Shopping Frenzy

---

For the first time since entering the magical world, Dyroth had spent a whole semester at Hogwarts, away from Vinda. Having spent many years together, she had gradually taken on a motherly role in his life.

What puzzled him, though, was her peculiar preference for dark green robes. Vinda wore them often, and Professor McGonagall shared the same taste. 

"Do older women have a thing for dark green?" Dyroth mused.

"Come on, let's get you home," Vinda said, unaware of his thoughts. Seeing him standing there blankly, she assumed it was because he missed her.

She took his hand and led him out of the station. They found a secluded spot, and after a few Apparitions, they arrived at the manor they had purchased before.

Despite their time away, the manor was immaculate, clearly kept in order by Vinda's frequent maintenance.

"Hungry? I've made plenty of your favorites," she said warmly.

After enjoying the house-elves' cooking at Hogwarts, Dyroth found Vinda's cooking, which he had tasted for ten years become less appetizing.

Still, he did his best to eat most of what was on the table, maintaining a polite smile.

He then turned his attention to the recent earnings report from the Saints Group. In just a few months, they had made nearly 20,000 Galleons in profit. Considering the average monthly salary for a wizard was 60 to 80 Galleons, and even Hogwarts professors earned only about 250 to 300, this was an incredible sum.

Harry Potter, considered wealthy by wizarding standards, had inherited only tens of thousands of Galleons, the result of years of accumulation by the Potter family.

"Capital is always the most profitable business, no matter the world," Dyroth remarked to himself. In just a few months, they had earned what took most pure-blood families years to save. Families like the Malfoys, especially those invested in real estate, must be even wealthier.

As he continued reading the reports, he noticed that other shops in Diagon Alley had started copying the Saints' sales strategies to protect their own profits. This made Dyroth chuckle.

"Do they really think they can outdo me by copying my methods?"

With Christmas approaching, Dyroth called Vinda over and shared his new sales plan.

Vinda was momentarily taken aback. "Will this really work? Won't it hurt our profits?"

"Small profits but quick turnover," Dyroth explained patiently. "And we're not even making small profits, just slightly less on each item. A product is only valuable when sold. If it just sits on the shelf, it's worthless."

"We've already established ourselves in Diagon Alley, but our next goal—replacing Gringotts—will require a large amount of gold. The key is to turn our inventory into Galleons as fast as possible."

"Replacing Gringotts?" Vinda asked, shocked by Dyroth's ambitions.

Dyroth nodded. "Gringotts has been dormant for too long. The last major event there happened when I first started at Hogwarts, had proved its inability."

Vinda smiled, understanding where this was going. "I see. If this is what you're planning. You can leave it to me."

In the past, Gringotts had employed similar tactics to dominate. Now Vinda was ready to give them a taste of their own medicine.

"Remember to make a big fuss and the most important thing is to make sure the world witness it all."

"Don't worry, leave everything to me."

---

Three days later, Christmas arrived, and Diagon Alley was filled with festive cheer.

Decorations of Santa Claus and gift boxes adorned the streets. But instead of leisurely shopping, most of the wizards were packed around the Saints' shop, going wild over a special sale.

That morning, a message had spread across Diagon Alley—during Christmas, all products at the Saints Group stores would be sold at a discount. The offer included tiered discounts: 10 Galleons off when spending 30, 20 off when spending 50, and so on. 

The more you spent, the more you saved. Wizards who were already bad at math were now scrambling to calculate what felt like a steal.

"Shopping guide! I need a pint of Acromantula venom!" one wizard called out.

"Sure, here's your receipt," the guide replied. "Take it to the cashier down the street, and they'll calculate your total. Once you pay, your items will be delivered."

"Shopping guide, I want a bird-snake feather!"

"I need poisonous leopard saliva!"

"I want a wizard's robe!" a young wizard chimed in, but he was quickly drowned out by others.

Dyroth had only arranged for ten shopping guides per store, thinking it would be enough. But now it seemed even twenty wouldn't be sufficient! The Aurors assigned to maintain order had been pushed aside, some even joining the shopping frenzy.

They earned only around 100 Galleons a month, and with potions and materials to buy, this sale was too good to pass up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm," Dyroth called out, using his wand to amplify his voice. "All the Saints' shops has plenty of stock. There will be no shortages, so there's no need to rush. Please line up in an orderly manner."

As noon approached, instead of thinning out, the crowd grew larger. Word of the sale had spread, and even more wizards were flocking to the store. Dyroth had prepared for this, setting up rest areas with free drinks to keep people calm while they waited their turn.

Meanwhile, not far away, the owners of several pure-blood shops were grinding their teeth. They had tried copying the Saints' sales model, hoping to retain customers. But now, they watched helplessly as the Saints' shop was overwhelmed with business, while their own stores stood practically empty.

"Boom"

Just as the pure-blood shop owners were lamenting their situation, a loud explosion sounded in the distance!

.

.

.