Chapter 29: Elixir and Part-Time Job

Malfoy Manor, in a secret basement, an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy was holding a crucible, holding his breath and not daring to relax.

The four corners of the room were filled with unknown materials as well as various utensils. The potion in the crucible was bubbling and emitting an intoxicating fragrance.

Suddenly, the bubbling stopped and the potion changed from a faint golden color to a complete golden color. Draco knew he had succeeded.

He was brewing a healing potion, and this was his first success after many failures.

The conditions in the basement of Hogsmeade were too shabby, and the psychic potion was one of the most demanding in terms of environment.

Sometimes a grain of dust could ruin it all. In the simple and dusty basement, this problem would be magnified.

And Draco couldn't fully focus near Hogwarts, as he might be distracted or wondering if someone would catch him.In short, he couldn't concentrate.

Additionally, some of the herbs had weak medicinal properties, as Hogwarts is a wizarding school, not a herb shop.

For the safety of students, some herbs with weak medicinal properties need to be specially sourced.This objective reason ultimately led to his previous failures.

But now it was different.

Draco now had Lucius's professional laboratory for studying dark magic, as well as rare materials purchased at a high price, and perhaps some experience gained from previous failures.

And one more important factor was added.

Draco looked at the most noticeable bottle on the table. The liquid in that bottle had been used for more than half of the potion, and there was a hint of pain on his face. This was the dragon blood he had blackmailed last time.

Dragons, as creatures in various legends, are a symbol of power.

There is even a more exaggerated legend that bathing in dragon blood can make one immortal, but it seems that the dragons in this world are not as powerful as thought, otherwise Voldemort wouldn't have needed to create Horcruxes; he could just kill a dragon and take a bath.

Although dragons in this world are not as powerful as people believe, their blood still holds a pivotal position in alchemy or potions.

In addition to Dumbledore's "Twelve Uses of Dragon Blood," there are even rarer books that state: "Dragon blood can increase the success rate of boiling potions and speed up the time it takes for the finished product to be ready. It contains powerful vitality and magic that can greatly aid in the healing of potions."

"This is a lifesaving potion," Draco thought as he slowly poured the boiled potion from the crucible into a small bottle without letting a drop spill.

He then sealed it perfectly with a stopper and put it in his pocket.

"Luck is also a part of strength," he thought, although this statement was biased.

"There is the same force everywhere in the world, and it is not free to transport heroes." There are always some people who fall victim to fate under the malicious intent of others.

The Magical Potion is not a panacea. If an ordinary person faced Voldemort, it is unlikely that drinking a hundred bottles would enable them to escape.

However, if Dumbledore and Voldemort were in the prime of their duel, and Dumbledore had taken a sip before the game, it's hard to say what might happen. Old Dumbledore, who was able to suppress Voldemort, had the lucky bonus and may have gained unexpected advantages.

"So it all depends on your basic attributes," Draco thought, keeping a calm enough judgment on this bottle of potion.

The stronger he was, the greater the effect of the healing potion would be.

"Have you thought about potential side effects?"

This is a question that people who are considering taking dragon blood should consider.

Draco originally saw it as just a necessary means and would not abuse it.

"The holiday is more than halfway over." Draco estimated the time and came to this conclusion.

He hasn't left his home during the holiday and has been studying new knowledge. The quality of the dragon blood seems to be good and has lasted much longer than he expected.

"It's time to contact Pansy. After all, the holiday task was completed ahead of time." He thought to himself as he organized the messy items in the basement and prepared to return to his room to write a letter to Pansy.

But when he entered the room, he saw an extra letter on the table. He opened the envelope and read it.

Pansy wrote in the letter that she had already gone on a trip to France with her parents.

Excerpts from the letter include: "I haven't received a letter from you in dozens of days, so I decided to abandon you. I bet the scenery in France is beautiful. Maybe there are many beautiful girls, but you can't see them. Too bad for you. I'll bring you back a gift or two and you'll appreciate me."

She also drew a grimace symbol next to her writing. Draco could imagine Pansy's expression while writing the letter.

"So now I'm a lonely man?" Draco silently teased himself. Besides teachers and students, not everyone gets a summer vacation.

Narcissa and Lucius have their own jobs, and except for the servant housekeeper at the manor, Draco is essentially an home alone man.

"Then I'll have to come up with a plan. I'll always try to find out." Draco pulled out a yellowed piece of paper from under the table.

The handwriting was densely packed and twisted, likely intentionally. He put a tick and a circle after two lines of writing, representing one completed task and the next plan to be completed.

"All evil capitalists should experience the life of the proletariat and receive re-education from poor middle peasants," Draco teased himself again.

Then he read a book in his bedroom and looked up at the window. He saw that the sky was gradually darkening and the sunset was casting a golden hue on the scenery outside.

