and guided by a teacher in class.

"You can also improve your lamps using this approach, dividing them into high-end and low-end products. The low-end ones can remain as they are, targeting ordinary customers and focusing on practicality, while the high-end ones can target pure-blooded millionaires and have a luxurious appearance..."

Melvin launched into a long explanation: "Use Hinkpunk as the main material, and don't skimp on the other materials either. Use dragon scales, thunderbird feathers, and inlay gold and silver. Don't worry about not being able to sell them. That's how Shadow Mirrors are sold."

"But... will anyone really buy it?" Tacrot asked uncertainly.

Melvin gestured toward the group of purebloods in the center of the room: "Look at those guys. They don't buy the best things, they buy the most expensive things, the things that best show off their status and wealth. They even buy clothes with gold thread. If they had a choice, they would definitely choose the most expensive lamps."

Tacloth's eyes lit up, while Malcolm was dumbfounded.

He looked at the young wizard, feeling a vague sense of familiarity, and subconsciously asked, "This gentleman seems very familiar with Muggle business models. Your family business must be quite large..."

Before he could think carefully about where he had seen him before, a commotion suddenly broke out in the room. In the center of the crowd, the club manager, Wright, walked over with a warm smile on his face.

"Melvin, you're finally here. I thought you were going to slack off and hide again."

Tacroft and Malcolm's gazes fell on the young wizard. No wonder he spoke with such a professorial air and had such profound knowledge of the Muggle world; it turned out to be Professor Levent.

Many of the wizards in the room had never seen Professor Levent, only a few scattered photographs in the newspaper, but the distorted colors of the photographs printed in the newspaper could not be immediately associated with the real person.

After a brief silence, a clamor erupted.

"Professor Levent, can the logo of the Elegant Clothing Store be printed on the scoring ring?"

"Professor, the Elegant Clothing Store is a better fit for the club's image than the Elegant Style!" "Professor, our Horror Journey Company offers the highest price, and we don't need to advertise at the game; we'll only insert ads during the televised broadcast."

"..."

At first glance, it sounds noisy and harsh, but if you listen carefully, you can hear the pleasant sound of the waves crashing in the ocean.

Today's meeting was mainly led by Wright and Bagman. Melvin came to check on things and talk to a few of them. He didn't intend to make any public appearances or give any speeches, but Wright put him here, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

"Friends of the Magic Mirror Club, it's a pleasure to have you attend this gathering."

Melvin, facing the gazes of dozens of wizards, hesitated briefly before deciding to offer a brief response: "We've gathered here today not to fight over an advertising billboard in the stadium, or a few seconds of virtual advertising during the telescope broadcast, or game-related souvenirs like goblin coins and telescopes..."

"It was to create a completely new business model in the wizarding world, a business model created by Muggles."

"Since its inception, the Magic Mirror Club has encountered many twists and turns and suffered a lot of criticism, but it has still grown to the extent it is today, enough to make wizards all over the world take notice. This is an unstoppable wave of the times, and we are riding the first ship to brave the wind and waves."

“I know you want wizards all over the world to see your products and shops, but I’m telling you, this isn’t the only opportunity.”

Melvin paused briefly: "I can tell you that Director Crouch of the International Affairs Division is preparing to restart the Goblet of Fire tournament, and it will be an even grander event!"

Ignoring the uproar caused by the news, Melvin turned and walked towards the side hall. He saw the two wizards, Tacrot and Malcolm, smiled at them amicably, and disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

A cacophony of discussion erupted in the rotunda, all expressing shock at the news of the Goblet of Fire's relaunch.

Tacrot gave a vague reply, then regretted it after realizing what he had said. He should have asked Professor Levent more questions about how to use lamps to fool those pure-blood fools.

……

The party ended, leaving three brooms in the side room.

The core members of the Shadow Mirror Club attended the meeting. Melvin sat in a chair by the window, his shoulders sunk into the soft fur, his posture lazy and casual. The large round table had been removed, making this meeting more like a tea party.

The attendees included Wright, who was in charge of the production of the mirrors; Gufie, the editor of the Prophet's newspaper; Ludo Bagman of the Sports Department; and several tavern owners, including Ms. Rosmerta, Old Tom, and Old Will.

