Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle

"make a deal."

"..."

Melvin couldn't help but feel a little heartbroken. Oh no, the price was too high.

Wright took a sip of sherry and a happy smile appeared on his face. In fact, he didn't make much money from the two businesses with Professor Lewinter. It was nothing compared to the cooperation with the singer and the newspaper. But he was very comfortable to get along with Lewinter. The Muggle ideas he put forward from time to time were eye-opening.

"Professor Lewynter, no, Melvin, I'm calling you that as a friend."

Wright paused. "The cost of large-scale shadow mirrors is still too high. Muggles' equipment isn't convenient enough, and wizarding villages don't have supporting facilities. However, that system is more mature and cheaper. I urge you to consider my previous proposal."

"..."

Melvin sighed and was about to speak when he caught a glimpse of a figure approaching from the corner of his eye.

"Professor Lewinter!"

Madam Rosmerta came over with a copper flagon and helped him refill the mead that was only a layer at the bottom. "This time, the mead was brewed according to the book you gave me. Actually, there were many things I didn't understand. Thanks to your comments and supplements. I am so grateful to you.

"It wasn't fermentation time on Halloween night, so I didn't bring it out for you to taste. I just opened it this morning, and I've already sold three barrels in less than a day!"

"Please try it. Is there anything that needs improvement?"

The female owner of the tavern showed an expectant look.

"...Ms. Rosmerta, I don't know how to brew wine."

"You have such a sense of humor."

"..."

Melvin gave up the debate, took a sip of mead under her expectant gaze, and began to talk nonsense:

"Hmm... The top notes showcase the typical aroma of honey-fermented orange blossom nectar and ripe apricots, while the middle notes are complemented by vanilla pods and toasted hazelnuts brought by oak. The base notes are long and worth savoring. The sweetness on the palate is well-controlled... There's really nothing to complain about."

“This is all thanks to your help.”

Ms. Rosmerta had a bright smile, and Professor Lewynter was a nice guy, though a bit too modest.

Melvin smiled helplessly and looked at the female owner of the tavern. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind:

"Ms. Rosmerta, do you want all the wines in your store to sell as well as mead?"

Chapter 45 Another Business Deal

"Professor, do you have any other brewing recipes?" Rosmerta showed a happy expression.

"I told you, I don't know how to make wine..."

Melvin introduced her to some concepts of pub management, such as adding value to the third space and stimulating impulse consumption.

"A tavern isn't a restaurant, and the taste of the wine is just the foundation. The Three Broomsticks also needs to satisfy the entertainment needs of wizards, just like playing Celestina Warbeck's new songs on Halloween. With just a slight change in the way we operate, business will surely be even more prosperous. We can provide assistance, and the profit ratio is negotiable."

Rosmerta was confused.

Professor Lewynter was talking about some Muggle jargon again. I could understand the words separately, but I couldn't recognize them when they were put together.

Are Hogwarts courses that difficult now? Fortunately, she graduated decades ago, otherwise she might not have received the exam certificate, although running a pub didn't require any certificates.

The tavern owner, who hadn't been a good student in her youth, didn't understand. She only knew that Professor Lewinter seemed a little short of money. After a moment's thought, she said, "Professor, if you need Galleons to make ends meet, I'm willing to buy your brewing recipe. Your improved mead is selling very well, and the recipe is worth at least a few hundred Galleons. You deserve it."

Melvin didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "That's not what I meant."

Rosmerta thought the amount might not be enough. "If you have other brewing recipes, I'm willing to buy more, or I'd like to hire you as a brewing consultant for the tavern. The salary might not be as high as Hogwarts, but the advantage is that you don't have to work 24/7. You can just help me check the cellar occasionally and guide the brewing process."

"It's really not necessary..."

Melvin finally understood why the Three Broomsticks attracted so many customers. Ms. Rosmerta was very good at dealing with people and was genuinely willing to help customers who encountered difficulties. She was clearly trying to help herself, but she even used euphemisms to do so.

