112: Flat-faced Cat and the Start of School

Mundungus, ever since being warned, no longer dared to act as cocky as before.

Having witnessed the extreme and wicked magical methods of "Mr. Johnny Silverhand," Mundungus felt no desire to resist.

The person in charge of the Little Werewolf Wizards' Fund had also changed from Mundungus to Tommy. John felt quite helpless about this arrangement—he really needed to find someone with a business mind. For now, Tommie would have to do.

The Johnny Silverhand's Speciality Shop added a service window for Silverhand Angel Investments.

Tommy sat at the window, his head aching from dealing with wizards who were constantly coming and going, claiming to have brilliant ideas.

Tommy felt like he was nothing more than a display piece at an exhibition, being ogled by everyone.

John was forcibly seated at the window by the Weasley twins. Seeing this, Tommy immediately knew that yet another wizard with big dreams had come.

He casually glanced up, but couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. 'How can boss come here in his real identity?! What if someone sees his face—'

"We're here to apply for Silverhand Angel Investment."

"All we need is one hundred Galleons."

The Weasley twins, standing on either side of John, proudly patted his shoulders. John's face was full of awkwardness.

Tommy snapped out of his shock, his expression turning strange as he asked, "One hundred Galleons?"

The Weasley twins, thinking Silverhand Angel Investments found the sum too high, were blissfully unaware that Tommy was already questioning his very existence.

'You came here with my boss like this, and you're ONLY asking for a hundred Galleons?'

"Do you look down on my boss, or are you completely unaware of Johnny Silverhand's assets?"

Seeing Tommy's expression, John quickly chimed in, "As you can see, we're just Hogwarts students with big dreams. We'll have to attend school soon, so our deliveries will be made through owl post."

John frantically gave Tommy looks, desperate to shake off the twins.

Gulp! "E-Ehm*" Tommy understood immediately and, with a serious face, cleared his throat and said, "In that case, this amount seems quite reasonable."

"Owl post?"

"John, you're a genius!"

"I knew bringing you along was the right choice!"

"We could collaborate and sell at school!"

The Weasley twins lit up with excitement at John's idea.

Right, why hadn't they thought of that?

John Wick, the undisputed top student in his year, always had the best ideas, whether it was power or clever strategies.

John shot another glance at Tommy. Understanding the signal, Tommy nodded discreetly, pulled out a form, and with a friendly smile said, "Alright then, let's plan out your future business model in detail. We'll give you an answer as soon as possible."

The Weasley twins cheered and immediately handed the form over to John.

John was momentarily stunned—Wait, who's opening the store here, me or you?

The form was his own design, detailing the future business plan with short-term goals for one year, long-term objectives for three years, projected revenue, and a focus on core products and target markets.

It was a comprehensive strategy that every shop should have, and also served to weed out wizards trying to scam investors.

Now, with the form shoved into his hands, John's face darkened—Are they really treating me like a workhorse?

He stuffed the parchment back into Fred's hands, saying meaningfully, "This is your idea. No one knows it better than you two."

Checking the time, John realized he still hadn't fed Tom.

The Weasley twins agreed with John's point and thanked him, carefully storing the form. Their mother, Mrs. Weasley, had always wanted them to work at the Ministry like their father. But for the energetic pair, that would be a living hell.

That's why they wanted to open a joke shop. The hundred Galleons was just the startup money, and after graduation, they planned to really launch the business.

"Really! This was possible because of your thinking at the time! I've heard there are some new ice creams! Let's go!"

Listening to them, the unpleasant memory resurfaced making him shudder. "N-New Ice creams... No No NO.. ehm* I mean, Tom is hungry and you two don't need to thank me for this."

Politely declining the twins' offer to treat him to some new-flavored ice cream, John returned to the Leaky Cauldron.

...

Tom, the dog, was munching away at her food, while Basil, the owl, still perched on a high spot, half-asleep—or at least pretending to be.

Suddenly, a loud shout came from the room next door.

It was probably some unfortunate Hogwarts student who had opened The Monster Book of Monsters.

The entire Weasley family was staying at the Leaky Cauldron.

Initially, John had been quite dismissive of the place, thinking it was dirty and chaotic. But to his surprise, the rooms inside were actually quite clean.

As he walked out, intending to grab a bite to eat, he bumped into Mr. Weasley.

"John Wick, thank you for helping Harry and the others," Mr. Weasley said, shaking John's hand. He was referring to the events of their second year. Before John could reply, Molly Weasley, with her motherly warmth, came over and hugged him.

One tall and thin, the other short and plump—this perfect "strict mother, kind father" duo managed to keep all seven Weasley children in line.

"Dear, you must be hungry. We've got freshly baked pies coming right up," Molly said affectionately.

John, feeling a bit flattered by their warmth, realized he was now getting the same treatment Harry always received from the Weasleys.