He even saw several large owls flying towards the main house with flapping wings. "Goo."

It was time for dinner and the family sat down to a normal meal around the table.

"Baby, why do you always have such strange ideas?" Narcissa shook her head at the table, not fully understanding Draco's earlier statement.

"My child, if you want, I can even arrange for you to visit the Ministry of Magic, but the goblins at Pavilion may not be easy to deal with." Lucius also offered his suggestion while taking a sip of strong tea.

He, too, was having a hard time understanding his son's ideas.

"I think it's important for me to challenge myself. If I go to the Ministry of Magic, I'll just be under your wings. What's the point of my challenge?" Draco began to explain himself.

In short, he didn't see the point in going to the Ministry of Magic.

Lucius' brow furrowed tightly on his pale face as he said, "Okay, but I'm not familiar with those goblin either. I'll take you to Diagonal Alley tomorrow. If that doesn't work, we'll go home or I'll take you to see the Ministry of Magic together."

"The baby in our family is so good," Lucius said, moved by his son's words.

Narcissa took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the corners of her eyes.

During dinner, Lucius explained to Draco some notes about dealing with goblins.

Several goblin rebellions in history showed that the relationship between wizards and goblins is not very good.

The next morning, Draco and his father arrived at Diagonal Alley through the Floo network.

As they walked slowly down the cobbled street, Draco felt the hustle and bustle he had missed for so long.

Some wizards were soliciting customers, although the items in their stalls looked fake at first glance.

For example, it was hard to imagine that you could buy a phoenix egg here, and even that egg had a broken shell.

Some wizards were excited and even raising their wands for the bargain of a few Copper Nuts.

As they passed the Slug & Jiggers pharmacy, the father and son both covered their noses.

Not only was the pharmacy stinking, but the smell of rotten vegetables and rotten eggs even reached the door.

Some shops were deserted, with only a few dusty brooms outside.

This was the Leaky Cauldron bookstore.

There were only a few customers flipping through the books on the table, and even the store manager seemed a little absent-minded with the staff.

Of course, in a few days they would be too busy to touch the ground, perhaps because school was approaching, but more likely because of the signing of a peacock man.

After walking a little further, a tall white building appeared in front of the two.

"Child, even though you're here to challenge yourself, our Malfoy family can't do that kind of low-level drudgery. If you were going to be a warehouse guard, I think we should go back now," Lucius said as they approached the gate.

"Of course, Father. Besides, even if I wanted to guard the group of goblins in the warehouse, I shouldn't let them go. Do you think my father has played a dragon?" Malfoy answered his question.

"I think so," Lucius nodded, a satisfied smile on his pale face.

Then they stepped on the marble steps of the bank and walked towards a gleaming bronze gate.

At the door stood a guard of goblins wearing scarlet and gold uniforms, who bowed to them as they entered.

They went through a second silver door. It was unclear whether the door was silver-plated or made of silver. The following text was engraved on it:

Please come in, stranger, but be careful, Greed is a dangerous game, Blindly asking for something for nothing, Will surely lead to severe punishment, So if you want to take from our underground vault, A wealth that never belonged to you, Thief, you have been warned, Beware of attracting not treasures, but bad rewards.

After going through this warning gate, the father and son entered a spacious marble hall.

About a hundred goblins sat behind the long counter, registering in large ledgers.

Some were weighing coins, some were using eyepieces to detect gems.

A goblin came up to the father and son.

He had a shiny head, long nose, and pointed ears.

He said in a pointed voice, "Lucius, I haven't seen you in a while. Your little son's idea is really strange, actually thinking of coming to this job."

"This is not your concern," Lucius said in a deep voice.

"So what can you help us with? Pavilion does not accept useless people, although I have a good relationship with your father," the goblin said, staring at Draco.

He added, "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Grip. You can call me Mr. Grip."

He straightened his collar as if it could make him more elegant.

Draco tried to recite the two match thing, or rather, the multiplication table.

"This is just to prove that your computing abilities are good, but our employees can spend more time and still be able to do it," Draco said, trying to appear unfazed and picky.

Draco walked over to a goblin who was keeping accounts and glanced at the account book.

"On the fifth line of this page, the last data seems to be a decimal point, Mr. Goblin," he said, trying to help.

The goblin quickly looked at the place Draco pointed to and added a little with a quill pen, writing while looking around to avoid being seen by others.

As a former finance student, the shoddy bookkeeping method of the wizarding world was really flawed in his eyes.

"Lucius, your son is really good. Aren't wizards a group of people who lack logic? It seems that your son is an exception," Grip praised, apparently having recognized Malfoy's ability.

"Of course," Lucius said, his tone full of pride.

"Next, please let me welcome our new employee, Mr. Draco. You should spend a substantial holiday here," Grip said as he stretched out his hand.

Draco had to bend down to shake it.

And so, someone's working life began like this.