In a sense, this is also a long-term and sincere community management.

Melvin thought for a moment and decided to change the conversation. "Ms. Rosmerta, could you please tell me about the tavern's specific business situation? How many drinks do you sell every day? What's your monthly turnover?"

"It's not inconvenient..."

Rosmerta barely hesitated before informing the professor of the situation in the tavern.

Hogsmeade was a purely wizarding village. The Three Broomsticks primarily served the surrounding villagers, offering low prices and pursuing a strategy of small profits but quick turnover. Occasionally, passing merchants preferred to visit the village's other inn, the Hog's Head, where a diverse mix of wizards and witches mingled, some even non-wizards. The drinks there were stronger, the location more secluded, and the information more accessible.

Normally, I can sell a maximum of 200 Galleons of wine a day. After deducting the costs, I only make 20 to 30 Galleons, which means I can earn a few hundred Galleons a month.

Part of these incomes is used to curry favor with people. I don't mean bribery, but just to send some wine to the staff of relevant departments of the Ministry of Magic or Aurors, and also to Cornelius Fudge. Occasionally, when there is an operation to check dark magic items or hunt dark wizards, it can be used to ask for convenience so that the oak barrels in the wine cellar that are used for brewing wine don't have to be opened and searched.

I would also send some wine to the professors at Hogwarts, but this was more troublesome. No matter if I delivered it personally to Professor McGonagall or Professor Snape, they would basically refuse. If I sent it by owl, I would have to pay for the wine later, and I could only buy them a drink when they came to the store for a drink.

Headmaster Dumbledore usually doesn't show up at the Three Broomsticks, but he's easy to talk to and will accept any sweet wine with a smile.

If you occasionally encounter a drunkard, mentioning the names of Dumbledore and Hogwarts can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.

These are mutually beneficial.

That's how business works.

For Ms. Rosmerta, who lives alone, it is enough to have saved a certain amount of money over the past few decades, not more or less.

Rosmerta spoke of this without complaint. "...We occasionally receive Hogwarts students on weekends. As you know, students in their third year and above can go out once a month, and they like to come here for a cup of butterbeer."

"Let's calculate it at 200 Galleons a day and try out my suggestion. Business will definitely improve. The extra money will only be counted as profit. We can discuss the division of profits later. What do you think?"

"..."

In fact, Rosmerta would rather hire the professor as a winemaking consultant, or buy a few more winemaking recipes. After hesitating for half a minute, he nodded and agreed.

"As you say, Professor Levent."

……

November 11th, the second Saturday.

It's already winter.

The waning moon set on Halloween night, and the sky was cloudy for several days in a row. Thick clouds covered the sky over the Scottish Highlands, and there had been no light for a week. The young wizards could not see the stars in their astronomy class, so they did not have to report their observations.

The howling north wind grew more and more violent, leaving only two or three leaves on the branches of the willow. The temperature at Hogwarts also suddenly turned into winter. The Black Lake had frozen over. Every morning when I woke up, I could see white frost on the grounds and the outer walls of the castle.

Teachers and students walking outside in the open air exhaled white air from their mouths and noses. In order to keep warm, the students made hand warmers. They put the blue bellflower flame modified by the fire spell into jam jars and held them in their palms. It was warm enough but not burnt.

The eagerness of the young wizards was not affected at all.

Today is the first game of the new Quidditch season.

The Slytherin team had won the championship for five consecutive years. Originally, the Gryffindor team had no hope for this season. Their seeker graduated last year, and the new seekers still needed training and running-in. However, Harry's talent once again gave them hope, and the Nimbus 2000 funded by Professor McGonagall brought even greater hope.

If they can beat the Slytherin team in this match, their house points will move up to second place, and the house cup will be just around the corner.

"I was so nervous I almost vomited..."

Harry felt terrible. They were walking on the path to the Quidditch pitch, the cold wind choking his throat. His friends had prepared a banner for him, but he couldn't be happy.