Sitting at the dining table, John noticed Hermione and Ron arguing. The cause? Hermione's new pet, Crookshanks, had been eyeing Scabbers in a way that made Ron furious. The two were bickering like an old married couple.

John's attention shifted to Crookshanks, who was nestled in Hermione's arms.

The cat's face looked squished, like a squashed persimmon, with a fierce and gloomy expression. Its ginger fur was fluffy and soft, making it look oddly pinchable.

John and Crookshanks stared at each other for a moment.

Hmm..

Quietly, John took out a dried fish snack and tossed it toward Crookshanks.

The cat skillfully caught it in mid-air with its mouth.

Damn!

John pulled out another snack and threw it again.

Heh~

Crookshanks, clearly no ordinary cat, caught it with the same precision. John suspected there was some magical creature lineage in the cat, given how clever it seemed.

At dinner, John noticed Percy Weasley, proudly wearing his Head Boy badge everywhere he went since being appointed. The Weasley twins loved to tease him, and even Harry and Ron thought Percy was starting to resemble a typical Ministry official.

"Ahh! John, it's great to see you here," Percy greeted him with a wide smile.

EH?

The Weasley twins were flabbergasted. Percy, who was usually so stiff and formal, was smiling at a Slytherin? It felt like they'd seen a ghost.

John nodded, taking a bite of his meat pie. He smiled and said, "Congratulations on becoming Head Boy."

"It wouldn't have been possible without your help," Percy replied.

The two exchanged a knowing glance, hinting at some hidden secret.

The twins murmured among themselves, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged confused looks.

None of them knew what kind of help John had provided Percy.

After dinner, John returned to his room.

From outside, he heard angry voices. Listening closely, he realized it was Percy shouting.

John stepped outside and saw Harry coming out as well.

Percy's Head Boy badge was missing, and he was loudly interrogating Ron about it.

Ron, looking aggrieved, insisted he had no idea who took it, and now the medicine he bought for Scabbers had also disappeared.

Seeing the commotion, Harry quickly offered to go downstairs to fetch more medicine.

John watched the scene unfold, and he figured it was most likely the twins' doing.

'After all, who else but Fred and George would dare mess with Percy?'

The glass ball he bought was forgotten downstairs, and John went downstairs to get it.

When he reached the lower floor, he noticed Harry standing suspiciously outside a private room, leaning close as if eavesdropping.

"Oh? Who would've thought the famous savior had such a hobby?" John remarked quietly to himself.

'You really can't judge a book by its cover,' he thought.

Who knew that someone as seemingly upright as Harry would be listening to the noises of the married couple?

John grabbed his glass ball, and just as he turned around, he saw Harry darting behind the bar, trying to hide.

The Weasley couple emerged from the room, and when they saw John, Arthur Weasley looked a bit uneasy as he greeted him.

After they left, John glanced at the bar and said nonchalantly, "Harry, what are you doing?"

Harry looked conflicted, torn about what he had just overheard. He had been listening in on the Weasleys' conversation, and from what he gathered, the escaped prisoner Sirius Black seemed to have a target—him!

The Weasleys were worried Harry would be terrified if he found out.

Harry clenched his fist defiantly, refusing to be afraid of Sirius Black.

At the same time, he finally understood why the Ministry of Magic hadn't punished him. On the contrary, Minister Fudge had personally come to check on him. It turns out the Minister was just relieved Harry was still alive.

Sitting on the barstool, Harry muttered gloomily, "John, do people really see me as that much of a coward?"

Mrs. Weasley was worried the truth would scare him, and Mr. Weasley feared he'd act impulsively.

"Eh?" John looked at the moody "Savior of the Wizarding World" and couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. However, he patiently replied, "Alright, if you're willing to tell me what gave you that impression, I can give you an answer."

Harry explained that Sirius Black had gone missing from Azkaban and might have broken out specifically to come after him.

John stroked his chin thoughtfully. With Harry's luck, it wouldn't be surprising if he did cross paths with Sirius at some point.

Still, Mrs. Weasley wasn't entirely wrong. With Dumbledore at Hogwarts, even Voldemort would have to think twice before making a move.

Looking at the worried Harry, John calmly said, "Stop scaring yourself. Whether you know about this or not, it won't change anything."

Harry considered this and realized John was right. The important thing now was that Sirius needed to be caught. The Ministry had sent out Aurors, and Azkaban had dispatched guards.

With so many people after him, there was no way Sirius Black could reach Hogwarts.

Feeling a little more at ease, Harry went into the room where the Weasleys had been earlier and retrieved the medicine for Scabbers.

The two went upstairs and saw the twins once again pranking Percy, turning his Head Boy badge into a giant head.

Since this wasn't the first time the twins had done something like this, John just returned to his room to rest.

The next morning, they prepared to head to the station.

John originally wanted to Apparate there, but it wasn't convenient with so many people around. He reluctantly accepted Mr. Weasley's invitation to join them.

John saw at a glance that the wizard driving the car was an Auror.

The other party was capable and always alert.

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