The Return to Hogwarts

Ten minutes later, an owl took flight from the yard, circled twice in the air, and then disappeared into the dark blue night.

“Let’s go, Percy—”

Sirius waved to Percy, who was still standing there in the yard, and shouted loudly with a smile.

"You're from Hogwarts, Percy. Have you seen Harry?"

Sirius led Percy toward the industrial area of ​​Diagon Alley. He knew that Percy, like himself, wasn't doing particularly well in the department, so they didn't talk about anything work-related.

“Oh, Harry. Yes, I saw him, and Ron and Hermione too—”

Percy's eyes flickered, and his cheeks flushed red.

He not only saw all three of them, but he almost got into a fight with them in Professor Blaine's office. But he couldn't tell Sirius about it, so he just nodded and stammered...

"They... well, they seem to be in good spirits. But you know, Sirius, I was in a rush to get back, so I didn't talk to them much."

"Is it?"

Sirius glanced at Percy sideways, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing more.

He had taught Percy Defense Against the Dark Arts and had also lived with Arthur's family for a time, so he knew Arthur, the third son, fairly well.

Among the mild-mannered Weasley family, Percy was arguably the most ambitious, and he made no secret of his determination to advance his career after joining the Ministry of Magic. To be honest, Sirius didn't particularly admire Percy's style. Wanting to become a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Magic wasn't an excessive dream, but Percy's problem was that he was somewhat blinded by the desire for power and couldn't distinguish what was truly important.

The oppressive atmosphere surrounding them made Sirius and Percy feel uncomfortable, so they quickly ventured deeper into the alleys of the industrial area.

Upon entering a certain area, a deafening roar shattered the tranquility of the first night. Unlike the deserted area outside, even as night fell, workers bustled about in the workshops.

Percy followed Sirius to a park with the most workshops in the area. Even so, three huge workshops were under construction on a large open space in the park, and a dozen wizards were waving their wands to make steel beams fly into the air and be erected in the correct positions.

Having finally managed to pull his gaze away from the billowing smoke from the chimneys, Percy looked at the only office building in the factory area. Almost every office in the building was lit up, and Percy could see many figures flickering behind each window.

The factory gates were guarded not only by wizards but also by goblins, but they were clearly already very familiar with Sirius. Sirius simply explained who Percy was and what he was there for, and the shrewd and capable guards let the two of them into the factory. Meanwhile, the workers waiting to transport raw materials on one side of the gate had to undergo the inspection of an honesty probe and a spyglass before they were allowed to pass.

"The security here seems even tighter than at the Ministry of Magic!"

Percy was somewhat taken aback by the display at the gate, and he clicked his tongue in amazement.

"In fact, the security measures here are even more comprehensive than you can see—"

Sirius Black smiled and pointed to the roof of the workshop and a row of dense pine trees and bushes behind the park's wall, saying...

“Those places are secretly monitored by highly skilled wizards, and the park is protected by a host of powerful spells, including the Anti-Apparition Charm. I bet even if all the Aurors in the Ministry of Magic's Auror office wanted to storm this place, they wouldn't be able to break through its defenses.”

"I do not understand--"

Sirius's explanation astonished Percy even more.

"Why do you have to do this?"

"You'll have to ask Amosta about that—"

Sirius shrugged.

"This was his request. Remus put a lot of thought into building the workshops for defense in a state of war."

The air was thick with a sense of unease, not because something was on fire, but because the atmosphere itself made Percy feel anxious.

Everyone walking through the park wore a sense of urgency; no one was leisurely strolling, everyone was jogging towards their destination.

Looking at the workers, administrators, and alchemy experts coming and going, seemingly with endless tasks, Percy suddenly felt a pang of envy. It wasn't simply envy of their busyness, but rather envy of the high spirits that surrounded them, a feeling that couldn't be found even in the Ministry of Magic.

"They seem to really love this job—"

As Percy followed Sirius toward the brightly lit office building, his eyes followed a group of well-dressed wizards rushing hurriedly toward a workshop.

"Oh, of course--"

Sirius Black said, half-jokingly and half-meaningfully,

"Remus pays them very well. The most ordinary workers here earn more than four hundred Galleons a year, while the experts and mid-to-senior level business personnel earn salaries comparable to Hogwarts professors. Oh, to be honest, if the department doesn't give me a raise soon, I'd rather come here and be a security guard!"

Four hundred gallons is just the bare minimum?!

Percy's eyes widened in shock. This salary was even higher than his income at the Ministry of Magic, which was the lowest level here!

Sirius Black was pleased with the look of surprise on Percy's face. He patted Percy on the shoulder and pushed him up the stairs.

"Let's go, I bet Remus is starving."

"Oh, isn't there a place to eat here? Why does Remus need you to bring him food?"

Still in shock, Percy instinctively voiced his doubts.

"Oh--"

Sirius's expression turned slightly awkward, and he coughed twice.

“Ahem. You know, Remus has been living with me, well. He’s gotten used to Kreacher’s cooking.”

Chapter 998 The Secret to Success

2024-06-26

"Capacity, capacity, I need capacity. Tell those lazy guys in the production department that they must increase capacity by another three percent before June, or I will suggest Mr. Lupin fire those who are dragging our feet!"

