Chapter 52

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In the end, Wayne achieved his goal. Both of them agreed to his share ratio and returned to the dormitory with the map.

"This guy is so bad; he keeps tempting them with their weak points," Autumn said. She really wanted to get a better broom through her own efforts, and Hermione also wanted to buy more books. The library could only lend out one book at a time, and some books had a waiting list, which simply couldn't meet Hermione's needs. The two of them still succumbed to Garen's temptation.

Of course, there was no need to return these two maps; these were Wayne's gifts to them. 

In her busy schedule, Hermione originally wanted to tell Wayne about Harry's duel with Malfoy and get his opinion, but she forgot about it. With many distractions, who had time to care for a naughty kid?

The next day, it was rare for Hermione to sleep in. On weekdays, she would get up at 6:30, wash, and read in the common room for an hour before eating. This kind of behavior among Gryffindors could only be matched by Percy. 

To promote the map today, she stayed in bed, waiting for everyone to wake up and take action together. Her roommates didn't pay any attention to Hermione's unusual behavior. Sleeping in was normal.

After finishing breakfast, the group walked towards their first class, Charms. The classroom was located on the fourth floor. The stairs had two running patterns. Only by observing for a while could one determine which one was in use.

Hermione knew her chance had come.

"No need to observe, I have a simpler way." She coughed slightly, and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown looked at her.

"What do you mean, Hermione?"

The little witch took out the map and clicked it with her wand; the map appeared. She then clicked on the icon of the Charms classroom.

"Look, you can go up the next staircase directly. It will take us to a nearby place."

Several of her roommates were attracted by this magical scene and crowded around.

"Really, the movement patterns of these stairs are exactly the same as in reality."

"Hermione, where did this map come from?"

"This was made by Wayne. Look..."

The little witch was very eloquent and could introduce all the advantages of the map in just a few words. Now Parvati and the others found it even more fascinating and were not in a hurry to go to the classroom. They asked Hermione to take them up the stairs with the map for a test.

It was breakfast time, and many little wizards were in the corridor. Seeing their strange behavior, others came over out of curiosity. It wasn't until class was about to begin that Hermione grabbed a few roommates and hurried to the Charms classroom.

Since Hermione came with her roommates today, Wayne couldn't sit at the same table with her, so he went to the other side of the classroom with his roommate Toby.

In class, Professor Flitwick explained the repair spell to be learned today and let the students practice it freely. Taking this opportunity, Harry and Ronald deliberately threw a broken wooden stick at Hermione's feet and approached her.

Harry asked softly, "Hermione, does Wayne have another map like this?"

Neville, sitting at the front table, also turned around and looked at the little witch expectantly. They all had difficulty getting up and often were late. Especially Neville, who needed the map the most. He looked at Hermione as if she were a savior.

Hermione said, "Yes, I bought this one."

Neville said excitedly, "That's great! I won't have to be late anymore."

"The premise is that you remember to bring the map when you go out," Ronald grumbled and asked the question he was most concerned about, "How much does a map cost?"

"Ten galleons."

Ronald's voice suddenly became louder, and half of the classroom heard it. "What?!"

Professor Flitwick noticed the commotion and came over. "Gentlemen, we are in class now. If you want to chat, you can choose the break time. Weasley, what happened just now?"

"Nothing, sir," Ronald lowered his head in panic, but Flitwick had already seen the map Hermione took out.

Staring at Ronald fiercely, Hermione could only apologize, "Sorry, Professor. We won't talk about it anymore."

"Just pay attention next time." Flitwick nodded. "But can you explain to me what this is?"

When Hermione showed off the map, Flitwick's eyes lit up. "Tracking spells, marking spells, hiding spells, solidifying runes, and anti-theft spells. What a genius idea."

"Miss Granger, you say this is Mr. Lawrence's work?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Okay, that's great," Flitwick said with a mix of relief and regret in his eyes. "This map is worth 20 points for Hufflepuff. I simply can't imagine that this is a work a freshman can make."

Flitwick excitedly went to Wayne to discuss the spells used on the map, leaving Harry and Ronald stunned. Neville also admired Wayne very much and planned to buy a map after class. Ten galleons was expensive, but he wasn't short on money. Although Neville's grandma was strict, she was also very kind to him. For example, the memory ball was a very advanced alchemy prop she had bought for him.

At noon, as soon as Wayne sat down in the auditorium, students came from all directions, noisily asking about the map. Except for Slytherin, there were students from every house. Most of them were junior wizards, but some senior students were also interested. 

Cho's promotion method was different from Hermione's. She had shown the map during the Ravenclaw break. When class was over, she even showed off the function of marking Filch. Now, more people were tempted. Especially for senior students, who often went out at night despite the curfew. With maps, their safety could be greatly improved.

