The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 272 Malfoy Manor, A Highly Anticipated Banquet

Time flows.

Since the beginning of July, many new faces have appeared throughout England.

Different skin colors, different races, but they all have the same goal: the 442nd Quidditch World Cup.

Arriving more than a month in advance might be hard for Muggles to understand.

But for wizards, this is no ordinary thing.

Without the pressure of survival, finance doesn't seem particularly important to many wizards.

Because no matter how poor a wizard is, as long as he has a wand, he won't starve to death.

Of course, if someone is extremely stupid, that's a different story.

Generally speaking, most wizards' fondness for Galon stemmed from a desire to improve their quality of life, rather than a necessity for survival.

……

July is the most special time of the year.

Not only because it has the hottest temperature of the year, but also because in magic, seven represents mystery and the unknown.

A boy born in July, the same month Voldemort falls, and also the seven evil Horcruxes...

As a mysterious number that runs throughout the entire story, July seems to be exceptionally favored by fate.

Similarly, on a weekend in early July 1994.

Malfoy Manor hosted a banquet, a banquet that attracted the attention of the entire European magical world.

……

Wiltshire.

On a midsummer night, the northern sky is filled with twinkling stars.

Whether it's the Big Dipper in Ursa Major, Polaris in Ursa Minor, or even Cassiopeia, Cygnus, and many other bright stars, they all radiate dazzling starlight in the sky.

8 PM.

Malfoy Estate was bustling with people and guests.

Strangely, Lucius and his wife, as the owners of the manor, did not appear, and among the guests, there were no adult wizards to be seen either.

The oldest guests were those who looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old and had just graduated from Hogwarts.

Draco, without his parents' involvement, took on the responsibility of managing the Malfoy Manor.

Wearing a sharp tailcoat and sporting a warm and polite smile, he made everyone present feel completely at ease.

Compared to Draco's meticulousness, Ino's approach was much more casual.

He was still wearing that blue robe woven from spider silk, and several of his non-Slytherin friends were sitting around him.

George, Weasley, Neville, Percy, Cedric, Hannah, Cho...

There's no way around it; the divisions at Hogwarts are too pronounced. Adult wizards are somewhat better off, but this is especially evident during their student years.

He could only try his best to take care of his friends from the outer courtyard before the banquet began.

……

The banquet was held on the lawn of the manor.

As night falls and the lights come on, the various exquisite magical lamps illuminate the entire manor with dazzling lights.

Exquisite tableware, fragrant bouquets, and the subtle aromas of perfume and gourmet food filling the air, accompanied by soothing and gentle music, made the entire banquet look absolutely stunning.

It's 8:30 at night.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ino slowly walked up to the main seat on the high platform.

His gaze swept down, and although he couldn't name many of the people, their faces were familiar.

Whether it's a public lounge, an auditorium, a corridor, or a library, you'll always encounter it.

"Good evening, everyone!" Ino took a deep breath, and with the help of magic, her voice clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Seeing familiar faces here gives me the feeling of hosting the opening banquet; perhaps I'm just missing a sorting hat..."

A small joke brought a knowing smile to the faces of those present.

After a brief moment of joking, Ino spoke again, but this time her voice sounded much more formal.

"I'm so glad everyone could come to the banquet, and I'm also so glad we live in such a rapidly changing era..."

"But what I want to say is that no matter how times change, some things will never change."

At this point, Ino paused deliberately for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the crowd.

"What remains unchanged? It is our love for each other, our pursuit of dreams, and our expectations for the future."

A deep, powerful voice, with a calm and unhurried tone.

These words resonated with many people.

Everyone present, though they were all teenagers, had their own dreams and the pursuit of those dreams precisely because they were all teenagers.

George and Fred dreamed of a joke shop, Neville wanted to open a herb plantation, Hannah wanted to open a dessert shop, and Cedric's gaze turned to Cho beside him...

"Ahem, I suppose everyone is aware of the nature of this banquet, but I still want to emphasize it here."

Ino coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention once again.

"I hope that FilmMirror can be a tool for everyone to realize their dreams, not a tool for making money. Of course, this doesn't mean I'm rejecting your investment; I welcome investment from everyone..."

About fifteen minutes.

Ino described in detail the nature of the banquet, which was somewhat similar to the famous Harvard alumni group among Muggles.

However, unlike other events, this banquet will use film and television as a foundation to form a diversified community of interests.

To put it bluntly, everyone can benefit from this.

Those with sufficient funds, such as Draco, Pansy, and Marcus, can directly join through financing; while those who are not short of funds, such as George, Fred, and even Percy, can invest through other means.

Those with academic knowledge can participate in research and development, those with social skills can be in charge of sales, and those already working at the Ministry of Magic can also obtain a share of the profits through their positions and authority.

Of course, this is only from the perspective of interests.

What a community of shared interests brings is not so much direct money, but more of an alliance that will last for the next twenty years.

In this respect, the Harvard alumni group has done an exceptional job, including figures like Obama, Bush, Gates, and Zuckerberg. When a group produces influential figures in various fields, the first thing that should come to mind is the power and influence of that group.

And this kind of wisdom is exactly what pure-blooded wizards in the magical world have in abundance.

Marcus, Percy, and even former prefect Mina Burke all clearly saw this point.

……

While this is true in essence, the starting point is not.

The origin of the whole thing was something Ino never told anyone, not even Draco.

From beginning to end, all he wanted was to make the magical world more beautiful.

The reason for such a grand setup, besides clearing obstacles for the future of film and television mirrors, is also largely to avoid being lazy.

When the snowball of profit begins to roll, it no longer needs any external support; it only needs to maintain the right direction.

……

After the speech, the banquet officially began.

Amidst the relaxed and pleasant conversation of everyone else, two people appeared unusually busy.

Draco and Marcus.

There was a table in front of each of them, and on the table was a thick stack of parchment.

Clearly, some people have already started joining in different ways.

Seeing the two busy people, Ino felt genuinely fortunate to have someone to help.

Otherwise, if he were to do nothing but this one thing all by himself, he would probably have to bury himself in it for decades.

Xiao Di's sharing today: Glumbumble (a type of heartbreak bug)

British Magic Classification Level: xxx

Origin and distribution: The heart beetle originated in Northern Europe.

Appearance characteristics: The heart-wrenching beetle is a gray, hairy flying insect.

Habits: Sadness beetles build their nests in dark, secluded places, such as hollow tree trunks and caves. They feed on nettles. If sadness beetles swarm in beehives or hives, they will disturb the bees and cause disastrous damage to honey production.

Abilities and Uses: The Heartbreak Worm produces a melancholic molasses. This molasses can be used as an antidote to treat hysteria caused by consuming Ariot leaves.

(End of this chapter)