"Oh, damn it, those greedy Swiss want to raise the price of raw materials by five percent. That's impossible. I have to talk to them as soon as possible. I can't wait any longer, Riddle. Tonight, I'm going back to pack my bags and head to Switzerland right now. Go to the Ministry of Magic and apply for a cross-border Floo Network license for me!"

"The shipment destined for Hungary was seized by the local Ministry of Magic."

Why? Oh, they suspect smuggling and need to open the boxes for inspection. Oh, don't think I don't know, these bastards just want to make a quick buck. Mr. Blaine should throw a fireball over their heads. Oh, I know Mr. Blaine wouldn't do that. Well, we can't break the agreement. I'll write to Anya now and have her satisfy those bastards' appetites!

"Those damn Americans changed our contract. Oh, just you wait and see. I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget. Unless they pay the penalty, their goods will be stuck at the border for another two weeks!"

"Humans? Sorry, Santis, I have no one left to do your bidding. Forget humans, I can't even find a goblin. And don't even think about taking my place. Mr. Lupin has assigned me to go to Egypt to develop the market, and I have to leave first thing tomorrow morning. Damn it, when will I finally get some help!"

Offices with open doors, wizards with flushed faces and sweating profusely.

Percy felt as if he were in a different kind of battlefield, where every wizard before him was exuding passion and energy, each radiating a vibrant, upward-looking spirit—a spirit he couldn't even find in the Ministry of Magic, which boasted the most elite wizards. Having worked there for almost a year, Percy knew exactly how most of the Ministry's officials slacked off.

The scene before him was chaotic, but within that chaos lay a fatal attraction that deeply drew Percy in.

Percy's eyes gleamed with a hint of fascination and envy as he watched the busy wizards until Sirius spoke, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Aren't the people here very passionate?"

Sirius Black watched as yet another group of alchemy experts rushed out the door with a smirk.

"That's right, everyone is very focused—"

Percy said this instinctively. He looked at Sirius and found Sirius staring intently at him. Percy blushed and took a slight breath.

"But how did Professor Lupin manage that?" Percy asked, puzzled.

"How did he manage to inspire such enthusiasm in everyone?"

"Oh, this actually came from some suggestions from Amosta--"

Sirius Black was the first to walk down the first-floor corridor to the second floor.

"First of all, generous compensation is essential. According to Amosta to Remus, most people do not have lofty beliefs and great dreams. People work hard simply to improve their lives and make things easier for themselves. So, if you can offer a generous salary, you can ignite their enthusiasm."

Upon hearing these words, Percy was once again lost in thought—was he one of the few people with lofty beliefs and dreams that Professor Blaine spoke of?

"Secondly."

Sirius leaped three steps to the second floor, turned to Percy, and said...

"Maintaining fairness and impartiality is crucial. Unlike other pure-blood family businesses, this place isn't filled with core family members doing the easiest work and receiving the highest salaries," Amosta reminded Remus, emphasizing the need to create clear promotion paths for employees.

The people in those offices you just saw were mostly handpicked from the production line workers when Remus first took over the workshop. They are highly capable and eager to learn, so they quickly became independent.

A fair, just, and smooth promotion channel.

A bitter smile appeared on Percy's lips; this was the environment he had always dreamed of having at the Ministry of Magic.

"And also--"

Sirius carefully carried the lunchbox and quickly walked up the stairs from the third to the fourth floor to reach the fifth floor.

"Amosta also taught Remus many things, such as how to show employees the workshop's future prospects and inspire their pride in the workshop."

Strict oversight and punishment measures will be used to prevent corruption like that in the Ministry of Magic from arising to the greatest extent possible.

Oh, and their genuine care for their employees. You probably don't know this, Percy, but this workshop reimburses all medical expenses incurred by any employee's spouse, child, or parent if they are ill, even if they visit the St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Sicknesses.

If an employee's child awakens enough magical talent, the workshop will also subsidize his/her tuition at Hogwarts. You know, Percy, Hogwarts has limited subsidies for children from poor families, and that limited amount of money is only enough for them to buy some second-hand items.

However, if you work at this workshop and your financial situation happens to be tight, then when your child enters Hogwarts, in addition to receiving a stipend from Hogwarts, the workshop will also provide a separate stipend, ensuring your child can study at Hogwarts with dignity.

Percy followed Sirius all the way to the sixth floor of the office building, staring in disbelief as Sirius recounted the story of the workshop.

The office building floors had the same result as the floors below, except that most of the spacious corridors were filled with wizards queuing up.

"They all want to see Remus—"

Sirius nodded with his chin at the group of wizards holding documents, occasionally stamping their feet and anxiously glancing at the watches on their wrists, and said in a relaxed tone,

"If I were to wait in line normally, it would probably take two hours to see Remus. Luckily, I have some special privileges."

The last time I saw Professor Lu Ping was last summer.

At that time, Professor Lupin had been staying at St. Mungo's for several months because of his fight with Greyback's gang of werewolves. During the short stay at his house in order to go to the Quidditch World Cup together, Professor Lupin was a middle-aged wizard who had lost his job and felt somewhat lost.

But now, in the back of the simply decorated, unpretentious office, the wizard sitting behind his desk giving instructions had a dignified air that even Percy, who often saw many high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic, found somewhat intimidating.