Wayne didn't expect the map to be so popular. Surrounded by eager students, he shouted, "Don't be anxious, everyone. The time at noon is too short, and I don't have enough maps with me. If you need one, come to the side hall next to the auditorium after class in the afternoon. I'll make sure there's enough supply!"

After hearing what Wayne said, they left with satisfaction. At this time, Cedric came over, grinning. "Wayne, can you make it cheaper? One galleon is a lot."

"Get lost!"

"Okay!" Cedric replied, laughing.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the side hall in front of the freshmen branch had changed its appearance. A huge banner floated in the air.

[Selia Mystery Shop Grand Opening!] 

[Our slogan is: Today is another day full of expectations!]

Although they didn't understand the slogan, everyone still paid the money and delivered the goods. Among the three styles of maps, most people chose the ordinary version, which was enough with the stair trajectory.

Wayne mentioned before selling that his craftsmanship was not the best. The magic on the map would only last for one school year and would expire the next semester. Though he wasn't great at studies, Wayne knew how to ensure continuous profit. He calculated the rate of loss intentionally. If the little wizard's wallet weren't limited, Wayne would have made the maps go bad once a month.

Wayne handled deliveries, Cho collected money, and Hermione did the accounting. They worked for over an hour before no one else came to buy the map. "Quick, calculate how much money we have," Hermione exclaimed, her face red with excitement. "I've been counting. We have a total of one hundred and twenty Galleons and 650 Sickles."

"Wayne, you are amazing! You made so much money in one afternoon!" Cho looked at Wayne with admiration. Her annual pocket money was only twenty Galleons, and her parents' combined monthly salary was about the same amount. One day of Wayne's work would cover seven years of her living expenses at Hogwarts.

"That's not how the bill should be settled," Wayne shook his head, less enthusiastic than the girls. "I spent a week on these maps. The material cost is also money. Most importantly, fewer people will buy our maps in the future."

"You're right," Hermione agreed but remained happy. She looked at the account and said excitedly, "Those Slytherins haven't come much yet, and they're really rich." Of those maps sold, only six were to Slytherins, but they all bought the premium version. Apart from them, only Harry and Neville bought the most expensive version.

After making so much money from the Slytherins, Hermione found them less hateful. For wealthy purebred families, money wasn't an issue; they pursued ways to highlight their identity. "Come on, let's share the money," Wayne said, leading the girls into an abandoned classroom. They poured more than a hundred Galleons and hundreds of Sickles on the table, which glistened with gold and silver.

"Six hundred and fifty Sickles convert to forty Galleons, making a total of one hundred and sixty Galleons. That's twenty-four per person," Wayne quickly calculated and pushed the gold coins toward the girls. "Is it really right to take so much?" Cho hesitated. "I didn't help much."

"This is what we agreed on, and we can't go back on it," Wayne insisted, stuffing the money into their pockets. "There'll be more products in the future. I'll need your help then. I can't handle it all alone." Wayne wasn't worried about the money. His points were based on the selling price. As long as the wizards spent a Galleon, he earned five points immediately. Seeing his firm stance, Cho and Hermione agreed.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin lounge, freshman Blaise Zabini showed off a map he bought. "Look, this map shows Filch's location. Why is that stupid squib wandering around the third floor like a headless fly?" A group of students gathered around, intrigued.

"Zabini, where did you get this?" "From Lawrence," Zabini replied proudly. "It's not expensive, only ten Galleons." Some nodded, but it was hard to tell if they were sincere or pretending. Even if they thought it was expensive, they couldn't show it. Supporting pureblood glory was a must.

"Snort." Malfoy, envious and jealous, muttered, "It's that Lawrence again." Unlike Harry, he had pure contempt and jealousy for Wayne. Wayne was a mudblood, but smarter than him and praised by professors. Now, his map was the focus among students, something even Malfoy couldn't achieve. "Let's go!" Malfoy stood up angrily.

"Where to?" Crabbe asked, confused. "To Lawrence. We need a map!" The Slytherin lounge was near the Black Lake, and to get to Hufflepuff's, they had to go to the auditorium and then down. Before curfew, Malfoy wanted to buy a map. Though he disliked giving Wayne money, he needed what others had. Otherwise, people might think the Malfoy family was in decline.

After finding a Hufflepuff student to call Wayne out, Malfoy waited with his followers. Soon, Wayne stepped out. He had been chatting with Cedric, who was interested in the spell on the map. Wayne had found it in the forbidden book area and shared it with Cedric.

"Malfoy, do you need something?" Malfoy raised his chin, though shorter, and looked up at Wayne. "Do you have any maps left? Give me the most expensive version." "The premium version?" Malfoy waved impatiently. "The one that shows Filch's location. Hurry up." "Sure, wait here," Wayne said, returning with the map five minutes later.

Malfoy paid and prepared to leave, but Wayne's sneer stopped him. "The Malfoy family is nothing special. They only use what others have."