"It doesn't matter. You didn't eat anything for breakfast anyway."

No one paid any attention to Ron's words of comfort. Hermione looked at the pale Harry and whispered, "Just wait until you get on your broom. Don't think about the game, think about something else."

"Think of something else..."

Harry glanced towards the Slytherin stands. "Snape's leg was injured. He must have tried to break into the room on the fourth floor corridor. What do you think he was looking for? And what was the big dog guarding?"

"You should think about the game."

"If you feel like vomiting while you're on your broom, fly towards the Slytherin stand and vomit on Malfoy or Snape."

"what……"

Chapter 46 What is top athletic talent!

Melvin walked beside Headmaster Dumbledore and found a seat in the Gryffindor stand.

In fact, Melvin himself is not very interested in Quidditch, mainly because he thinks the rules of this sport are a bit distorted.

As a competitive ball game, there is no direct physical contact. From the perspective of wizard players, Quidditch also does not allow players to use magic, and all offensive and disruptive activities are prohibited. What's the point of this?

There are other players like Chasers, Beaters and Keepers, two teams with twelve players in total, who risk being shot down and hit each other for only 10 points. The Seeker stays outside the main battlefield and gets 150 points for catching a Golden Snitch... No wonder the best players of all time are always Seekers.

But Melvin's opinion is not important. Quidditch is the most popular sport among wizards in the wizarding world, and he is going to record the competition today.

The details of the cooperation were discussed with Ms. Rosmerta last week. The main thing is that the school still needs the principal's approval. Melvin originally thought that a week would be enough time to communicate with the principal, but Dumbledore didn't show up for a whole week. Professor McGonagall always said that he was busy and didn't say whether he was in school. Anyway, there was no one in the principal's office.

Professor McGonagall is clearly in charge of all the school affairs, so I wonder what the headmaster is busy with?

I've been looking for the principal every day for the past seven days, and he finally showed up today.

"...That's just the way it is."

Melvin finished explaining the cooperation plan, feeling a little tired. "I'll only take a portion of the revenue as a commission. The remaining Galleons will be used to improve the school's Quidditch events, such as standardizing the brooms used by the participating players. There is a serious equipment gap between the four teams in the school.

"Headmaster, look, Potter is riding a Nimbus 2000, a gift from Professor McGonagall. It's the latest model in the Nimbus series, capable of reaching speeds of miles per hour and the ability to make -degree turns anywhere in the air. This isn't fair to the other players. Previously, Slytherin players had the best brooms, which is why they've dominated the championship for the past five years. In contrast, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw players still use the Four-Star Sweep, a broom that's been passed down from their teams for years."

"In the long run, having adult wizards outside the school watch the games will help to raise awareness of the school team players, which may be helpful if any players want to continue their Quidditch career after graduation.

"It can also expand the influence of Hogwarts...

"And... and... including..."

Melvin spent ten minutes explaining the plan in an organized and logical manner, though his mouth was a little dry. He looked at Dumbledore, who hadn't been there for a week, and asked, "What do you think?"

"Well……"

Dumbledore pushed his glasses up. He had changed into a new pair specifically for watching today's game. "Actually, I agreed as soon as you said your first sentence. As I said before, I'm happy to see you bring new vitality to Hogwarts."

Melvin looked at the gentle smile on the principal's face and always felt that it was a bit of a bad taste, but he also achieved his goal, so let it be a bad taste.

"Principal, what have you been doing this week?"

"I'm going to Kent to visit some ghost friends and ask them about what happens after death." Dumbledore answered casually, his tone light and casual, as if he was just going out to visit friends.

"Doesn't Hogwarts have ghosts?"

"I've already spoken to them, but didn't get an answer, so I went to Kent."

"The Kentish Ghost has the answer?"

"nor."

Melvin was certain he could hear a hint of sadness in the Headmaster's voice. He wanted to comfort him but didn't know how, so he simply diverted attention: "Headmaster, have you made any progress in your research on the Ravenclaw Diadem?"