The conversation was filled with the sounds of clinking glasses and cracking nuts, creating a particularly pleasant atmosphere.

"Over the past few months, the Saints have helped us sell mirrors in dozens of countries, including Bulgaria, Norway, Germany, and Austria. After the Medal of Valor was awarded, the Ministries of Magic in various countries were happy to cooperate with us to set up FlooNet transmission networks."

Wright took a leisurely sip of mead, tilting his chin slightly upward: "At the same time, I have partnered with the Egyptian Alchemy Research Center, hiring many alchemists to ensure the production of the Shadow Mirrors and guarantee the successful completion of the Floo Network upgrades in various countries."

A sense of triumph washed over him, making it hard for anyone else to ignore. The past year, while Melvin was teaching at Hogwarts, had been the year of the Magic Mirror Club's most rapid development. Thanks to the efforts of Wright and others, the Magic Mirror had finally become a best-selling wizarding product worldwide. Even the obstruction from Piccoli in the New World could not stop the spread of this trend.

As for the remaining issue of building the Magical Congress's Floo Network, that can only be left for Dumbledore and Crouch to work on when they go to New York for the meeting.

"The advertising for the Quebec World Cup final broadcast has also been tentatively agreed upon, and the profits from this will allow the club to open a separate underground vault in Gringotts."

Old Will was in high spirits. In the summer, his broken leg and old injuries felt much better. He chuckled gruffly, "The price Tuofan Clothing Store offered is enough to sell several of my old taverns!"

The laughter and chatter continued for a long time. Several club members raised their glasses and clinked them together, feeling incredibly satisfied with earning Galleons in the tens of thousands.

"Ding……"

Melvin tapped his glass, the crisp sound silencing their unrestrained laughter.

"The development of the mirror industry is still a long way off, and we cannot only focus on immediate gains."

Melvin's eyes held a gentle smile: "We can't lock up all the Galleons we earn today in the vault. Most of them will be used for further improvements to the Shadow Mirror. Wright, the cooperation with the Egyptian Alchemy Research Center cannot stop. Upgrading the Floo Network, establishing a broadcasting center, and improving the program production process—all of these things require money..."

"The conditions for this broadcast are not yet ripe, so we can only use a shortcut to achieve the live broadcast. Hopefully, we can complete the infrastructure construction before the next World Cup." Melvin waved his hand, causing the wine jug to float up, poured mead for everyone, and then led the way in raising a glass.

When glasses clink together, they are the sounds of a new era.

Melvin turned to the newspaper's editor-in-chief: "The Prophet's News must be very busy this summer, right? The International Wizarding Federation is about to convene, the Quidditch finals are imminent, and there's news about the Goblet of Fire restarting."

"Professor, do you have any suggestions?" Editor-in-Chief Gu Fei sensed a hidden meaning in his words.

“I have an outstanding student, top of his class, a future Minister of Magic, who wants to intern at your newspaper,” Melvin said with a smile.

“Our employees’ children occasionally come to the newspaper office to help out, but it’s all unimportant work like organizing documents and counting paper and ink. It’s not that we don’t allow them to write news and publish articles, it’s just that they find those jobs incredibly boring.”

Editor-in-Chief Gu Fei didn't pay much attention to the future minister's words, thinking it was Melvin's joke praising his student: "What year is your student in? What kind of work does he want to try?"

“Let’s rotate her to different positions. We should hold her to the same standards as regular employees so she can really learn something,” Melvin said casually, leaning back in his chair. “She’s not too young, not too old; she’ll be a fourth-grader next semester.”

The wizards in the room looked at each other and laughed. Next semester is the fourth year, which means he is only 14 years old. He has only taken elective courses for one year, has not yet taken the wizarding level exam, has not yet attended advanced classes, and has not yet finished learning standard spells. What can such a child do?
"I hope no one will report me for employing child labor, since the interns are underage," Gu Fei couldn't help but laugh.

Melvin laughed too. The wizarding world doesn't have a law protecting underage wizards, but it does have the "Law on the Reasonable Restraint of Underage Wizards," which stipulates a series of rules and regulations, prohibiting spellcasting outside of school and close contact with Muggles…

However, there are no regulations prohibiting people from working.

(End of this chapter)